# Canceling or Suspending DIRECTV Account



## lman12 (May 23, 2007)

I have been a Directv customer since March 1996 and have had what is now the Premier package along with most of the Sports subscriptions since day one. Due to recent financial setbacks, I will be forced to cancel or suspend my Directv account. I have some questions about the process and was hoping forum members would offer some advice on how best to proceed with either option. I am *not* currently under contract. I have a HR24-500 (recently sent as a replacement for a faulty HR20-700 as well as another HR20-700 HD DVR on my account). I believe my best options are:

Suspend my account - I am current with my account. Would suspension be my best option to reactivate when my finances improve? OR

Cancel my account - If I cancel now, would I have to return the HD DVRs? As stated above, I am not under contract. If I were to cancel and then come back to Directv when things get better would I be eligible for any "new" customer discounts?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

lman12


----------



## HDTVsportsfan (Nov 29, 2005)

I think you can suspend for either 6 months or 9. I can't remember. If you still want to keep DirecTV at some point in the future, hopefully near, then I would suspend.

If you cancel, chances are the receivers are leased, then they would want the receivers returned. They would send you recovery kits for both, document the return shipping numbers btw.

I would call and ask if they receivers are leased or owned. If they are owned, then you keep them.

Good luck.

EDIT: I'm not sure about the "new customer" question. I believe their is a certain time frame that you can be away...maybe a year. ALso, I think a service address change may constitute new customer status. I'm sure someone will come along and clarify this shortly.


----------



## richall01 (Sep 30, 2007)

Once you are a Directv customer you can "never" be a new customer. Your best option is to down grade your package (I did) and as things get better add back what you want.


----------



## sandymac (Jul 2, 2010)

richall01 said:


> Once you are a Directv customer you can "never" be a new customer.


I am currently a "new customer" even though I was a former customer 3 years ago at a different address.


----------



## Harley3971 (Apr 24, 2010)

I am also a new customer after being away for 6 yrs. Same address and phone#.


----------



## kenva (Dec 29, 2006)

I recently canceled to switch to FIOS and after canceling the have called me a few times offering me all of the new customer deals, with free install and whatever boxes I wanted. Not sure how long that would be available after canceling or if you would have the same type of result.


----------



## HDTVsportsfan (Nov 29, 2005)

richall01 said:


> Once you are a Directv customer you can "never" be a new customer. Your best option is to down grade your package (I did) and as things get better add back what you want.


I'm not sure this is accurate. I'm pretty sure new customer status can be ontained after some predefined time frame, I just don't know what that is.
This is outside of any "retention" attempts at offering new customer deals.


----------



## hoopsbwc34 (Aug 13, 2002)

HDTVsportsfan said:


> I'm not sure this is accurate. I'm pretty sure new customer status can be ontained after some predefined time frame, I just don't know what that is.
> This is outside of any "retention" attempts at offering new customer deals.


I have seen other posts, but don't have a source, that you can be a new customer again after just 6 months.


----------



## Manctech (Jul 5, 2010)

You can be a new customer after 3 years if you are at the same address and same telephone number.

You can be a new customer instantly if you have a new telephone number.


----------



## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

Manctech said:


> You can be a new customer after 3 years if you are at the same address and same telephone number.
> 
> You can be a new customer instantly if you have a new telephone number.


3 1/2 years ago I was told I wasn't a new customer even though I had been gone from DirecTV for about eight years. Same phone number, same address.

Policy may have changed since then, but I bet the phone number is the real key.


----------



## JB292 (Apr 25, 2009)

I would call, get someone from retention, and explain your situation. I was in dire straits last year, after being laid off. The rep gave me a $175 credit, I downgraded my package, but then she offered 3 months of Showtime free. Your mileage may very.


----------



## Bob Coxner (Dec 28, 2005)

If all you need is a new phone number then get a free one from Google Voice. You can have it ring through to your existing phone number. http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html


----------



## Manctech (Jul 5, 2010)

Bob Coxner said:


> If all you need is a new phone number then get a free one from Google Voice. You can have it ring through to your existing phone number. http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html


Gotta be careful though. I've gone through 2-3 hour installs just to find out their account is "fraud". They don't get in any trouble, they just can't get the new customer discount. And I end up getting screwed out of the install.

But I have also seen customers say they were a customer then just used a different phone number and their wifes/husbands name.

