Verizon FiOS TV → Please help me save money on my TV package

I just got the Verizon Fios Gigabit Triple Play yesterday. I don't watch much TV, but it was cheaper to get the 2 year Triple Play -- or so I thought. When you add in the sports fee, the box fee, etc., it costs more than I want to pay for TV. Can anyone help me with my options?

I have the "Custom Sports and News" package. Can I return the TV box (I only have one)and save $12/month? Then, switch TV channel packages, watch the local channels through my TV tuner, to avoid the sports fee? If so, which package should I switch to? Is there anything else I can do to save money at this point? Finally, I'm getting a number of discounts with my current package. Would I lose the discounts if I make any changes? THANKS!

Regional Sports Network Fee$7.78
Fios TV Broadcast Fee$4.49
Rent: 1 Set-Top Box$12.00

I don't really understand how you did not know what you are going to be paying, because Verizon sends you the entire order summary, including taxes and fees, which you must confirm to place the order.

If you don't keep at least one of the custom packages, you will blow your bundle, probably have to pay a termination fee, lose your discounts and you may end up with a much higher bill for fewer services than you have now.

One of the custom packages may not have the sports fee because it has no sports channels. You won't be able to eliminate the broadcast fee.

You can send back the box, save $12. If you want to see any cable channels at all, you'll need a cable card for $5/month, assuming you have a device that can use it. If you want to just see local channels, you may be able to do without the cable card and connect the coax directly to your TV, but you wont see all the channels you're paying for in your custom package.

So the most you can probably save without blowing your contract and your bundle discounts is $12/month. If you're renting a Verizon router you can save the $10/month rental fee by buying it. The time to talk about saving money on your cable package was before you agreed to a two-year triple play.

Anon871fc:
>> Can anyone help me with my options?

Ask about getting locals only tv which usually does not require a set top box--just attach the FiOS coax cable directly to the coax on the tv--and I'm pretty that locals only does not have that stupid sports fee.

Alternatively, take a look at the custom tv options (to compare available channels by tier/options see: »www.verizon.com/home/wid ··· tServlet ). Note that custom tv does require a set top box (or a cable card if you were to go with something like TiVO) but unless you choose a custom tv sports package, the custom tv options usually don't have the sports fee charge.

I switched TV packages, saving the sports fee. I got rid of the touter, saving $12. Verizon is telling me I HAVE TO have 1 STB. I told them I don't care about seeing any of the channels. They said they can't remove it online. If I call in, can I return the STB and watch the basic channels through the tuner, or do I have to have a STB? Thanks!

Anon871fc:
>> If I call in, can I return the STB and watch the basic channels through the tuner, or do I have to have a STB?

You should be able to get whatever locals are available without the stb through the tv's coax connection. You may be able to return the stb to a local Verizon store--not all of them accept equipment but it might be worth checking...

No. As #tlbepson said, you don't have to have an STB. If there's a Verizon store near you, take it back to them and get a receipt. Or call customer service, speak to a supervisor and demand a shipping box be sent to you.

You can watch the locals without an STB or cable card, but the channel numbers may be messed up and nothing may be where you expect it to be. But as long as your TV has a digital tuner you should get them.

Why would you upgrade to Gig, if you apparently can't afford it? Did you commit to a contract, or can you just change your plan?

Local Only (OTA equivalent) eliminates most of the fees, including the regional sports fee, and also eliminates the need for the STBs if you have TVs that directly tune unencrypted Digital Cable Channels.That's what I did over a year ago and it cut our VZ bill in half.

1) You do not need a box. Verizon makes you get one with your install, but you can immediately return it to them and it will be removed from your account once it's been received.

2) Simply connect the coax to your TV and you'll get your local channels. You won't get anything else but locals and some FiOS ad channels.

3) Verizon can be sneaky with the Triple Play. For instance, if I were to remove the Custom TV Sports and News package from my account to switch to Local TV only, the price would actually be HIGHER. That's right, higher. So you might need to double check to make sure that wouldn't happen to you. ***You'll still be charged the ridiculous FiOS TV Broadcast Fee of $4.49 however.***

4) Since you just had your install yesterday, you may be able to make any changes to your account without any penalties. I'm not 100 percent certain what Verizon's policy is regarding that, since I've had FiOS for nearly 10 years now, but I believe you can make changes to an install within 14 days?

5) If you call to talk to somebody - as opposed to using the chat function or Twitter - be sure to get them to email you a transaction record while you're on the phone if you make changes. Otherwise, if you haven't received physical proof, you can get caught in Verizon hell. You still can even with physical proof, but it makes it easier for you to dispute anything.

6) If you decide you want to watch more TV at a later time, there are a host of Live TV streaming services available. YouTube TV, DirecTV Now, Hulu Live TV, PS Vue TV, Philo, Fubo and Sling. There are free trials, no contracts and the FiOS Internet connection is rock solid for streaming TV. Good luck.

The Custom TV Infotainment & Drama package doesn't have sport fees, FYI.

Yes, but it does require STBs or cable cards for some of the content which keeps that cost in the picture, as it were.

True. I rent a cable card so that's a moot point.

Thanks for all of the help. I don't care about viewing anything more than the basic, so if I switch to a package that requires a STB to view everything, can I still return the STB? Basically, I want to know if they can say that it will cost me more to get rid of the box because it changes my package.

Only encrypted channels require the STB or cable card. If your plan includes any encrypted channels and you give back the STB, you just will not be able to tune those channels on your DCATV capable TVs. Whether this affects your contract or not is dependent on how your contract is setup now...such as any STB related discounts, etc. You need to call in and speak with a live human at VZ to explore your options. Tell them that you want to cut your costs and want to understand how you can change your arrangements within any restrictions there are for your current contract to achieve that goal.

I just switched to that today. At least I think that was the one. I just know that I don't have any regional Sports fees any more.

After all taxes and fees with the custom TV, Gigabit INternet, and phone service, the price will be around $96 a month. Then I will be signing up for one of the streaming services and using that for most of my TV watching. Since the video quality from FiOS is so bad now. Although not Comcast bad.

But if the video quality was still like it was a few years ago, I would have just stayed with the Ultimate HD tier I was on for around $152 after taxes and fees. I didn't want to go this route, but I didn't have much choice since I could not stand the crappy video quality any more.

Wow, that is huge coming from you. What are you going to do with what I assume are the 30 TiVos you own?

Got it all straightened out. They had to add a digital converter to my order (one-time fee of $25 for shipping) but they then dropped the $12/month STB. Cost is down to $87 (with taxes/fees) for Internet/TV/and home phone. Thanks for everyone's help!

"Digital Converter" is only for TVs that don't have a digital tuner...and it's SD, not HD.

Yeah, they were upfront and told me that. And I won't use it since my TVs already have digital tuners built in. But it was going to affect my overall package price if I didn't have either an STB or digital converter. So, I basically spent $25 to save $288.

Makes sense in that context...