# Best way to reduce bill?



## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

I've now reached a point I'm no longer willing to look the other way with how much TV is costing me. I've been with D 3 years, I was with them prior for 8 years then one year when I moved I had no line of sight thus I had comcrap for 1 year. I've had NFLST every year.

I've never missed a payment in my life. I can't tell if I'm on a contract. Should I simply call them up and tell them the price is just too dam high? 

Thanks for any help!

For the record, I'm reasonable, I think what I'm currently getting is only worth $85/month. 

CHOICE XTRA CLASSIC - Charge $71.99 
Advanced Receiver-DVR - Charge $10.00 
Advanced Receiver-HD - Charge $10.00 
Additional TV - Charge $6.00 
DIRECTV Whole-Home DVR Service - Charge $3.00 
Primary TV Free - PrimaryTVFree ($6.00) 
Primary TV - Charge $6.00 
Total = $113/month


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## jjeeffff (Jul 23, 2008)

Call and ask for a discount for 6 months, they gave me like 25 off a month for 6 months when I said the service was getting too expensive.


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## Rickt1962 (Jul 17, 2012)

I have always yelled on here how DTV is raping its customers with its fee's

Advanced Receiver-DVR - Charge $10.00 
Advanced Receiver-HD - Charge $10.00 
Additional TV - Charge $6.00 
DIRECTV Whole-Home DVR Service - Charge $3.00 
Primary TV Free - PrimaryTVFree ($6.00) 
Primary TV - Charge $6.00


With $ 41.00 dollars of Suck on your bank account fee's which is more then half of your current package !  And alot of members here think thats great ! everytime they come up with a new idea everyone defends DTV saying its only $ 3.00 more its worth it ! :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono: 

It will take an act of Congress to break it up and allow people that have OWNED Equipment not to be charged excessively !


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

Watch everything on-line. Drop D* entirely.

I have one client with a LOS problem, he bumped up his internet speed and watches everything on line.

It's different, might not be for everybody, but if enough people did it . . . 


{and I am not saying I would ever do it}


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Rickt1962 said:


> I have always yelled on here how DTV is raping its customers with its fee's
> 
> Advanced Receiver-DVR - Charge $10.00
> Advanced Receiver-HD - Charge $10.00
> ...


On another thread you called DirecTV's billing "extortion". Now you have them "raping" customers. Rather melodramatic don't you think? :sure:


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## Blurayfan (Nov 16, 2005)

"Rickt1962" said:


> I have always yelled on here how DTV is raping its customers with its fee's
> 
> Advanced Receiver-DVR - Charge $10.00
> Advanced Receiver-HD - Charge $10.00
> ...


It is not $41.00 worth of fees. Only $29.00, the two Primary TV cancel each other out. One is a charge, the other a credit.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

saleen351 said:


> I've now reached a point I'm no longer willing to look the other way with how much TV is costing me. I've been with D 3 years, I was with them prior for 8 years then one year when I moved I had no line of sight thus I had comcrap for 1 year. I've had NFLST every year.
> 
> I've never missed a payment in my life. I can't tell if I'm on a contract. Should I simply call them up and tell them the price is just too dam high?
> 
> ...


Change to Choice Xtra from Choice Xtra Classic and save a whopping $1. 
You'll lose a few channels but in my case it didn't matter.
But, there is a new $2 RSN charge now.
So I guess my total went up by $1.

My bill is under $110/month which is basically the same as you.
Except I have DNS ($14/month). I may rethink this once the refer a friend discount expires.
I also have a refer a friend discount of $10/month. 
And the sales tax is $2. Maybe your tax is higher?


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## lgb0250 (Jan 24, 2010)

You can tell I don't post here often by the number of my previous posts. I'm usually looking for some technical help that members here freely and graciously give.

But in this case it's different. Why do people come on here and complain about what they are paying? Directv didn't hold a gun to your head did they? Didn't you check what your bill would be before ordering service? If you expect your bill to remain the same from year to year you are living in a fantasy world. If it upsets you all that much, cancel your service. It's as simple as that IMO.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

My promotion discounts were over in October. My bill has gone up from $104.00 from October to $112.00 today. I do have whole home and free HD for life. One HR24 and two H25's. No premiums but I do have the PP. They tell me I can get a free upgrade to a Genie in May. If I get it I'll have a new two year contract, but most likely I'll drop the PP. So the question now becomes, do I get the Genie or wait my contract out until October and go with Dish with a promo discount for a year. 

Dish may not be the best provider and I like D*, but I don't know if I can justify the high cost for better HD. I left TW because of the high cost. At that time, I sacrificed a bunch of HD channels including HD locals. Now D* has caught up with the HD locals and other basic channels. They now have everything I want in HD.

I'll have to talk to someone who has Dish and see what they think of their service. At some point, I'll have to drop all providers and just go over the air. We have a lot of HD channels in this town and I also have Netflix. 

LGB, sorry you got your feelings hurt. I knew what I would be paying for my service for each of the months of my two year contract, and did expect premiums to rise due to contracts. I'm not an idiot. I'm not complaining but what I am asking myself is, do I want to continue the high cost or not. I don't need anyone to tell me if I should cancel my service or not. That's something I can discuss and decide with my family. But constructive input is welcome concerning Dish's service. Then I can take all the pros and cons and make a decision.


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## Christopher Gould (Jan 14, 2007)

Rickt1962;3196261 said:


> I have always yelled on here how DTV is raping its customers with its fee's
> 
> Advanced Receiver-DVR - Charge $10.00
> Advanced Receiver-HD - Charge $10.00
> ...


Owned equipment wouldn't stop one of those charges.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Rickt1962;3196261 said:


> I have always yelled on here how DTV is raping its customers with its fee's
> 
> Advanced Receiver-DVR - Charge $10.00
> Advanced Receiver-HD - Charge $10.00
> ...


Particularly with multiple DVRs other carriers charge a DVR fee per box, not per account. Some have a monthly fee for the remote. If DirecTV included HD in the base price, SD customers (and there are a lot of them) also would feel overcharged.


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

The industry is very different than back in the 90s.

You went to a store and bought a receiver AND a dish and installed it yourself (or hired somebody independent like me) it your self. DirecTV did not have a self branded box, their were Sony and Panasonic and Magnavox boxes along with several others.

DirecTV now has in house made boxes, in house installers (and contractors) and is now supporting way more employees than they started with. Instead of an ultimate capacity of maybe a hundred channels, we probably could see Direct with thousands once ALL the blank transponders slots are lit up on the signal strength screen.

Cable channels are now producing their own programming instead of recycling travelogues and educational films from the 50s.

We can individually only watch 168 hours of TV/week, but we love to have hundreds of shows to pick from, even if we only watch a few.

I'm still amazed at times I can watch 3D HD on my 65" plasma. Back in the 80s, I never dreamt I would ever have a $2500TV, and that I would consider such a beast to be a bargain. I have a killer sound system, but in deference to everyone else here, I only crank it up when I'm alone. (Yeah, I'm the guy that got the free Klipsch Cornwalls and Heresys you heard about on Craigslist 2 weeks later for the first guy to get there to get them)

I don't like the price increases, and between a $100 cell phone bill, $40 for slow internet, $60 for land line phone, $250 electric bills, DirecTV hitting me for over $150/month is tough on top of everything else. I'm rural wasteland here, no good bundle offers either. Exede wants $60 a month for faster internet with a pretty low monthly total byte package (Verizon wants way more than that). Electic company doesn't even talk about broadband anymore, no DSL this far out either.

I'm looking forward to some pension money in a few years, but frankly, I am already spending it. Best bet for me is to kick one of my businesses up a notch and hope for the best. (and not the installing gig, I love that, but I have another 'real work' type job that actually pays the bills, and that's getting a bump.


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## garrettw (Feb 24, 2013)

How do you watch online for free?


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## Cyber36 (Mar 20, 2008)

garrettw said:


> How do you watch online for free?


 Easiest way if you've got a wireless internet setup is Roku.......


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## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

Some of these responses are whacky. I love my DTV, I've had the NFLST for 11 years now, I can't live without it, but my bill during the off season is far too high. I looked into cord cutting, seems like a huge pain and I won't get NFLST. 

I have 71 channels in my guide, however I could easily cut another 20 - 30 that I probably just forgot exist and should remove. 

I'm willing to compromise, give me less and I'll pay less. 

$113 to watch tv with no premiums is just far too much, I no longer value any tv package above $85. 

I'm curious to see how high it can go before there is a revolt... I would suspect we are real close.


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## HinterXGames (Dec 20, 2012)

saleen351 said:


> Some of these responses are whacky. I love my DTV, I've had the NFLST for 11 years now, I can't live without it, but my bill during the off season is far too high. I looked into cord cutting, seems like a huge pain and I won't get NFLST.
> 
> I have 71 channels in my guide, however I could easily cut another 20 - 30 that I probably just forgot exist and should remove.
> 
> ...


