Now TV Boost

[MD58]

I have the Big Sport package and was recently able to add the NOW Boost to watch on 2 devices simultaneously. I have since added the NOW Entertainment trial (7 days) and been advised by BT that the NOW Boost is cancelled and can (never) be restored. This seems bonkers! Is that just a failure by BT call handlers to understand the product? Will I be able to restore the Boost on the NOW account page (where I originally set it up) at a later point? I have to say that the whole process of buying into this package seems to demonstrate a woefully thought out connection between BT/EE/NOW. The simple ability to pick and chose the NOW products through their online account handling has failed pitifully with BT. As an example - it is impossible to view devices in the NOW app and requires a (telephone) call to BT to have this manually listed to you before alteration. Not impressed.

[zulu17]

@MD58 Is your broadband with BT or EE as their EETV product offers and addons they offer  do seem to differ ? Also when does your EETV  minimum  term contract end  ? In either case I would recommend invoking their formal complaints process as normal customer service teams do not always seem to take ownership of issues like this ?

[Kodikid]

I honestly think buying now tv through EE is borderline madness 

I pay £4 for the ultra uhd boost directly from now.

It's also looking increasingly likely that EE will never get their hands on sky ultimate. 

If you want a pro box there's dozens on ebay. 

[Kimberlin]

@Kodikid  Indeed, I’d agree regarding Now. I regularly stop/restart Now boosts through the App on my TV at lower prices. Easy to set up and cancel without going through an ISP.

[MD58]

My contract is with BT (2 years). However, it is quite obvious that everything is structured to compel migration to EE. This whole package was seriously mis-sold. I had happily kept TNT Sport and NOW TV separate for many years but whilst upgrading the Broadband package I was offered the NOW Sport as an extra for £15 a month. I was told I could retain complete control of NOW through their app, stop and start all packages and even split payments to separate accounts. Well, of course, nothing remotely like that is possible. NOW refers you back to BT for all functionality and yet BT only has partial functionality (review of devices not available for example). When I remonstrated about the terminal cancelation of the NOW Boost I was told there was a solution - migrate the entire package to EE (new 2 year contract) - Broadband, Mobile and TV - at, naturally, a higher price. Looking at the way all this has been cobbled together and crudely tacked on to the MYBT interface it would appear the only significant effort expended has been in devising ways to coral BT customers over to EE. I will escalate when it becomes clear that Boost cannot be re-activated. I have spoken to maybe a dozen BT Call Handlers who offer wildly varying product knowledge. The more candid amongst them though are united in their conclusion that it is one big mess.

[zulu17]

Hi @MD58 

with the Big Sport package with EETV on BT Broadband the company BT has a HD or HD/4K monthly add on (which one is available depends on your broadband speed)  for about £6/month. taking this addon SHOULD also give you AT NO EXTRA CHARGE Now Boost. The logic here is that the Hd/4K addon gives you  the linear EPG TNT Sports ( HD and 4K) and NOW Sky Sports HD  channels on EETV.  The Now Boost is included because that is what the NOW app requires/checks for to allow full HD viewing of your subscription content. The Now Boost also increases the number of devices that can concurrently be used to view Now content. That number varies according to to when the NOW Boost was taken out for BT EETV customers.

I do not understand why you taking a further NOW Entertainment addon or promotion required a termination of Now Boost . Whilst there may be benefit in moving to EE broadband and the EETV packages that it offers  there certainly should not be necessary to achieve what you have asked for. 
As I mentioned in previous post EE TV packages on EE broadband do differ from those on BT broadband and their latest Big Sport includes the Now Boost within its package.

My recommendation would be to raise a formal complaint through BT.  The customer service staff should have access to clear information and training as to the products that their company offers both for products that the company is incentivising them to promote AND  the legacy products that existing customers have. Given the constant moving of the goalposts with EE and BT on their broadband and TV offerings it is perhaps understandable that customer  support staff are providing differing feedback to customers. That is something the company has to manage more effectively. 

[MD58]

Thank you for those detailed observations  @zulu17

and yes, the Big Sport offers the HD 4K add-on so that may be an option. It makes no mention of enabling the NOW Boost, though if it does that would be an acceptable solution. Frustratingly there seems no small print that expands on this offering - do you know this from experience or have you undercovered some well hidden source I can go to? My only ambition is to watch on two devices at once (dictated by opposing domestic sporting alliances). 

I was told I could watch TNT on 4 devices simultaneously with what I currently have (I can certainly watch on 2), but I need the NOW Boost to watch Sport concurrently. As you state, why would taking another add-on cancel an existing one (perpetually) - why would they not want to sell you as many products as possible? I'm hoping this is just poor product knowledge by the call-handler. I wholeheartedly agree with your closing sentence.

[zulu17]

Well  TNT Sports can be watched on EE TV box  via the EPG linear channel. TNT sports can be watched using discovery+ app on I believe two devices concurrently , TNT Sports channel can be watched using the EETV app  or EE TV web player and I believe these allow a four concurrent uses.

NOW app will allow as many concurrent device uses as your now subscription including Boost addon permits. Some existing EETV package subscribers will have a legacy NOW Boost addon product that allows more concurrent devices than the current addon that is sold.

Since NOW Boost addon is needed  when using the Now app to  have the Full HD quality and the EETV Big Sport package is/was sold  as a product that can provide the  TNT Sports AND Now Sky Sports channels in full HD  (included in the current Big Sport [EE)  package and by optional chargeable addon on earlier Big Sport [EE) and Big Sport [BT) packages the mechanism the companies use is to provide Now Boost (a now product) with the HD/4K add on (EE Tv product).

If the companies don’t throw in the Now Boost and restrict the viewing on NOW app to lower quality streaming then I suspect that would be considered a material change to the product sold and potentially lead to requests to withdraw without penalty from their existing contracts. 

It is for the companies to ensure that their websites and documentation are suitably clear and complete for all the products they sell. Call handlers can only relay what their systems and training inform them. They should have escalation routes for stuff they don’t know , can’t answer etc. Unfortunately the complaint system such as it is seems to be only way to progress.

Your question broken down to BT/EE should be if you take the 4K/HD add on to your Big Sport package (Bt Broadband) is will you get Now Boost provided  Yes/No ?

I would hope an EE representative could confirm that ?

If you don’t get any response here in a couple of  (working) days I suggest you raise a complaint basically saying you think you should but are being told it is not possible.

[MD58]

Thank you @zulu17 

your appellation "Distinguished Guru" clearly deserved.

The AI Overview volunteers: "With the HD/4K add-on from BT, which includes NOW Boost, you can watch on three devices simultaneously and get content in full HD. Without the add-on, only one device can be used at a time for the NOW membership content."

Whether that is truly the case remains to be seen but again, BT/EE are failing to spell all this out clearly in their sales pitch.

My faith in BT being able to answer this definitively has (after multiple calls) been somewhat eroded. It would be nice to think BT/EE were monitoring their Community messages and sometimes pitching in with clarification.

[zulu17]

@MD58  your AI generated search is not fully correct. When NOW introduced Ultimate Boost they reduced Now Boost to two devices simultaneously for new sales.

https://www.nowtv.com/membership/experience