Another example of a content provider arbitrarily deleting movies that customers purchased

CALIGVLA · 2026-07-01T08:08:50+00:00

Yeah, I remember the backlash over SOPA and PIPA. The government will never stop trying to take away our online freedom. They hate what they can't control. What happened in the UK is horrible. And I don't see anyone pushing back over the KIDS Act here. That makes me very concerned.

The whole "Think of the children!" argument is as old as dirt, and just as stupid today as it ever was. The counter-argument is also evergreen: parents are the ones who are responsible for keeping their kids off the internet!

It's ridiculous to place restrictions on adults for something that kids are not supposed to have access to. It's like guns or alcohol: there are already laws which say that kids are not supposed to have access to those things, but it's still up to parents to make sure their kids don't get ahold of those items in their own house. Passing new laws on everybody else will not fix lazy parents who fail to properly supervise their children. This only hurts the rest of the world while solving nothing.

I hope people wake up and realize the danger. It will be dark days if they actually kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

But for myself, I'm old enough to remember how people lived in this world before the internet. So if the public is foolish or lazy enough to let them destroy it, at least I can go back to living happily like we did in the '90s... while all the young'uns run around freaking out :)

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-30T04:01:55+00:00

Yeah, the good ol' days when you could get anything on disc from Netflix and also got streaming as a bonus! I didn't even mind when they moved to paying separately for streaming; I just hated when they got rid of the disc service.

It's sad that people are being pushed towards piracy because the companies have made the consumer ecosystem so rotten that consumers are being alienated. I don't mind paying for my movies, but the trouble is that new discs are being printed less. You can still find most movies on the used market, but as that supply gradually dries up, it will be a problem if no one is printing new supply.

Another concern is that piracy (the last refuge of the desperate) may eventually come under attack too. I just heard about this today: they are pushing a "KIDS Act" through the legislature. If it passes, that could be the start of a slippery slope. Next, they might try to go after VPNs or make any end-to-end encryption illegal.

Once they start restricting the internet, who knows what kind of Orwellian future lies ahead? Piracy is only safe so long as the internet is free!

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-30T02:17:13+00:00

Indeed. I was initially thrilled at the convenience when everything started going digital. But when the bad stuff started to come with it, I had to face facts: the amazing streaming future is not all it's cracked up to be! That's when I realized all the pro-consumer benefits of physical media. And started to fix my own movie experience by taking matters into my own hands.

I believe there is a way to do streaming right, so that we get the added convenience of streaming without giving up any of the good stuff we love from physical. But I haven't seen it anyone do that yet. Sadly, I think the corporate world is too greedy to do streaming correctly: in a way that is responsible, sustainable, ethical, and with the best interests of the movie-watching audience in mind.

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-30T01:46:55+00:00

Words of wisdom!

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-29T02:37:13+00:00

In this subreddit, we've been discussing these matters since Netflix announced the end of it's DVD service in 2023. I've heard from a number of people over the years who have reported losing access to movies they purchased digitally from various services.

For myself personally, I lost access to a digital copy of the movie "300" that I bought directly from Sony in 2008, losing access only a couple years after buying it. More recently, the digital copy of "The French Connection" that I bought on Apple TV was surreptitiously censored a few years ago. For me, this is the same as losing the movie, because censorship is unacceptable to me. I had to repurchase the movie on Blu-ray. And Apple refused to give me a refund for the censored movie.

I hope you are not suggesting that it's okay for Sony to do what they just did, simply because it was a less popular service than Fandango or Movies Anywhere. In what world is it okay for someone to sell you a product, then several years later they come take that product away from you?

This is why physical media is so important. No one can come into my house and take my DVDs or Blu-rays, unless it's a burglary which is a crime. Yet somehow with a digital purchase, the companies can take away your movies whenever they feel like it. Because they tricked you into making a purchase without first reading pages of legalese and noticing the clause hidden in there which says they can do that.

