# Contract Coming up for renewal...suggestions?



## DKNY330 (Sep 4, 2011)

Have 2 months left before 24 month contract is up. Cable is calling me furiously and offering ridiculous deals, but I am happy with DirecTV. We have 5 HD DVR's and 3 HD boxes. 

Any suggestions on negotiating new contract? New equipment I should be asking for, etc. Thanks


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

DKNY330 said:


> Have 2 months left before 24 month contract is up. Cable is calling me furiously and offering ridiculous deals, but I am happy with DirecTV. We have 5 HD DVR's and 3 HD boxes.
> 
> Any suggestions on negotiating new contract? New equipment I should be asking for, etc. Thanks


If you have the Protection Plan you may be eligible for a free upgrade. It never hurts to ask but don't assume your "entitled" to freebies just because your 24 month commitment is about up. As for the ridiculous deals cable is offering it's your choice if you want to downgrade to them.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

Try to get as much as you can out of DirecTV. It doesn't hurt to ask. Just tell them that your cable company is offering XYZ deal. Depending on where you live cable might not be a downgrade, but make sure you read the fine print of any cable/sat contract.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

Actually, it isn't a contract that is expiring, it's a 2yr commitment.
You don't need to negotiate anything, just keep your current programming package and enjoy DirecTV.
You can change your programming without the need to invoke a new commitment.


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## DKNY330 (Sep 4, 2011)

I do have the protection plan so I suppose I can upgrade to the new Genie, but if I do is it a new 2 year commitment?


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Yes


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Actually, it isn't a contract that is expiring, it's a 2yr commitment.
You don't need to negotiate anything, just keep your current programming package and enjoy DirecTV.
You can change your programming without the need to invoke a new commitment.


Right on! agreed


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## archer75 (Oct 13, 2006)

Just call them up and ask them what deals they can offer you. You aren't happy with the pricing and you're getting offers from other companies. They will offer you something that you'll like or they won't. But you also have to be willing to walk away. It's the only way to get what you want in a negotiation. 
Over the years i've switched many times from direct to dish and back again. All to get the best deals.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

. 
Over the years i've switched many times from direct to dish and back again. All to get the best deals.


While for some playing this "game" is ok, for others is not. at least for me


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

peds48 said:


> Right on! agreed


So you're saying it's not a contract, it's a "commitment"? That's interesting, because in this other thread you called it a contract:

"I would think it makes sense since the contract was singed by the person who passed away. I not a lawyer but I would assume that a contract that was singed by a deceased person would hold no weight in court."

There are lots of different kinds of contracts, and even though DirecTV and others may refer to it as a "commitment," it is also a contract, with two parties who have each agreed to do various things.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

The point is that it doesn't have to be renegotiated. In many contracts, once the term is up, the contract has to be renegotiated, like when DirecTV renegotiates with a channel provider. Unless we want new hardware, there is no need to do that. DirecTV is perfectly fine with us going month to month at the end.


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

The "Contract" and "Committment". The Terms of Service are really a contract. You agree that you will return leased equipement when you cancel service. You agree not to run give one of your receivers to a friend or relative so they can mooch off of your account, etc... This "contract" exists for as long as you're a DirecTV customer.

You can be a DirecTV customer without a Committment. When you get new equipment from DirecTV, you agree to a two year committment, where you agree to pay a penalty if you cancel service before that two years is up. Once your inital 2 year period is up, you will no longer be required to maintan service for a given period of time. You will be able to continue to subscribe to DirecTV's service for as long as you want and can cancel any time that you want. Some people will use this status as leverage in order to get programming credits and/or discounts (which wouldn't trigger a new committment). Others attept to use the status to get discounted or free equipment (which would trigger a new committment). And others just continue to watch and enjoy DirecTV, just like they have for the previous two years.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

So you're saying it's not a contract, it's a "commitment"? That's interesting, because in this other thread you called it a contract:

".

You don't need to negotiate anything, just keep your current programming package and enjoy DirecTV.
You can change your programming without the need to invoke a new commitment

I was agreeing to the above comment


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## archer75 (Oct 13, 2006)

peds48 said:


> While for some playing this "game" is ok, for others is not. at least for me


Why not?


