Dear Netflix, I'm Really Confused And Kind Of Mad About This Bonus DVD Thing

Okay, so, like, what’s going on here? Back in August, reports were coming out about what Netflix had decided to do with all those discs once their DVD-by-mail service ended. And it looked like fans of the service could look forward to getting a bonus DVD (or ten!) in their mailboxes once the plan ended on September 29th.   

But here it is, two weeks later at the time of this writing, and I haven’t received a single one of those supposed “bonus” DVDs in my mailbox. And my only question is, why? Because, well, I’m pretty damn confused, and also kind of mad at this point. Here’s where the story begins.  

We Were Told That We Could Potentially “Find Up To 10 Extra Discs” In Our Mailboxes 

Not too long ago, back in August, I received an email from Netflix that prompted me to click that I wanted “more red envelopes” as a sort of going-away-present for the service. In fact, this is what the email said exactly: 

Now look, I get it. In no way whatsoever does it read that I will DEFINITELY be getting anything from Netflix. In fact, since I’ve been pretty upset ever since I heard that Netflix was getting rid of its DVD service, I might have been too hopeful when I received this email. After all, I was a subscriber to Netflix’s DVD plan for 20 years, so the idea of getting some bonus discs got me really excited.      

Probably too excited, now that I think about it. As a superfan of Netflix DVD, I was already imagining what movies might come my way, and I loaded up my queue with both standard stuff, like a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. But also some more obscure picks, like the movie Scarecrow with Gene Hackman and Al Pacino, and the second movie in The Apu Trilogy, Aparajito.     

But when I didn’t receive anything last week, I started to get a little worried. I’ll explain why next.  

I Received The Movie I Was Supposed To Get The Wednesday Before Netflix Sent Out Their “Finale Discs,” But That’s It 

Please try to follow me on this one. The week before the final week of the service, I mailed back my DVD. And then, on the following Wednesday, I received the next movie in my queue, which was Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent. Since I got this on the Wednesday before the Friday that was their last shipping day, wondered if that will be included in my package of bonus DVDs (I was a younger, more hopeful man two weeks ago). 

But when October rolled around, and I went to check my mailbox everyday for a sack of red sleeved DVDs, I began to wonder: Wait, was Foreign Correspondent it? Yes, I know that Netflix said that we could keep the last disc that we received, but I didn’t initially think that that single disc might be my “bonus” DVD, just because I got to keep it. 

Again, I am aware that I was never promised anything, but I also think that it wasn’t clearly outlined just how many subscribers would be receiving bonus DVDs, and what the qualifications were. Which brings me to my next point of confusion.  

I Was Fully Aware That I Might Not Receive “Up To 10 Discs,” But None? 

I’ve gone back through that email a number of times, and it bugs me more and more at just how vague it truly was. And, apparently, I’m not alone. On Reddit, a number of people have been wondering the same thing, with one person named Camicalm in a string titled No Bonus Discs :( writing:

Being from New Jersey, I can relate to Camicalm. But I am not sure if being in a different part of the country really has anything to do with it. In fact, I really don’t know what the qualifications were in the first place, which is actually where the anger part comes in. 

I now assume that the people who actually received bonus DVDs was random, in order to keep it fair for everyone. But is it really fair that one person may have received the fabled 10 bonus DVDs, while a lot of people received none? Wouldn't it have been more fair for everyone if Netflix just sent out 1 extra disc to everybody who clicked that they wanted "more red envelopes"? 

I’m not even saying that it had to be a movie from our queue, but rather, perhaps just some random flick to clear out their inventory. I’m sure a lot of us would be content with just receiving at least one extra “bonus” DVD (rather than the one that was already coming our way anyway, like it was for me with Foreign Correspondent).

But are you telling me that there is somebody out there who legitimately received TEN DISCS in their mailboxes, while a great many of us received NONE? Because out of all of the articles I read about this 10 possible DVDs thing, it seemed like more of us than not would at least be receiving something, which doesn’t seem like the case at all now.  

Like, I had a feeling I wouldn’t get 10 movies, but NONE? Even after being a loyal subscriber for 20 years? It just kind of feels like a slap in the face. So now… 

I’m Angry 

My brother in Criterion, CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes, wrote a scathing piece on why he was furious with Netflix DVD for canceling their DVD subscription service. And while I wasn’t mad at the time, I am now! And, I wouldn’t have been if Netflix didn’t do this whole silly bonus DVD thing. 

If they had just said, “You know what, you don’t have to send back your final DVDs. Just keep them.” I would have been fine! I mean, I would have been upset that it was over, but I would have been content with that last DVD that I received.   

But now, I’m not! I have Foreign Correspondent sitting in its red sleeve on my PlayStation, and I don’t even want to look at it. This has really left a sour taste in my mouth, this whole “bonus DVD” thing, and I really wish they were clearer on just how FEW people would likely be getting DVDs. 

I also wish they had stated that it’s going to be completely random. So it doesn’t matter if you’ve been a subscriber for two decades, or if you just subscribed the month before they shut down. I mean, that doesn’t sound very fair to me, but at least if they were upfront about what percentage of subscribers might receive DVD. And if it was denoted that it would be a low percentage--then I don’t think I’d be fuming like I am now. Like, what the hell, Netflix? Doesn’t loyalty mean anything to you? 

Man, I need to calm down. What do you think? Were you confused, and then angry when you didn’t receive your bonus discs? Or, did you get 10 discs in your mailbox like the chosen few? Whichever you are, I’m going to lie down now. I just got myself all worked up again over literally nothing. For more news on all things cinema, be sure to swing around here often.