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It's a familiar story. The hottest new game has been released, the email stating that it's been sent to you has been received, and the day's whisk by with no sign of its arrival. You might blame any combination of bad luck, a slow Postal Service or a damn lying GameFly who never sent it at all. I'm sure you wouldn't expect that it was really a nefarious Postal Service who is slowing down GameFly mail to make way for more popular services like NetFlix. Well you should, because that's exactly what was happening.
Today GameFly has won a legal battle against the United States Postal service, alleging that the USPS had discriminated against the company while giving preferential treatment to businesses such as Netflix and other rent-through-mail companies. The Postal Regulatory Commission has ruled in favor of GameFly and has orderd (Order No. 718 for those keeping track) the USPS to fix the situation within 60 days. This would involve having them modify their mail classification schedule for DVD-related materials. You can read the ruling, in PDF format, for yourself here.
I have no idea how GameFly would have found out there were some shenanigans afoot, but good on them for getting to the root of the problem. Now maybe we can all get our games just a little bit faster.
[Source: Game Politics]
Comments
13 years, 7 months ago
Interesting to read this right after David's story about gamefly fucking him over. Because I live in Canada I can't get gamefly and thus can't comment on my experiences with it, but generally I've heard good things. Can't believe the USPS would do this. Fuck you, netflix.
Good find, Joseph!
13 years, 7 months ago
Awesome to hear. The USPS can sit and spin.
13 years, 7 months ago
Netflix. It thrives in the darkness. Just like me.
13 years, 7 months ago
Looks like answering those delivery confirmation e-mails did some good?
13 years, 7 months ago
That's pretty fucked up, but this is what happens when you don't have government regulated mail services for anyone but the military. I always figured this sort of thing would get discovered eventually, and it's unfortunate, but I'm also sure this sort of problem happens all over the place in this world. Welcome to Business.. otherwise known as, Fuck Your Competitors 101.
13 years, 7 months ago
This more or less makes me wonder what the postal service is actually doing to have time to sort out this type of shit, does Netflix have some special bin or something instead of just a general DVD packet one? This bothers me, not because I use gamefly, but because I don't think mail should have this sort of favoritism . You can argue that Netflix is just trying to provide speedy service for its customers but I have to say at what cost?
13 years, 7 months ago
I am so glad this problem has now been brought out. I've had a gamefly accout for years now and i've continued to write email after email complaining about the horrible service. The innacurate information on title availability pisses me off more than anything. I'm praying for the day, if it ever comes along, when Netflix adds video games.
13 years, 7 months ago
To be honest, I rarely ever have to wait a long time for my games. In fact I got Mortal Kombat in just two days, and they first started shipping it to me at 7:41 in the morning on Monday which made me smile.
13 years, 7 months ago
Good on Gamefly for finding this stuff out and good on Gamefly for winning. Youexpect to hear about this stuff for voting machines or public funding, but the postal service is fucked too?
13 years, 7 months ago
I'm sensing a giant back story here starring George Clooney trying to infiltrate corporate secrets in the postal service ending in a giant chase in which corporate agents were shooting throughout a giant Journalism building.
Wounded, Clooney manages to fax (I know right, who faxes anymore?) all the info to Gamefly headquarters just as the agents catch up to him.
Make it happen Chris Nolan.
13 years, 7 months ago
Lol and here everyone was ready to stare down their local mail carrier XD
13 years, 7 months ago
Shit. Now I might actually get Gamefly again! No wonder they were so slow...
Stupid postal service.
13 years, 7 months ago
This doesn't even make sense, why would the USPS not deliver Gamefly games?
13 years, 7 months ago
Be glad to get the games quicker, now for that problem of never being sent anything new upon release...
13 years, 6 months ago
I knew it. I was wondering what was up. When I first got it (during the trial, figures), I was getting games within 1 - 3 days. Suddenly, I found myself waiting around a week EVERY time and about the same when it came to them getting the game back. I was considering going to fast return.
It's even more frustrating with their queue system. I have about 40+ games, all with mostly high availability. I had a low one ( a sequel ) that I wanted eventually, but not now - figures with this going on, that's the one I get sent and have to immediately send back. Means up to 2 weeks before I get the next game, haha. I was starting to wonder if I was actually saving money.
9 years, 1 month ago
This article was posted in 2011, and it still takes too damn long to get games. What they need to do is buy warehouses in each state, then you'd get your games faster.