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## archer75 (Oct 13, 2006)

peds48 said:


> You don't need to negotiate anything, just keep your current programming package and enjoy DirecTV.
> You can change your programming without the need to invoke a new commitment
> 
> I was agreeing to the above comment


Well yes you can keep your package but why pay full price? It's always a good idea to negotiate a better deal.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

is very inconvenient to remember new channel line ups, be there for appointment and etc.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

archer75 said:


> Well yes you can keep your package but why pay full price? It's always a good idea to negotiate a better deal.


Why is it a good idea? To save money? I look for value in what I get. If I don't find enough value to constitute the price, I don't subscribe to it. If I do find the value in it, I pay for it. I don't expect any company to pay part of my services for me. For me, this is in all manors of life.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

peds48 said:


> is very inconvenient to remember new channel line ups, be there for appointment and etc.


Yeah, that would drive me crazy. Whenever I have an installer come, I wonder if he'll be able to do the job without having to come back once or twice (or three times), or if I'd see him drive off without letting me know he'll be back. I don't know enough about Dish's system to tell the installer what to do. Plus I'd need two Hoppers.

Overall I think they charge a fair price. I do think HBO is too expensive, but am carrying it for a while for series. But that's the going rate for HBO.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Yeah, that would drive me crazy. Whenever I have an installer come, I wonder if he'll be able to do the job without having to come back once or twice (or three times), or if I'd see him drive off without letting me know he'll be back. I don't know enough about Dish's system to tell the installer what to do. Plus I'd need two Hoppers.

Overall I think they charge a fair price. I do think HBO is too expensive, but am carrying it for a while for series. But that's the going rate for HBO.


Right, it baffles me how some think that playing these "games" is fun, even it it means saving a few hundred a year


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

I would call and speak to the retention department and see what they can do if you are looking to save some money.. A friend of mine just called in because his contract was expiring, but the cost was about to go up.. He asked when it was expiring and they said next month, then they wanted to know why he was wondering and he told them.. He ended up getting a Free upgrade to the Genie HR44, he got the NFL Sunday Ticket for free this year and got $25 off for the next 12 months. Of course it extended his contract for another 2 years but he was pretty happy..


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## linuspbmo (Oct 2, 2009)

I called in the other day to upgrade my package and ended up with $30 a month off and free HBO for 3 months. I just asked if there were any credits available to help offset the new package and they came up with the savings right away, no questions asked. I still have over a year left on my contract (commitment).


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## archer75 (Oct 13, 2006)

goinsleeper said:



> Why is it a good idea? To save money? I look for value in what I get. If I don't find enough value to constitute the price, I don't subscribe to it. If I do find the value in it, I pay for it. I don't expect any company to pay part of my services for me. For me, this is in all manors of life.


Saving money increases the value. Why pay more of it's possible to pay less for the same thing? It never hurts to ask.


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## archer75 (Oct 13, 2006)

peds48 said:


> is very inconvenient to remember new channel line ups, be there for appointment and etc.


Not really. One appointment every 2 years maybe? Not a big deal.

I also don't memorize channel line ups. I just create a custom guide and use that to get to what I want. However since 95% of what I watch is DVR'd I don't scroll through the guide often.


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## DMRI2006 (Jun 13, 2006)

archer75 said:


> Saving money increases the value. Why pay more of it's possible to pay less for the same thing? It never hurts to ask.


I called yesterday because I was in the same boat as the OP. Bottom line after a couple of credits and a general bill reduction is I'm paying $40 less/monthly for the next 6 months, then $35 less/monthly for the following 6 months over my current bill. Then it's something like $15 off for the following 3 months. They also threw in the Genie for free, no installation fee, just with the 2-year contract extension which I didn't mind. The CSR added I could call again to "see what they could do" when the current discounts he set up expires next year, or "whenever". All in all I was happy, but it's like anything else -- sometimes you get somewhere when you call, sometimes you don't. It's worth the aggravation to try at least (I had to have been on the phone for 30 minutes) as I didn't have to change any of my programming.

Frankly, all of these cable/sat providers ought to be offering discounts especially to long-term subs given the state of the economy and some consumers moving to the net for their programming. Just say you want to cancel, that you've gotten other offers from cable companies in your area (which is the truth), and want to see what Directv can do to lower your bill, etc. Absolutely worth the effort -- just pour yourself a cup of coffee and be prepared to be on the phone for a bit.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

archer75 said:


> Not really. One appointment every 2 years maybe? Not a big deal.
> 
> I also don't memorize channel line ups. I just create a custom guide and use that to get to what I want. However since 95% of what I watch is DVR'd I don't scroll through the guide often.


