DirecTV on-line and Billing

[Luke_Y]

When you register for on-line access to your account. Is it still set up so that you stop getting a paper bill in the mail?

About a year ago I registered for account access at directv.com and gave my usual disposable spam e-mail address. Well, after looking around on line at the account that one time, I didn't find occasion to return for a couple of months. I returned to find a large overdue amount owed. I ask the wife "when did we last get a D* bill?" "Now that you mention it - it's been a couple of months"

So we called D* told them what happened and they told me that when you sign up for on-line access you no longer get a paper bill. Anyway sent them the $$ and went back to look on-line and I couldn't find a way to do it so I haven't been back on-line .

I would like to be able to review some things on-line but want to know if it's still that way, or maybe I was missing something the first time around...

[curt8403]

When you register for on-line access to your account. Is it still set up so that you stop getting a paper bill in the mail?

About a year ago I registered for account access at directv.com and gave my usual disposable spam e-mail address. Well, after looking around on line at the account that one time, I didn't find occasion to return for a couple of months. I returned to find a large overdue amount owed. I ask the wife "when did we last get a D* bill?" "Now that you mention it - it's been a couple of months"

So we called D* told them what happened and they told me that when you sign up for on-line access you no longer get a paper bill. Anyway sent them the $$ and went back to look on-line and I couldn't find a way to do it so I haven't been back on-line .

I would like to be able to review some things on-line but want to know if it's still that way, or maybe I was missing something the first time around...

You have to be very careful with the online billing, by default it will ask for an email address to send the bill to so that D* does not have to print the bill. you should always call D* and verify that it is still a paper bill

you can still go online and look at stuff, just don't sign up for email billing like they ask you to

[Luke_Y]

You have to be very careful with the online billing... ...you can still go online and look at stuff, just don't sign up for email billing like they ask you to

If I recall correctly, I had to give the e-mail addy just to get registered at all in the beginning. It was just looking at the bill on-line (something like "access your bill on-line") that triggered the no paper bill thing. I went back and explored at the time and couldn't find a way to view the bill without basically signing up for on-line billing.

So I don't want to go back and trigger it again unless someone can tell me where I can look to find the option on our account.

No way do I want to have to call D* on the phone after every time I look on-line. That would kind of defeat the purpose.

[curt8403]

let me play with my account online and see exactly what gives. You should be able to view bills and still get a paper bill, I'll let you know:)

[curt8403]

If I recall correctly, I had to give the e-mail addy just to get registered at all in the beginning. It was just looking at the bill on-line (something like "access your bill on-line") that triggered the no paper bill thing. I went back and explored at the time and couldn't find a way to view the bill without basically signing up for on-line billing.

So I don't want to go back and trigger it again unless someone can tell me where I can look to find the option on our account.

No way do I want to have to call D* on the phone after every time I look on-line. That would kind of defeat the purpose.

Crud, Crud, and Triple Crud :rant: D* has changed the way that the online bills work. You used to be able to view bills online and still get a paper bill, that has now changed. I think it is time to complain.

[Pink Fairy]

That changed a while back. You can either receive paper statements or view them online.

[laurie_lu]

I think it is time to complain.

I agree.

[JLucPicard]

This has been hashed and re-hashed in other threads already, but since (I think) around July 2006 (?), if you sign up for on-line account access, DirecTV discontinues paper bills. You can have one or the other.

When you sign up for on-line access, it will require an e-mail address. Each month you will receive an e-mail at that address that says "Your bill is ready to view on-line". You can then log into DirecTV.com and view your bill. If you give a bogus e-mail address or use an e-mail address that you do not check, you will not get the notification that your bill is available.

There are a number of options to pay your bill either by setting up autopay or using your bank account or credit card.

For those that want on-line access AND want a paper bill, there is a printer icon on your bill-viewing page that you can click to print one.

Personally, I have never really been able to understand why people would be upset that you can't have it both ways. Electronically, you can view and print your bills on-line, and you get a monthly reminder that your bill is due. If you want a paper copy in hand, all you have to do is print one. That should work sufficiently to trigger the process of paying just like a snail mail bill would do.

From DirecTV's stand point, it's much more cost effective to have someone handle their billing on-line than to have to pay the cost of printing, stuffing, mailing and eventually manually processing payments. Yes, these things all need to continue being done to some degree, but if you are already accessing on-line, why would DirecTV need to continue to pay those costs for snail mail for people that are doing that?

There are some who have been around for a while that still get paper and have on-line access, but that is definitely the exception rather than the rule and likely an issue on DirecTV's part versus something they knowingly just allow some people to do.

