What happens if you accidentally send the wrong disc back to Netflix? Netflix keeps your disc. Hacking Netflix reader Cheesemold accidentally sent in a game disc, and Netflix is keeping it. This was their response:
I’m really sorry to hear that you have sent us in your game. I researched this issue and found out that our distribution centers aren’t set up to return customer discs of any kind so we’re not able to send your disc back. I understand this is frustrating for you and I am very sorry that we cannot mail your disc back to you.
If you have not been able to return our DVD, feel free to send it back in the same mailer as your next return (2 in 1 mailer) once you have finished viewing the film. Be sure to include a note with your email address so that we can process the DVD.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Thanks,
Netflix Customer Service
So, sorry we’re keeping your 60 dollar game, but how about sending us our movie back? Nice. Then again, it might be logistically impossible to find the guy’s game. Better watch which disc you put into that little sleeve.—MEGHANN MARCO
What Happens When You Send Back The Wrong Disc? [Hacking Netflix] (Thanks, Riley!)
(Photo: Maulleigh)
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Saying your DVDs were lost and then keeping them is a pretty quick way to get flagged for abuse and have your account cancelled.
@nerys:
Yes, actually. If someone addresses something to YOU at your address that you didn’t order, you have the right to keep it. If it is addressed to someone else, that is a different matter. But unsolicited packages delivered to your name are yours to keep.
@ Nerys
Actually, that’s how the law works (at least for your first example). If a company (or person) sends you something unsolicited, you basically can do anything you want with it, including throw it away (see http://www.vanosteen.com/columns/consumer/unsolicited.asp)…
I’m not sure with the second example (post office misdelivers mail), since it’s not directly addressed to you (actually, see the last paragraph in the above link).
My girlfriend used her son’s XBox to watch DVD’s, and she accidentally sent Netflix his copy of Halo. He was about 14 at the time, and he was really mad about it. So I went and bought another copy of Halo for him and a handful of the most violent video games that I absolutely knew he would love and his mother would hate: Riddick, Grand Theft Auto, a couple of others. For weeks afterward he was all, “Hey Mom, look at this!!!” as he ran over a pedestrian or something.
I told her that’s what she gets for sending in his game… she never did it again.
Joshua writes:
“Opinion: Netflix is absolutely in the right to not put effort into looking for his game. These are the compromises we as consumers have to make when dealing with faceless internet companies. I practically guarantee his local video store (especially a privately owned one) would have been able to return the game to him. It is absurd to expect Netflix to be able to find it among the millions of incoming & outgoing videos they deal with on a daily basis.
Helpful: Netflix will forgive a lost disc or two (maybe more). He could rent a couple DVDs and conveniently misplace them to even things out a little. “
I had a similar situation with the GameFly service- which I believe is owned by the same parent company. I got a bad disc from gamefly and mistakenly sent back the bad disc in the envelope (with the barcode) of a good game. With several attempts at contacting support- they were of no help to me, charged me for the game (which they admitted I’d sent a copy of to them). So I cancelled my account.
@r81984: My guess is when they originally put the movie in the player, there was already a DVD in the player, and instead of leaving THAT ONE out to be scratched, they put it in the Netflix sleeve. When it came time to return, they just grabbed the sleeve with the wrong disk in it.
No, it doesn’t make them any less at fault, but it makes them look a tiny bit more intelligent than waving their arms around blindly, shoving the first thing that feels like a DVD in the sleeve.
How stupid do you have to be return a game instead of a movie?
I suupose I’m one of the lucky ones. My husband and I returned one of our own dvd’s by mistake. We didn’t even realize it until they sent us an email stating what had happened. We received our dvd back within 2 weeks. I’m ashamed to admit, however, that we weren’t able to locate their dvd so we could send it back to them. Through all of the confusion it got lost. This time I sent them an email. I was surprised…I was fully expecting to have to pay for it. Instead they had me fill out a short form online stating what had happened and aussured me there wouldn’t be any negative marks left on my account because of it. (this was several months ago and thus far they have been good to their word) Perhaps I was one of the lucky ones who got an honest rep? Or maybe my dvd I sent in by mistake was of little interest to them? (Learn To Play The Guitar….boring. What can I say? It was my hubby’s.) Whatever the case may be, I have been a Netflix custstomer for a long time now and have been nothing but satisfied with their service. As a matter of fact I suggest them to all of my friends. Hopefully they will continue not to let me down.
Sincerely,
MaryEllen
I’ve just recently joined Netflix—-and of the 4 or 5 movies I’ve received, every single one skips. So reeeeeally—are they actually checking to see if the DVDs are “damaged”? They’re almost unwatchable.
You know those stories that you read that you just chew and chew in your head for days/weeks/years? Well, this is that story for me. I can’t stop thinking of ways netflix could be more efficient in this manner. Why? I don’t have anything better to think about? Evidently not.
Perhaps they could SET ASIDE the items in a large bin: perhaps putting a sticky note on them. Then, when someone writes/calls/emails that s/he lost Their SIMS game, an employee could go through the bin, find a SIMS game, and send it back. HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just stream the movies then there is no problem.