Netflix Plan to Lure Back Subscribers: Confuse Them with a New Name "Qwikster"

Gawker ^

[Borough Park]

Netflix is a company in crisis. Their stock price is plunging and subscribers are abandoning them en masse, in protest of a 60 percent price increase levied against anyone who wants to retain both streaming and mail service.

So Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has come up with a fix that will likely please no one: He's split the two services into two, distinct companies, each with its own name.

Listen closely: From now on, that Criterion Edition Seven Samurai gathering dust on your coffee table for the past three months will need to be sent back to Qwikster, not Netflix. Qwikster is in charge of all your DVD-by-mail needs. Netflix will continue to be your trusted name in streaming of hundreds of TV shows and terrible movies you didn't know existed, plus the occasional decent studio release.

And why Qwikster? From Hastings' letter to subscribers, entitled, "An Explanation and Some Reflections."

We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name "Netflix" for streaming.

[library user]

Qwikster?

Sounds like a hair band from the 80s.

Faster Pussycat?

Say what?

[catbertz]

I don’t envy the relationship they have with the studios, but their recent moves are looking self destructive.

[Yossarian]

Netflix's CEO, Reed Hastings, is a Democrat (i.e. Socialist / Cronyism) backer, to the deepest parts of his core:

Reed Hasting's 2010 political donations

Reed Hasting's 2008 political donations

Reed Hasting's 2006 political donations

Let Netflix crash, burn, and die! Get your entertainment delivered from someone who cares for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!

[ReneeLynn]

Got the email about this. I don’t understand separating the services into two sites, since I have both. Bad decisions. There’s nothing wrong with the site as it is.

[South40]

I was a subscriber for years and canceled as soon as I heard of the price hike. Not much of an issue for me as I didn't have time to watch much anyway. I did enjoy writing them and letting them know what I thought of their increase.

It's sad that investors are paying for this boneheaded move; I'd say some heads need to roll.

[South40]

Thanks for the info. Anyone who supports Barbara (call me senator) Boxer doesn’t deserve my business.

[GunRunner]

The integration between the two was the best part. I’m too busy nowadays to watch the sturdy I have. I’ll probably just cancel both altogether which is a shame. I’ve enjoyed Netflix for 5 years. The value used to be amazing.

[Nickname]

I haven’t really been following the saga, but Netflix is a luxury to their subscribers and they seem to have forgotten that. We canceled our membership over a year ago when they jacked up the prices on their DVD-only service. Living in a rural area, streaming was never an option for us and between a lower income, $3.50 gas and general inflation, it was a no brainer.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

http://blog.netflix.com/

FWIW: here’s the netflix blog with Reed Hastings explanation at the top. If you scroll down to July 12, 2011, there are 5000 comments to the posting regarding the price hike (at the bottom of that date’s posting). Plenty of colorful language.

[wita]

Hallelujah and Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most leaving the service feel like they
have been had. It will take a miracle or
a very large and significant concession
to get them back once screwed.

[mountn man]

Qwikster, oh yeah, that’ll go over big, for anybody who’s ever heard of Quixtar.

[DRey]

I cancelled mine, too. You know, all they had to do was PRETEND like they were giving the customer added value. They could’ve added two movies to their streaming line-up and reported new movies for the increased cost. But no. “Our business plan isn’t working. We need more money from you for the same service.” What a bonehead move. Even the cable companies know you grandfather in the old contracts and just increase costs for new customers. As rarely as I watch movies now, Amazon’s streaming rentals are working out GREAT.

[mountn man]

Sounds like a hair band from the 80s.

I actually have the CD somewhere.

[Dark Knight]

FWIW: here’s the netflix blog with Reed Hastings explanation at the top. If you scroll down to July 12, 2011, there are 5000 comments to the posting regarding the price hike (at the bottom of that date’s posting). Plenty of colorful language.<<

Its pretty clear NetFlix screwed up. Again. I got my email from the CEO, and it was the most bizarre, out of touch piece of trash I’ve read in quite some time. I killed my streaming...it was not very good and I was hoping for it to get better, but it really is not worth it. I do think there is a positive to this situation. I’m sure there is a job opening in their marketing department for someone that has a clue about names...errr, maybe not, I don’t think I’ll be able to give them my money for much longer.

DK

[CalvaryJohn]

“Qwikster, oh yeah, that’ll go over big, for anybody who’s ever heard of Quixtar.”

Beat me to it. Amway bombed big with that one.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I read many of the comments at ol’ Reed’s mea culpa statement, and he’s getting taken to the woodshed hard by his customers. Netflix/Qwikster is finished if he doesn’t get his act together fast.

[rawhide]

Netflix ‘jumped the shark’!! Glad to see this.

[Dr. Sivana]

Sounds like a hair band from the 80s.

Worse. It sounds like, Quixtar, Amway's failed Internet presence.

Explanation of Suixtar to Amway video

[The Duke]

We were very unhappy with Netflix for online movie delivery. We switched to Vudu and have been quite happy with their service. With Vudu you pay-per-movie, but it’s higher quality, and just seems to have a nicer user experience.