First I would take a look at what channels you do commonly watch (locals not included, as they are in every package) and then you can go online and see if there is a lower package that would still include those. Outside of that, I would contact DTV.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

saleen351 said:


> Some of these responses are whacky. I love my DTV, I've had the NFLST for 11 years now, I can't live without it, but my bill during the off season is far too high. I looked into cord cutting, seems like a huge pain and I won't get NFLST.
> 
> *I have 71 channels in my guide, however I could easily cut another 20 - 30 that I probably just forgot exist and should remove.*
> 
> ...


This is tricky. I looked at going lower in my package and dropping one of my 3 premiums that I pay for.
The channels that get dropped as you go lower in a package might be like mine and be the ones you watch a lot or at least would miss them.
Having said that, I do have a lower package than the one you have. I have the $70 package.
I even went so far as to consider doing away with the receiver in the bedroom and feeding it with the receiver in the den ( they are never both on at one time ). It is a long run and would be a hassle to run the HDMI cable needed. 
Next I looked at changing to another service. Big hassle for me and I did not see any available that I would probably be happy with for the trouble it would cost me.
Last, and this is what I did, I call them and ask them to help me lower my bill. The first person I talked to was no help at all. I thanked her and hung up. Called right back , got a different person , and told them the same thing. He looked and told me what he could do to help me out. For the next 6 months I will be saving $25 per month on the discounts he gave me. 6 months from now I will be on the phone again.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

saleen351 said:


> I love my DTV, I've had the NFLST for 11 years now, *I can't live without it*...


There's the crux of the issue right there. The only way to get Sunday Ticket is with DirecTV, so if you have to have it, DirecTV has you over a barrel.

Fortunately, I don't have (or need) Sunday ticket. Like you, though, I feel that my monthly bill has simply gotten too high, as credits drop off that DirecTV will not re-apply, and rates do their annual march up. When my current contract winds down enough and I can tolerate a smaller ETF, I will switch to Dish and take advantage of new customer pricing. For similar programming that my family views and what is probably better equipment, I will save approximately $530 in the first 12 months, which works out to about $22 per month over the life of the 24 month contract. Or, pretty much what DirecTV was giving back to me when all my credits were active.

So, because DirecTV is getting stingy with credits (which is completely within their rights, if they want to do business that way), they will lose to a competitor a customer who has been with them for 16+ years (which is completely within my rights, if they want to do business that way). Maybe after 2 years with Dish, I'll go back to DirecTV as a "new" customer; maybe not if I really like Dish better and find that it's worth the regular prices.

If you're not locked into a particular feature that is only offered by one provider, there are usually other suitable options.


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## mcarlton (Oct 11, 2007)

I usually call about every 6 months and nicely ask what can be done about my bill. I had some grandfathered package that was similar to the Xtra package about $70/month. This last time i ended up dropping to the Entertainment pack and lost about 50 channels. Only ones I lost that I cared about at all was NFL channel and Military. I guess when the fall comes I will need to rationalize if i care about bad Thursday night NFL games.

Some tips I use to get them to give me discounts are first when you call say cancel. Are you sure? Yes. You should be with the Retention folks now. Ask what you can do about the cost of the bill. I usually say my wife got the comcast triple play offer in the mail and why are we paying this much. I say I would like to stay with Directv if possible, can you help me? Be nice. Be polite. Don't threaten to cancel. I have been with DTV for 12 or 13 years now.

Also if you are willing to try it I believe Directv can "suspend" your account for up to 6 months a year. So if you have to have NFL Sunday Ticket you can keep rolling with that for that time of the year and "pull the plug" from Feb to August. I would like to try that some year. Live NFL is what keeps me plugged in. Hope this Helps


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## SlimyPizza (Oct 14, 2006)

I have been a D* subscriber for at least 8 years. My current bill just jumped from $82 to $88/month. I only have one TV, one DVR and I subscribe to no movie channels or sports packages. $88/month.... That's too much. Yes I'm happy with the service and I'm sure I'll miss some aspect of D* when/if I switch to Dish but $88 is just too high for one TV with no special channels. 

The business model these days is geared toward the new customers with all the special deals and perks. Fine and good for a company to pull in new customers but its a two edged sword in that when existing customers continue to see rate increase after rate increase they reach a point where enough is enough. I'm there. I'm going to follow the business model and stop subsidizing new customers but first I'll give D* a chance to lower my bill. If not then adios. My main concern is the content I have currently stored on the DVR but I'll deal with that.


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## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

I'm going to call tomorrow, I'll post what they say. I hate asking for a discount I'm a fair person and right now I do not see the value for my $113. I pay for 139 channels that aren't even in my guide!!!! 

Looking at downgrading my package I would lose these channels that I do watch often:
H2
MiL
NFL
Science 
Speed
Fox Business (I only watch one show)


I would only save $1-$16. These packages are designed to screw you over... They know just the right amount of channels to get you to pay more.

I checked out HBO on the website just to see what the price is, 18 bucks!!! Last time I had HBO it was the 2nd to last season of Entourage and I paid 12 bucks..


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## allenn (Nov 19, 2005)

Buy and antenna and cancel D*. In my area we have over 80 channels, so I'm sure you should have a few.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

saleen351;3196728 said:


> I'm going to call tomorrow, I'll post what they say. I hate asking for a discount I'm a fair person and right now I do not see the value for my $113. I pay for 139 channels that aren't even in my guide!!!!
> 
> Looking at downgrading my package I would lose these channels that I do watch often:
> H2
> ...


I think all providers charge between $15 and $18 a month for it.


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## Old_School (Nov 29, 2011)

I can remember many years ago when my dad opened the cable bill and was furrious over a $39 bill:lol:

Now days its pretty standard to see a $80 - $120 a month bill for TV. Our current D bill is $104 a month. Just for giggles i called Comcast once and asked them if i upgraded to TV bundled with our internet how much would it be. to have exactly what we have now (DVR's, converter boxes and every channel i have now that they could offer) i was quoted around $160 a month + taxes and fees.... so at $104 a month with D im pretty content.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Old_School said:


> i was quoted around $160 a month + taxes and fees.... so at $104 a month with D im pretty content.


$104 plus internet would be about $160 would it not?


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

The very best way to reduce a Bill that is 60% fee's is to Cancel it. Most shows are /or will be found on the internet -SO just TURN it OFF! and move on!

After a short time you will be surprised that it no longer matters.


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## crkeehn (Apr 23, 2002)

saleen351 said:


> I'm going to call tomorrow, I'll post what they say. I hate asking for a discount I'm a fair person and right now I do not see the value for my $113. I pay for 139 channels that aren't even in my guide!!!!
> 
> Looking at downgrading my package I would lose these channels that I do watch often:
> H2
> ...


By now it's tomorrow and you might have already made the call but....

Just be honest. Don't threaten or be antagonistic. Just explain that your bill is getting too high and you are concerned about it. See if there is anything that can be done about it, you may be surprised. At worst, they CR Representative will tell you that there is nothing that they can do, which makes you no worse off than you are now. If you're told that and if you're out of commitment, there are always other options that you can explore.

Be careful about threatening (or promising) that if they don't give you a discount, you'll cancel. They may take you at your word.


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## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

They were very nice and gave me $15/month off for 12 months. That brings my bill just under $100, I can live with that for now. Still not the 85 I wanted, I didn't ask for more, didn't want to be greedy but it's close enough...


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## anex80 (Jul 29, 2005)

I'm confused. If you add up the charges in your original post, the total comes to $101(as someone else pointed out, one of the $6 charges is a credit). That means that a $15 a month credit should bring your bill down to $86/ month.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

SlimyPizza said:


> I have been a D* subscriber for at least 8 years. My current bill just jumped from $82 to $88/month. I only have one TV, one DVR and I subscribe to no movie channels or sports packages. $88/month.... That's too much. Yes I'm happy with the service and I'm sure I'll miss some aspect of D* when/if I switch to Dish but $88 is just too high for one TV with no special channels.
> 
> The business model these days is geared toward the new customers with all the special deals and perks. Fine and good for a company to pull in new customers but its a two edged sword in that when existing customers continue to see rate increase after rate increase they reach a point where enough is enough. I'm there. I'm going to follow the business model and stop subsidizing new customers but first I'll give D* a chance to lower my bill. If not then adios. My main concern is the content I have currently stored on the DVR but I'll deal with that.


You may want to look into the package you currently have. A base package with only the addition of dvr coming out to around $88 seems high unless you are on the Xtra or Ultimate package. What are your costs before tax? Many people hate to hear they will lose channels until they find out they lose almost none of the ones they care to watch. Figure out the channels that are "a must have" for you and see if another package has them.

To be honest, most new customers I see have an average bill of around $75. Some lower, some higher. Just because you see $29.99 or $39.99 does not mean that is what they are paying. New customers also see price increases. Who do you think is more upset, the person who has seen them for 8 years or the person that signed an agreement 4 months prior? I can understand your frustrations with increases but weigh in what is important to you and what you are paying for.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

anex80 said:


> I'm confused. If you add up the charges in your original post, the total comes to $101(as someone else pointed out, one of the $6 charges is a credit). That means that a $15 a month credit should bring your bill down to $86/ month.


