HD Rental box fee

[Carolbundle51]

Has anyone been sold a preferred HD package but cannot receive the HD stations?

We were sold the HD preferred package and found out after we agreed to the price

that we could only watch the HD if we rented the HD box at an additional cost of $13.00 mo.

I issued my complaint and was offered a stipend of what it would cost for the 2 year rental even after they admitted they made a mistake.

I do not like the customer service dept at Verizon. Every customer is just a number and they really don't care if you do business with them or not.

They hide costs and are dishonest.

[CRobGauth]

Every provider works this way.

Content is priced separately from equipment.

you don't have to rent stb.

You can use your own equipment (like TiVo) and rent cable card.

Other than local channels, you can't view any channels without some sort of stb.

Verizon doesn't have a specific HD package. All of their packages contain HD channels.

[KLuong]

I tried to return the set top box to buy a new one but they said they cant remove rental fee from the package.

[CRobGauth]

You can't but an STB that works with a cable provider.

You can buy a cable card device (like a TiVO or HomeRun).

But there is a rental fee for the cable card.

[jonjones1]

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@KLuong wrote:

Hi,

Does anyone in here successfully eliminate the set top box rental fee? If yes, please show me how. I am thinking about buying new set top box on Amazon and return the current one.

Thanks,

K

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I believe what you want to do is not allowed.

i remember reading that you can return the set top box and get a cablecard in its place.

you could drop the higher tv portion and use a streaming tv service like Hulu, DirectTVNOW and pay low monthly price (I pay $35 for direct tv now) and there are no sports fees, taxes, bogus charges etc. I did this when I had cable. Why pay more.

however you will need a Roku, Apple TV, smart tv with the ability to get the direct tv now or hulu or sling app for free. But you can also use a computer, or cell phone and do a screen mirroring or beaming to your tv. This way you save big money by not paying high rates for cable/Fios tv.

you save even if you buy a Roku stick $40 or Firestick etc. ($35) or a Chromcast device ($25) 

[KLuong]

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@jonjones wrote:

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@KLuong wrote:

Hi,

Does anyone in here successfully eliminate the set top box rental fee? If yes, please show me how. I am thinking about buying new set top box on Amazon and return the current one.

Thanks,

K

---

I believe what you want to do is not allowed.

i remember reading that you can return the set top box and get a cablecard in its place.

you could drop the higher tv portion and use a streaming tv service like Hulu, DirectTVNOW and pay low monthly price (I pay $35 for direct tv now) and there are no sports fees, taxes, bogus charges etc. I did this when I had cable. Why pay more.

however you will need a Roku, Apple TV, smart tv with the ability to get the direct tv now or hulu or sling app for free. But you can also use a computer, or cell phone and do a screen mirroring or beaming to your tv. This way you save big money by not paying high rates for cable/Fios tv.

you save even if you buy a Roku stick $40 or Firestick etc. ($35) or a Chromcast device ($25) 

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Couple of sale reps told me that I can return the set top box for rental fee if I don't want it. However, if I return the set top box I HAVE to remove the TV service as well. And currently, the double play service is even more expensive than the triple one. It's ridiculous. I even tried to tell them I want to return the set top box and still pay for TRIPLE play service. It doesnt work neither.

I just simply want to eliminate the rental fee by buying my own set top box. Verizon doesn't sell one is fine. I can buy it on Amazon or Ebay. But again, they just want to make money out of it.

[CRobGauth]

You can rent a cable card. Its cheaper than a box.

And if you were looking to buyn a box, then buy a TiVo.

[KLuong]

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@CRobGauth wrote:

You can rent a cable card. Its cheaper than a box.

And if you were looking to buyn a box, then buy a TiVo.

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The point is billing department told me that they have no option to remove the rental fee for the set top box, so doesn't matter if I have a cable card or TiVo or whatever, they can't take the rental fee out. The only way they can take it out is to take the whole TV service out of my package.

And guess what, double play cost is more expensive then triple play cost

[tns2]

If you really want to do this your problem can be brought to someone who does Know how to do this.  Obviously many of the lower level people don't know how.

Remember this forum is peer to peer.

[KLuong]

Because the lower-level people don't know how to solve it and I don't know how to reach someone who does know this, I posted in here hoping that someone experienced similar issue can guide me what I need to do.

[tns2]

Note some people have ordered the equipment and the cable cards, then returned the equipment.

[tns2]

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@KLuong wrote:

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...

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Couple of sale reps told me that I can return the set top box for rental fee if I don't want it. However, if I return the set top box I HAVE to remove the TV service as well. ...

The reps are mistaken you can have TV service without one of their STB. Or even without any STB. Note to see most channels you do need to rent a cablecard and a STB like Tivo's.