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Fios set top boxes

Tim1954

I have been a Fios customer for 3 years now out of a 4 year contract. I have tried all avenues in Fios support and billing to find an answer. Is there a set top box I can buy?? I have had the same set top box for 3 years now and every month I am Billed $5.99. Now 5.99 times 36 months is $215.64 and I know these boxes do not cost this much. I am disabled and on a fixed income. Can a Fios Rep who is reading this give me an answer?? Or anybody else that is knowledgeable in this area for that matter! Thank you for your time and patience with me.

Comments

Hubrisnxs

There are no Verizon Set Top Boxes that you can buy.

There are set top boxes on the market that you can buy that will work with FiOS but to get them to work, you have to rent a cable card from Verizon at 3.99 a month.

Tivo is probably the least expensive of them all, and a great product. They have a clearance section that offers some great discounts So you're probably looking at 100 bucks for the unit, but then you have to subscribe to Tivo's Program Guide.

So at a minumum that is 12.99 plus 3.99 so not a good cost savings from the Verizon dvr in the short run. possible long term savings if you get their lifetime subscription, but those are a few hundred dollars at least. Call Verizon and ask if they have a multiple STB discount package you can sign up for. and see if you can take advantage of this offer.

64.99 triple w free dvr and hbo/cinemax!

Tim1954

Thank you for your reply, but I think it is wrong for Fios to keep renting the set top box to a customer that has been loyal year after year...At least drop the rent after 4 years to a dollar rent per month! The bundle costs keep going up every 2 year contract and I understand that. But to keep renting the same box year after year shows no customer loyalty to me being on a fixed income! Thank You

avanti1

I agree regarding lower stb's rental charges.I have 5 - one dvr-one hd-three standard + one little no frills box.prices range form $6.00

to $20.00 per month.1 more increase i will be looking at a roof mount antenna,& drop the service.

lasagna

What I tell people who complain about the STB pricing model is to compare it to the competition's model where they might not be charging you for a STB for each TV (keeping it fair, remember that with the competition if you have any "premium" channels they might require a STB regardless as well) and compare the total of the "programming" charges plus any STB rental or whatever they might call it to the same programming plus STB rental you pay Verizon.

While seeing that individual charge there might irk you ... it's really the whole package cost that you need to look at because while some say they don't have the STB rental fees, they bake the cost into higher programming fees.

Now, if you find the total from the other guys works out to less than the total you pay Vz for the same number of TV's and programming, well then ... now you have something to complain about (or a reason to switch).

At the end of the day, I don't think people realize how expensive those boxes really are ... and how important it is to be certain those boxes can be upgraded when necessary (and you don't have a consumer camping on old junk).

Now, while I don't like camping on an old STB where there a newer ones available -- it's not a major deal provided the features are equivalent. Otherwise, I want the same service the guy next door gets that signed up later and Vz should swap out my box and periodically (3-5 years) the hardware should be upgraded as a part of a regular equipment refresh cycle.

Tim1954

Now THAT I agree with!!! There should be a 4 to 5 year equipment refresh cycle cause technology is always leaping forward. Every 4 years and a new set top box @ $5.99 a month.I could stand that! Good Idea Man..Thumbs up!!

rrs49

I wholly agree that STB are a huge profit center for VZ. While they are giving unlimited duration free DVD to new customers, a four year customer such as myself has to pay $19.95 per month, plus, $9.95 per month for a second digital box for another Tv, and yet another $5.59 for a third analog box. So, I am being bled to death to the tune of about $40 monthly for STB. That's $480 annually, or darned near $2,000 I have paid over the past four.

Yep, they make them free to new customers and continue to impale captive customers. Smiley Mad

cenzoa

Does it bother anyone that they keep raising the "rental" fee on a box that is the same old box that I've had for several years? shouldn't the rental fee go down as the box gets older? If the price goes up, shouldn't it mean that I get a new box each time? It's as if they raise the price b/c they can, not b/c it's warranted. Oh well.

tnjimmyjam1

If enough dissatisfied customers can come together, you can affect change.

tns2

They older your box the more likely they are to eventually replace it. Your the system is backwards and they set prices based on how much the replacements cost+how much they think they can get away with.

Boomer607

Buy the Motorola DCT 7000 on eBay

[Deleted User]

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