Buying a Rottweiler and seeking my revenge

November 22, 2008 5:30 PM

My postman or somebody in the mail chain between him and Netflix shipping centers has cracked or destroyed several DVDs en route to me. I know he destroyed one by shutting my mailbox door over the midpoint of the disc, but with the others I'm not sure where it happened. How do I address this so that I don't become liable for the damage or lose my account? And how do I maximize my credibility?

Out of 45 discs, I'm on my third replacement, but the damage has all occurred within the past 3 weeks.

posted by Inspector.Gadget to Grab Bag (12 answers total)

Can you get the discs sent to you at work? I have had issues with mail missing, not delivered, as well getting everyone else's mail delivered since moving in to my house. Despite escalations within the USPS, I have not had any resolution, and have been told I am "imagining" things.
posted by kellyblah at 5:46 PM on November 22, 2008

The same thing happened to me, and Netflix never gave me any trouble over reporting the broken discs.

It was always my mail man who broke the discs, by shoving them into my too small mail box. I left a sign on my mailbox politely asking him not to do that anymore, and behold - no more broken discs!
posted by All.star at 5:48 PM on November 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

That's a bummer. I have had items with NetFlix lost in the mail to or from them. They have always accepted my statement without question. But, I always suspect that at some point they would cut off a customer.

Hope they don't cut you off!
posted by GregWithLime at 5:50 PM on November 22, 2008

You can also call your post office and ask to speak with the Post Master. I didn't have any luck with that when I was having mail problems, but my SO used to work for the USPS and said that that was the proper protocol.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:05 PM on November 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

Seeing as you gain nothing from this situation, I don't think that credibility will be much of a problem. That said, it's got to be both inconvenient and frustrating for you to constantly be receiving broken disks.

The easiest and probably best solution is that suggested by kellyblah - have your DVDs sent to an alternate address. If that's not possible, leave a note on your mailbox. Depending on your ethical proclivities, this might not be a bad time to leave your postal carrier an early "holiday card." (Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more).

If none of that works, start working your way up the USPS chain o' command. And contact Netflix to let them know there's a problem.
posted by charmcityblues at 6:38 PM on November 22, 2008

Seconding contacting the Postmaster. They are supposed to take these complaints very seriously. Someone's job - and generous pension plan - could be on the line, if they get multiple complaints.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:57 PM on November 22, 2008

To cut down on breakage occurring in your mailbox, think about buying a new, larger mailbox. I know this might be unfeasible if you're living in an apartment, or thinking of moving soon.

But with the amount of junk mail floating through the USPS system these days, smaller mailboxes don't cut it. Big-box home improvement stores sell large, economy size mailboxes. Bigger boxes mean less shoving by the mailman and less breakage.
posted by Gordion Knott at 11:09 PM on November 22, 2008

Nthing contacting the Postmaster General, except I recommend writing a real letter rather than calling or sending an email. I did so years ago when the same thing was happening to me -- I also mentioned that the cds attached to some of my magazines were getting cracked and misdelivered mail meant for my neighbors was a frequent occurrence. I sent pictures with my letter and encouraged my neighbors to do the same if they were having problems too. Within weeks, the offending mailperson was transferred to a different route.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 2:14 AM on November 23, 2008

Try a note to the mail carrier first, but if the pattern continues, definitely let Netflix know. They are well aware of the fact that their is a third party handling the discs between them and you, and are able to flag problematic delivery areas. If enough people along a route are feeling dissatisfied with Netflix's service due to delivery issues, Netflix themselves may get in touch with the postmaster general.
posted by Durhey at 9:01 AM on November 23, 2008

An alternative solution might be a Roku box, that would bypass the postman altogether.
posted by arcticseal at 4:11 PM on November 23, 2008

Dudes, not the Postmaster General, that's a cabinet-level presidential appointee in Washington. Contact your local Postmaster, the person who's in charge of your local mail delivery.
posted by JimN2TAW at 6:46 PM on November 23, 2008

An alternative solution might be a Roku box, that would bypass the postman altogether

And limit you to less than 1/10th of the Netflix catalog.
posted by Dorri732 at 6:04 AM on November 24, 2008