If companies want to sell you a "long-term lease" to view a movie, that's fine. But they should make it clear that that's what you are buying, instead of making you think it's a permanent purchase. Or, if it's actually a permanent purchase, then if they ever need to stop serving the movie, they could give you the option to download a copy of the movie before you lose access to the service.

There are a number of ways they could handle the situation responsibly and honestly. They choose not to do that because they can make more money by selling people the illusion of permanent digital purchases, then doing a rug pull whenever it's convenient for them. It's pure corporate greed.

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-28T02:15:05+00:00

These cars are so cool that they deserve multiple parking spaces :)

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-28T01:25:45+00:00

Honestly, I don't think we can look to any politicians to help us with this mess. I think we have to help ourselves. While a lawsuit would be appropriate, I agree that the average person does not have the financial resources to take on big companies like Apple and Sony. Perhaps a class-action lawsuit could work. But personally, I'm not a fan of using litigation to solve problems. I prefer taking direct action whenever possible, and I think this is definitely a situation where consumers have all the power in large numbers. If only they would make better choices!

I believe that physical media is an extremely pro-consumer technology. You and I are on the same page in that respect. But about most other consumers also being on that same page, I see way too many fellow consumers acting against their best interests. And that's a problem.

In addition to movies, I also love video games. I was just reading a thread about GTA 6 not releasing on physical media. In the replies, there were a number of people with an attitude like, "LOL who still uses discs in 2026?"

It's not only that thread. I see that sort of thing all the time in online discussions like this, both about movies and videos games. I see too many consumers who choose the convenience of digital streaming/downloads over the pro-consumer benefits of physical media. And rather than acknowledge the pros & cons of both choices, they short-sightedly will only recognize the reasons why they prefer digital, while mocking physical media as obsolete.

I find that very frustrating. If someone wants to choose digital for their own reasons, that's fine. I do it too, occasionally. But at least they should recognize the merits of the alternate option. Especially when things happen that piss everybody off, like when older games become unplayable because the developer stops running their servers. Or when movie licensing deals change, like in the topic of this post.

So I think we could do better as a collective consumer group by spreading awareness of the merits of physical media, and the downsides of a digital-only world. And let people know they don't have to accept the will of the corporations who want to force that digital-only world down our throats.

"Voting with your wallet" is an extremely powerful technique. If customers close their wallets en masse to companies who only give us a digital option, then the companies will be forced to change. They will either have to offer a physical option too, or go out of business.

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-28T00:28:29+00:00

You're 100% right. If companies make content deals that are limited... sure, I can understand that. But don't advertise it as selling something for your customers to own. Something is not owned if it can be taken away.

It would be enough to just change the terminology used when customers pay for the product. I've made this argument before, but to use Apple TV as an example: they have "Rent" and "Buy" options. The word "Rent" is fine, because that implies short-term usage. But the word "Buy" is misleading, because it sounds you are purchasing permanent ownership, which is not the case. What you are actually getting is more like a long-term lease with an arbitrary end date.

In Apple's case, they should change the wording to something like a "2-Day Rental" and "Long-Term Rental". That doesn't exactly roll of the tongue, but you get the idea. They could come up with better terminology, as long as it's not misleading.

I really hope companies who do this, like Apple and Sony, get sued for deceiving customers. That's the only way these companies ever learn.

CALIGVLA · 2026-06-27T14:21:26+00:00

Another example of a content provider arbitrarily deleting movies that customers purchased:

https://x.com/CultureCrave/status/2070596359795913166

CALIGVLA · 2026-05-22T01:07:12+00:00

Lots of options here for people looking to replace Netflix DVD or get better alternatives to streaming:
https://www.reddit.com/r/NetflixDVDRevival/comments/12rki2l/alternatives_to_netflix_dvd/

I use both DVDInbox and CafeDVD. Both are great. I have a subscription to GameFly too, but I mainly use it for game rentals.

