wow, though I had no idea about it I've gotta give Gamefly it's props for sticking to their guns!
GameFly wins USPS dispute--gets same treatment as Netflix, BB
News | April 22, 2011 8:21 pm
By Meta
(the full article by Brendan Sinclair is available at GameSpot.com)
Two years ago, Gamefly began a series of disputes* with the US Postal Service, citing preferential treatment received by competing companies such as Netflix and Blockbuster as the main point of contention.
While the USPS helped curb theft**, they refused to hand-sort Gamefly mailers at no additional charge; this ultimately resulted in an estimated 11,000 broken discs per month due to the less-than-gentle machine sorting equipment. Netflix and Blockbuster, on the other hand, were accommodated for after similar complaints were made and are not charged any additional fees.
After a two-year struggle most folks likely forgot about, Gamefly has prevailed! The Postal Regulatory Commission handed down a ruling stating that Netflix and Blockbuster had been receiving unfair preferential treatment.
The new ruling will give Gamefly and other rental-by-mail outfits the same consideration Netflix and Blockbuster have been receiving for years.
*Original disputes via GamePolitics.com: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/10/13/gamefly-amp-usps-continue-fight
**Discussions of theft via EvilAvatar.com: http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97714&highlight=gamefly
This isn't just a victory for GameFly who often has questionable mailing times anyway--this is a victory for other current and future companies who wish to ship game & movie DVDs via a similar method and don't want to have tens of thousands of broken discs to cover.
Two years ago, Gamefly began a series of disputes* with the US Postal Service, citing preferential treatment received by competing companies such as Netflix and Blockbuster as the main point of contention.
While the USPS helped curb theft**, they refused to hand-sort Gamefly mailers at no additional charge; this ultimately resulted in an estimated 11,000 broken discs per month due to the less-than-gentle machine sorting equipment. Netflix and Blockbuster, on the other hand, were accommodated for after similar complaints were made and are not charged any additional fees.
After a two-year struggle most folks likely forgot about, Gamefly has prevailed! The Postal Regulatory Commission handed down a ruling stating that Netflix and Blockbuster had been receiving unfair preferential treatment.
Quote by Brendan Sinclair:
In its ruling, the PRC determined there was an unreasonable preference given to the mail of Blockbuster and Netflix and ordered that it be remedied by having the USPS establish two parallel rate categories specifically for roundtrip DVD mail of the sort used by those services. The new categories will prevent GameFly from incurring a surcharge for hand-sorting or an excess ounce fee for envelopes that avoid the automated sorting machines by being slightly thicker and heavier.
The new ruling will give Gamefly and other rental-by-mail outfits the same consideration Netflix and Blockbuster have been receiving for years.
*Original disputes via GamePolitics.com: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/10/13/gamefly-amp-usps-continue-fight
**Discussions of theft via EvilAvatar.com: http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97714&highlight=gamefly
This isn't just a victory for GameFly who often has questionable mailing times anyway--this is a victory for other current and future companies who wish to ship game & movie DVDs via a similar method and don't want to have tens of thousands of broken discs to cover.
(Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6309407.html)
Keywords: gamefly, usps
