Will you stick with the higher prices at Netflix or bolt?
Netflix is raising its prices by as much as 60 percent for those who want to rent DVDs by mail and watch video on the Internet, Associated Press reports.
The company is separating the two options so that its 23 million subscribers who want both will have to buy separate plans totaling at least $16 per month, AP writes. Netflix had been bundling both options in a single package, available for as low as $10 per month.
New subscribers will have to pay the new prices immediately, AP writes. The changes take effect Sept. 1 for Netflix’s current customers.
Netflix isn’t changing the $8 monthly price for an Internet streaming-only option, which the company began offering late last year, AP reports. But instead of charging $2 more for a plan that also offers one DVD at a time by mail, the company will charge $8 for a comparable DVD-only plan. That brings the total to $16.
What will you do — stay or leave?
If you’re sticking, will you cut back and just go with the streaming-only option?
If you’re sticking, how much more are you willing to pay?
If you’re leaving, will you rely more on the retail kiosks? Watch more TV movies? Both?
- Henry Unger, The Biz Beat
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142 comments Add your comment
john s
July 13th, 2011
6:37 am
I’ll stay, but stream only and rent from Resbox. Besides, I give out my id and password to both kids who live away from home and they stream off me for free – nyah Netflix!!
john s
July 13th, 2011
6:38 am
REDBOX!
GaryAMG
July 13th, 2011
6:40 am
Bolt, simple as that!
slickrock
July 13th, 2011
6:43 am
Just put service on suspension and will most likely cancel.
Tee in ATL
July 13th, 2011
6:43 am
I was so upset to get that email. I’m only going to subscribe to the streaming and go back to giving redbox my business for when I want a physical disk to watch.
JT
July 13th, 2011
6:46 am
BOLT
Noelle
July 13th, 2011
6:46 am
I won’t be keeping both services. I’m checking into other streaming options, but since I don’t get many DVDs anyway, if I do keep Netflix, it’ll be streaming. But I’m infuriated by the whole thing, especially since their blog post about it tried to spin it as a price cut. They need to offer a discounted bundle rate or they’re going to lose a huge number of customers.
GB
July 13th, 2011
6:55 am
I am staying and I am saving money. I do not use the instant viewing option. Switching to the DVD only plan will save me a couple of dollars a month. I changed plans with four or five clicks. Netflix is a superb service.
GB
July 13th, 2011
6:57 am
Quick check reveals I am saving $4 per month.
Joe
July 13th, 2011
6:58 am
The increase now gives me the insentive to get off my butt and start doing productive things with my time instead of watching movies in my spare time. My 3 year subscription will be canceled.
Annoying Pop Up Add
July 13th, 2011
7:02 am
That’s it! I’m out of here! 60% increase at one time is STUPID!!! So long Netflix!
Just don't get the discs
July 13th, 2011
7:05 am
My family is on the all-you-can-watch plan. We have teenagers who go through movies faster than Harry Potter can wave his wand. We stream Netflix through our PS3 player (love that!).
It’s still a minor cost to us.
Wes H.
July 13th, 2011
7:09 am
Been thinking about cutting back before the increase. I’m sure I will now.
Carolyn
July 13th, 2011
7:17 am
I am out of here, 60% at one time is too much, will go back to the redbox for my DVD’s.
revstj
July 13th, 2011
7:18 am
Definitely dropping the DVD. We will start getting DVDs from the red and blue boxes. Will stream for the time being but will look into other options. I believe Amazon has a competing service. Never really considered it until now. I think Netflix is making a big mistake. Should have given a discount for both services.
RedNeck Rick
July 13th, 2011
7:21 am
I’m done. I love Netflix, but this increase, regardless of the costs of future negotiations with Hollywood, shows a poor long-term business model. You simply do not raise prices by this much that quickly without alienating your customers, most of whom are very happy with Netflix. I’m going to compare other options, such as using RedBox, Hulu Plus, or even upgrading my cable package and using the DVR.
pete
July 13th, 2011
7:26 am
I don’t have cable and I don’t buy DVDs…so think about it, even at $20 per month it’s still CHEAPER than buying 1 DVD, renting several movies from redbox, paying for cable. So do the math, I’m staying but probably just streaming as we hardly order DVDs anyway
Stildawg
July 13th, 2011
7:28 am
No way. I am quitting.
SA
July 13th, 2011
7:29 am
All my watching is via streaming anyway. No loss for me.. The disc is going out the door.
Well actually with telcos implementing very restrictive bandwidth caps, we might have to stop using the internet all together.
So maybe discs will make a comeback.
adam
July 13th, 2011
7:32 am
I just got netflix free trial so I could cut back my cable bill. Now that it is going to be the same price as having HBO, I will cancel and go back to HBO and use the redbox as needed.
ChrisNC
July 13th, 2011
7:34 am
I’m going to cut my service. Now I have a reason to save $10 per month. I hope the Netflix people read all these comments and see how many people are going to cut their service.
Howard
July 13th, 2011
7:39 am
NOPE
Bacchus
July 13th, 2011
7:41 am
I’m currently “on hold” with my Netflix subscription since I have no time to watch anything right now – does Comcast let you do that? Nope, didn’t think so.