Be glad you don't live in my area...painful installs. One reason I bought my Genie outside of DirecTV, just to avoid the process.


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## archer75 (Oct 13, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Be glad you don't live in my area...painful installs. One reason I bought my Genie outside of DirecTV, just to avoid the process.


Why is that? Poorly trained installers?

With both dish and direct the installers here have always come on time and completed the job in a single trip without issue. Sometimes even going the extra mile. The last direct installer took down the Dish network dishes so I could return the LNB's to dish but left the brackets up in case I ever wanted to switch back.
The dish installer spent a long time outside in a nasty downpour with high winds to really make sure the dishes were mounted very well and had excellent signal strength(never lost signal with dish no matter the weather). 
Both have always stuck around as long as I wished to answer my questions about the receivers and showed me in depth tips and tricks.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Maybe Dish uses a company better than Multiband. When I went to DECA, they said the part they needed to get it connected to the Internet was at the warehouse, and needed to reschedule. Second appointment, they came, didn't have the part, needed to reschedule. Neither would follow my instructions. Third appointment, started the same routine, part in the warehouse, need to reschedule. Thankfully this one decided to humor me and followed my instructions (he wouldn't just leave the components I said I needed to do it myself.)

My inlaws had a Dish issue where it went out, and were told it would be three weeks before a tech could be there to fix it (and my mother in law would be available any day). Plus I could never figure out their DVR, the UI was extremely confusing.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

archer75 said:


> Saving money increases the value. Why pay more of it's possible to pay less for the same thing? It never hurts to ask.


Well it increases the value for you and decreases the value for the company. Not to offend anyone, but I feel if you're not willing to pay for what you want, there is some lack of integrity there somewhere. I can always understand people in a financial hardship and, to an extent, I think that's a different story unless one is trying to live beyond their means.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

goinsleeper said:


> Well it increases the value for you and decreases the value for the company. Not to offend anyone, but I feel if you're not willing to pay for what you want, there is some lack of integrity there somewhere. I can always understand people in a financial hardship and, to an extent, I think that's a different story unless one is trying to live beyond their means.


The company's #1 priority is to maximize shareholder value. Why shouldn't consumers do the same thing? When I buy a car I negotiate to get the best possible deal. Is that morally wrong?


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

goinsleeper said:


> Not to offend anyone, but I feel if you're not willing to pay for what you want, there is some lack of integrity there somewhere.


That's true for some things and not true for other things. The Sticker price (price tag) of a car is the starting point for a negotiation. Unless there is a legitimate shortage of a given model, people don't expect to pay sticker price for a car. However, if you go into a department store or supermarket, you expect to pay the amount on the price tag.

Unfortunately for DirecTV, thorough their own actions of offering retention deals, they have turned themselves into the automobile dealership model, rather than the department store/supermarket model.

This can be good or bad for consumers. There are people who are good at and/or enjoy negotiating for things and there are people who are not good at and/or don't enjoy negotiating for things. For consumers who want to take the time and effort to negotiate, this works out because they can get free things or discounts from DirecTV. For consumers who don't want the hassle of negotiating, it hurts because, in the long run, they are the ones who end up paying for the other people's discounts.

Personally, I would prefer for DirecTV to just lower prices across the board for everyone by a small amount and eliminate the negotiating. On the other hand, I expect that they are going to give me a free HR-44 when I ask them to after it becomes available in my area.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

pdxBeav said:


> The company's #1 priority is to maximize shareholder value. Why shouldn't consumers do the same thing? When I buy a car I negotiate to get the best possible deal. Is that morally wrong?


When you look at that sticker price, it gives you the MSRP right? What does the "S" stand for? Those are not set in stone, hence the haggling.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

Bill Broderick said:


> That's true for some things and not true for other things. The Sticker price (price tag) of a car is the starting point for a negotiation. Unless there is a legitimate shortage of a given model, people don't expect to pay sticker price for a car. However, if you go into a department store or supermarket, you expect to pay the amount on the price tag.
> 
> *Unfortunately for DirecTV, thorough their own actions of offering retention deals, they have turned themselves into the automobile dealership model, rather than the department store/supermarket model.*
> 
> ...


They most defintely have which is sad for them. To me it is like they are depreciating the idea value of what they have to offer if they are going around negotating discounts on it for existing customers.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

That's true for some things and not true for other things. The Sticker price (price tag) of a car is the starting point for a negotiation. Unless there is a legitimate shortage of a given model, people don't expect to pay sticker price for a car. However, if you go into a department store or supermarket, you expect to pay the amount on the price tag.

