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user_c3gsnv
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Tuesday, November 21st, 2023 4:39 AM

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"Free this Week" on Flex

The so called free this week on Flex is not working. It is supposed to be a free week of Max (at least that is what was advertised). Now that it is here, it is actually the first season of 10 different shows. That's it. No free week of Max.

But, to make matters worse, when I click on anything it takes me to the subscribe screen for Max. That's right, nothing is free. I must subscribe. I'm guessing that if I sign up I will get one week free and then I'll start being charged. Not free at all. Just bait and switch.

Furthermore, I spent an hour already on chat with a supposed live person who had no idea what "Free this week" is and insisted that I had to add Max to my plan to see anything.

Terrible all the way around Xfinity.

Question

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Updated 

7 months ago

 • Edited

115

5

This conversation has been merged. Please refer the main conversation:

UPDATED: Free This Week - November 27 to December 3

sanderson_g

Frequent Visitor

 • 

13 Messages

7 months ago

We were able to access MAX last night, but today are also being taken to the QR page and instructed to sign up for a subscription.

There was a great deal of nonsense getting free premium Peacock to work a few weeks ago (don’t bother with customer service; they had me reboot my cable box to factory setting, and still no Peacock).

(edited)

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user_qz5lak

2 Messages

Correction: meant hard reset to factory settings.

(I still don’t know why I was told to do that.)

7 months ago

0

user_4moiqr

4 Messages

7 months ago

I have experienced the same. Was able to access on Monday night. Got half way through House of the Dragon without getting kicked over to HBO Max. Since yesterday (Tues, today is Weds), it kicks me over and only has options to start a subscription.

Spoke to (4) Xfinity reps. It seemed like they just searched this forum for an answer and tried finding a technicality of why it doesn't work than actually finding a solution. Their explanations didn't bode much confidence in what they were doing. For example, "not all content is available." Okay, if not all avaliable, then how come I can't access the same content I was able to watch the day before for free?

One of the reps looked up the ticket numbers that were opened and they were closed even though there was no solution or at least explanation. A simple, "it's not working properly" is easier to digest and much more understandable than the answers I was given.

Whether it gets resolved or not, the timing is unfortunate, as I assume, most of us have vacation this week and by the time it may be fixed, the trial period would have ended or not on a holiday break.

I've experienced this on past Free This Week specials. Didn't care too much about it not working properly. Only really care now because House of Dragons and the cliffhangers. Can't leave that hanging half way through the season, else I wouldn't have started!

- The final answer that I was given and will likely arm future technicians with another technical excuse was that it's an HBO problem and I would need to contact them. In other words, Xfinity is pointing the finger and as to no surprise, HBO says its an Xfinity problem. Nothing gets explained or resolved.

- Another answer was the "promotion is subject to change." Theres no getting around that technicality, however, it doesn't make sense they'd have a promotion last less than a day.

- As I reflect on venting my frustrations, I didn't go into troubleshooting with Xfinity that bothered. Was thinking it was a "user error" or its just not working properly. We debunked it wasn't a "user error" and I would have accepted it just wasn't working properly or even an "we dont really know why its not working." My frustrations grew as they seemed to carry it on and send me to other reps and give wrong answers over and over. Interpersonal skills seemed to be missing and could have been less frustrating if they just spoke to me as if I was a friend or family. It's okay if you don't know the answer, it's above your pay grade, and there's nothing we can do at this time. That answer is reasonable and I wouldn't have been inflated with false hope going from technician to technician. Could have ended the conversation a few hours earlier and a more happier customer.

(edited)

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XfinityAntoine

Official Employee

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1.1K Messages

7 months ago

Thanks for reaching out, user_c3gsnv! I'm so sorry you've been having issues with Free this Week and that we've made you feel this way. What shows are you trying to watch when you get that subscribe error? 

