Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
MJNY
Contributor - Level 2

I'm still baffled why you always defend Verizon on this but that's your choice. Just confusing to me and I'm all about fair. 

But Verizon wasn't charging or networks weren't charging before Verizon rolled out this horrible new interface. 

And it's Verizon's contract with the networks. Verizon could have said no to the networks, saying we can't double charge people but they didn't. 

So why are you defending Verizon? It's their fault. 

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

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.

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
MJNY
Contributor - Level 2

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. 

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

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.

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
tns2
Community Leader
Community Leader

@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.

Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
Jayhawk72
Enthusiast - Level 2

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.

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

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.

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
MJNY
Contributor - Level 2

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. 

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

And if a new provider doesn't offer the content for free?

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Re: I am a HBO subscriber and suddenly I have to pay for episodes of HBO On Demand content
MJNY
Contributor - Level 2

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! 

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