Unfortunately for DirecTV, thorough their own actions of offering retention deals, they have turned themselves into the automobile dealership model, rather than the department store/supermarket model.

This can be good or bad for consumers. There are people who are good at and/or enjoy negotiating for things and there are people who are not good at and/or don't enjoy negotiating for things. For consumers who want to take the time and effort to negotiate, this works out because they can get free things or discounts from DirecTV. For consumers who don't want the hassle of negotiating, it hurts because, in the long run, they are the ones who end up paying for the other people's discounts.

Personally, I would prefer for DirecTV to just lower prices across the board for everyone by a small amount and eliminate the negotiating. On the other hand, I expect that they are going to give me a free HR-44 when I ask them to after it becomes available in my area.


DirecTV "dig their own grave" when they started doing this kinds of things. I feel as though is getting out of hand.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

Bill Broderick said:


> That's true for some things and not true for other things. The Sticker price (price tag) of a car is the starting point for a negotiation. Unless there is a legitimate shortage of a given model, people don't expect to pay sticker price for a car. However, if you go into a department store or supermarket, you expect to pay the amount on the price tag.
> 
> Unfortunately for DirecTV, thorough their own actions of offering retention deals, they have turned themselves into the automobile dealership model, rather than the department store/supermarket model.


I agree. For starters, we're comparing a service to a product. Apples and oranges though it's try that D* put themselves into this negotiation idea with the amount of discounts they give, spanning from their new customer offers really.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

goinsleeper said:


> When you look at that sticker price, it gives you the MSRP right? What does the "S" stand for? Those are not set in stone, hence the haggling.


Doesn't matter if it's labelled "MSRP" or not. Same goes for TVs and most other items that are more than a few dollars.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

I don't know how an average family income can afford to pay $100+/mo for just TV, which contiunes to get higher and higher by the year. I understand the theory of if you can't afford it, then don't get it.. But things have just gotten out of control. If they wanted to do away with credits and just have a standard flat rate for year 1 and year 2 and so on, that's fine, but they'd need to lower the prices. Lets be honest, DIRECTV is not hurting, they are doing pretty dang well. Most of these offers are just sitting there in the system, just waiting to be handed out, but they aren't just going to put them on there without you calling. It's there for everyone, whether you want to take the offer or not. As much as I love TV and watching my sports, I think the pricing is just outrageous and not worth $100+/mo. Some people just can't relate, I for one have a hard time accepting paying that much just for TV, if DIRECTV is willing to work with me a little bit, I'll keep it, if not I'll go where what's better financially for me. They'd lose a lot of customers if they weren't willing to work with the customers, with the high charges. This stuff is just getting completely out of control, I hate to see what it's going to be like 10 years from now.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

I don't know how an average family income can afford to pay $100+/mo for just TV, which contiunes to get higher and higher by the year. I understand the theory of if you can't afford it, then don't get it.. But things have just gotten out of control. If they wanted to do away with credits and just have a standard flat rate for year 1 and year 2 and so on, that's fine, but they'd need to lower the prices. Lets be honest, DIRECTV is not hurting, they are doing pretty dang well. Most of these offers are just sitting there in the system, just waiting to be handed out, but they aren't just going to put them on there without you calling. It's there for everyone, whether you want to take the offer or not. As much as I love TV and watching my sports, I think the pricing is just outrageous and not worth $100+/mo. Some people just can't relate, I for one have a hard time accepting paying that much just for TV, if DIRECTV is willing to work with me a little bit, I'll keep it, if not I'll go where what's better financially for me. They'd lose a lot of customers if they weren't willing to work with the customers, with the high charges. This stuff is just getting completely out of control, I hate to see what it's going to be like 10 years from now.


that is why DirecTV has different TV packages to suit different budgets.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

DR2420 said:


> I don't know how an average family income can afford to pay $100+/mo for just TV, which contiunes to get higher and higher by the year. I understand the theory of if you can't afford it, then don't get it.. But things have just gotten out of control. If they wanted to do away with credits and just have a standard flat rate for year 1 and year 2 and so on, that's fine, but they'd need to lower the prices. Lets be honest, DIRECTV is not hurting, they are doing pretty dang well. Most of these offers are just sitting there in the system, just waiting to be handed out, but they aren't just going to put them on there without you calling. *It's there for everyone, whether you want to take the offer or not.* As much as I love TV and watching my sports, I think the pricing is just outrageous and not worth $100+/mo. Some people just can't relate, I for one have a hard time accepting paying that much just for TV, if DIRECTV is willing to work with me a little bit, I'll keep it, if not I'll go where what's better financially for me. They'd lose a lot of customers if they weren't willing to work with the customers, with the high charges. This stuff is just getting completely out of control, I hate to see what it's going to be like 10 years from now.