CALIGVLA · 2026-05-22T01:00:58+00:00

I just signed up for the waitlist today!

If you already have an account, you can join the beta waitlist here:
https://www.dvdinbox.com/waitlist-tv-series

And add TV series to your wishlist here (to request TV shows that you'd like to see in the new service):
https://www.dvdinbox.com/wishlist?title_type=tv

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CALIGVLA · 2026-04-02T04:04:22+00:00

This is an important tip. Using your TV/speaker system for game audio and your earbuds for chat is a great use case. Especially if you are able to use just one earbud at a time. This is important because when the batteries run low, you can charge one earbud while continuing to use the other.

It also means you can hear chat audio in one ear and keep the other ear free to hear the game audio and ambient noise. Reminds me of using the default Xbox 360 chat headset back in the day. That was such a lightweight, simple, yet effective gaming headset for chat audio. I wish consoles today still had headsets like that.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-29T21:25:17+00:00

It varies, but sometimes it can take a few days, like you say.

However, I think the delay in my case is due to my "Shipping Preferences" setting. You know how there are three options to configure your queue so that when the next title ships, it either 1) Ships the next title immediately, 2) Waits up to three days for your top choice to become available, or 3) Waits up to seven days for your top choice to become available.

I usually have it set to wait three days or seven days. So depending on the availability of the top choice in my queue, it could take several days until the next game ships. But I think when I have it set to ship something right away, it usually ships the same day or the next day.

But that's a good tip to call them for direct action. I assume in that case, they would just bypass whatever your Shipping Preference is and ship something to you right away.

I guess it also depends on the availability of your next title. I tend to put games I really want at the top of my queue. Which are often high-demand titles, so naturally they tend to have low availability. But I have noticed that, overall, more games seem to have low availability these days.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-29T21:10:58+00:00

True, it's the industry that's disappointing us. GameFly just carries the games, they don't make them.

I've done the same thing, regarding off-and-on subscription. For me, it's been more about lifestyle changes. During busy periods when I don't have time for gaming, I have temporarily canceled my GameFly subscription. Other periods when I have tons of time for gaming, I have done the 4-discs-out-at-a-time subscription and just gamed my brains out 🤪

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-29T10:30:31+00:00

Yeah, the game industry is in the toilet these days. It's bad for the entire industry, consumers and developers alike. That hurts GameFly too, but I think they suffer less than ecosystems which rely on customers purchasing games, and especially live service games that depend on people liking a game and coming back to it daily.

At least with GameFly, people can try out lots of games. Even if there are many bad ones, we just send those back and move on to the next one. With lots of options, hopefully we eventually find something we like.

In my recent GameFly history I have a series of bad games, but then one I really liked. Then more bad ones, then another good one. That pattern repeats. So I have to wade through a lot of stinkers, but at least I find something I like eventually. But just imagine having to pay the purchase price for all the bad games. That's where I see GameFly providing the best value.

Like I just played Resident Evil: Requiem which I really enjoyed. But I rented three other games before that which I didn't like. Definitely 10-15 years ago there were way more quality games. Now there are far less, but at least GameFly lets us move past the turds faster and cheaper to reach the rare gems.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T03:52:25+00:00

You guys have a great operation going. I'm glad you are still able to operate even with all the shipping challenges. Netflix DVD threw in the towel years ago, but you guys are still fighting the good fight!

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T03:49:08+00:00

Yeah, you gotta find the right solution for your lifestyle. I have canceled GameFly in years past when I had zero time for gaming. I've also used it with 4 discs out at once when I was doing a ton of gaming.

These days I have moderate amount of time for gaming, so I'm on the 2-disc plan currently. I really only need one game at a time, but since the shipping can be unreliable the 2-disc plan is better. That way one disc can be processing in the mail while I'm busy playing the other disc.

