Fetch TV - TV store

[MellCrane]

I have purchased an “ongoing” series from the tv store, and cannot find any information on how often episodes are updated.
For example, the latest episode aired in the U.S four days ago yet it has still not appeared in my ongoing purchased season? How often are these seasons updated?

[Casey_YC]

Hi there, @MellCrane.

Thanks for your question.

It's generally just as often as the network provides them to us. However to see if I can get you more information, could you please let me know the series you have purchased? 

[MellCrane]

This Is Us - Season 5?

Also, could you please advise which network it is that releases them? As we paid $30 for the season through the tv-store, however have since discovered that we could watch the episodes on 10 Play at no cost, so that is disappointing.

[Casey_YC]

Hi there, @MellCrane

The episodes air weekly in the US on NBC. The latest episode, Episode 5 that is available on Fetch, aired in the US on January 5. So it is added to Fetch not too long after the US airing. 

You have essentially purchased the episodes available now as well as upcoming episodes, as part of the package. So once they are available, you can watch them without having to buy and wait each time. 

[MellCrane]

Sorry, so when exactly are they available on fetch? That was an incredibly vague answer and I don’t feel like that answered my question.
I understand that I purchased the season, what I don’t understand is why I bothered seeing as I could just watch them on 10play and wouldn’t have had to pay for it?
I’m sure you can understand that a customer would be both confused and frustrated by this, thinking if you’ve paid for a service as such you’d surely be getting it sooner than it airs on free to air catch up?

[Steven_YC]

Hey @MellCrane - Thanks for the question.

These generally update on Fetch as soon as possible. As Fetch is a Third-Party to us, this will be dependant on them releasing this. I can see Eps 5 and 6 look to be available online so I would assume this is the case. Have you tried downloading this as of yet through the Fetch Box?

If you're looking to receive a refund on the episodes that are yet to be aired, please feel free to message our team via the My Optus App and they can look at fixing this up.

[MellCrane]

I’m not looking for a refund, I’m happy to pay for something so long as the product I am paying for is what you would expect to receive. If you were to tell me that episodes are uploaded to the fetch season I’ve purchased a day or two after it airs I’d say that acceptable, and I think what would be pretty reasonable to expect.
Weeks later, however, after it has already become available on free to air tv I think is rort, hence why I am here trying to establish how soon episodes will be available to us.

Yes I have tried searching for the new episodes and tried to re-download all of the ones available in the hopes it refreshes what we had, however there is still nothing there on my tv, only episodes 1-5.

[petergdownload]

You've ended up paying for something that is also available for free but that is no different from having bought a Series DVD and then finding out its on ABC for free.

Purchasing content from any online platform is fraught (you never really own it). Optus has no direct control over any of the Fetch content. You'll need to contact Fetch direct if you want to get any answers on when and what is available (I suspect you'll get a similarly vague response though - as soon as possible).

[MellCrane]

Right, I totally get what you’re saying re the DVD example, but what I thought I was buying was access to something more like a premium access? We’ve all heard the Foxtel “direct from the U.S” a la Game of Thrones style streaming, considering this season is “ongoing” I was under the impression it would be something similar, updated if not immediately after airing overseas than at least quite quickly after?

I’m really not trying to be a Karen, there is zero fine print on these things in the tv-store through fetch, and even fewer ways to contact them directly which is why I though I’d start here and at least get a response.

Now that it’s clear that “ongoing” does not mean “direct access” I won’t be purchasing things through the tv store again. $30 isn’t worth the time trying to recover, cheap lesson to learn but learned none the less. Thank you to all who have responded.