It looks like he is in Florida. They have sales tax and communication service tax. OP's taxes are probably over $10.


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

See that's why you got to play it smart when it comes to increases, whenever it nears call for discounts and credits, That's what I did last month and now I have $37 in bill credits, and by the time it expires I would be out of contract to call for more credits


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

acostapimps said:


> See that's why you got to play it smart when it comes to increases, whenever it nears call for discounts and credits, That's what I did last month and now I have $37 in bill credits, and by the time it expires I would be out of contract to call for more credits


What does the contract have to do with anything? If they're giving you $37 in discounts while under contract, are you expecting more when the contract is over?


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> What does the contract have to do with anything? If they're giving you $37 in discounts while under contract, are you expecting more when the contract is over?


He'll have more leverage when the contract is over, to ask that the credits stay in place. They don't last forever.


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

Most of the credits I got is for 12 months from last month I received it, that's exactly when my commitment expires next February, Most likely from retention, usually when I call is for how much I have left in my commitment, that's when they start giving perks/credits to retain me if I ever decide to cancel (which I don't ).


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

I usually don't call unless there's a mistake in my bill when it's unusually high, Sometimes without even asking they give credits, How Much? It all depends on your payment history,years of service and if your eligible for credits,and discounts(if you haven't got any yet). Now if you already received credits and/or discounts (including free upgrades) then they're reluctant to give any more but YMMV.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

Take a look at the Spanish packages. Maybe enough in one of them to be worth the effort.


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## donalddickerson2005 (Feb 13, 2012)

MikeW said:


> Take a look at the Spanish packages. Maybe enough in one of them to be worth the effort.


I was given the Spanish package for free. When I called I said I needed it to see ALL the soccer and since I have fox soccer they gave it to me free and I don't even talk Spanish.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

acostapimps said:


> Most of the credits I got is for 12 months from last month I received it, that's exactly when my commitment expires next February, Most likely from retention, usually when I call is for how much I have left in my commitment, that's when they start giving perks/credits to retain me if I ever decide to cancel (which I don't ).


That's coincidental for the most part. Most of their discounts last 6 or 12 months reguardless of your contract end date.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> He'll have more leverage when the contract is over, to ask that the credits stay in place. They don't last forever.


If they gave him $37 off his bill, what more leverage is needed? Many new customers are only receiving $35 in discounts...


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> If they gave him $37 off his bill, what more leverage is needed? Many new customers are only receiving $35 in discounts...


As noted earlier, the $37 in credits will not last forever.

If the credits were to expire before his contract, and if he were to call when the credits expire and while still under contract, he would have less leverage to ask for (and get) new credits then he would if he was not under contract and free to walk without paying an ETF.

Under contract = less leverage in asking for freebies

Not under contract = more leverage in asking for freebies


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## Rickt1962 (Jul 17, 2012)

saleen351 said:


> They were very nice and gave me $15/month off for 12 months. That brings my bill just under $100, I can live with that for now. Still not the 85 I wanted, I didn't ask for more, didn't want to be greedy but it's close enough...


Dont feel guilty ! Ther the ones that are greedy ! http://investor.directv.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=551879 :eek2:


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Are results from 2010 really relevant?


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

Context: DirecTV customer since 1995. Never subscribed to premiums. Do very much enjoy ("need" is such a strong word for TV) live sports including baseball (Twins), Big 10 (Purdue), and pro football (Bears). Living in Vikings country (NFC North) I receive many (not all) Bears games without NFL-ST. The desire for live sports plus lack of OTA coverage means at least one D* or Dish receiver of some sort (no cable to my rural area). I'm not particularly motivated to switch to Dish.

I've used a number of tactics to reduce my DirecTV bill:


Reduced my number of DVRs from 5 to 3
Reduced my programming package from Choice Extra to Choice
Called as appropriate (typically when out of contract) to ask about how D* can help (typically via credits)

My next steps are to:


Split the HDMI output from the primary to the secondary TV. The distance is a pain, but worth the one time cost.
Purchase PlayLater (www.playlater.tv) to supplement PlayOn that I already have for use with the Rokus.
Replace 2 of the DVRs with Roku boxes
Cancel 2 of the remaining 3 DVRs
Fix my OTA rotor.

This will reduce my monthly bill to Choice with 1 DVR and I will still readily have access to all of the content that I desire where I desire it.


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## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

Tubaman-Z said:


> Context: DirecTV customer since 1995. Never subscribed to premiums. Do very much enjoy ("need" is such a strong word for TV) live sports including baseball (Twins), Big 10 (Purdue), and pro football (Bears). Living in Vikings country (NFC North) I receive many (not all) Bears games without NFL-ST. The desire for live sports plus lack of OTA coverage means at least one D* or Dish receiver of some sort (no cable to my rural area). I'm not particularly motivated to switch to Dish.
> 
> I've used a number of tactics to reduce my DirecTV bill:
> 
> ...


If you split the HDMI how do you change the channel while in the other room?


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## bsather (Aug 10, 2008)

saleen351 said:


> If you split the HDMI how do you change the channel while in the other room?


http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...-with-hdmi-adapters-(280700)&sku=741835095891


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

http://www.x10.com/pro/entertainment/pex01.htm, but the Vanco IR-over-HDMI posted above by bsather would be better in that you don't have to plug it into the wall. I've have my X-10 PowerMIDs for a long time (pre-HDMI).


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> As noted earlier, the $37 in credits will not last forever.
> 
> If the credits were to expire before his contract, and if he were to call when the credits expire and while still under contract, he would have less leverage to ask for (and get) new credits then he would if he was not under contract and free to walk without paying an ETF.
> 
> ...


I think you're missing the point. Why does he need any leverage if he can get $37 off his bill without leverage? The contract means less to them than you think when it comes to discounts. No discounts last forever. Even the Free HD for Life technically lasts for 1000 credits.


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

dcandmc;3197719 said:


> Under contract = less leverage in asking for freebies
> 
> Not under contract = more leverage in asking for freebies


Not always the case, it all depends on how much freebies and upgrades you received in the past.
But regularly they give credits when not under contract.


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## anopro (Sep 13, 2006)

bsather said:


> http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...-with-hdmi-adapters-(280700)&sku=741835095891


Ooh me likey I have been using a old Sony DSS multi Room distribution system with IR repeater system from 1998 for my upstairs TV SD but so want HD in the bedroom.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> I think you're missing the point. Why does he need any leverage if he can get $37 off his bill without leverage? The contract means less to them than you think when it comes to discounts. No discounts last forever. Even the Free HD for Life technically lasts for 1000 credits.


No, it's you who are missing the point. The credits will expire, and DirecTV will not renew them as a matter of course. The more credits you have had and the longer you have had them, the less inclined DirecTV will be to renew them. That has been my personal experience, and anecdotal experience from others on the forum bears that out.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

acostapimps said:


> Not always the case, it all depends on how much freebies and upgrades you received in the past.
> But regularly they give credits when not under contract.


Fine; add this to the part of my post that you quoted: "generally speaking."


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## Jillxz (Jul 16, 2012)

When the Directv rates went up this year , I dropped. I just had the HD receiver and not a DVR as I don't care to record anything. I have to pay a $ 10 fee for the HD receiver. $87.98 is just too much to pay for watching TV. Only a three dollar raise , but that did it for me. They offered me a $25.00 discount for a year and the $10 dollar HD for 2 years. But I said no thank you.

As I t stands right now , I have zero TV. Not Dish Network and not cable. They are all alike. Impossible fees and I am finished for now. Not worth it for me .


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

Jillxz said:


> When the Directv rates went up this year , I dropped. I just had the HD receiver and not a DVR as I don't care to record anything. I have to pay a $ 10 fee for the HD receiver. $87.98 is just too much to pay for watching TV. Only a three dollar raise , but that did it for me. They offered me a $25.00 discount for a year and the $10 dollar HD for 2 years. But I said no thank you.
> 
> As I t stands right now , I have zero TV. Not Dish Network and not cable. They are all alike. Impossible fees and I am finished for now. Not worth it for me .


If the increases keep going up I may eventually cut the cord(for a awhile) Then return with new customer discounts. It will be a point when enough is enough if the trend keeps going.


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

But as the credits keep rolling I will be here for awhile as that is keeping me from canceling and possibly switching providers.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

acostapimps said:


> But as the credits keep rolling I will be here for awhile as that is keeping me from canceling and possibly switching providers.


If a person keeps calling in every time their credits roll off for more credits, eventually DirecTV is going to place a flag on your account to not issue any more credits. I have seen that flag plenty of times on different accounts. So I wouldn't keep doing to that.... Their may be a cheaper package out there that has the channels you still want to watch at a cheaper rate. I've seen a lot of times customers do not want to change their package as they are afraid of losing channels they like, only to see they only lose like 2 or so and the change is worth it. Also if you bundle internet you can get a 10.00 discount for 1 yr, and if you do phone and internet it is 15.00 off (but you can not currently have the Telco provider unless upgrading from dsl). Also if you refer a customer you get 10.00 off for everybody you refer.


