If you have Netflix then you might have heard by email or just browsing the site that rates as of September 1, 2011 are going up. By right around 50% depending on plan you have now. I have the Unlimited Streaming and One DVD At A Time Plan and pay $10.76 incl tax for that plan. It is about to go up to almost $17/month. Essentially, separating the Streaming and the DVD mailing and not having a package deal for both-like they do till September 1-was the plan.
So why is this happening? Simple. They are trying to get out of the mailing business and go to just streaming.
I wonder how many people THAT will put out of work…
Plus, the USPS will lose part of the 700M/year for postage of the around 1B/year they make now.
Frankly Netflix can do whatever they want at this point because they have no competition to speak of. And people bitch right now but actually cancelling Netflix? I most likely won’t. But I will be looking for other options.
Retail giants such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Amazon.com Inc., and Best Buy Co., Internet television provider Hulu, and satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp. are weighing plans to launch online subscription video services or expand nascent ones to take on Netflix, people with knowledge of the matter said.
This will be welcomed with open arms, I am sure.