Somewhat but not quite, discounts rely on your account history and other factors. Though I feel if you can not afford something then you should downsize what you have. Some of these customers are people who spend thousands of dollars a year buying stuff like cigarrettes but then gripe the bill is too high I can't afford it give me a discount. Prioritize your financial budget folks.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

peds48 said:


> that is why DirecTV has different TV packages to suit different budgets.


That come with basically no channels.. lol.. All it takes is to like one main channel, like NHL Network and you are required to get pretty much the highest package.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

Volatility said:


> Somewhat but not quite, discounts rely on your account history and other factors. Though I feel if you can not afford something then you should downsize what you have. Some of these customers are people who spend thousands of dollars a year buying stuff like cigarrettes but then gripe the bill is too high I can't afford it give me a discount. Prioritize your financial budget folks.


Yeah, I know how it works.. I could have worded it better. Depends on a lot of factors but generally, if you pay your bill on time, they are going to have something for you. I'm sure the higher the package you have, the more receivers you have and all that makes a difference as well..


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

pdxBeav said:


> Doesn't matter if it's labelled "MSRP" or not. Same goes for TVs and most other items that are more than a few dollars.


Manufacturer's *Suggested* Retial Price. How does that not matter? D* has standard rates and the automotive industry does not(at least in this case). They have a standard in which to start with then negotiating begins. D* charges everyone in the country to same amount for the packages(excluding $2 regional sports fee) regardless of the cost of living in that area.


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## linuspbmo (Oct 2, 2009)

Volatility said:


> Somewhat but not quite, discounts rely on your account history and other factors. Though I feel if you can not afford something then you should downsize what you have. Some of these customers are people who spend thousands of dollars a year buying stuff like cigarrettes but then gripe the bill is too high I can't afford it give me a discount. Prioritize your financial budget folks.


I don't smoke or drink so I get a discount, right. If you want to pay full price go right ahead but I intend to take every penny they will give me.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

linuspbmo said:


> I don't smoke or drink so I get a discount, right. If you want to pay full price go right ahead but I intend to take every penny they will give me.


May as well, cause they'll take whatever they can get from you.. lol

I agree with your approach..


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

That come with basically no channels.. lol.. All it takes is to like one main channel, like NHL Network and you are required to get pretty much the highest package.


The customer has to decide whether that one or two channels is worth it.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

dpeters11 said:


> The customer has to decide whether that one or two channels is worth it.


Even with the lowest package, at full price it would still be pushing $100/mo, with my setup at least.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

goinsleeper said:


> Manufacturer's *Suggested* Retial Price. How does that not matter? D* has standard rates and the automotive industry does not(at least in this case). They have a standard in which to start with then negotiating begins. D* charges everyone in the country to same amount for the packages(excluding $2 regional sports fee) regardless of the cost of living in that area.


All I'm saying is that everything is negotiable regardless of how the price is advertised. It doesn't matter if it's a standard price or MSRP. If the seller is motivated to move product or services then they'll negotiate.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

DR2420 said:


> Even with the lowest package, at full price it would still be pushing $100/mo, with my setup at least.


That must mean you have several extra receiver fees....probably someplace else people could save money if they needed to.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

DR2420 said:


> Even with the lowest package, at full price it would still be pushing $100/mo, with my setup at least.


Luxury is always expensive.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

pdxBeav said:


> The company's #1 priority is to maximize shareholder value. Why shouldn't consumers do the same thing? When I buy a car I negotiate to get the best possible deal. Is that morally wrong?


They say a fool and his money are soon parted. I believe that if you don't try to get the best price on anything, including D*, you must be a fool. There are some posters here that don't think people should negotiate. I don't understand that logic. If D* is willing to give out discounts and you don't take advantage of them, there's something wrong with you. What do you care that the product is devalued.

In the case of cars, one has to watch dealers carefully. They put people through a system. They offer you a discount, but further down the line, they've added some BS charge. The finance guys are also pretty tricky. It's up to you to stay on top of it until you sign on the dotted line.