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## downrange (Jan 29, 2007)

SlimyPizza said:


> I have been a D* subscriber for at least 8 years. My current bill just jumped from $82 to $88/month. I only have one TV, one DVR and I subscribe to no movie channels or sports packages. $88/month.... That's too much.
> 
> ... continue to see rate increase after rate increase they reach a point where enough is enough. I'm there.


same here, continuous customer for 13 yrs, sdtv, 1 dvr, grandfathered pkg and $1100/yr for what I need from a stupid tv just flat out exceeds what I'm going to pay. I watch local football, hockey, f1, motogp and a smattering of other things although the latter are mostly only because they're there. the former and a dvr are really the only critical things to me.

so continuing to pay unacceptable prices due to abcf/espn and whoever these last idiots were that think they're sitting on the motherlode leaves me no choice since dtv caves every single time, acts all gallant like they fought off increases only to turn around and pass on the increases a few months later figuring customers are too stupid to put two and two together or notice the pattern. I have no idea what's even on abcf or espn for that matter yet because of them and others my bill has gone through the roof the past few years.

there's no pkg/setup I can drop to and still see the only things I care about so after threatening to myself to do so for the past couple years, I'm sinking that yearly dtv bill into a mythtv dvr and going ota/streaming. or maybe I'll do something else, don't know where it will end up except that I'm certain I'm not going to essentially throw $90 out the window every month, then $95/month before too much longer, etc.

this isn't w/o sadness, I developed an affinity toward dtv for freeing me from my local ripoff cable company all those years ago which I hated with a passion. plus I've had exactly 0 complaints about the service through the years. but everyone has a limit for what they're willing to put up with. I've suspended my acct a couple times the past couple years because of the high rates and these past increases after a year's worth of huge credits expired not long ago just makes them all the more intolerable.


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

I'm with you guys. Sports are the only reason I still have directv. I am out of contract and have been thinking about switching to dish just to get the promotions for 12 months. Even if after the 12 months the price goes up I still would probably come out ahead after 2 years. Then I could switch back to directv. They really need to look at trying to give existing customers some sort of a break. It's crazy. My bill is over $100 and I don't have that much as some of the others. HD, dvr, and 2 extra boxes. My package is the old Total Choice. All of that plus the protection plan puts me over $100. Only thing I can think of is to lower my package until college football season starts then up it for a couple months.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Just keep in mind, if you did that, you would be unable to go back to TC.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dpeters11 said:


> Just keep in mind, if you did that, you would be unable to go back to TC.


He would have 30 days to reinstate Total Choice. He may want to call and ask about any discounts they have if he was to update his package. He may be surprised.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

goinsleeper said:


> He would have 30 days to reinstate Total Choice. He may want to call and ask about any discounts they have if he was to update his package. He may be surprised.


Correct. It is 30 days to reinstate grandfathered packages. Also as you sort have mentioned, grandfathered packages typically do not qualify for most of the discounted retention offers. I'm kinda against discounts somewhat as they are a temporary fix and not a long term solution, but truthfully trying to get a discount may be a good idea as DTV has the packages priced too high anyways to allow for such discounts


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

Volatility;3199170 said:


> If a person keeps calling in every time their credits roll off for more credits, eventually DirecTV is going to place a flag on your account to not issue any more credits. I have seen that flag plenty of times on different accounts. So I wouldn't keep doing to that.... Their may be a cheaper package out there that has the channels you still want to watch at a cheaper rate. I've seen a lot of times customers do not want to change their package as they are afraid of losing channels they like, only to see they only lose like 2 or so and the change is worth it. Also if you bundle internet you can get a 10.00 discount for 1 yr, and if you do phone and internet it is 15.00 off (but you can not currently have the Telco provider unless upgrading from dsl). Also if you refer a customer you get 10.00 off for everybody you refer.


That's why I said that I only do it when my contract expires or when the annual price increase take effect.


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

I don't care about the total choice package anymore. It's $2 more than the regular choice and the channels I would lose really aren't worth watching. To me it's really the fees that drive me crazy. $10 for dvr service, $10 for HD, $12 for 3 boxes. $32 dollars a month just for the hardware. Crazy!


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

acostapimps said:


> That's why I said that I only do it when my contract expires or when the annual price increase take effect.


Gotcha ;-)

I mean it never hurts to ask. For some reason I read it as I call them to keep discounts rolling. My apologies.
But yeah, I would definitely see about bundling if you haven't already. It'could help you out getting your bill lowered. And help the agent out by getting their numbers up. It's a love love relationship lol


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

Volatility;3200024 said:


> Gotcha ;-)
> 
> I mean it never hurts to ask. For some reason I read it as I call them to keep discounts rolling. My apologies.
> But yeah, I would definitely see about bundling if you haven't already. It'could help you out getting your bill lowered. And help the agent out by getting their numbers up. It's a love love relationship lol


If only I can refer someone to Directv that's another $10 saving, but no one wants to sign up considering the cost.


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

With the amount of credits I'm receiving I think Directv has done more than enough for me, unlike other providers who won't budge and just prefer to take my money (cough Comcrap cough) but with these increases more wouldn't hurt.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

dcandmc said:


> No, it's you who are missing the point. The credits will expire, and DirecTV will not renew them as a matter of course. The more credits you have had and the longer you have had them, the less inclined DirecTV will be to renew them. That has been my personal experience, and anecdotal experience from others on the forum bears that out.


Just a tidbit, why do some customers like to think they know more than DirecTV Agents (not including convergy's or telecomcomunication agents) who spend hours on end even months in training? goinsleeper was correct. DirecTV really has nothing at all to do with credits not renewing unless you have a poor payment history....many times the credits are available and we agents do not issue them either because the customer is a jerk or they are abusing the system via social engineering (csr roulette). It is up to the agent in all honesty.



acostapimps said:


> With the amount of credits I'm receiving I think Directv has done more than enough for me, unlike other providers who won't budge and just prefer to take my money (cough Comcrap cough) but with these increases more wouldn't hurt.


You bring up a very good point here. DirecTV is one of the very few companies that have monthly discounts for existing customers post rebate. Comcast, Time Warner, Uverse, Verizon Fios TV, and Mediacom sure as heck are not going to do it. Dish Network does though as they are major competitors over DirecTV and do not want to allow DTV to have that differentiator.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

DirecTV Annual Report: 2012


> _Responsible Pricing_. We believe our ability to generate the industry's highest average revenue per unit, or ARPU, demonstrates the value our best-in-class video experience delivers to our customers. It is imperative that we maintain appropriate price increases on our differentiated service offerings, while simultaneously expanding the value proposition by advancing the customer service and entertainment experiences. It is also critical that we remain disciplined in the management of subscriber credits and promotions. For example, in 2012 we introduced an Advanced Receiver Service fee on our customers' bills eliminating "Free HD for Life" as well as a lower cost programming "Entertainment" package to better fit the needs of our more value conscious consumers. These actions have reduced customer credits and are expected to increase ARPU over the coming years.


DirecTV's stated goal ... charge more money per subscriber than anyone else in the industry and be disciplined in the management of credits.

2012 ARPU: $96.98


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## Diana C (Mar 30, 2007)

James Long said:


> DirecTV Annual Report: 2012
> 
> DirecTV's stated goal ... charge more money per subscriber than anyone else in the industry and be disciplined in the management of credits.
> 
> 2012 ARPU: $96.98


The goal of every for-profit organization on the planet: bring in more dollars while spending fewer dollars. If you think DirecTV is unique in this, I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in owning...


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## TANK (Feb 16, 2003)

jdspencer said:


> Change to Choice Xtra from Choice Xtra Classic and save a whopping $1.
> You'll lose a few channels but in my case it didn't matter.
> But, there is a new $2 RSN charge now.
> So I guess my total went up by $1.
> ...


Florida's Sales and communication tax is over 17%


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

James Long said:


> DirecTV Annual Report: 2012
> 
> DirecTV's stated goal ... charge more money per subscriber than anyone else in the industry and be disciplined in the management of credits.
> 
> 2012 ARPU: $96.98


Yep, its Nuts!


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> Just a tidbit, why do some customers like to think they know more than DirecTV Agents (not including convergy's or telecomcomunication agents) who spend hours on end even months in training?


I can call and talk to three different DirecTV CSRs and get three completely different answers based on a specific question. They can't all be right. I'm not claiming to know more than any DirecTV agent, but it's very clear to me, both from personal experience and from reading thousands of posts here over many years, that either (1) DirecTV's training of frontline CSRs *SUCKS*, (2) the majority of frontline DirecTV CSRs are lazy or don't care, or a combination of (1) and (2).



Volatility said:


> goinsleeper was correct. DirecTV really has nothing at all to do with credits not renewing unless you have a poor payment history....many times the credits are available and we agents do not issue them either because the customer is a jerk or they are abusing the system via social engineering (csr roulette). It is up to the agent in all honesty.


