When a business grows significantly, the challenges multiply proportionally. Maintaining customer satisfaction is one thing when you have 100,000 consumers, and another thing entirely when you have 325 million.
In the quick-service restaurant sector, McDonald’s can rely on the constant demand for its ridiculously good fries, despite shifting dietary trends. But in the streaming world, the rules of engagement are in constant flux.
Streaming platforms lack a permanent product. Without such a legacy safety net, streamers are only as good as their most recent hit, making customer retention a perpetual uphill battle.
According to 2025 industry data from Advanced Television, however, consumers are not only interested in the latest releases or blockbuster movies and shows. The survey reveals that “the majority of viewers, including 64 per cent of Gen Z, enjoy watching or re-watching classic shows and series on TV.”
While old classics are important for long-term loyalty, industry statistics confirm that new, original content is among the primary drivers for attracting new subscribers and keeping them engaged. That’s why the streaming giants have a difficult task of making original content that would keep its subscriber base engaged and also attract new users.
A 2025 Ernst & Young study found that while people love libraries, they subscribe for new content. Specifically, the report reveals that for 37% of consumers, access to specific content is the primary reason for joining a new service, followed by 28% who specifically cite original or exclusive content.
Netflix, the king of original content, is often considered the winner of the streaming wars. However, subscribers recently slammed the service over several major issues.
Netflix subscribers slam price hikes, content quality, and account restrictions as key reasons for canceling.
Image source: Shutterstock
Netflix dominates the engagement and resubscription game
Netflix maintains exceptionally good resubscription metrics. In fact, half of those who cancel Netflix return within six months, usually attracted by a special original release, according to data from Recurly. For comparison purposes, the industry average is 34% of canceled subscribers returning within six months, confirming that “Netflix’s ability to win back customers stands out.”
The streaming giant, which now boasts more than 325 million paid subscribers, according to Netflix’s official Q4 2025 shareholder letter released on January 20, 2026, has definitely mastered the art of drawing new subscribers.
Despite Netflix’s dominance and its recent strategy to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which would undoubtedly make it a hard-to-beat streaming experience, the platform has faced increased scrutiny.
Five things Netflix subscribers absolutely hate
Consumer trends constantly evolve across various industries, including entertainment.
“Right now, we face a critical inflection point across digital entertainment and betting platforms,” Michigan State University Associate Marketing Professor Forrest Morgeson said in a statement. “Consumers are no longer just seeking services. They’re demanding comprehensive, intuitive experiences that respect their time and wallet.”
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The 2025, a top U.S. consumer survey, the American Customer Satisfaction Index, placed Netflix fourth for customer satisfaction among subscription streaming video services, making it a tie with Amazon Prime Video, reported Investors. Netflix scored 79 on a 100-point scale, behind Paramount+, Peacock, and YouTube Premium.
Yet in 2024, Forbes reported that “64% of Netflix’s customers give the company a one-star rating, [while] 11% give it two stars.”
To better understand customers’ overall sentiment and biggest complaints with the service, I analyzed Netflix’s Trustpilot score and recent subscriber comments, along with a recent Reddit thread.
Out of 3,066 reviews on Trustpilot, Netflix has an average rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars.
Top 5 issues reported by Netflix subscribers
- Tiered content access: Users are frustrated that paying for a standard Ads subscription no longer grants access to the full library. Some high-profile movies (such as “28 Years Later”) are being “locked” behind Premium or rental paywalls.
- Household & travel restrictions: The Netflix Household policy is a major point of anger. Long-time subscribers report being unable to use their accounts while traveling, on work shifts (night shifts), or at second homes/college, even on the most expensive plans.
- Greed & price hikes: There is a strong consensus that Netflix has become “greedy.” Users cite constant price increases and the introduction of ads as reasons for wanting to cancel.
- Declining content quality: Many reviews describe the current library as “rubbish” or “garbage,” complaining that the platform is filled with old movies from decades ago or poor-quality new releases, while good shows are frequently removed.
- Technical failures & poor support: Users report frequent buffering, login “glitches” that falsely flag account sharing, and a customer support system that is described as unhelpful or dismissive of legitimate payment/access issues.
User Tonie Petersson also complained about canceled shows, saying “Good series don’t get a sequel. Will cancel subscription.”
Melissa Myler, premium customer of 10 years, gave the service one star (just like 68% of 13,066 subscriber reviews), arguing that the streamer is preventing their family from watching at home while they use the service on night shifts.
“Increasingly overpriced, overpoliced (the number of kids growing up in split homes but Netlfix continues to try and force them to choose a parent’s house to watch Netlfix at), and low budget garbage bloating out an otherwise ever decreasing pool of actual quality shows — it’s easy now to scroll their entire inventory as it’s ever shrinking,” wrote Dan.
Netflix’s other recent moves have frustrated subscribers
The latest reviews from January and February 2026 are not the only ones to flag consumer disappointment, as some Netflix moves frustrated users in 2025 and even before.
Early in 2025, it raised prices across all plans at a time of economic uncertainty when price also played a major role for users. In January 2026, industry data revealed the majority of surveyed subscribers would cut services if prices increase, according to Forbes.
In December, Netflix sparked huge customer outrage when it removed casting, including Chromecast, from its mobile app to most TVs.
I recently covered Netflix customers’ frustration over various show cancellations. I also shared actor Matt Damon’s recently expressed concern about Netflix’s movie production, discussed in the January 16 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.
Damon noted that while traditional films build toward a big finale, streamers front-load action and use repetitive dialogue to accommodate distracted, multitasking viewers. He argues these platforms prioritize immediate hooks and constant exposition over classic storytelling structures.
It is important to mention that while many subscribers agree that Netflix content quality should be improved (some call its originals “laundry movies,” suggesting they are just playing them in the background while doing laundry), the streamer keeps gaining users.
There’s only a few possible explanations for that.
- People actually want access to “laundry movies.”
- Netflix lacks more powerful competition.
- Overall, the service satisfies the majority of subscribers’ needs with a solid price-quality ratio.
Even if all three are true, Netflix still should consider users’ feedback and — to lower its cancellation rate — address at least some of their demands.
Related: Netflix quietly makes major content upgrade for US subscribers
