Escalating issues?

[skierrob]

I have Verizon FIOS in Southern California. Approximately three weeks ago, Verizon added six new Viacom HD channels (MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, etc.) to its lineup. When they added the channels in Southern California, we were given the "western feeds" of these channels. Unfortunately, in their wisdom, Viacom told all the guide proviers that we were getting the "eastern feeds", which was incorrect, so ALL guide data (including Verizon's) was off by 3 hours.

This was fixed within 3 days by Viacom, and Viacom's guides showed correct guide information. However, my Tivo, zap2it.com and other guide providers continued to show incorrect guide data.

I submitted a case to Tivo about this the day that Verizon fixed the issue in their own guide. I waited 7 business days, then called Tivo to find out why Tribune hadn't fixed it yet. I was told that Tribune told them the guide data was correct and that they had closed the case.

So they opened a new case for me. I waited another 5 business days, and was then told to call back in 2 more days. I did so, and was told yet again to call back 3 more business days later. I did so, and now I'm being told that Tribune has yet to respond back to Tivo and I should now wait until Friday.

I have spoken with both regular Tivo support and with Executive Relations. Neither will let me speak with a lineup specialist directly, and neither group will contact a lineup specialist on the phone on my behalf. They state that the lineup people don't answer the phone and that I just need to wait for them to correct the issue.

So, does anyone here know what the next step is besides going back to Verizon's DVR? I went to Tivo for better guide data than I was getting from Verizon and REALLY want to stay with Tivo. So I'd love to be able to contact someone somewhere at Tivo outside of the normal support groups to be able to say "hey, you have a problem here, and it needs to be fixed between you guys, Tribune and Verizon".

ps... I might not be so upset about this issue except for the fact that I've also been trying to get Tivo to correct guide info about six OTHER channels (the HD .tv channels that were added) for about 6 weeks now and the data for those channels is ALSO still incorrect!

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks,
Robert

[CrispyCritter]

If you know someone in the area with a TiVo, have them submit it as an issue completely separately. Make sure that they include the exact web link to Viacom's data that shows the issue - it helps tremendously if the front-line lineup person has the data right there (and giving it over the phone to pass along often doesn't seem to work for things like this!)

My guess is that in your case, you're waiting for an overworked specialist that handles problem cases - the Viacom guide mis-info sounds open and shut enough so that if you can get it looked at as a new case, a front-line person should be able to get it corrected. (The .tv channels is a much murkier situation; that one's going to require the specialist.)

[mattack]

Are you talking to people directly, or using the web form (which IIRC they recently reinstated after it disappeared for many months)?

I have no info either way, but personally, doing it via the web might actually "get it into the system" more officially. (plus IMHO it's often easier.)

[kb7oeb]

Keep calling back if its not resolved by the due date given. I called in sporadically for about a year regarding an incorrect listing but once I decided to stay on them it took about a month to resolve.

[morac]

Normally when something like this occurs, I will contact all involved parties. You've already contacted TiVo so my recommendation would be to contact Tribune directly (http://www.zap2it.com/services/site/zap-feedback,0,6935396.story) as well as Viacom (http://www.viacom.com/contact/Pages/default.aspx). Tribune just needs the info request on the page I linked to. Viacom will need to know that Tribune has the wrong data.

Basically the idea is to get Tribune and Viacom on the same page (i.e. to get Tribune to request the data and to get Viacom to send the data to Tribune) so the more concise and to the point you are, the better. Results may not be immediate, but I've found that eventually things work themselves out.

[skierrob]

Well, I already contacted Verizon and I zap2it (Tribune) about the changes two weeks ago and followed up last week as well.

Yesterday, I called Tivo again and they put me on hold while their "escalations department" talked to "the tv channel lineup folks".

I was then told by the person in 'escalations' that this issue is supposedly being worked on, but their is no estimated time of repair. Before they fix this, Tivo said they want Verizon to provide them with a new channel guide that includes all the correct time zones for each channel. Problem is, they said, that Verizon doesn't want to make a list for them allegedly.

I can't give them my channel lineup printout from verizon.com because that doesn't show time zones. And besides, Tivo said they wouldn't accept one from me -- it has to come directly from Verizon to be valid data.

So I called Verizon and got my call escalated to their guide department. Verizon's guide people said they have already provided Tivo with a new lineup that shows the correct information twice.

So I called Tivo back and asked if I could do a phone conference between Tivo's lineup staff and Verizon's guide staff to get this sorted out. But Tivo refused to let me talk to the lineup staff to make that happen and said that the lineup people would call ME if they felt there was a need to get me involved.

So I guess I'll wait another 4 or 5 days before I give up and move back to the Verizon DVR and sell my 45 day old Tivo HD on Ebay. This is just frustrating beyond belief!

Robert

[djwilso]

I would be frustrated also, but I'm just not sure if it would be enough to make me want to get rid of the TiVo.

Hopefully Tribune will get their data corrected for you soon.

[skierrob]

If Tivo had incorrect guide data for 1 or 2 channels, I'd understand that and wouldn't have a problem at all. My problem is that out of about 65 high def channels that I receive in my package, the guide data is wrong for 12 of them (6 Viacom and 6 .tv channels). This means that 19% of my high def lineup is incorrect. Since I only watch high def 99% of the time, 19% of a guide being wrong is not something that is acceptable to me. *shrug*

Robert

[morac]

I just want to point out that as far as I know TiVo doesn't have "tv channel lineup folks". Tribune's the one that handles all the lineup data. TiVo may be able to provide data to Tribune, but it's up to Tribune to make the changes. Basically TiVo is one of Tribune's customers. I believe that's why TiVo support won't let you talk to the "lineup folks".

You want Verizon to send their timezone info to Tribune.