Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
padrefan
Newbie

Gotta say first that Verizon cust service is the worst ever....after some cs rep convinced me that my zip code is not a blackout zone from SD Padre games on MLB Extra Innings, turns out HE WAS WRONG! After 1 hour with tech support, figured this out (should've known since all my neighbors warned me) but then took another hour w/cust svc only for the most incompetent rep to tell me there was nothing he could do to reverse the order. I would've never signed up for it if the rep knew his right hand from his left and told me I can't get ANY Padre games in my zip code. (I even asked the guy SIX times if he was sure!!!!)  So now I get to deal w/billing and beg for a credit, just like I had to when they screwed up my mobile package (again, the rep misinformed me on what I was paying for). My advice is DON'T SIGN UP WITH VERIZON FOR ANYTHING! I wish I'd never walked into this FIOS bundle...now I'm locked in for some torturous lengthy contract period. They need to realize that people in Temecula want San Diego coverage....we aren't living in the sticks over here!!!! Maybe if enough of us complain, they'll listen and tap us in to the Sand Diego market. However, they'll probably just claim there's nothing they can do.

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
psumatt1
Contributor - Level 2

Before ranting further, you DO realize VZ has absolutley NOTHING to do with how MLB does blackouts for baseball, right?

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
CharlesH
Specialist - Level 1

VZ offers the MLB Extra innings by iNDemand package so you an get *every* game.

But yeh, we really have nothing to do with sport blackouts.

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
barchart
Newbie

Okay, you don't have anything to do with blackouts.  But why not refund money when your customers get the package to watch local teams and can't see the games due to blackouts?  Either tell them up front that local teams are not available or refund their money when they realize they can't see the teams they bought the package for.  Why even sell the package in this area when most people are buying the package to see local teams?  I don't understand that part.  The customers aren't being treated with good faith.  Verizon looks really bad in this deal.  They should be going to bat for their customers...pun intended.

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
PadreFan2
Newbie

I am also a victim of the Padres blackout in the Temecula Valley. The core problem is that VZ treats the entire state of California as one MLB territory. So when Channel 4 SD tells VZ to block Extra Innings in SD County, VZ has no way to block only SD County. Their single hub serves all of Southern California. So to comply with the blackout, VZ blacks out the Padres in all of California

This is especially ironic, since, as far as I know, VZ has no FiOS footprint in SD County. Even if the the Padres games were not blacked out, it would not hurt the feelings of Channel 4 SD, as there are no FiOS TV customers there.

If VZ were more proactive, they would listen to their customer's complaints and try to negotiate something with Channel 4, and, if necessay,with MLB HQ in NYC. 

The Padre problem with VZ does not occur with cable and satellite providers. The cable and sat providers divide the service area in smaller chunks,  so they can comply with the MLB rules by blacking out Extra Innings Padre games in SD zip codes, while allowing Extra Inning Padre games to be seen in Riverside County zip codes. Fact is, VZ should not be even offering Extra Innings until they come up with a way to deliver EI games on a zip code basis. Storing the zip in the Set top box would do the trick.

The real villain here is of course the antiquated and arbitrary rules established by millionaire MLB owners 40 years ago. They are out to protect every penny of advertising revenue at the expense of the very people who make the sport viable -- the fans. These rules are driving away the very fans they should be courting. To remedy this situation, I suggest that everyone write postal letters (not email) of compaint to all the MLB execs you can find on the MLB website and also write your Senators and Congressmen. There's nothing like a Congressional hearing for MLB execs to see the light. We should take advantage of a reform-minded Congress to light a big fire under Bud and his buddies. If we can't eliminate blackouts, we can at least reform the rules in a big way.

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
PadreFan2
Newbie

If you keep both a landline and internet connection, VZ will not charge the early termination fee should you cancel the TV service.

Also, if you talk to support one more time, futile though is may be, and get repair ticket number from the tech, 

you can probably get credit for unused 5 months on extra innings.

Hope this helps.

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
padrefan
Newbie

Okay, I can handle the fact that Verizon might not control what's available to us, however, they sure do a lousy job of knowing their products and treating their customers with consideration. They should make sure their cs reps know what they're selling, and being more helpful when trying to 'fix' problems. If they can't guarantee a product, they should say so instead of allowing customers to pay a couple hundred up front only to have to practically beg for a refund once they're called out on selling you something that doesn't work. (Not to mention being routed to two other 'reps' who don't know any more than the last and being cut off the phone line after dealing with this for over an hour!) With that 'ranting' done (I guess we're not allowed to give our full, honest opinion without being considered crazy) maybe someone can suggest what all of us real baseball fans can do to get this taken care of? Just help quick...my  husband doesn't want to hear me b**tch and moan about this all season!

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Re: Temecula Area Channels/VERIZON
PadreFan2
Newbie

I have given up on VZ and signed up for satellite with Extra Innings.

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