DirecTV has nothing at all to do with credits not renewing? Really? Then please, tell me who is responsible when credits drop off of my monthly statement, because I would like to contact them. I have a perfect payment history, by the way.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

damondlt said:


> Yep, its Nuts!


Yeah because making money is nuts. Capitalism is stupid.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> Yeah because making money is nuts. Capitalism is stupid.


 Its not making me any money.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

damondlt said:


> Its not making me any money.


So DirecTV shouldn't try to maximize profits?


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> So DirecTV shouldn't try to maximize profits?


Not at *ONLY* the customers expense!


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

damondlt said:


> Not at *ONLY* the customers expense!


They don't do so only from customers. They sell in-guide ad space for one...and you love those. 

Why are so against a company maximizing profits? Does your employer not do so? If you owned a company, then wouldn't you do the same?


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> They don't do so only from customers. They sell in-guide ad space for one...and you love those.
> 
> Why are so against a company maximizing profits? Does your employer not do so? If you owned a company, then wouldn't you do the same?


I own a company, and I haven't gotten a raise in about 6 years. I unlike the BIG WIGS have to conform myself to the economy or else me and my Crew don't work.

If you ran a business you would have know that.
I bet MR White didn't feel a thing during the economy crash.
Directv maximizing profit scale proves that!

I maximize Proffits by lowering my rate in order to gain more work.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

damondlt said:


> I own a company, and I haven't gotten a raise in about 6 years. I unlike the BIG WIGS have to conform myself to the economy or else me and my Crew don't work.
> 
> If you ran a business you would have know that.
> I bet MR White didn't feel a thing during the economy crash.
> ...


Ahhh... it's ok for you to maximize profits, but big companies are bad for it. Gotcha.


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

James Long said:


> DirecTV Annual Report: 2012
> 
> DirecTV's stated goal ... charge more money per subscriber than anyone else in the industry and be disciplined in the management of credits.
> 
> 2012 ARPU: $96.98


And my stated goal is to spend as little as legally possible for both the needs and wants of me and my family's lives. The tension between these opposing, while both legitimate, goals, is the challenge.


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## dishinitout (Jan 4, 2013)

damondlt;3200378 said:


> If you ran a business you would have know that.
> I bet MR White didn't feel a thing during the economy crash.
> Directv maximizing profit scale proves that!


Of course Mr. White didn't feel a thing regarding what the economy is doing because despite the economy going down DirecTV has strengthened over the last few years while cable companies have been bleeding customers. With that said when competitors are doing bad and your company is growing that means your doing something right and he should be rewarded for it. With DirecTV having the highest ARPU in the industry with that increasing yearly along with customer base increasing it proves customers will pay more for a quality product they can't get elsewhere. What's so hard about that to understand? You really think the best service out there should be the cheapest as well?


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

sigma1914 said:


> Ahhh... it's ok for you to maximize profits, but big companies are bad for it. Gotcha.


I would guess that D* has done the math and believe that they can maximize profits through base cost increases and additional fees, offsetting any subscriber loss. In other scenarios profit can be maximized more efficiently through lowering of product/service cost and adding more consumers. Depending on the business (type, size) and the market one or the other solution is likely to be better. Could D* increase their profit by reducing cost to the consumer and attracting more customers? Very likely - but that would depend on how much their expenses are actually fixed vs. variable per customer. Frankly I'd love to see a price war between Dish and D*.


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

I am not a business major but if they treated existing customers better and lowered the rates a bit the could eventually have the entire industry. Would you rather maximize profits or cripple the competition?


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> Ahhh... it's ok for you to maximize profits, but big companies are bad for it. Gotcha.


 Maximizing Profit doesn't always result making more money.

Only in Directv/ Dish Networks world!

Big companies Beat the little ones to death, Grab their customers , Lock them into commitments, and Jack up the prices, and now there's no where to go.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

dishinitout said:


> You really think the best service out there should be the cheapest as well?


Why not? Most of America Small business are the Cheapest and Best ran companys. They care about their customers.

I've waited months sometimes to get paid, how long does Directv sit on a bill before they Cut you off at the Knees?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

damondlt said:


> Maximizing Profit doesn't always result making more money.
> 
> Only in Directv/ Dish Networks world!
> 
> Big companies Beat the little ones to death, Grab their customers , Lock them into commitments, and Jack up the prices, and now there's no where to go.


So what? What little companies did DirecTV and Dish beat down? Satellite and the TV industries are huge multi million dollar organizations.

Start your own Mom & Pop satellite service and save the tv world.

It's truly baffling that someone who owns a business doesn't like companies making money. I guess if your company ever takes off big time, then you won't try to make more money.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

omartinjordan said:


> I am not a business major but if they treated existing customers better and lowered the rates a bit the could eventually have the entire industry. Would you rather maximize profits or cripple the competition?


There will always be churn and without new customer acquisition, the customer base would not hold up. Existing customers are treated very well, though that can be biased on opinion. Depends on what a customer expects the company to do for them, it anything.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dishinitout said:


> Of course Mr. White didn't feel a thing regarding what the economy is doing because despite the economy going down DirecTV has strengthened over the last few years while cable companies have been bleeding customers.


Your reasoning is flawed because bleeding customers isn't necessarily a bad thing. DIRECTV didn't begin to get their profits up convincingly until they stopped coddling crappy customers.

We're just beginning to see where DIRECTV is going to find equilibrium after several years of untamed subscriber growth.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

damondlt said:


> I've waited months sometimes to get paid, how long does Directv sit on a bill before they Cut you off at the Knees?


I think saying, "Cut you off at the Knees" may be overkill but they give you 6 weeks to pay your bill before any cutting is done. There is an agreement signed before setting up service with the understanding that D* will continue to provide services as long as the subscriber continues to pay for said services. I don't think it's inhumane in any way for a company to turn off your services if you fail to pay for them.

In your case, waiting months for payment is a very noble thing to do but on the other hand, is your customer a bad customer for not paying on time? If you knew it was going to end up that way, was it more charity than a business transaction?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

damondlt said:


> I've waited months sometimes to get paid, how long does Directv sit on a bill before they Cut you off at the Knees?


Are you in a continuing service type of business or an on demand event based type of work?

A continuing service such as DirecTV has a choice of requiring 100% payment in advance and cutting off customers the moment their bill is unpaid or allowing their customers to get behind. SiriusXM is an example of a company that is 100% in advance ... they take the payment or cut off the receivers. DirecTV allows their customers some latitude. And six weeks past due before losing service is pretty good.

Once your customers go past due do you continue to provide them service? Most businesses I have worked with will not serve deadbeats. Some will ... if there is a hope of being paid later ... partially because they are hungry and partially out of charity. And it can pay off - helping someone when they are down can build loyalty.

DirecTV isn't hungry ... and although through leniency (not cutting people off the moment they are past due) and credits they offer some charity they are a business. And they are in a position where they can operate like a business.


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## ehilbert1 (Jan 23, 2007)

Looks like sports and content providers aren't the only reason rates go up every year. A 200% raise! Wow that's nice!

http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/directv-michael-white-ceo-compensation/


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

dcandmc said:


> I can call and talk to three different DirecTV CSRs and get three completely different answers based on a specific question. They can't all be right. I'm not claiming to know more than any DirecTV agent, but it's very clear to me, both from personal experience and from reading thousands of posts here over many years, that either (1) DirecTV's training of frontline CSRs *SUCKS*, (2) the majority of frontline DirecTV CSRs are lazy or don't care, or a combination of (1) and (2).


 One and two are not the reason why. The reasoning why is drum rolls please.........outsourcing! Most the agents I know from the call center I work in and the other call centers owned and operated by DirecTV have a strong distaste of the Convertgies Call Centers (play on words as they act like they are really spies whom are really working for dish network to convert customers away from DirecTV). They give customers wrong information and you have to be able to get the customer to realize they were mistold. Cigarette break!



omartinjordan said:


> I am not a business major but if they treated existing customers better and lowered the rates a bit the could eventually have the entire industry. Would you rather maximize profits or cripple the competition?


That sounds good when you read it on paper, but the market does not work like that. But lets say it is possible for DirecTV to cripple the competition. That is extremely bad for the consumer. Competition in the market is actually good as it results in:
1.Lower prices for consumers
2.A greater discipline on producers/suppliers to keep their costs down
3.Improvements in technology - with positive effects on production methods and costs
4.A greater variety of products (giving more choice)
5.A faster pace of invention and innovation
6.Improvements to the quality of service for consumers
7.Better information for consumers allowing people to make more informed choices


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

Well, I called to ask if there were any discounts or promotions I was elible for to reduce my bill. I have been with Directv since around 2007 maybe. Been out of contract for several years. She told me all I was eligible for was 6 months of Stars. WTF? Who wants that? The only thing I have gotten from them was 3 months of sports pak for free one time and encore while the Viacom crap was going on. I guess my only option is drop to the entertainment package or switch to Dish. I called a month ago because I was interested ni the Genie if I lowered my package. I didn't tell them I was going to lower the channel package but they wanted $299 for it. They can go pound sand.