I will probably keep the streaming option but cancel the Blu-Ray rental. But you can’t get Blu-Ray picture and sound quality from streaming, and when you rent a movie like Tron Legacy, you want that. So I’ll just go to Redbox for actual disc rentals.
I am still on the fence about canceling cable TV service in lieu of streaming Netflix and Apple TV. One month of my current comcast bill will buy me an Apple TV device and a month of Netflix.
dmb
July 13th, 2011
7:46 am
heck no.. gone..
OTP
July 13th, 2011
7:48 am
I use Blockbuster on line, and love it-no problems at all, and can exchange movies at the store for free. Streaming is not for everyone.
Cindy
July 13th, 2011
7:48 am
“May” keep the streaming option but am so angry right now that I think I will cancel Netflix completely. Blockbuster did the same thing with their service…kept going up on the rates so alot of customers bolted to Netflix and Blockbuster went under. Now Netflix is taking advantage of their domination in this market. I think they need to look at this is a “luxury” for many families in today’s down economy .
Long time customer
July 13th, 2011
7:49 am
I would have considered staying but Netflix cares so little about long time customers that they made a major rate change announcement without the forethought to consider the amount of calls they may receive. I am out of here!!!
Vote with my wallet
July 13th, 2011
7:50 am
Nope. Streaming is an awesome concept but the variety of selections stink. Redbox is a better option – particularly with their promos. The Blockbuster near me closed, so I ended my membership with them ages ago.
It will be interesting to see how this rate plan change impacts subscriber churn & stock prices.
Smooth
July 13th, 2011
7:51 am
I only Stream anyway so I will be staying, however that is a real bad move and they will loose a lot of subscribers and just think moving into 43 international countries almost had me considering some shares, but with this move they are setting themselves up for a big loss.
KS
July 13th, 2011
7:51 am
Gone
Bulldog
July 13th, 2011
7:52 am
Just changed my account from Unlimited Blu-ray dvds to streaming only. I hope everyone else does as well – take a stand!
Sally
July 13th, 2011
7:52 am
Probably stay. I would only do the streaming if they would make more of their titles available. Granted, alot of them are. But not even close to all of them. Rarely are newer titles available for streaming. I will look into Redbox maybe. But, the easiest thing to do is just keep them coming to my mailbox. Obviously they need more competition. Now that they’ve run Blockbuster out of business their pricing changes.
Mr. Charlie
July 13th, 2011
7:55 am
Bolt for what??? Just do streaming only and get a new releases or disc movies through Redbox for $1. If you don’t want to leave the house to pickup a Redbox disc, fire up Amazon on Demand for latest releases.
Franco
July 13th, 2011
7:55 am
I left Blockbuster a year a so ago when they jacked around with its pricing structure and crazy fees and switched to Netflix. Will do streaming only for now but looking into Amazons service instead because Netflix streaming is too limited. I hardly ever get the DVD’s, streaming is the future. If they are using this model to get the studios to allow more streaming this could be a good thing.
CHG!
July 13th, 2011
7:57 am
We will definitely be looking at other options and probably give them the boot…way too much of an increase. They should have offered a discounted bundle to current subscribers. We enjoy the DVD’s more than the streaming video because the choices are much better. So if we did decide to stay, we would drop the streaming video.
Jim
July 13th, 2011
7:57 am
I am out……it was nice while it lasted. This comes on the heals of the AT+T instituting a MANDATORY long distance fee of $40 (we cut long distance to save $$). So many companies are losing our business. Hey between these two things, I’ll save $50 per month. So NYAH to all of them. Watch out Wells Fargo, you are next!
Gene
July 13th, 2011
8:08 am
Gone
gabugman
July 13th, 2011
8:13 am
A quick check reveals I’m saving $2, 443, 670.00
Definitely gonna stay – NOT!
J
July 13th, 2011
8:19 am
I will stay, but will most likely change my plan. I rarely use the streaming anyway.
Show Low Here We Come
July 13th, 2011
8:21 am
As soon as I can find an Amazon enabled blu-ray player, it’ll be sayonara Netflix.
Elliot Garcia
July 13th, 2011
8:21 am
Why pay Netflix to stream old movies? If I wanted to watch all that junk I would just turn on TBS….
ed
July 13th, 2011
8:22 am
who needs netflix when you can download movies free via internet. bit torrent baby
Ryan2White
July 13th, 2011
8:24 am
Here I come Amazon.
Mr. Charlie
July 13th, 2011
8:27 am
@Elliot Garcia either you don’t have Netflix or your ability to watch movies other than action is primitive at best.
Tim
July 13th, 2011
8:28 am
Bye,
Hello Redbox
No way
July 13th, 2011
8:29 am
I will be canceling netflix. I am not watching it that much anymore anyways. So, redbox and blockbuster will get a new customer with me.
keith
July 13th, 2011
8:29 am
Called them pertty much “Oh Well”. Told them they were going the way of Block Busters.Leaving,Gone,Outahere, Dont just almost double my cost with that attitude.
Jasmine
July 13th, 2011
8:29 am
It’s still cheaper than Comcast so I won’t be leaving.
Jim
July 13th, 2011
8:33 am
I’m gone. Thank you Redbox.
JM
July 13th, 2011
8:35 am
It’s better than Red (Neck) Box