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Free games for ‘loyal’ subscribers

If you've been a Foxtel subscriber for more than 5 years, are you getting free access to the Winter Olympics?

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If you’ve been a Foxtel subscriber for more than 5 years, are you getting free access to the Winter Olympics?

If not, make a few calls…

The Australian reports the Pay TV broadcaster is giving those viewers a free package of the Games, worth $65.

Foxtel says it had always planned to reward those viewers with the Games. Those who had paid for the pass are understood to be receiving a refund.

Last week CEO Kim Williams wouldn’t confirm the number of packages sold, but said sales were in the “six-figure range.”

Source: The Australian

51 Responses

  1. We’ve been subscribers since 1998, and after three calls to foxtel we managed to get the winter olympics for free (despite not owning an IQ)

    The first call I made was to a customer service rep who said that I already met the criteria and it should be turned on tomorrow.
    Alas it wasn’t, and then I called foxtel for a second time. The guy who I talked to said that he couldn’t help me, so I spoke to a manager named Chris. He told me that while he couldn’t do anything about it, he was going to present my case and a similar one from someone else to the people in charge of the ‘promotion’, and that he would call back tomorrow. He also said that the guy who I spoke to in the first call would be ‘reprimanded’ because he made a mistake…
    The next day, he didn’t call, and then I called foxtel again. The guy who spoke to me said that the people in charge have decided to give it to me for free, and soon enough it was activated. He then apologised for me not receiving a call from the manager.

  2. Yes! Just rang them up and now have the games for free. The guy I spoke to tried to tell me I wasn’t eligible until I asked him to check the criteria for it and then he realised I was.

  4. Grant.. That seems exactly correct from my experience.. The more people who ditch Telstra the better.. then they “may” get the message… ( I doubt it).. and when you ring to cancel they will offer you all sorts of short term crap.. Don’t fall for it..

  6. Here’s my experience tonight trying to get the Winter Olympics for free.

    I’ve been a Foxtel subscriber since 1998 and Galaxy satellite subscriber before that. Unbroken subscription since day 1 and have always had the sports package, both when it was part of basic and since it was broken off. I have 2 IQ2 boxes and have been billed through Telstra for about the last 6 years. I love my Foxtel and pay $1500 per year for the service.

    * First I rang Foxtel – “sorry, can’t help you as you’re billed through Telstra – you need to talk to them”.
    * Rang Telstra – “sorry, can’t help you, we don’t have that offer but wait and I’ll see if I can do something else with your account”

    My original reason for switching to Telstra Billing years ago was the free 125 local calls offer for having 3 services (Foxtel/Bigpond/Landline) with Telstra. When the Telstra guy looked at my account and saw I no longer have Bigpond or a landline with Telstra (now Naked iinet), he said there was nothing he could do for me.

    * Rang Foxtel back and gave them the sob story – long term Foxtel subscriber but because I’m with Telstra they don’t seem to love me. “Sorry, bud – can’t help ya”, and even if I swap my billing back to Foxtel Direct, despite 10+ years of unbroken subscription at the same residence, in their eyes I would be a “new subscriber” and ineligible for the free Olympics package.

    OK, no problem, I’m technically not eligible – my fault for being with Telstra. I figured why be with Telstra and have been meaning to give them the flick anyway so I asked if I could be billed through Foxtel Direct again. The girl says I have to go through Telstra to do that. She tries to put me through but the line goes dead.

    * Rang Telstra back. “Sorry, we’re closed, hours are 7am to 6pm”. Yep, can’t talk to Telstra about Foxtel after 6pm. Unbelievable.

    I can’t wait to be put on hold for another 30 minutes with Telstra tomorrow to cancel my account.

  7. Dont cross your fingers and hope you get it – friends at work have been subcribers for over 5 years and they dont have it – I have received it and recieved the letter but guess what – i wont be watching what a waste – i would have prefered a months sub extension for free not something i wont watch –

  8. While i appreciate the offer, we are not a sporting household, so not interested in the olympics. Would love to see more “loyalty” offers from Foxtel though……….

  10. Dear David

    Can you confirm if this is right?