The point is, one can live paycheck to paycheck or one can have good financial sense. It's not always about being able to afford something or not. It's about how far you can make your dollar go.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

n3vino said:


> They say a fool and his money are soon parted. I believe that if you don't try to get the best price on anything, including D*, you must be a fool. *There are some posters here that don't think people should negotiate. I don't understand that logic.* If D* is willing to give out discounts and you don't take advantage of them, there's something wrong with you. What do you care that the product is devalued.
> 
> In the case of cars, one has to watch dealers carefully. They put people through a system. They offer you a discount, but further down the line, they've added some BS charge. The finance guys are also pretty tricky. It's up to you to stay on top of it until you sign on the dotted line.
> 
> The point is, one can live paycheck to paycheck or one can have good financial sense. It's not always about being able to afford something or not. It's about how far you can make your dollar go.


Neither do I, it makes no sense to me. But I guess if they are fine paying $300 for leased equipment that they don't even own and $150+/mo, so be it I suppose lol. I don't even understand why this is even a discussion, it boggles my mind and doesn't make sense.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

CCarncross said:


> That must mean you have several extra receiver fees....probably someplace else people could save money if they needed to.


I have 1 HR44-500 and 3 C41-700

I'm not complaining about the cost, yet. I'm a new customer, whose only had it for about 4 months..

Without discounts my setup would cost something like -
Choice Ultimate - $77.99
Advanced Receiver Monthly - $25
Receiver fees - $18
Tax - $1.44

Full price would be $122.43 - Without any movie channels or anything, I don't see the value I'm getting for that kind of money. My local Cable company just changed their policy within the last year (Charter Communications) and I think it would be a great model to go off of. They give you a year 1 and year 2 price and that's that.. But, they also incorporated a lot more value into their packages.. For example they have 3 packages to choose from - Charter Select, Charter Silver and Charter Gold, if you get the Charter Silver, which the regular price is $79.99, you get the basic and expanded basic, all TV taxes are already included in the price, (Free HD) and it also comes with HBO, Cinemax and Showtime.. Now, that in my opinion, is value for the money. Now, I still like DIRECTV more because I just don't care for Cable, I think the technology is way behind Satellite, but that is a good model to go off of in my opinion.. Here's the link to it - http://www.charter.com/tvpackages

So, at full price... With the Charter TV Silver with 4 HD DVR's at full price, I would be paying - $79.99 for Silver, $20 in receiver fees and $20 in DVR fees, so in total $119.99 with much more.. But I like my DIRECTV so it's not even in question, just showing an example of something DIRECTV could lead off of that could incorporate more value for the money, but some already believe they are getting enough value for the money so I guess it just depends who you talk to.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

n3vino said:


> They say a fool and his money are soon parted. I believe that if you don't try to get the best price on anything, including D*,* you must be a fool*. There are some posters here that don't think people should negotiate. I don't understand that logic. If D* is willing to give out discounts and you don't take advantage of them, there's something wrong with you. What do you care that the product is devalued.
> 
> In the case of cars, one has to watch dealers carefully. They put people through a system. They offer you a discount, but further down the line, they've added some BS charge. The finance guys are also pretty tricky. It's up to you to stay on top of it until you sign on the dotted line.
> 
> The point is, one can live paycheck to paycheck or one can have good financial sense. It's not always about being able to afford something or not. It's about how far you can make your dollar go.


I love the fallacy here. "Tom is a boy. Tom wears hats. John is a boy. John must also wear hats."

You say you feel people who do not negotiate are fools then say you can't comprehend why someone wouldn't negotiate. I get where you're coming from that you would rather save money. My point is just the integrity of one paying for what one wants, especially when it comes to a luxury. I think most of this mindset comes from being an American. I've had friends from overseas that don't grasp the concept of negotiating prices when it comes to a paid service, whether television or some form of contracted work. If you were having an addition built onto your house, you'll be quoted a price. I haven't met many(if any) contractors who negotiate that price.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

DR2420 said:


> $79.99 for Silver


If that's the regular price and not the 1st or 2nd year price, that's pretty nice. The only real downside I see with their setup is if the silver doesn't work for you and you need to drop to Charter Select, there's either a large difference in programming or there's not enough savings to matter. I like the way it's packaged but I think they would do better to have more than 3 options for all customers.