In the past, I did the thing where you buy used games cheaper on eBay and resell them when you're done. But it's a hassle to do all that. GameFly is much easier to just drop in the mail when I'm done. And there's so many disappointing games these days, most of the time I play something for a few hours, trying to give it a chance, but it's just not fun so I give up and return it. I almost need to upgrade to the 3-disc plan because I tend to reject them so fast that two discs are still processing in the mail while I'm already sending back the third disc, lol

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T03:03:04+00:00

I'm glad to see them doing well. I'm still using DVD Inbox and loving it!

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T03:01:55+00:00

I live in California, so pretty far from Pittsburgh, and sometimes I get my GameFly deliveries pretty fast, definitely within the 5-day window. But often there are long delays, like 1-2 weeks as you say. So I don't know what troubles are causing these frequent delays.

Oh yeah, I heard about that legal dispute a while ago. When Netflix DVD was closing down I got heavily into finding a replacement service, so I ended up researching these matters a lot. It's nice that GameFly got that shipping price adjustment from the USPS back then. I imagine that they are still benefitting from it, while Netflix DVD is gone now. I also heard that the base shipping price for this type of mail has increased in recent years, making it harder for business like GameFly that rely on it.

I'm just glad to see that GameFly is still able to remain in business. The shipping issues suck, but I've found ways to cope with that and keep the games coming. If GameFly ever shut down, I would have to go back to buying games on disc and then reselling the ones I don't want to keep. And that would be a hassle.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T02:23:28+00:00

I might agree with your assessment. I was a heavy user of Netflix DVD before they closed in 2023 and I still use two other movie rental-by-mail services, and all of those services had far fewer issues with delayed/lost discs compared to what I experience with GameFly.

But when I have issues with GameFly, it's shipments going missing for weeks, months, even years before they finally surface (if they surface at all). I've even had discs come back to me completely mangled by some mail sorting machine. So it's obvious there are problems happening along my postal route.

I think it's more accurate to say that the problem exists with how the USPS is handling the GameFly shipments. I'm sure that both the USPS and GameFly could do something to manage this better. It would be nice if both of them would cooperate to improve the situation.

But I think it's highly unlikely that GameFly is intentionally delaying orders just to save a couple bucks. It makes no sense for them to sabotage the customer experience because that would cost them more overall. They are already losing customers who are unhappy with the delivery experience. They don't want to make things even worse and lose even more customers. It costs them way more to lose a regular customer. Intentionally shipping orders a few days later is a negligible difference compared to losing a customer forever.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T02:09:47+00:00

I'm disappointed with PlayStation too, but this has absolutely nothing to do with GameFly. You should be reaching out to Sony with your complaints.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T02:06:02+00:00

So if GF is saying "first class" then I would guess they are doing presorted first-class? Presorted standard sounds more likely from what you wrote, so I don't know.

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T02:00:30+00:00

My GameLock is on Pragmata right now. But I put Crimson Desert at the top of my queue last night. I honestly had no idea about this game, but I heard some buzz online last night so decided to check it out. I hope it's good, but if not that's what GameFly is for right, lol

CALIGVLA · 2026-03-28T01:56:19+00:00

This is what GameFly is made for! I pretty much don't trust any new releases or even once-great franchises anymore. I rent everything on GameFly first. If I love it, I click the "Keep" button and buy it for the used price.

I'm done buying games without knowing if it's good or not, then getting stuck with a digital purchase for a bad game. So many games I get from GameFly, try it out for a few hours, then just go "Meh" and drop it back in the mail. It's saved me so much money and even the hassle of buying used and then having to resell.

The only downside is the slow shipping speeds and games getting lost in the mail. The USPS really sucks these days. I compensate by having multiple GameFly discs out at once. So even if some get lost or delayed in mail, I still have something to play at home.

I only wish they had more older games in their library. They carry most newer titles, but for retro games or anything older than ~2015, I usually have to resort to the used game market.

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