    I rang Foxtel (16/2/2010) in relation to the free package of the Winter Games for long term Foxtel members (which I am). But their Consultant advised me that I had to have Foxtel IQ to be eligible (which I don’t).

    That doesn’t seem fair.

  11. I have to say, it’s kind of a bad move on foxtel not giving this to those with out sports. We’ve had them off and on. Definately had sports for over 5 years in the 10+ years we’ve subscribed. We were platinum for most of that time but changed things around not too long ago.

    Wouldn’t it work in favour to convince people who don’t have the sports packages that maybe they’d want them?

    Just saying, it’s kind of a bit lame of them.. you’d kind of think they’d use the opportunity to promote sport on foxtel.

  12. Ch9 is doing a Crap job. At 12 today they stopped their exhaustive coverage (9am-12). It is 5pm in Vancouver – So on foxtel now is Live Luge, Live figure skating, and Live Speed Skating…But you can watch the highlights package tonight at 9.30pm (with Eddie and Co..)

    At least 7 used SBS as the alternate channel..ie Free.

  13. curious…. Does that go for Foxtel with Telstra Subscribers?

    I was receiving Foxtel for the last 5-6yrs before transferring to Foxtel with Telstra. As I said just curious. Chn 9 is doing quiet a good job rate it 6.5/10

  14. As a long time subscriber I rang Foxtel immediately after reading David’s story and within 2 minutes the operator had made the service available. Free. At the press of a button.
    So it’s true, but obviously depends on a word-of-mouth campaign!

  15. I love all these ppl whinging and Complaining because foxtel are throwing some loyal punters a freebie.

    Geez think it through ppl, if they shouted it from the roof tops, you’d have every 4.5yr old subsriber going nuts about it… add to this its prob an automated process leaving it open to things like minor account changes etc.. and viola theres going to be the odd mishap. Which from most of these comments theyve bloody fixed on the spot.

    Then you get uncle arthur complaining becuase he’s had basic for 15yrs, never gave a toss about sports and yet he’s not getting the free whistler feeds, 24/7 ….. you guessed it… sports

    Srsly Australia.. how often does a corporate throw us anything for nothing??? This is why we cant have nice things!!!

  16. Have been a subscriber since 1995 without a break and guess what … nothing. rang the 13 number and got directed to Telstra who knew nothing about it (they dont get newspapers in Telstra) and then after ringing Foxtel informed me that loyal customers were being rewarded..obviously not me though. Have emailed a complaint – like that will help.

  18. Had foxtel via Telstra for 8 years… Platinum (iq2 and iq) — 4 months ago after the HD channel trial period had finished (which Telstra never advised) rang Telstra to add the additionial channels for $3 extra… 3 calls and 1 month later this had still not been done.. but they had managed to charge me a $200 HD upgrade fee, when I already had HD!! They are idiots!

    Rang Foxtel to complain and even though we are Telstra subscribers they fixed it within 30 mins. The next week canceled Telstra and went back to Foxtel.. Telstra’s customer service is a disgrace.

    Foxtel supplied me with free Olympic coverage, which is superb. If you only had FTA coverage you would be hard pressed knowing the Olympics are actually on.. 9 wake up.. get rid of the today show.. That why you bought the rights.. 6am-9am is Olympic prime time in Canada…Oh and why are you showing days of our lives, when the Figure skating was still running for the next 2 hours…

    Show it or lose it..

    The foxtel coverage is excellent, but you have to pay.. And the HD quality is superb..and no Ken Sutcliff and no Eddie !! Got to be worth paying just for that..

  19. Platinum subscription for at least 10 yrs….at least 8 of those with foxtel direct and now via telstra for nearly 2 yrs…..but that doesnt seem to cut it….as foxtel dont recognise it. Whether I am getting Foxtel via Telstra or Foxtel doesnt make a difference to me…..its all branded as Foxtel
    Loyalty…..interesting description

  21. What????????? I have been a Foxtel subscriber since mid-1995, almost 15 years. I have not received any notification of this, and my last Foxtel bill had the $50 charge for the Vancouver channels on it. I better get a refund!!!!

  24. We have had Foxtel (including sports) for 11 years but moved 4 years and 11 months ago and as a result got a different account number. And no Winter Olympics oh well not to worry. Not too loyal…Foxtel!

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