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

By the way. I told them not to sign me up for stars 6 months free.


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## donalddickerson2005 (Feb 13, 2012)

omartinjordan said:


> By the way. I told them not to sign me up for stars 6 months free.


How long have you been with the company,
what package and extras nflst nhlci ect do you have


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

goinsleeper said:


> I think saying, "Cut you off at the Knees" may be overkill but they give you 6 weeks to pay your bill before any cutting is done.


You're slightly off there but not by much as 6 Weeks is 42 days. It's 45 days 



omartinjordan said:


> Well, I called to ask if there were any discounts or promotions I was elible for to reduce my bill. I have been with Directv since around 2007 maybe. Been out of contract for several years. She told me all I was eligible for was 6 months of Stars. WTF? Who wants that?


At least she didn't offer you Showtime blech. I seriously doubt all you had available was Starz for 6 months if you are not currently receiving discounts and have been paying your bill on time. If their are not any discounts offers, Starz wouldn't of been available--that offer is not on an account whom haven't been with us that long. You may want to call back.


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## celticpride (Sep 6, 2006)

Wow! you guys got me wondering if i should go back to directv or not.I left directv 3 and a half years ago with verizon i pay about $74.00 a month. BTW if i decide to go back to directv who gets the better deal a returning customer from 3 years ago(under my wifes name) or should i try under my name as a brand new customer?


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

I have the old total choice package. I signed up around 2006 or 2007. No extras but hd dvr and 2 extra boxes. I get the sports pack every year from September to march.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> One and two are not the reason why. The reasoning why is drum rolls please.........outsourcing! Most the agents I know from the call center I work in and the other call centers owned and operated by DirecTV have a strong distaste of the Convertgies Call Centers (play on words as they act like they are really spies whom are really working for dish network to convert customers away from DirecTV). They give customers wrong information and you have to be able to get the customer to realize they were mistold. Cigarette break!


I don't know, and I don't care, whether the CSR I'm talking to is a DirecTV employee or an outsourced contract CSR. For all intents and purposes, from the customer's perspective, they're the same thing. DirecTV is responsible for the conduct and professionalism of both types, whether its through an employment contract or a contract with the outsourcing company.



Volatility said:


> Dish Network packages may be priced cheaper than Directv's but they make up for it by charging ridiculous fees like 99.00 for a service call; 5.00 to talk to an operator


Hey, guess what? DirecTV has those fees too! The Dish $5.00 "talk to an operator" fee that you link to above is for ordering pay-per-view over the phone (DirecTV also charges $5.00 for that) and for paying a bill over the phone (DirecTV charges $10.00 for that! That's twice as much as Dish for the exact same thing!).



Volatility said:


> Competition in the market is actually good as it results in:
> 1.Lower prices for consumers
> 2.A greater discipline on producers/suppliers to keep their costs down
> 3.Improvements in technology - with positive effects on production methods and costs
> ...


Nice job regurgitating ECON 101. I bet that you passed the mid-term with that impressive knowledge.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

omartinjordan said:


> I have the old total choice package. I signed up around 2006 or 2007. No extras but hd dvr and 2 extra boxes. I get the sports pack every year from September to march.


The Total Choice Package and other grandfathered packages do not qualify for the monthly base package discounts. She should of explained the benefits of moving to the Xtra or Ultimate package with a discount if she did not already.



dcandmc said:


> Hey, guess what? DirecTV has those fees too! The Dish $5.00 "talk to an operator" fee that you link to above is for ordering pay-per-view over the phone (DirecTV also charges $5.00 for that) and for paying a bill over the phone (DirecTV charges $10.00 for that! That's twice as much as Dish for the exact same thing!).


 no just no. DirecTV does NOT charge 10.00 for paying your bill over the phone. We charge 5.00 for ordering PPV through an operator and paying your bill. Dish supposedly charges 5.00 for also getting technical support, though I am not sure they still do that. Also Dish charges a 25.00 reconnect fee to get your services out of a disconnect if you fail to pay your bill on time. We at DirecTV don't.



dcandmc said:


> Nice job regurgitating ECON 101. I bet that you passed the mid-term with that impressive knowledge.


albeit the sarcasm you gave me....Yup!


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## omartinjordan (Mar 25, 2013)

She never mentioned it.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> no just no. DirecTV does NOT charge 10.00 for paying your bill over the phone.


From the DirecTV website:

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/legal/customer_agreement

Take a look at Section 2, Part (c), item (6). That does say $10.00, right?



Volatility said:


> We charge 5.00 for ordering PPV through an operator...


I guess that's only a "ridiculous" fee when Dish charges it, then? Because you did say that a $5.00 fee to order pay-per-view through an operator was ridiculous.



Volatility said:


> Dish supposedly charges 5.00 for also getting technical support, though I am not sure they still do that.


Dish "supposedly" charges a $5.00 fee for getting technical support, but you're "not sure" if they still do? You're seriously making this part of your argument?

Edited to add: The DirecTV customer agreement, complete with the $10.00 fee for paying a bill through a phone agent, is even linked in your signature. That's too funny.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

omartinjordan said:


> Well, I called to ask if there were any discounts or promotions I was elible for to reduce my bill. I have been with Directv since around 2007 maybe. Been out of contract for several years. She told me all I was eligible for was 6 months of Stars. WTF? Who wants that? The only thing I have gotten from them was 3 months of sports pak for free one time and encore while the Viacom crap was going on. I guess my only option is drop to the entertainment package or switch to Dish. I called a month ago because I was interested ni the Genie if I lowered my package. I didn't tell them I was going to lower the channel package but they wanted $299 for it. They can go pound sand.


The first line that you would usually get is billing, who can't really help you with your bill other than understanding it. I would suggest calling again, though I always stand by expecting nothing other than to pay a bill and receive a service.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dcandmc said:


> From the DirecTV website:
> 
> http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/legal/customer_agreement
> 
> ...


It says, "*Up to* $10.00 Phone Payment Fee." Up to...


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

sigma1914 said:


> It says, "*Up to* $10.00 Phone Payment Fee." Up to...


Right... "up to" because state law my dictate that a lesser amount be charged. DirecTV will charge the maximum amount allowed by law, up to $10.00:

"(c) Administrative Fees. To control the basic charges which apply to all customers, we may charge fees that arise in specific circumstances only to those customers responsible for them. The list below is not exclusive, and DIRECTV reserves the right to modify these fees or charge additional fees. In each case, *we will charge you the lesser of the fee listed or the maximum amount permitted under applicable law*:"

The fee for making a payment through a phone agent will only be less than $10.00 if applicable state law specifies a lesser amount. If there's no governing law or the law allows an amount greater than or equal to $10.00, DirecTV will charge $10.00.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> I guess that's only a "ridiculous" fee when Dish charges it, then? Because you did say that a $5.00 fee to order pay-per-view through an operator was ridiculous.


It's only a $5 charge for paying your bill with a CSR but your point is well made.
I would guess saying "ridiculous" is just in comparison to the charge D* has for sending a technician out.

The $5 fee for ordering a PPV or making a payment is a convenience charge. It's really to keep customers using the automated systems to make the payments like the automated phone system, paying online or paying with a smart phone. No company wants to pay a CSR to take a call to accept a payment or order a PPV. They are then paying someone to accept what is already owed to them, hence the $5 fee. You would be surprised how many people call to order a movie and ask suggestions which turns a 1 minute phone call into 15 or 20 minutes.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> It's only a $5 charge for paying your bill with a CSR but your point is well made.
> I would guess saying "ridiculous" is just in comparison to the charge D* has for sending a technician out.


I've never paid my bill over the phone, so I'm just going off of what the DirecTV customer agreement says, which is $10.00 (or a lesser amount if required by law). Volatility deleted the part of his post where he called these fees "ridiculous," but he was clearly referring to the fee for rolling a truck as well as the fees for paying a bill or ordering pay-per-view through a CSR.



goinsleeper said:


> The $5 fee for ordering a PPV or making a payment is a convenience charge. It's really to keep customers using the automated systems to make the payments like the automated phone system, paying online or paying with a smart phone. No company wants to pay a CSR to take a call to accept a payment or order a PPV. They are then paying someone to accept what is already owed to them, hence the $5 fee. You would be surprised how many people call to order a movie and ask suggestions which turns a 1 minute phone call into 15 or 20 minutes.


Oh, I completely understand why fees like this are in place, and I have no trouble avoiding them. What I have a problem with is someone saying, "Dish does this silly stuff, but DirecTV doesn't," when that's completely not true. Both providers have good points and bad points. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> Oh, I completely understand why fees like this are in place, and I have no trouble avoiding them. What I have a problem with is someone saying, "Dish does this silly stuff, but DirecTV doesn't," when that's completely not true. Both providers have good points and bad points. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts.