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## DR2420 (Jun 12, 2012)

goinsleeper said:


> If that's the regular price and not the 1st or 2nd year price, that's pretty nice. The only real downside I see with their setup is if the silver doesn't work for you and you need to drop to Charter Select, there's either a large difference in programming or there's not enough savings to matter. I like the way it's packaged but I think they would do better to have more than 3 options for all customers.


Yeah, the $79.99 is the regular price. Since they bundle internet/telephone/TV it starts out at $109.97 (For Silver) for year one. Goes up $20 for year two ($129.97) and then goes to standard price, but that's for a bundle. Just depends on what all you want really. They don't offer a ton of options, I guess they just figure the three they have covers it. They also only have two internet speeds to choose from which is 30mbps or 100mbps, which I kind of wish they had more options.. But they want people getting fast speeds.. They did away with the discounts because they said all it did was cause problems and they wanted to make it more simplistic for everybody.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

linuspbmo said:


> *I don't smoke or drink *so I get a discount, right. If you want to pay full price go right ahead but I intend to take every penny they will give me.


Doesn't matter. Totally not where I was going with that--I was pointing out the irony of people spending money on those type of things then going around griping they can not afford something as their tv bill as they do not know how to balance their wallet. Calling in for discounts can only go so far as that is a temporary solution. And I love how someone brought up negotating for a car because it is nothing like that really. As in X Amount of Months from now your negotiated price isn't going to end and the car payments are going to go up, no of course not, cause that is similar to what is going to happend when you call in and ask for discounts. I like negotating myself, I just do not see the point if that price is going to go up a couple of months from now. I had customers who called in wanting discounts and were pleased with me giving them 5 off for 3 months and I am like really? How are you living if you can not afford an extra 5.00 for 3 months? lol.

One thing I was thinking the company should do is give discounts for existing companies accross the board. Like a discount for all customers every other year or so.


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

Volatility said:


> One thing I was thinking the company should do is give discounts for existing companies accross the board. Like a discount for all customers every other year or so.


That's kind of what they tried a couple of years ago with "anniversary gifts". The problem was (at least for me) that these "gifts" were for things that I didn't want or need.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Right, like some got free Sunday Ticket and others got free Game Center.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

Bill Broderick said:


> That's kind of what they tried a couple of years ago with "anniversary gifts". The problem was (at least for me) that these "gifts" were for things that I didn't want or need.


I was there when they did that and people would call in to swap it with something else. I didn't mean something like free sports package for 3 months, I meant a small base package discount everyone could enjoy. Though that's probably not plausible for the company lol.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

peds48 said:


> While for some playing this "game" is ok, for others is not. at least for me


Does sound like a royal PITA.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

goinsleeper said:


> Manufacturer's *Suggested* Retial Price. How does that not matter? D* has standard rates and the automotive industry does not(at least in this case). They have a standard in which to start with then negotiating begins. D* charges everyone in the country to same amount for the packages(excluding $2 regional sports fee) regardless of the cost of living in that area.


Ever try that at a Chevy dealership? I did recently. Looked at a Transverse ($41,000) and was told they don't haggle. The price is what the sticker says. Drove the Transverse and it is woefully underpowered. Was told by the salesman that I was the first person to say that. Great big SUV with a 6 in it. GMC's Acadia is the same. The GMC dealer seemed more willing to haggle, tho. Can't imagine why they put sixes in them.

Rich


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

Rich said:


> Ever try that at a Chevy dealership? I did recently. Looked at a Transverse ($41,000) and was told they don't haggle. The price is what the sticker says. Drove the Transverse and it is woefully underpowered. Was told by the salesman that I was the first person to say that. Great big SUV with a 6 in it. GMC's Acadia is the same. The GMC dealer seemed more willing to haggle, tho. Can't imagine why they put sixes in them.
> 
> Rich


It's kinda funny how the business changes. You see more and more automotive dealers saying they don't haggle then other companies who have set prices who are willing to haggle. You can even haggle at places like Home Depot even though they have fixed prices. The haggling takes more effort in that case, but you can do it.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

You can even haggle at places like Home Depot even though they have fixed prices. The haggling takes more effort in that case, but you can do it.


