Lightbox on your Spark account? Check this out

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Lightbox on your Spark account? Check this out

freitasm

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#272922 24-Jul-2020 18:42

Just a heads up - "as Lightbox was migrated into Neon any existing Lightbox customers got a free trial with Neon for a limited time. This free trial is only for a certain period of time and for those who partake in the trial, you do need to opt out if you don't want to continue with Neon."

quickymart

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#2528411 24-Jul-2020 20:59

Was that part of the original deal? ie, you had to opt out, not select to continue with it?

hio77

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#2528414 24-Jul-2020 21:10

quickymart:

Was that part of the original deal? ie, you had to opt out, not select to continue with it?

this was always part of the deal, and detailed in all the content that's gone out over it for this migration to neon merger.

to be clear, if you had a lightbox voucher, or were entitled to it, but didn't utilize the service, you are automatically opted out.

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snnet

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#2528426 24-Jul-2020 22:43

I thought they were only going to subscribe people automatically if you watch 3 hrs of neon? that's what the e-mail i got said. I can't find anything about neon on my account in myspark

michaelmurfy

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#2528430 25-Jul-2020 00:06

This actually makes me pretty grumpy. This should not be automatically added but instead a manual opt-in. Also there is no way of deleting your Neon account and worst of all my credit card is on the account from Lightbox (must have added it years ago) so they have 2 ways they can potentially bill me. I have no interest in Neon and only had Lightbox because of the Spark deal (and never really used it). Sure, since I don't use it I won't be charged but I bet other people (perhaps with kids) will see the free trial, try it then end up with a charge on their Spark bill without knowing OR see the Lightbox app has changed to Neon, assume it is still working and watch it as no notification was for example displayed on the Apple TV to indicate the fact it was a trial with such rules around it.

-----

3 week trial

As a Spark customer you’re entitled to a 3 week trial of new Neon until 28 July. You just need to login and watch. If you watch more than 3 hours of Neon during the trial period, Spark will automatically add Neon to your Spark bill at the end of the trial, at the special rate of $9.95 a month. You can opt out of this by contacting Spark.

And don’t worry, if you haven’t watched more than 3 hours by 28 July, you can still contact Spark and have Neon added to your Spark bill at the special rate of $9.95 a month.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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Dingbatt

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#2528448 25-Jul-2020 08:08

I feel a ~~ComCom complaint~~ coming on. Edit: More likely to end up on Fair Go I think.

Legally I would say Spark have informed the customer (IANAL), morally automatic opt in is wrong.

I cancelled my Lightbox subscription last month and haven’t ‘trialled’ Neon, so better not have an extra charge on my bill. That is how I understand it works for from communications I have received.

edit: How hard is it for them to send out a communication saying, “Do you want Neon added to your bill? Yes/No”

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hio77

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#2528488 25-Jul-2020 08:22

snnet:
I thought they were only going to subscribe people automatically if you watch 3 hrs of neon? that's what the e-mail i got said. I can't find anything about neon on my account in myspark

It won't show in myspark over this trial period.

You need to have reached the 3 hours to opt in to the trial itself.

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steve98

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#2528515 25-Jul-2020 10:25

Why does Spark never learn? This is going to bring nothing but PR grief. It's not particularly difficult to foresee old people and less tech-savvy customers who don't read things properly getting caught out.

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BlinkyBill

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#2528571 25-Jul-2020 12:52

Mountain/molehill + righteous indignation. Lightbox customers know they are Lightbox customers, they know Lightbox has moved to Neon, and opting out isn’t hard.

Can’t see the problem, other than ‘my rights’. Cripes it takes longer to write a Geekzone post of complaint than it does to opt out.

Loismustdye

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#2528574 25-Jul-2020 13:04

I disagree it’s Hardly a mountain/molehill situation, To me it’s more of a poor implementation Of the change on behalf of spark. It should have been opt in, not opt out.

I also think the use of a free 3 week trial is rather naughty of spark given in most cases free trials are usually for a month/4 weeks. The cynic in me thinks this is a deliberate ploy to trip some folk up.

With myself having parents in the slightly tech-Illiterate sphere I had to touch base with them in order to make sure they didn’t use the free trial and to ensure they opted out if they didn’t want neon (they didn’t). I also got them to delete the existing light box apps etc to ensure they didn’t get tripped up.

steve98

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#2528582 25-Jul-2020 14:06

Loismustdye:

With myself having parents in the slightly tech-Illiterate sphere I had to touch base with them in order to make sure they didn’t use the free trial and to ensure they opted out if they didn’t want neon (they didn’t). I also got them to delete the existing light box apps etc to ensure they didn’t get tripped up.

This. And it's barely a year since the last time Spark was accused of similar inertia selling.

Lias

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#2529237 27-Jul-2020 08:18

steve98:

Loismustdye:

With myself having parents in the slightly tech-Illiterate sphere I had to touch base with them in order to make sure they didn’t use the free trial and to ensure they opted out if they didn’t want neon (they didn’t). I also got them to delete the existing light box apps etc to ensure they didn’t get tripped up.

This. And it's barely a year since the last time Spark was accused of similar inertia selling.

My opinion of Spark has generally been quite good since they split and rebranded, but every now and then they do something inane like this and remind me they were half of the den of evil, greed and inequity that was Telecom. Absolute facepalm move from a PR perspective IMHO.

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1101

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#2529337 27-Jul-2020 11:11

Can I get some clarification here

Im on spark & have/had the Free Lightbox a/c
I havnt used Lightbox for quite some time

Do I manually need to opt out ?
or will I simply not be opted in as I no longer use Lightbox ?

opt in, opt out . They havnt made this 100% clear . In obvious language .

hio77

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#2529365 27-Jul-2020 11:26

1101:

Can I get some clarification here

Im on spark & have/had the Free Lightbox a/c
I havnt used Lightbox for quite some time

Do I manually need to opt out ?
or will I simply not be opted in as I no longer use Lightbox ?

opt in, opt out . They havnt made this 100% clear . In obvious language .

as you have not used the 3 hours, you have no action to do.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.