Agreed. Personal opinion doesn't factor in well when facts are the topic.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

dcandmc said:


> I've never paid my bill over the phone, so I'm just going off of what the DirecTV customer agreement says, which is $10.00 (or a lesser amount if required by law). Volatility deleted the part of his post where he called these fees "ridiculous," but he was clearly referring to the fee for rolling a truck as well as the fees for paying a bill or ordering pay-per-view through a CSR.


 The fee dish network charges for a service call at 99.00 is too high. And it was too high as well when DirecTV charged the same amount several years ago before lowering it down by half. I wasn't referring to the 5.00 pay per view ordering by a CSR fee as "ridiculous". I do not think it is ridiculous at all as it is in place to try to persuade the customer to use self help tools such as ordering through their receiver via a phone line or internet connection, the website, and recently through text messaging to help lower queue. If it is a new customer who is new at ordering movies or an existing customer who is having problems ordering those ways I usually always waive it as I know if I was them having problems ordering a ppv I wouldn't want to pay it either. The 5.00 fee I was referring to was the fee I have been told Dish charges everytime you speak to an operator. But I just looked at their website and could find no such mentioning of such a fee. So I will let that one go lol.



> Oh, I completely understand why fees like this are in place, and I have no trouble avoiding them. What I have a problem with is someone saying, "Dish does this silly stuff, but DirecTV doesn't," when that's completely not true. Both providers have good points and bad points. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts.


 You are correct. Stating a fee Dish charges could be lowered is my opinion. In my defense, my signature does state: My posts, whether factual or _opinionated_, _are my own_ and therefore do not in anyway represent DirecTV Enterprises, LLC.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> I wasn't referring to the 5.00 pay per view ordering by a CSR fee as "ridiculous".


Actually, you did, and then you deleted that part of your post. A mistake, perhaps?



Volatility said:


> The 5.00 fee I was referring to was the fee I have been told Dish charges everytime you speak to an operator. But I just looked at their website and could find no such mentioning of such a fee. So I will let that one go lol.


How noble of you.



Volatility said:


> You are correct. Stating a fee Dish charges could be lowered is my opinion.


You didn't say that a Dish fee "could be lowered," you called it "ridiculous"... until it was pointed out that DirecTV has the same fees (and higher than what Dish charges, in at least one case).


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

dcandmc said:


> Actually, you did, and then you deleted that part of your post. A mistake, perhaps?
> 
> How noble of you.
> 
> You didn't say that a Dish fee "could be lowered," you called it "ridiculous"... until it was pointed out that DirecTV has the same fees (and higher than what Dish charges, in at least one case).


The one case you are referring to that DTV charges higher than Dish is the 10 operator fee which. DTV does not charge 10.00 as an operator fee. This is taken from their website: Additional $1.50 charge when ordered by phone utilizing the automated ordering system or additional $5 charge if an operator-assisted order. From
http://www.directv.com/movies/

And sorry about the deletion, I did not realize I was quoted when I was editing my post.


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

This fit right in with the BECAUSE WE CAN FEE, They usually say this with Dish but Directv shouldn't be ruled out on this.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> The one case you are referring to that DTV charges higher than Dish is the 10 operator fee which. DTV does not charge 10.00 as an operator fee. This is taken from their website: Additional $1.50 charge when ordered by phone utilizing the automated ordering system or additional $5 charge if an operator-assisted order. From
> http://www.directv.com/movies/


As pointed out earlier in this thread, as per the DirecTV customer agreement, the $10.00 operator assist fee is for paying a bill, not for ordering pay-per-view, which incurs a $5.00 fee.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

James Long said:


> And six weeks past due before losing service is pretty good.


DIRECTV (like DISH and just about everyone else) is a pay in advance operation. Six weeks after due is only two weeks of non-paid service so their generosity does have reasonable bounds and they have a well-earned reputation of hitting your credit card if things don't go their way.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

harsh said:


> DIRECTV (like DISH and just about everyone else) is a pay in advance operation. Six weeks after due is only two weeks of non-paid service so their generosity does have reasonable bounds and they have a well-earned reputation of hitting your credit card if things don't go their way.


Yep Like unreturned equipment fees.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

damondlt said:


> Yep Like unreturned equipment fees.


"If we haven't received your leased equipment within 21 days of termination of your base level of programming, or if the equipment is returned in damaged condition, we will charge you $45 for each standard Receiver, $135 for each DVR, $100 for each HD Receiver, $200 for each HD DVR, $250 for each Advanced Whole-Home DVR (aka "Genie HD DVR") and $100 for each Client, so please promptly attend to your equipment return."
source


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

James Long said:


> "If we haven't received your leased equipment within 21 days of termination of your base level of programming, or if the equipment is returned in damaged condition, we will charge you $45 for each standard Receiver, $135 for each DVR, $100 for each HD Receiver, $200 for each HD DVR, $250 for each Advanced Whole-Home DVR (aka "Genie HD DVR") and $100 for each Client, so please promptly attend to your equipment return."
> source


btw 250.00 for the genie isnt a bad deal considering it is 299 to lease especially if you got a free offer.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

dcandmc said:


> As pointed out earlier in this thread, as per the DirecTV customer agreement, the $10.00 operator assist fee is for paying a bill, not for ordering pay-per-view, which incurs a $5.00 fee.


we do not charge 10.00 operator fee for anything. Period. It says up to 10.00. 10.00 is the max fee set by the govt we can charge but we do not charge that. only 5 buckaroos. Sorry to burs your buble but its true


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

James Long said:


> source


Legal doesn't seem to communicate very well with billing.


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

James Long said:


> "If we haven't received your leased equipment within 21 days of termination of your base level of programming, or if the equipment is returned in damaged condition, we will charge you $45 for each standard Receiver, $135 for each DVR, $100 for each HD Receiver, $200 for each HD DVR, $250 for each Advanced Whole-Home DVR (aka "Genie HD DVR") and $100 for each Client, so please promptly attend to your equipment return."
> source


Seems like there should be a sliding scale based on the model and length of time you've had it (I'm thinking depreciation-like). For example, how much value does my HR20-100, put in service in 2007, still retain? Is it even worth D* paying the shipping?


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

James Long said:


> "If we haven't received your leased equipment within 21 days of termination of your base level of programming, or if the equipment is returned in damaged condition, we will charge you $45 for each standard Receiver, $135 for each DVR, $100 for each HD Receiver, $200 for each HD DVR, $250 for each Advanced Whole-Home DVR (aka "Genie HD DVR") and $100 for each Client, so please promptly attend to your equipment return."
> source


I know that both D* and E* have something similar in this regard, but the reality is that the customer has no control over when they actually receive the shipped gear. In both cases, D* or E* has chosen a specific shipping agent to handle returns, the customer's obligation should end at the time of drop off at the provider's chosen shipping agent.

With D* using the worst possible way to have their gear returned, which has little to no tracking capability, it is even worse than E*'s.

As to the charge for a truck roll. Volatility's claim that $99 (it actually is $95) is too high for this, I would say that is his opinion and not a fact at all. Having run a service organization for many years, rolling a truck with a tech would cost my company more than that even back when I was working and that's 7 years ago.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> we do not charge 10.00 operator fee for anything. Period. It says up to 10.00. 10.00 is the max fee set by the govt we can charge but we do not charge that. only 5 buckaroos. Sorry to burs your buble but its true


Oh boy. The $10.00 fee for paying a bill through a phone agent is the maximum amount set by DirecTV, not "the government." Individual states ("the government") may or may not have laws that specify how much a business can charge for a service like this. If the law states that the maximum amount that can be charged for this service is less than $10.00, than DirecTV will charge that lesser amount for customers in that particular state. If there is no state law that applies or the law sets a maximum amount that is greater than $10.00, than DirecTV says that it *will* charge $10.00 for this service.

It's all right there in black and white in the customer agreement link in your signature.


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

Can anyone report that they have been charged $10 for paying their bill through a CSR? If not, are we just going to argue over the amount that DirecTV has stated that they may charge up to?

If we can't find someone who has actually been charged this amount, then who cares this?


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## donalddickerson2005 (Feb 13, 2012)

Bill Broderick said:


> Can anyone report that they have been charged $10 for paying their bill through a CSR? If not, are we just going to argue over the amount that DirecTV has stated that they may charge up to?
> 
> If we can't find someone who has actually been charged this amount, then who cares this?


The CSR trays to charge me however they always get an override for the amount. So I do get charged but get a credit of it back.


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

Bill Broderick;3201357 said:


> Can anyone report that they have been charged $10 for paying their bill through a CSR? If not, are we just going to argue over the amount that DirecTV has stated that they may charge up to?
> 
> If we can't find someone who has actually been charged this amount, then who cares this?


Exactly. We were told 10 up to is the price ceiling set by the govt. You can read more about price ceilings here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_ceiling. But then again who cares??


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

Volatility said:


> Exactly. We were told 10 up to is the price ceiling set by the govt.


