Ever since the new On Demand menu launched I have noitced a change in the pricing of On demand episodes on channels that I subribe to as part of my normal FIOS TV package. I first noticed this with a recent episode of Teen Wolf on MTV that I had started watching for Free two days prior then when I was switched over to the new On Demand menu that same episode had to be purchased for $1.99 for me to continue watching it. Next the same issue happened with the latest episode of the Vampire Diaries on CW. Assuming this was a mistake I called customer service and was told that it was the Channel providers MTV and CW not Verizon that had made price change for the episodes but was also told that I could watch these same episodes for free online. So I logged into Myverzion account online and and found that all the curent episodes were in fact free. This makes no scense at all. Why am I being charged extra to watch content on my TV that is free online. This totally defeats the purposed of paying for cable. The fact that I have to pay extra to watch content on my TV that is now only available for free online is ridiculous. Im convinced that this a mistake that started when the new On demand menu was released. Also I have checked at a few friends and relatives houses over the holidays and was able the to watch the exact same content (current episodes) for free On Demand with Direct TV and Comcast. So imagine tonight when I sat down to watch the latest epsode of Grimm On Demand on NBC with FIOS and found that I had to pay $1.99. I begrudgingly got up off my sofa logged into Myverzion account and found the very same episode is free to watch online. Please fix this mistake or I will be switiching to Direct TV ASAP.
Because I don't believe it is their fault.
1) I'm guessing that vod content is part of the overall content contract. So if they want any content, they have to agree to all terms.
2) As I have stated, there was content for a fee prior to vod upgrade. It was just not alongside the free content.
3) If other cable providers are doing the same thing, why not blame the content providers? I know your contract is with Verizon. But the analogy I used earlier stands. If all travel agents pass along baggage fees from an airline, is it the agents fault? Why not attack the one who is charging the fee?
It is either a way to appease the streaming partners for content or just an all out money grab.
But what I have been told and heard, it is not Verizon who instituted the fee.
Verizon may not have instituted the fee but they certainly made it possible with their horrible new interface since that's when this all started.
Again, I disagree. This is Verizon's fault since they could have not allowed it to happen in the first place.
I'm doubt the providers would have pulled their shows from a giant cable provider. That would be suicide.
Content providers pull content all the time due to contract disputes.
So you are saying that you wouldn't be upset if Verizon had kept the paid content segregated from the free content?
The paid content was there (can't say if it was the same amount or not) before the change.
All Verizon did was put it in the same place.
@MJNY wrote:Verizon may not have instituted the fee but they certainly made it possible with their horrible new interface since that's when this all started.
Again, I disagree. This is Verizon's fault since they could have not allowed it to happen in the first place.
I'm doubt the providers would have pulled their shows from a giant cable provider. That would be suicide.
People thought the new interface did it. It did not. It did bring it glaringly to the fore since they mixed free and pay together and initially were putting the PAY ones first.
During the same period and before this was rolling out, people who were not on the new interface and were doing searches, were finding the Pay version and complaining. And for some programs, people not on Verizon were noticing more of the same as now PPV. At least one network launched its own offering at that time and started making more of its stuff as PPV.
As I've said before if it's the providers than they lose. I've given up every show that I can't be home to watch if they charge me to watch On Demand.
And when I move I will NEVER use Verizon again.
Like ive said not sure this was worth all the bad blood or perhaps monetarily it is.
And if a new provider doesn't offer the content for free?
If I'm informed that the content is not free when I sign up then I will obliviously agree to it when I sign for the service.
I had always had the content provided free before the new interface.
And let's be clear. The content is NOT free as I pay for the channels.
What Verizon is doing is double charging!
I will say again.
Verizon didn't start charging for content.
The new format just grouped paid content with free content.
And until proven otherwise, the content providers are the ones charging.
I say that as there have been a few posts where others have said they see the same number of free episodes on other providers that Verizon has.
And I say again you are incorrect.
I watched a lot of old seasons of shows all FREE last year whereas now they are charging.
I dont mind discussing this but please get your facts straight. I'm not lying.
Thanks.
