Comments on: Netflix to eliminate profiles, instigate roommate feuds

The rental-by-mail service is eliminating a feature that allows a single account to be split into separate profiles for family members or housemates. At least some members aren't happy.

[HlLLARY CLITON]

Seems ok to me, change is hard for some. There are more important things to cry about

[bwvla]

A couple years ago when I lived with a roommate I found this feature incredibly useful.

For Netflix to drop this feature without an equivalent replacement is a bit odd. Their explanation was also a bit lacking. If they have the technology already in place and paid for, and movie deliveries have been smooth why drop it?

Perhaps Netflix needs to explain this a bit better.

[sanenazok]

One less thing for them maintain, I guess. They should focus on instant movie playback anyways.

[steveray]

I'll probably drop netflix because of this. We use it less and less as it is, and removing this feature would cripple its utility.

The PR spin is lame, they wouldn't remove functionality like this unless they thought it would increase revenue.

[dfsmith]

Does the Blockbuster service offer profiles?

[xhalarin]

This is not OK, nor an issue of coping with change. This was a service differentiator that made life much easier for many Netflix customers. Loosing the feature combined with the poor way in which it was communicated and being handled is going to cause big problems for Netflix.

[Muhammad I.]

Netflix has porn??

[youngstarrenterprises]

no seriously.. they have porn?

[deecee]

Hey, why don't you complain about you and your roommate each having to pay for a cell phone account? It is quite obvious that Netlix is nixing this so in situations like this, you will have to each pay for a subscription or deal with the hassle of mixing your movies.

[papa272]

For a typical family this is a big problem. This means my wife and I will have to constantly adjust the queue to make sure we both get equal share. And it is not something customers just have to get used to. This is a basic convenience that should be provided in one for or another. You don't have to pay for cable for each person in the household separately do you? So then why should I pay $20 x 2? We never rent enough DVDs to actually make Netflix financially cheaper than Blockbuster. But it is a convenience. If they rub us of this convenience we will simply drop the service.

[benjamin straight]

Boo!

[gary85739]

I just downgraded my Netflix account from 6 at a time to 3 at a time!

It's not NICE to limit subscriber choices Netflix!

[gary85739]

I just downgraded my Netflix account from 6 at a time to 3 at a time!

It's not NICE to limit subscriber choices Netflix!

[josejrp]

So let me get this straight... first they announce that they may start charging more for Blu-ray rentals, and now they are getting rid of one of my favorite features? I use to like Netflix, but if Blockbuster offers profiles and Blu-ray, I am done with them. How am I supposed to keep my wife's crappy movies away from my queue without profiles????

[drummerhul]

I didn't even know they had this feature... Maybe that's why no one uses it...

[stupidjonas]

Crap, I didn't even know they HAD that feature, I've been wanting that for ages so that I get personal recommendations instead of everything being mixed together (kids movies for my son, period pieces for my wife, and zombie movies for me). Well, I hope they figure something else out. Like why can't you check the movie as a pick to a certain user in your household? Problem solved!

[ewelch]

Netflixfreak.app makes it so easy for me to manage my Queue I don't see it as a major problem.

[amandachuck]

4 at a time is $24 a month.
2 at a time is $14 a month.
Splitting a 4 at a time into 2 shared 2 at a times each is obviously $12 a month per person.

You spent an entire article complaining about $2 a month, 7 cents a day. If nobody uses the feature, then it's not worth it for Netflix to maintain it so some cheapskates can save 7 cents a day?

[treet007]

"or pay for two separate accounts (which will cost more for both of us)"

WWAAAAHHHH! If you can't trust your roommate to possibly steal your identity from all of your confidential papers lying around, why are you with your roommate in the same space? Either share an account or have your own account. No different than a credit card.

[kieranmullen]

For the crybaby cheapskate article author. Maintenance is an issue for something people don't care to much about. Also liability is a concern. If your roommate lost a dvd or left you high and dry you would be liable. Liability is also a major concern as well.

[thateasy]

Now they are behaving like cellphone and cable companies.... instead of innovating they are crippeling their own service to make more profit. Its frustating to see Netflix behaving like this coz so far I liked that company.... If verizon, comcast etc does this kind of dirty trick it will be business as usual .... I wont care... since I dont like them anyway but Netflix .... I liked.