# Best way to cancel trial of Premium channels



## timothy2001 (Jul 31, 2011)

Is it possible to do this online or does one have to call?

Thanks very much.


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## mcbeevee (Sep 18, 2006)

From my Directv experience, you can signup for premium channels online, but to cancel, you have to call in.


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## TANK (Feb 16, 2003)

I have always had to call in to cancel.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

Depends. HBO, SHO, etc. you have to call in. HD Extra you can cancel online.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

You need to call. I've seen several reports over the years from people who either can't cancel online or if they do their account gets hosed.


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## ronsanjim (Mar 19, 2008)

As stated, you must call in. The benefit is they will probably offer a month or 3 free, or add another premium movie channel free, for a month or 3. Also, you could be offered something else free, or discounted. Without asking they gave me $10 off for 6 months for Select Classic, when I downgraded from their choice $60.99 package, plus I kept my Free HD for 24 months $10.00 discount when I went to Select Classic $39.99


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## bengalfreak (Sep 17, 2008)

Major PITA. I hate the way they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes to cancel.


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## timothy2001 (Jul 31, 2011)

Actually I was expecting a tough sales pitch, argument and coercion but CSR was great and I had no issues whatsoever. Maybe since I am in sales my approach clearly spelled out that I was done with those channels. 

Thanks for the input all.


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

bengalfreak said:


> Major PITA. I hate the way they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes to cancel.


I've called 3 times this year to change programming (2 to drop services and 1 to add) and haven't waited on hold more than a few seconds. I either say "change programming" or just ask for an operator when prompted. The CSR's I dealt with were friendly and understanding and I expected and didn't mind the attempts to offer me discounts and such to try to keep me from dropping those services, you never know when there would be an offer you couldn't refuse, but in the end I just dropped the services I inteded to drop.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

bengalfreak said:


> Major PITA. I hate the way they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes to cancel.


That would only happen if they were busy...they don't make people wait on hold on purpose.


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## timf (Apr 21, 2002)

I've had mixed experiences calling to cancel. It seems like sometimes the system routes you to retention in which case they will try and give you special offers, whereas other times I have been connected to regular agents who simply make the requested changes and that's that.


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## DawgLink (Nov 5, 2006)

I am surprised by those waiting so long

I always call up DirecTV and immediately say "Cancel" to everything....I eventually am put through to someone who helps me immediately

Maybe I am taking advantage of them but it helps me quickly


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## mark40511 (Jul 18, 2008)

I rarely have to wait.........Then again.......Every time I've ever called I tell the recording I want to cancel service so I can get retention.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Some people have to call in more than others, its worst if you're on a grandfathered package.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

bengalfreak said:


> Major PITA. I hate the way they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes to cancel.


I don't think it is ANY accident. My guess is they are hoping you change your mind as you are waiting.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

dubber deux said:


> I don't think it is ANY accident. My guess is they are hoping you change your mind as you are waiting.


Except when I called, I waited less than 2 minutes. And the OP didn't indicate he had to wait any extended amount of time. So it appears that it is NOT a company directive/policy to keep people on line so they don't cancel.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> I don't think it is ANY accident. My guess is they are hoping you change your mind as you are waiting.


I usually have a very short wait when calling, which I do 3-5 times a year. Last time I called to add a service, I waited on hold about 20 minutes. They had to have done that purposely and was NO accident because they were hoping I'd change my mind on adding services. Never trust DirecTV!!!!!


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

trh said:


> Except when I called, I waited less than 2 minutes. And the OP didn't indicate he had to wait any extended amount of time. So it appears that it is NOT a company directive/policy to keep people on line so they don't cancel.


Yep, when I did it the other day my wait time was only a couple minutes.

Maybe the phone systems have a database hooked to them so that when 'certain' callers are on the line, they go out of their way to tick them off??? :lol:


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I have no doubt that CRM software "could" be configured to put someone with a certain caller ID into "voicemail purgatory" but I don't believe for a second that DIRECTV works that way.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

If there is such a software, I'm sure AT&T uses it....


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## gnillort (Nov 15, 2011)

bengalfreak said:


> Major PITA. I hate the way they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes to cancel.


I agree. I recently made some changes to my bill and I had to wait on hold for 25 minutes. I think they do this on purpose in hopes that you'll just hang up and forget about it.


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## skatingrocker17 (Jun 24, 2010)

I've always done it online since I've had DTV. So, for the past year now.


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## trainman (Jan 9, 2008)

sigma1914 said:


> Last time I called to add a service, I waited on hold about 20 minutes. They had to have done that purposely and was NO accident because they were hoping I'd change my mind on adding services. Never trust DirecTV!!!!!


 (Just wanted you to know _someone_ was paying attention.)

When I called last week for tech support, after I went through the troubleshooting steps with the automated system, I was on hold for less than 15 seconds. I have no doubt that almost everyone reporting a long hold time was a victim of "luck of the draw," i.e., they happened to call at a busy time.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

bengalfreak said:


> Major PITA. I hate the way they make you wait on hold for 20 minutes to cancel.


I don't think I've ever waited 20 minutes on any DirecTV CSR call. My HBO cancel call went through in one minute; cancellation took another minute or two.


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## zimm7778 (Nov 11, 2007)

Only time I ever waited longer than a couple of minutes was when I called in the late morning on a Sunday during football season.


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