Content providers can change.
I have yet to find anyone who can show that other cable providers have free content that has a charge on Verizon.
I seen people say that they see the same free content on both (ie Verizon has 4 free episodes and others have a charge while other provider has 4 free episodes only).
That's why I stand by my position.
If you have some specific shows/episodes you see are only available for a fee and think should be free, post them (ideally from a non premium channel).
I will try and reach out to some folks that I believe have another cable provider and see what their provider shows.
I must not be explaining myself correctly, so I'm going to try one more time.
I don't care what other providers offer or don't offer, because my contract is not with them. When it is, I will care.
I do care that Verizon had advertised and offered FREE On Demand for years and now, without notice or care, Verizon charges me for networks that I already pay for. Which is basically charging me twice.
I hope that this answer to your post is clearer than it was before.
Thanks.
I understand exactly what you said.
And I am pretty sure you will see other providers advertising the same thing for their VOD.
And there is not a guarantee that everything that is offered today will be available the same way tomorrow. That's in the contract.
Its like complaining that Verizon is no longer carrying channel X when that content provider has ceased operations.
Verizon (and other cable providers) can only offer what the content providers offer.
If they switch to a pay per episode model, Verizon has two choices, go along or drop the channel. They can't offer free content that isn't offered to them. Yes, they can negotiate with content providers, but if most if not all other providers are offering that content for a fee, the content provider has little incentive to offer it to Verizon for free. Which has been my point. Content providers are looking to monetize their content in any way they can. As more content is being offered via streaming (either other services or their own) content providers have little reason to continue to offer their content for free. Why would you subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, CBSAccess, etc if you can continually get every episode for free on cable.
Not saying I agree or like it. But it is the current state of enjoying content.
In all likelyhood it's an error in Verizon's database or a way for them to generate more revenue. When it happened to me, a '$' by an episode of an HBO series, it was free on HBO GO either in the app or on the web site.
I would agree if it wasn't for the fact that there have been some posts where people see similar charges (or lack of free content) on other providers.
If you happen to know someone who has HBO on another provider, ask them to see if they see charges (or just no listing with their free content) for content that is available for a fee on Verizon.
If there is a marked difference, then post here.
How do you separate the free from the pay programs
When you select a program on VOD, there is an option to view all content or only free content.
At this time, you have to do that every time you select a program.
In addition, paid content will have a $ next to it.
I'm very frustrated with the new search system Verizon has. And can't believe how I'm being nickel and dimed for shows when I'm already paying for the service.
Does anybody have a decent email address to complain to. I'm tired of talking to a computer. Getting ready to tell Verizon "syanara"
I agree with the too much charging point of view. Have you not noticed that EVERY provider of a service, from software to storage wants you to pay a PER month fee?
At some point most of us will have to start chosing which services to stop using, more to the point, if people would organize and simply say enough, it would not take long to force them to change.
I for one have had enough of Verizon charges, at the next roll over I am going to switch my internet service and drop the movie channels, etc.. better to pay a Hulu or other service for what I want then keep paying higher fees.
And in case someone at Verizon actually cares to see what it's customers think, I am stating for the record and will tell them when I leave, that it is directly due to the charge per show for on demand prior episodes, that was the one item keeping me cabled, now that they have killed that off I am moving on to cheaper services.
Verizon = GREED at this point, and I would not be surprised if they are doing this because they are aware of the customers moving away to other services and are just milking the ones rest while they can.
I assume you will be either going to another cable provider or one of the streaming services.
If another cable provider, I am guessing you will find their free on demand episodes to be comparable to those of Verizon.
If going to a streaming service, I would be interested to know how their on demand compares with Verizon.
There isn't a good answer to all the questions. I too felt it was a mistake...Verizon could certainly negotiate the removal of the practice. I never had this with Cox Cable. I am starting to see that what is less is not always better.
If you know someone still on Cox, ask them to compare the episodes they see with the ones that Verizon shows for free.
One thing that has made this confusing is that Verizon is showing both free and paid episodes together.
A couple of people have said that when they compare free with free, they are the same.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
