Netflix raising rates on customers who were grandfathered in

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Two years ago Netflix announced they were raising rates. In order not to infuriate their existing customer base, they promised that longtime customers would be grandfathered into the $7.99 rate for two years. Well, that grace period is just about up, and the company has signaled they’ll now raise prices even on those longtime customers too.

Fortunately, you do have a choice in the matter. You can stay at the $7.99 monthly rate if you forgo high-definition (HD) programming and are fine with standard definition. But if you want that robust HD signal, the price will go up to $9.99, according to Tech Times.

What’s driving the price hike?

The reality is the amount of programming that Netflix offers today is so much greater than it was two years ago. Yet children’s programming remains a weak link in their catalog. Netflix, like so many other content providers, is basically lost in space when it comes to programming for tweens to early tweens (ages 7-13).

The current programming is either too childlike or too racy with no in-between. So Netflix says they’ll come up with 20 new shows, which will roll out in just a few weeks, that will be appropriate for kids. That’s a relief and great news for parents like me who have a 10 year old at home.

Read more: Secret Netflix codes unlock super-specific movie genres

Beware of this scam

In related news, if you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’re on the hit list of cyber-criminals who want into your wallet! Huffington Post reports some subscribers are being hit with a phony pop-up window that looks exactly like Netflix.

When you enter your account info to sign in, you get a message that says, ‘We have detected unusual activity on this account. To Protect your account for unauthorized use, we have temporarily suspended this username. To regain access to your account please contact Member Services at 1-800-947-6570.’

I should note that the real Netflix customer service number is 1-866-579-7172.

If you call the fake customer service number, you’re told to download special software that is a Trojan virus. It allows the criminals to take over your computer and look for sensitive financial info on it. If you ever need to call Netflix, make sure you call the right number. Do not respond to anything in any pop-up!

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