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If your Netflix movies take too long to arrive, you may be sharing subscription w/ your mail carrier
New York Magazine ^ | Feb. 2006 | Eric Wolff

Posted on 02/13/2006 4:24:01 PM PST by iPod Shuffle

A Stranger in Your Queue

If your Netflix movies take too long to arrive, you may be sharing your subscription with your mail carrier.

* By Eric Wolff

JIan Zhong Li loved Netflix. After a long night sorting mail at a Queens processing center, he could settle in at his Brooklyn home with all sorts of movies he’d never seen in the theater. Li especially loved Netflix because the DVDs come in well-labeled red envelopes that make them easy to identify amid the bulk junk. It also makes them so much easier to steal. When postal inspectors followed Li to his car, they found 83 stolen discs.

And he’s not the only one: There appears to be a trend of similarly tempted postal workers. Bronx mail carrier Luis Ayala tried to cover his indiscretions with personal notes. In September, he tore open a Postal Inspectors Service test envelope, decided he didn’t want that one, and delivered it to his customer with the message RECEIVED IN BAD COND.—LA. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor and awaits sentencing. In June, after two months of customer complaints, inspectors arrested Daniella Garofalo, a Midwood, Brooklyn, mail carrier, for stealing DVDs from Netflix envelopes on her route. The inspector addressed an envelope to a fictitious address and equipped it with an electronic tracking device. An alarm sounded when Garofalo opened the envelope. Inspectors have rounded up thieves in Detroit, San Diego, and Lyons, Colorado—where a carrier stole 503 discs before capture. Because civil-service rules make it nearly impossible to fire corrupt mail carriers, U.S. attorneys often agree to dismiss charges in exchange for their quitting. This happened to both Garofalo and Li. But then again, Li usually sent the discs along after he was done watching.

(Excerpt) Read more at nymetro.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: civilservice; corruption; dvd; fringebenefits; mailcarriers; movies; netflix; postalcarriers; postoffice; rentalbymail; stealingmail; stolenmail; taxdollarsatwork; theft; usps; youpayforthis

1 posted on 02/13/2006 4:24:03 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
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To: iPod Shuffle
A-HA!

That's why Ice Pirates was late.

2 posted on 02/13/2006 4:28:21 PM PST by SquirrelKing (Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.)
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To: iPod Shuffle
Actually Netflix has an algorithm that slows delivery down for heavy users.
3 posted on 02/13/2006 4:33:02 PM PST by Chickensoup (The water in the pot is getting warmer, froggies.The water in the pot is getting warmer, froggies.)
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To: iPod Shuffle

So THAT'S why there is a "Very Long Wait" for new movies. Now I know!


4 posted on 02/13/2006 4:33:22 PM PST by beaureguard
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To: iPod Shuffle

once the carrier took the DVD it was stolen. didn't matter that she returned it.


5 posted on 02/13/2006 6:27:35 PM PST by postaldave (democrats=traitorous b*st*rds)
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To: iPod Shuffle

6 posted on 02/13/2006 7:05:19 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: iPod Shuffle
Because civil-service rules make it nearly impossible to fire corrupt mail carriers, U.S. attorneys often agree to dismiss charges in exchange for their quitting.

There HAS to be more accountablity for public dollars.

7 posted on 02/13/2006 8:12:26 PM PST by weegee (We are all Danes now.)
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To: Chickensoup

That too. They got caught slowing down the turn around times and out of court settled to increase subscribers to a +1 disc subscription for a month.

I got the notice from Netflix. I didn't opt out of the suit but I never saw any additional discs either.


8 posted on 02/13/2006 8:14:35 PM PST by weegee (We are all Danes now.)
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To: weegee

The settlement is not final, and is being contested.


9 posted on 02/13/2006 8:56:00 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
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