DStv Stream problems for former Showmax customers
Several former Showmax subscribers have not received a special discount on DStv Stream Compact after MultiChoice shut down the on-demand video streaming service at the end of April.
Many more have vented their frustration that much of the content they could previously access on Showmax was not moved to DStv Stream.
In early April, MultiChoice announced that Showmax subscribers would receive free trial access to DStv Stream Compact for May, following the shutdown of Showmax on 30 April.
If they chose to continue using the product, they would pay a promotional price of R99 per month for 12 months, after which their subscription would increase to the regular price of R399.
DStv Compact offers more content than Showmax, including over 100 linear channels and radio stations across various entertainment, news, sports, and kids genres, making it an attractive offer.
MultiChoice said the offer applied to Showmax subscribers who did not have an active DStv subscription, as well as those who subscribed directly to Showmax.
It explained that qualifying users would receive a link via email to allow them to sign up for the promotional plan.
A few users were happy about the changes, as they received access to additional linear channels at no charge, including some which offered live football coverage.
However, many people who were Showmax users during the qualifying period complained they never received an email with the offer.
That included one MyBroadband reader who was subscribed to the service throughout April, primarily to watch Showmax Original Die Kantoor.
They were particularly frustrated by MultiChoice stopping uploads of new content on the platform from April, meaning the last two episodes of the series never became available on Showmax.
To finish watching the season, he would need to pay R399 for a DStv Stream Compact plan, as this was the cheapest that offered the dedicated Showmax section.
“I have not received an email to continue my Showmax subscription on your platform,” one user told DStv support on X.
DStv blocks accounts using the same email addresses for Showmax
Some users recommended that those who did not get the email link log in to the DStv Stream app using their Showmax credentials to get the offer.
However, users who had the same email address for their Showmax profile as for their DStv login were told their accounts were blocked.
A reader who asked DStv’s support team for assistance and explained their predicament was advised to provide their affected email address, phone number, and DStv customer number.
However, because their email address was blocked, they could not access their account to check the customer number.
Another support agent advised that it was mostly people who only had Showmax subscriptions who received the offer.
That contradicted MultiChoice’s previous statement that users without active DStv subscriptions would also get the offer.
The user who asked the support agent for feedback only had a free DStv account for online streaming and was not paying for a subscription.
To resolve the block, the agent asked the user for their personal information, including their chosen payment dates and methods.
When the user explained they had not been using a paid DStv subscription for months, the agent repeated the same question.
After the user again said that they did not pay for any subscription and did not have this information, the agent ended the chat.
Content cuts
Many people have also complained that their favourite content that was available on Showmax was not moved to DStv Stream.
The broadcaster previously explained it would move Showmax Originals and other select titles to a dedicated section within the DStv Stream app.
“The move ensures award‑winning African stories remain widely available after the Showmax service closes,” the company said.
“Showmax content on DStv will be available to Compact and Premium satellite and streaming-only customers via the DStv Stream app.”
Former Showmax users on X said that many shows that were on Showmax by the time of its shutdown were not available on DStv Stream.
“Been watching Empini from Showmax, then relocated to DStv streaming, but it’s been two days now and all the season two episodes are gone,” said user Kholofelo Thuleleni.
“What’s the point when there are shows that aren’t on DStv Stream that we watched on Showmax. Where are they?” said Zibusiso Ngubane.
“I’ve lost viewing privileges to at least 10 episodes of season 3 of a telenovella I was watching because my trial starts with episode 84. Wish you’d migrated all of season 3’s episodes,” Lydia Craemer said.
MyBroadband asked MultiChoice for feedback on the promotional offer’s terms and conditions and the Showmax content missing from DStv Stream, but it did not respond by the time of publication.
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