Taking channels away
bbsrv90
Newbie

Since when do channels go away without warning? WFNHD, gone ! What do you get in its place. Removal of channels and the price stays the same? {please keep your posts courteous} is that? Don't do it. Slowly and quietly and maybe no one will notice, right? I thought fios was the best until now. I guess it was just a matter of time before we get screwed.

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
prisaz
Legend

@bbsrv90 wrote:

Since when do channels go away without warning? WFNHD, gone ! What do you get in its place. Removal of channels and the price stays the same? {please keep your posts courteous} is that? Don't do it. Slowly and quietly and maybe no one will notice, right? I thought fios was the best until now. I guess it was just a matter of time before we get screwed.


Offered in the Ultimate or Sports package only. What package do you have. You may find out that others are no longer offered with you plan. After Jan. 16, 2010 those were not offered as part of the new package. Read below. Verizon did send out many notices. I upgraded for better speed, anyway.

597

World Fishing Network HD.HD

Read this thread. There are a number of channels that are no longer available in the Extreme package.

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-TV-Programming/more-HD-channel-removals/m-p/231685

Dear FiOS TV Customer,

From time to time channel lineup changes are necessary to improve our content offerings. We will therefore, be making some changes to our current TV service packages on or after August 19th, 2010.

If you ordered the FiOS TV Extreme HD package prior to January 17, 2010, the channels below will no longer be available in your TV package.

Channel Name Channel Number
Cars.TV 599
Comedy.TV 695
ES.TV 558
Gospel Music Channel 224
Hallmark Movie Channel (SD/HD) 239 / 739
MGM HD 744
My Destination.TV 674
Pets.TV 633
Recipe.TV 676
World Fishing Network (SD/HD) 317 / 597

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
bbsrv90
Newbie

Ok, so 10 channels were pulled from the Extreme package. Was there any compensation? What did they put in to replace them? Was the package price lowered? Its clearly unfair and bad business if not.

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

there are lots of threads already discussing this. Verizon sent out many announcements and it has been discussed here for nearly 6 months now. No, the price did not reduce. Yes, many people are upset over this. No, this is no different than any other cable company. Yes, it will happen again, always does. Cable companies remove channels all the time and you never get any reduced price. In fact, the price will likely go up.

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
prisaz
Legend

@bbsrv90 wrote:

Ok, so 10 channels were pulled from the Extreme package. Was there any compensation? What did they put in to replace them? Was the package price lowered? Its clearly unfair and bad business if not.


Actually after contacting them and voicing my displeasure regarding the same issue, I was able to come to a good agreement with Verizon. Upgraded to Ultimate for a few dollars more, went from 20/5 to 35/35 and gained some movie channels. Depending on where you are in your agreement Verizon will work with you if you discuss upgrading versus cutting services. I have heard of it done many times. Usually the retention department would rather keep you as a happy customer and upgrade you at a fair price. Yes it may cost you a little more but in the end you both win. You get better services, and they get a little more money. For me the little more money and gaining the 35/35 it was well worth it regardless of the channels that I wanted to keep. Just business.

Just as spacedebris stated, all companies adjust there lineup and packages, prices rarely go down. But for me when my Premier went to Extreme, mine actually went down $5 a month for two years.

Quote straight from the Terms of service link at the bottom of all Verizon pages. "Subject to applicable law" is the legal question of all time. Are you a lawyer? I am not. Everyone agrees to this when the sign up.

"3. SERVICE CHANGES.
Subject to applicable law, we reserve the right to change, re-arrange, add,
delete or otherwise modify the Service at any time, with or without prior
notice to you, including changing, rearranging or otherwise modifying
our Programming packages, the selections available in those packages,
the Equipment, and any other features, products and services that
we offer."

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
MiMeQu21
Contributor - Level 3

The real problem here is that they took away channels while people were still under a contract for those channels.  I can understand if they removed channels once your contract term ran out, but as for me, they removed those channels while I still had about six months to go on my contract.  If I cancelled service while still under contract, I would have had an early termination fee.  If I changed services while still under contract, they would have put me under a new contract.  For them, they change what they want with no regard to the contract term. 

I am glad some of you got to negotiate for services.  However, I imagine some of you were put under a new contract term and you are paying more for some of the same channels you lost.  So, in the end, while you "won" in some instances, Verizon still gets more money from you and gets you under contract again.

A more annoying thing about this is the fact that the Hallmark Movie Channel (for instance) is available in the Prime and Ultimate tiers but not the Extreme.  It seems contrary to pay more for a tier (Extreme) and not get all the channels in the tier below (Prime). 

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
bbsrv90
Newbie

Amen MiMe ! And just for giggles, now all 33 Urge Digital Music Channels are going away. "Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause". But don't forget to pay your bill folks.

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
Keyboards
Master - Level 3

@bbsrv90 wrote:

Amen MiMe ! And just for giggles, now all 33 Urge Digital Music Channels are going away. "Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause". But don't forget to pay your bill folks.


And the reason is that the PROVIDER is discontinuing the service (for the Urge cahnnels).  What do you expect Verizon to do if the programming is no longer available?

Re: Taking channels away
bbsrv90
Newbie

reduce the cost a fair percentage? They were paying the provider, which they no longer have to do. Or, just give the board of governors a huge bonus this year. There should be plenty of surplus to go around.

0 Likes
Re: Taking channels away
MiMeQu21
Contributor - Level 3

That is what some people just aren't getting.  I keep seeing in these posts that it is not Verizon's fault that Urge cancelled its own service.  It is true, this is not Verizon's fault.  However, Verizon was paying a fee to provide these music channels, even if the fee was small.  In return, Verizon was passing those costs on to the consumer.  Verizon was also advertising that they had two sets of music channels you could listen to (Music Choice and Urge).  However, one of those sets of music channels is now gone.  So is the cost that Verizon has to pay to furnish Urge music to its customers.  But, our monthly bills still factor in the costs of those music channels.  So, as happens often, Verizon is getting a windfall from its customers.  Now, if Verizon turns around and fills up that open space with additional channels, then it is a wash.  But, if Verizon adds nothing, we are paying the same rate for less service.

0 Likes