Aliza Libman writes on ...

Netflix ending profiles - why?

Bureaucratic BS from Netflix, who emailed last week:

Dear Aliza,

We wanted to let you know we will be eliminating Profiles, the feature that allowed you to set up separate DVD Queues under one account, effective September 1, 2008.

Each additional Profile Queue will be unavailable after September 1, 2008. Before then, we recommend you consolidate any of your Profile Queues to your main account Queue or print them out.

While it may be disappointing to see Profiles go away, this change will help us continue to improve the Netflix website for all our customers.

If you have any questions, please go to http://www.netflix.com/Help?p_faqid=3962 or call us anytime at 1 (888) 638-3549. We apologize for any inconvenience.

- The Netflix Team

Netflix, a publicly traded company, wants one thing: more money. I am happy giving them some of my money in exchange for goods and/or services that are worth the price. The happy freebie of Netflix profiles is that each person gets the DVD he or she wants when he or she is finished with the previous one.

I know for certain that in my home, and many across the nation, if I return a Jane Austen biopic and my husband gets a zom-rom-com (zombie romantic comedy), I will be rather put out. But who has time to micromanage the queue so closely to make sure that the returner gets a new movie and not his or her spouse/roommate/sibling?

For Ari and I to add an extra DVD for him to my account when we got married, it cost only about $5. What Netflix is hoping is that to save our marriage, Ari and I will buy him a separate account at $9 a month. That way, they can make extra money from thousands of Netflix-addicted families across the nation.

It's not worth it for us; Netflix won't be getting more of my hard-earned money anytime soon and if they carry through with this poorly explained, bogus cash grab, all they will do will make people angry enough to cancel or downgrade subscriptions or switch to Blockbuster.

Hooray for "improving the Netflix website for all customers"!

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To read more rants on the topic, see Greg Albrecht, Stephanie, and Netflix community blog.

posted by Aliza @ 3:32 p.m.