I guess that during your DirecTV CSR training when you "spend hours on end even months in training" (see your post # 67 in this thread), they don't teach you how to read and interpret a contract. Because that's clearly not what the DirecTV customer agreement says.



Volatility said:


> You can read more about price ceilings here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_ceiling.


More Econ 101. Save it for your term paper.



Volatility said:


> But then again who cares??


To the extent that misinformation is being put out, I care. You've backpedaled on most of the other bad gouge you've put out; time to come clean on this one, too.

I see that you're no longer providing a link to the DirecTV customer agreement in your signature. Should we read anything into this?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dcandmc said:


> To the extent that misinformation is being put out, I care.


We are now a club of two.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> I guess that during your DirecTV CSR training when you "spend hours on end even months in training" (see your post # 67 in this thread), they don't teach you how to read and interpret a contract. Because that's clearly not what the DirecTV customer agreement says.


Now you are chiming in with opionated comments. You don't know how his training went or how long he had it. D* charges a "Phone transaction fee" for taking payments or PPV orders over the phone. The contract may say up to $10 but I've never seen or even heard of anyone being charged this. You're pulling the legal portion out of the contract and you're being responded to by Volatility with fact of what and how the charges actually work.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> Now you are chiming in with opionated comments. You don't know how his training went or how long he had it. D* charges a "Phone transaction fee" for taking payments or PPV orders over the phone. The contract may say up to $10 but I've never seen or even heard of anyone being charged this. You're pulling the legal portion out of the contract and you're being responded to by Volatility with fact of what and how the charges actually work.


There's nothing wrong with opinions. As I said in an earlier post, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and I have no problem with anyone expressing an opinion- as long as they don't try to pass it off as fact, and are willing to listen to a differing opinion. And I don't know any more about the training that Volatility has received other than what _he has told us _and I quoted above. I'm "guessing" (not passing off as fact) that he wasn't taught how to read and interpret a contract in that training for several reasons: it doesn't seem like something that would be covered in a DirecTV CSR training session, and he's not exhibiting proficiency in that skill in this thread.

Volatility is saying (and you are apparently confirming) that the $10 fee for using a phone agent to pay a bill that is listed in the DirecTV customer agreement is a maximum amount set by "the government" for this service. If this is indeed factual, than it shouldn't be too hard to find and cite a reference in support.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> *I guess that *


I feel this part of your comment shouldn't allow you to make an assumption, especially as aggressive as it was, after we have been trying to get back to just the facts.

Regardless, as I stated above, you can pull the information from the contract then rely on employees to narrow down how it actually works/applies. The contract specifies "up to $10" but you now have two employees that are letting you know it is only $5. We only want you to be more informed. It could say "up to $100" but the only thing that matters is what actually applies.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> I feel this part of your comment shouldn't allow you to make an assumption, especially as aggressive as it was, after we have been trying to get back to just the facts.
> 
> Regardless, as I stated above, you can pull the information from the contract then rely on employees to narrow down how it actually works/applies. The contract specifies "up to $10" but you now have two employees that are letting you know it is only $5. We only want you to be more informed. It could say "up to $100" but the only thing that matters is what actually applies.


As I've said, I have no experience paying my DirecTV bill through a phone agent. What I've seen in writing, though, in the DirecTV customer agreement, says that DirecTV *will* charge a $10 fee for this service, unless an applicable law mandates a lesser charge. Is there anything in writing, from DirecTV, that says DirecTV only charges a $5 fee for this service?


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## Volatility (May 22, 2010)

Okay, this thread is titled Best Way To Reduce Bill NOT Agent Operator Fees. The topic has been derailed and has well made its point on the initial topic. I have helped moderated a Vbulletin Website Forum before with a little over 60K members (waaaaaaaay more than dbstalk), and I would have closed this thread at this point. Geesh, where the heck are the mods? On vacation?!


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> As I've said, I have no experience paying my DirecTV bill through a phone agent. What I've seen in writing, though, in the DirecTV customer agreement, says that DirecTV *will* charge a $10 fee for this service, unless an applicable law mandates a lesser charge. Is there anything in writing, from DirecTV, that says DirecTV only charges a $5 fee for this service?


It specifies "Up to $10" for paying an "outstanding balance". This would include the $5 PTF (phone transaction fee) and up to $5 for the late fee. It does not specify they *will*, it only says they may, which is merely reserving the right to do so. The PTF is only $5 for ordering a PPV or making a payment through a CSR.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

Volatility said:


> Okay, this thread is titled Best Way To Reduce Bill NOT Agent Operator Fees. The topic has been derailed and has well made its point on the initial topic. I have helped moderated a Vbulletin Website Forum before with a little over 60K members (waaaaaaaay more than dbstalk), and I would have closed this thread at this point. Geesh, where the heck are the mods? On vacation?!


Agreed. The point has been made. Let's get back to reducing bills.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> It does not specify they *will*, it only says they may, which is merely reserving the right to do so. The PTF is only $5 for ordering a PPV or making a payment through a CSR.


From the DirecTV customer agreement:

(c) Administrative Fees. To control the basic charges which apply to all customers, we may charge fees that arise in specific circumstances only to those customers responsible for them. The list below is not exclusive, and DIRECTV reserves the right to modify these fees or charge additional fees. *In each case, we will charge you the lesser of the fee listed or the maximum amount permitted under applicable law:*

(6) _Up to $10.00 Phone Payment Fee_, if you elect to pay any outstanding balance over the telephone with an agent. To avoid this fee, you can pay your bill through our Automated Phone System by saying "Pay my bill," or at directv.com.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> From the DirecTV customer agreement:
> 
> (c) Administrative Fees. To control the basic charges which apply to all customers, *we may charge fees* that arise in specific circumstances only to those customers responsible for them. The list below is not exclusive, and DIRECTV reserves the right to modify these fees or charge additional fees. In each case, *we will charge you the lesser of the fee listed or the maximum amount permitted under applicable law:*
> 
> (6) _Up to $10.00 Phone Payment Fee_, if you elect to pay any outstanding balance over the telephone with an agent. To avoid this fee, you can pay your bill through our Automated Phone System by saying "Pay my bill," or at directv.com.


Thank you for confirming my side of the discussion with that first bolded portion. The second bolded portion refers to what happens if the first bolded portion holds true.

You can read this for hours if you want, but the PTF from D* is $5. Even if you have a law degree, I'm letting you know that D* does not charge $10 for making a payment with a CSR.

Let's move on folks.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

goinsleeper said:


> Let's move on folks.


Good advice!

:backtotop


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> Thank you for confirming my side of the discussion with that first bolded portion. The second bolded portion refers to what happens if the first bolded portion holds true.


Sounds like what you're saying is *if* they choose to charge a fee, it *will* be for the amount listed, unless a lesser mount applies by law.


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## goinsleeper (May 23, 2012)

dcandmc said:


> Sounds like what you're saying is *if* they choose to charge a fee, it *will* be for the amount listed, unless a lesser mount applies by law.


I'll be more than happy to continue talking about how you interpret the contract through PM, but as far as this thread is concerned, let's get back on topic.


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## dcandmc (Sep 24, 2008)

goinsleeper said:


> I'll be more than happy to continue talking about how you interpret the contract through PM, but as far as this thread is concerned, let's get back on topic.


_The second bolded portion refers to what happens if the first bolded portion holds true._

I think we're on the same page.


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## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

Paid my bill yesterday, it was $96, as long as it stays under $100 I'll stay with D, if it goes back up then I will have to really look into an alternative for the NFL... With Aereo coming to Miami this year, rumored Apple TV, Netflix slowing turning into an on demand HBO, Hulu, Intel, etc, D is going to be under huge pressure to lower it's costs...


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

Last night I was helping a friend who wanted to get off of the Comcast Triple Play. Her bill had gone up to over $150.00 a month. She called Comcast and they knocked $20.00 a month off her bill if she would give them a two year commitment, but after taxes it was still $142.00. I did some research and was recommending a $75.00 a month DirecTV Genie/internet package from Centurylink for a year. To my surprise she said lets just try what we can get OTA or for free through the cable without a converter box. After trying some different hookups she was very happy with the results. She realized she was losing all DVR and guide functions but was still very happy with the number of channels she could get for free in HD!. She is ditching her home phone but will keep internet ($39.00 a month through Centurylink). I also dropped off a Apple TV for her to try. I think she felt relief getting away from Comcast, which she had had for over 20 years, and realizing the savings she will have every month. I think a lot of people are ready to do the same with all the cable/satellite providers.


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

I thought that this may be of interest to this thread:

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/04/08/broadcasters-worry-about-zero-tv-homes/?intcmp=trending


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## EW800 (Oct 2, 2010)

After reading this thread, I though what the heck - can't hurt to try. I called a rep and just stated that I was hoping to reduce my monthly expenses a bit and wondering if there was anything they could do to help me bring down my bill. She put me on hold for a few minutes and then came back on the line saying there would be no problem giving me bill credits of $15 for the next 12 months. I am only on the Choice plan currently, so I thought that was not too bad.


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