Netflix Has One Last Surprise For Its Final DVD Customers
Netflix is closing the original chapter of its movie rental business with a bundle of free DVDs that customers can keep as memorabilia. The company is shutting down its DVD rental business after a spell of over two decades, but it appears that loyalists will bid goodbye to the service with a sweet surprise at their doorsteps.
Earlier this month, Netflix announced that it will be sending 10 additional discs to subscribers wrapped in the signature red envelope. Dubbed the "Final Surprise," it was open for all customers, as long as they placed the order before the August 29 deadline. Subscribers won't know what movie DVDs they will get, but they were still supposed to return it by the end of October.
By the way, a happy clarification in response to all the news headlines out there:
We are not charging for any unreturned discs after 9/29. Please enjoy your final shipments for as long as you like! ❤️💿🍿 https://t.co/lpSJHq29ZX
— DVD Netflix (@dvdnetflix) August 22, 2023
Netflix has now axed the return clause, which means whatever extra film discs land at the doorsteps of customers will stay with them forever as a nostalgic freebie. The offer, however, is limited to the U.S., and comes with a "while supplies last" caveat. Shipment of the parting gift DVDs begins on September 29 for all existing subscribers.
Netflix started its journey in 1997, banking on the idea that letting users order DVDs on the internet and delivering them to doorsteps would work. The idea famously stemmed from co-founder Reed Hasting's frustration with late fee bills that came with the DVD rental business in those days.
Truly the end of an era
As the oral Silicon Valley legend goes, Netflix was birthed in a carpooling session between co-founders Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings. Netflix's DVD-by-mail idea quickly caught on, challenging the established brick-and-mortar DVD rental businesses. A decade later, Netflix switched to the streaming platform that catapulted the company to its current status as the world's top streaming service.
The streaming service originally had a very limited catalog, but it was the success of TV shows like "House of Cards" that encouraged the brand to go all-in on producing original content. Now, Netflix streaming covers everything from movies headlined by Hollywood A-listers and multi-season TV shows, to a stunning slate of award-winning regional content coming from markets like India and South Korea.
However, as Netflix kept pushing higher, the production costs ballooned, and the competition also got cut-throat. Eventually, Netflix turned to its subscribers to recoup those costs. The company, which openly embraced the idea of password sharing at one point in time, soon started a crackdown. Multiple price hikes also happened in the meanwhile, while moochers were asked to create a sub-profile and save some money on a subscription.
It was truly the end of an era, and it only seems fitting that Netflix is bringing down the curtains on its legacy DVD business with a parting gift.