[jswinner]

Plus with online, you eliminate all of that bill stuffer crap. Always good to save a few trees and reduce my hassle dealing with all of that paper..

[ThomasM]

let me play with my account online and see exactly what gives. You should be able to view bills and still get a paper bill, I'll let you know:)

No you can't. I had my DirecTV payment deducted from my checking account automatically for YEARS AND YEARS. I got a paper bill in the mail and I could view my statement online if I chose to. But then I got an email telling me that "due to new regulations" I would have to verify that I wanted to view my bill online. Upon visiting the web site and reading the "new" regulations, I determined that accepting the terms to view my statement online would cause my mailed, paper bill to be DISCONTINUED. I found this unacceptable and refused to click the accept box. Instead, I called in and asked and sure enough, you can NOT have your "cake and eat it too". You either get access to your statement online OR you get a paper bill in the mail-NOT BOTH ANYMORE.

However, you still DO get access to the "activity since my last statement" section on the web page. You just can't view your statement online.

[fredandbetty]

That changed a while back. You can either receive paper statements or view them online.

that's the way we have it, we got both for awhile but decided it was much easier to just have it send electronically, just be absolutely sure you add the directv billing addy to your contacts so that you don't get it marked as spam...

[Drew2k]

Be aware there is also a bug in the web site regarding bill viewing ....

After clicking the link to view your bills online, you're taken to a list of your bills but there is NO LINK that takes you back to your account.

[Luke_Y]

...Personally, I have never really been able to understand why people would be upset that you can't have it both ways. Electronically, you can view and print your bills on-line, and you get a monthly reminder that your bill is due. If you want a paper copy in hand, all you have to do is print one. That should work sufficiently to trigger the process of paying just like a snail mail bill would do...

Well, in our case it's a situation where I am the one who wants to be able to access the account on line (verify credits, make programing changes etc.) but that particular bill is one that my wife pays. She likes a bill and still likes to pay with checks.

I pay everything through on-line banking and have been trying to get her to do the same for a couple years but what can I say shes a bit old school :rolleyes: But... even if I pay all my bills on line, I still want the paper bills. Between work and other activities I get a huge volume of e-mail and I delete heavily in large blocks in order to keep my sanity and not have it take over my workday. It would just be too easy for bills to slip through the cracks and not get paid.

If possible I might just set it up as autopay to the CC I use as a debit card.

[msbookworm]

Just to clarify. If you opt for online billing is it real time? Updated regularly so you can see credits, payments etc? I'm a new subscriber and looking to see exactly how they are deducting the promotions they offered me (or when they start deducting them).

[jabrwocky7]

I use mycheckfree billing for DirecTV and other bills and it works nicely. I do not get paper bills though.

[curt8403]

Just to clarify. If you opt for online billing is it real time? Updated regularly so you can see credits, payments etc? I'm a new subscriber and looking to see exactly how they are deducting the promotions they offered me (or when they start deducting them).

I do not think it is real time.

[bobnielsen]

Just to clarify. If you opt for online billing is it real time? Updated regularly so you can see credits, payments etc? I'm a new subscriber and looking to see exactly how they are deducting the promotions they offered me (or when they start deducting them).

The bill will only appear monthly (at the beginning of your billing cycle), but you can also look at "activity since last bill", which is a separate list showing recent transactions.

[ThomasM]

But... even if I pay all my bills on line, I still want the paper bills. Between work and other activities I get a huge volume of e-mail and I delete heavily in large blocks in order to keep my sanity and not have it take over my workday. It would just be too easy for bills to slip through the cracks and not get paid.



+1

How you pay your DirecTV bill and how you view it are unrelated. You can PAY your bill via check, credit card, or direct debit (ACH transfer) from your checking account. You can VIEW your bill ONLINE or get a PAPER BILL in the mail. But not both. If you accept the terms to view your bill online, it automatically discontinues sending out paper bills in the mail. That's the part I have a problem with also.

[ThomasM]

Just to clarify. If you opt for online billing is it real time? Updated regularly so you can see credits, payments etc? I'm a new subscriber and looking to see exactly how they are deducting the promotions they offered me (or when they start deducting them).

No. "Online Billing" refers to your ability to examine your monthly statement on the DirecTV web page. It means just that BILLING, not PAYMENTS or CREDITS. Essentially, it is the same as getting a paper bill only a few days quicker.

There is another menu choice called "activity since last bill". You do NOT need to sign up for online billing to view this. And it updates in REAL TIME. So if you decide to add a premium channel like HBO, it will appear immediately in the "activity since last bill" section.