They can't determine by address because John Doe could move out of a house and Robert Smith moves into the same house and gets DTV. Same address different name.

So really it is by phone number/name. Just be careful. DTV does monitor former customers.


----------



## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Bob Coxner said:


> If all you need is a new phone number then get a free one from Google Voice. You can have it ring through to your existing phone number. http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html


Thanks for posting the info on Google Voice! I don't need it for a new account with DIRECTV, but its a nice service for getting one phone number for all your phones. Or to get a local number in a different area code, so friends or family can call you w/o paying long distance.


----------



## Bob Coxner (Dec 28, 2005)

RACJ2 said:


> Thanks for posting the info on Google Voice! I don't need it for a new account with DIRECTV, but its a nice service for getting one phone number for all your phones. Or to get a local number in a different area code, so friends or family can call you w/o paying long distance.


You can also make free long distance calls from your existing phone number. From your home landline or cell call your Google Voice number. It will answer and one of the prompts says to hit "2" if you want to make a call. Punch in the long distance number and Google will dial it for you. You're connected to your local Google Voice number so the long distance portion is free. I've dropped all paid long distance from my landline and never looked back.


----------



## dtvmike1652 (Jun 14, 2010)

HDTVsportsfan said:


> I'm not sure this is accurate. I'm pretty sure new customer status can be ontained after some predefined time frame, I just don't know what that is.
> This is outside of any "retention" attempts at offering new customer deals.


The customer is never considered a "NEW CUSTOMER" but if has been gone for an amount of time depending on their status with the company based on payment history and tenure then they may receive a new customer offer but will never technically be a new customer.


----------



## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Bob Coxner said:


> You can also make free long distance calls from your existing phone number. From your home landline or cell call your Google Voice number. It will answer and one of the prompts says to hit "2" if you want to make a call. Punch in the long distance number and Google will dial it for you. You're connected to your local Google Voice number so the long distance portion is free. I've dropped all paid long distance from my landline and never looked back.


That's good to know. I actually just bought a Magic Jack for long distance and may have been able to use Google Voice instead. Although I do use the magic Jack with my laptop, to make calls when I travel. Is it possible to make calls from a laptop with GV?

To make sure I'm on topic, I suggest the OP suspend service.


----------



## songkrai (Jul 7, 2010)

billsharpe said:


> 3 1/2 years ago I was told I wasn't a new customer even though I had been gone from DirecTV for about eight years. Same phone number, same address.
> 
> Policy may have changed since then, but I bet the phone number is the real key.


I stopped service and came back after over 3 years. I did own my receivers.

No issues. No new contract. Just turn on receiver and go. They did, of course, have to 'activate' the old receivers.

Same address. Same phone number.


----------



## dins1 (Jun 22, 2011)

It doesn't matter if you cancel or put your account on hold you can never get out! This is my story that I sent them!


I just want to get out of this relationship! This is the worst breakup I have ever had! I've had the service since 2000. I liked it, everything worked fine. Then one day the service went out, dish not properly aligned or something like that. The only problem is it is at our vacation house which we only use a couple of times a year. So nobody is ever there to let in a repair guy (don't even ask about installation--another disaster!). So they put my account on hold for a couple of months. Before it gets reactivated they send me a nice email reminding me--very much appreciated. Still we can't work out a time to get somebody out there so we put it on hold again. Next time no notification, they just turn our account back on and start charging us. Oh yeah, the service still does not work. We complain, it goes back on hold, and no charge. I'm upset, but understanding. I still want it to work, but this has been going on over a year by this time. Finally I decide we just aren't using the service and nobody is ever coming to fix it, so lets just cancel. But for some reason this doesn't happen. It never happens! It turns out you have to send a card back to them. Good to know! Problem is its 150 miles away! So by the time we get back there to get the card, the service has been restarted and we are being charged again. But, the service still does not work. After multiple frustrating calls I'm told sorry, pay the bill (actually its almost impossible to talk to anyone if you have a balance outstanding!) My wife actually paid a months worth of service simply to talk to someone! Ridiculous! Finally I'm assured that we are disconnected and that they are sending me an envelope to mail back the card, otherwise I will be charged another $250. But that never came either. So now they want me to pay almost $400 for something I haven't used in 2 years. 

Please DirecTV, I just want to move on. We had good times once, but you've changed. Time to see other people. Let me go!


----------

