Had to reset Now TV Stick - now Now is trying to force a pass on the user

[K13]

Due to WiFi not working (engineer due in a few days, as couldn’t be fixed with resets and the over the phone technical team and the like) I tried to set my mum’s Now TV stick to run from an iPad’s data connection, so that she could use ITV Player to catch up some content that is about to be deleted, and may well be so before the WiFi is up and running again.

 The stick would give me a momentary glimpse of the menu required to do this, then went to the Now screen with a spinning circle and wouldn’t do anything else. No response to any button, did the same again when restarted etc. I followed the instructions on one of the Now site pages to reset it and got it connected up to the iPad no problem, but when it comes to the enter TV code part, it recognises her account so I confirm that she is x@mail (her email address) and then it takes her to a sign up page which has no option other than a free trial (guessing she would be charged for this as I’m sure a free trial was used at the address with the old white box.) When she originally got the stick there was obviously the included pass to use to bypass this screen, but now I’m at a loss. It doesn’t even say what trial she would be signing up for and I’ve gone all the way to the enter card details screen before coming here. I thought about entering a card of mine with a zero balance but I’m not sure even that would work. Someone being unable to use a device they’ve paid for without paying for a pass they don’t want just because it had to be reset feels wrong. Can anyone help?

Thank you

[gavs82008]

@K13 

Have a read on this link.

https://help.nowtv.com/article/do-i-need-active-membership-to-use-now-box-stick

To save any memberships being activated I would not bother with the NOW stick and go for either an Amazon fire stick or Roku Stick. 

[commanda6]

Hi @K13 

Just to add to what @gavs82008 has said if you do  wish to use Now at some point in the future Roku would be the better choice. As it has a following in relation too Now

• Better subtitles functionality
• The ability to buy memberships direct from now directly from the device

The following functionality is not specific to Now but many do consider it to be essential when you think UK based services

• Auto adjust refresh rate\frameratemerch (essential for UK services which operate at 50 Hz) this feature is not available on all Roku models it is only available on express 4K and above.

[K13]

In the end I contacted Now on Live Chat and they told me to take a Hayu trial (not that it would give me an option, it just said start trial.) I told them this and they said they would refund anything that was charged, so having this in writing I continued with a payment card with only enough for the £1.00 authorisation on it that doesn’t charge for refused payments. No passes are active on the account and it seems I would have to select a trial afterwards if I wanted one. A poor design to say the least. 

Regarding Roku and the ability to purchase a pass directly from the device, Mum would be worried that she would accidentally do so. Keeping the perfectly good Now Stick made much more sense for her than shelling out for a new device.

[RoyB]

@K13 

Don’t forget to cancel the Hayu pass immediately, now the Stick is working again.

You have hit a corner case that Now didn’t think of at the time; they really ought to put a patch out to fix this, for all the people still using Now devices.