 

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user_c3gsnv

12 Messages

@XfinityAntoine​ I tried multiple shows that show up in the "Free this Week" window in Flex. None of them worked. Then House of the Dragon briefly worked. Then nothing. Never have this problem with any other "free" week. Just when Max is being offered. And, leading up to this week, the preview said the Max channel would be free. But, it is only select series. A far cry from the entire channel.

7 months ago

user_4moiqr

4 Messages

@XfinityAntoine​ 

You may have overlooked that I wrote that I was watching and trying to watch more of House of the Dragon.

7 months ago

XfinityAntoine

Official Employee

 • 

1.1K Messages

7 months ago

Gotcha! I asked because not all HBO Max shows are available in the Free week. Only the following shows are; 

 

  • Game of Thrones

  • The Wire

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm

  • And Just Like that

  • House of the Dragon

  • The Last of Us

  • The Gilded Age

  • The White Lotus

  • Winning Time

  • Succession

as shown here https://www.xfinity.com/hub/free-tv-movies/free-tv-week in this list. You said briefly worked. Did it cut out or stop playing mid-episode?

9

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user_c3gsnv

12 Messages

Thanks for repeating what I just said. The "select" shows do not work. One worked for a while, then not. You definitely have a problem with HBO & MAX.

7 months ago

user_c3gsnv

12 Messages

First it did not work at all. The next day it worked for a half hour. I paused it and when I came back it said it was no longer available. I went all the way out and tried to get back in. Nothing.

7 months ago

XfinityDena

Official Employee

 • 

2K Messages

I am sorry for the delay in response @user_c3gsnv. Available programing is subject to change without notice but this may not be the case with what you are describing. I want to make sure we are respecting your time and not repeat the steps you have taken previously. What troubleshooting steps have you taken? 

 

I also wanted to make sure you are aware that any time you need to troubleshoot our Xfinity app can assist you step by step. It is not just to pay your bill or to get notifications about interruptions. To learn how to troubleshoot in the future you can follow the link: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/using-xfinity-app. Honestly, it is the best app to date that we offer and super easy to use for all of your account needs!

I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
Was your question answered? Please, mark a reply as the Accepted Answer.tick

7 months ago

0

user_c3gsnv

12 Messages

How in the world do I troubleshoot something that is not my issue?

I did spend over an hour trying to troubleshoot using the Xfinity app and the bots had no idea what I was talking about.

And then I wasted another hour talking to someone from Bangladesh or New Delhi who had no idea what Free This Week was and insisted that there was no free preview of Max at this time and the only way to watch was to subscribe.

Obviously the training of customer service agents is severely lacking. At least you know that the free week exists. As you can tell by the two other users who commented here this is not an isolated incident. I am sure there are many others who just never reported it. In fact, the last time there was a Max free week the exact same thing happened to me. I did not report it at that time (I have a life outside of TV). But, since it happened a second time I thought you would want to know.

I have watched many other things during their respective "free" week's and Max is the only one that has not worked as it should.

This tells me it is nothing with my unit of setup, but with Max. They are not providing you and your customers with what they promised. I would deal with them if I were you.

7 months ago

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XfinityDena

Official Employee

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2K Messages

@user_c3gsnv that is all great information. I am sorry this has happened previously. As I mentioned the programing is subject to the network and may change. Troubleshooting can include a system refresh and rebooting your box. Did you by chance try doing those though the Xfinity App or when speaking to a customer service representative? 

I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
Was your question answered? Please, mark a reply as the Accepted Answer.tick

7 months ago

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user_p04zwa

2 Messages

7 months ago

Same problem here. Got through six episodes of “The Last of Us” and tried to watch episode 7 today through Flex/free this week and it said I had to buy the episodes. Worked fine last night. If the offer expired, why is it still available on Flex?

Also, the only way that I got the free episodes was by using Xfinity Stream. Otherwise when I clicked on the Free this Week on the Flex Home Screen, it opened the HBO Max app, QR code, etc where nothing was free. 

(edited)

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