But only if you buy in bulk, which is understandable


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

peds48 said:


> But only if you buy in bulk, which is understandable


I am not true about Home Depot, but when I worked at Lowe's you could haggle the prices on the shelves even if you did not buy in bulk as long as you could prove you could get it cheaper elsewhere. But it had to be by the same manufacturer. Also you could negotiate the items on the discount rack they had when I worked at one. Or items that weren't selling could be negotatiated on. Pretty fun actually lol.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

I am not true about Home Depot, but when I worked at Lowe's you could haggle the prices on the shelves even if you did not buy in bulk as long as you could prove you could get it cheaper elsewhere. .


That is called price match guarantee, which is offered in many big box stores. this is not "hagglin"


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

peds48 said:


> That is called price match guarantee, which is offered in many big box stores. this is not "hagglin"


It is somewhat but mostly the other stuff I typed. You only quoted a small portion of what I had


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

goinsleeper said:


> Why is it a good idea? To save money? I look for value in what I get. If I don't find enough value to constitute the price, I don't subscribe to it. If I do find the value in it, I pay for it. I don't expect any company to pay part of my services for me. For me, this is in all manors of life.


This concept was the way people and companies did business....in the 20th century. Not anymore.

Everything is a "negotiation" today. People negotiate deals on airline tickets, cars, satellite radio & TV, cell phones, major ticket purchases, etc. Most major retailers have "price match" guarantees. To sit back and just pay full price is no longer how it's done unless you are a millionaire or a CEO and have so much money you don't need to consider how much you spend. In fact, I think companies "suggested retail price" takes into consideration that many customers won't be paying it.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

ThomasM said:


> This concept was the way people and companies did business....in the 20th century. Not anymore.
> 
> Everything is a "negotiation" today. People negotiate deals on airline tickets, cars, satellite radio & TV, cell phones, major ticket purchases, etc. Most major retailers have "price match" guarantees. To sit back and just pay full price is no longer how it's done* unless you are a millionaire or a CEO and have so much money you don't need to consider how much you spend.* In fact, I think companies "suggested retail price" takes into consideration that many customers won't be paying it.


I have to disagree with that as people in the high level income bracket, like millionaires, tend to be extremely cheap with how they spend their money as they want to stay rich so they hold onto their money best way they can. Alot of people who win the lottery end up going broke and worse than they were before because they do not understand money management.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Volatility said:


> *I have to disagree with that as people in the high level income bracket, like millionaires, tend to be extremely cheap with how they spend their money as they want to stay rich so they hold onto their money best way they can.* Alot of people who win the lottery end up going broke and worse than they were before because they do not understand money management.


I think you have a point there. I'm extremely frugal, for the most part. I wish my wife was. I will say this: I don't think being a millionaire is that big a distinction anymore.

Rich


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## DKNY330 (Sep 4, 2011)

DKNY330 said:


> Have 2 months left before 24 month contract is up. Cable is calling me furiously and offering ridiculous deals, but I am happy with DirecTV. We have 5 HD DVR's and 3 HD boxes.
> Any suggestions on negotiating new contract? New equipment I should be asking for, etc. Thanks


Finally took care of this and it's worth the call. $40 per month savings on what I currently have for one year plus NFL Sunday ticket Maxx free and getting Genie plus 3 Genie clients to replace some of what I have now and all including installation for free. I also decided to bundle and switch Internet and phone providers and will save an additional $15/mo on my DirecTV bill - will also save $20 with new Internet/phone with much higher speed. That's a total of $95/mo if you add up everything - TV, NFL Sunday and internet/phone. Rep from DirecTV was great, in fact beyond great and so easy to work with and all I had to do was ask. Happy to stay with DirecTV!


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## booboo (Mar 3, 2011)

If you want to upgrade to a newer receiver then call and talk to them. Don't give up if you don't get what you want the first call. Most of the time the first csr you talk to will not give you the best deal. If you don't want a new receiver then just stick with what you got. I can say that the Genie is worth the upgrade if you record a lot of shows. That's my 2 cents worth.


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## palmgrower (Jul 18, 2011)

I'm a customer for only 2 years.
Internet bundle folks require me to disconnect from ATT uverse then reconnect thru Directv for my ATT Uverse 24 meg service.
It took ATT 1 month and 7 service calls to get it right the last time, I'm afraid of the melee happening again. (The horror)
They lowered my bill $30 / month, no reduction in services, basically almost offset the NFL ST for this season. :righton:
It doesn't hurt to try, "customer service rep" Jim" was great. :up:
"Bundled service rep" Britney is a deaf, ignorant, narcisistic [email protected]#$%^ waste of oxygen. :down:


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