View Full Version : D* offering stunning deals to customers that threaten to cancel...
scott72
12-14-08, 05:42 PM
I was looking around another site and came across a thread where D* was offering insane deals to people who were calling in to cancel. I thought they stopped doing that? Instead of typing out all the deals I'll post the thread. I don't think this violates any rules that I'm aware of anyway. For example this is what one guy got, and many others got the same..
"I said that I never had called like this before but from one of my 'neighbors' who has been a DirecttTv customer half the time I have been that they got the following offered to them...
Free HD-DVR ($19.95 for Shipping)
Free HD service for 12 mos (9.99/mos)
Free DVR service for 12 mos (5.99/mos)
$10 credit for 12 mos"
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=140292
Piratefan98
12-14-08, 05:47 PM
I was looking around another site and came across a thread where D* was offering insane deals to people who were calling in to cancel. I thought they stopped doing that? Instead of typing out all the deals I'll post the thread. I don't think this violates any rules that I'm aware of anyway. For example this is what one guy got, and many others got the same..
"I said that I never had called like this before but from one of my 'neighbors' who has been a DirecttTv customer half the time I have been that they got the following offered to them...
Free HD-DVR ($19.95 for Shipping)
Free HD service for 12 mos (9.99/mos)
Free DVR service for 12 mos (5.99/mos)
$10 credit for 12 mos"
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=140292
I don't know about that particular situation, but there's no doubt that LOTS of people get sweetened deals when threatening to leave/contacting retention.
This board and others are full of posts detailing specific situations of reduced hardware equipment costs, free movie channels, credits being applied to bills, etc. etc. And lots of people are persistent enough such that if they don't get the deal they want from the first CSR, they call back and try again with a new CSR. That often yields rewards too.
Truth is ..... squeaky wheels often get the grease.
Jeff
Mertzen
12-14-08, 06:12 PM
Push your luck with this and they'll actually cancel the account and you have zip. If you have real issues I have no problem but using a 'cancel' to get freebies is no good.
studdad
12-14-08, 06:16 PM
Push your luck with this and they'll actually cancel the account and you have zip. If you have real issues I have no problem but using a 'cancel' to get freebies is no good.Unless you really are sick and tired and are on the verge of cancelling, which I think many, such as myself, are.
scott72
12-14-08, 06:21 PM
Push your luck with this and they'll actually cancel the account and you have zip. If you have real issues I have no problem but using a 'cancel' to get freebies is no good.
See I thought D* was taking the hard approach with these people who are basically calling in just to get free stuff. A lot of these guys said they had no plans to cancel anyhow, but just wanted to see what they could get for free and obviously made out quite nice. I guess what bothers me is that in the end it effects all of us when they have to raise prices to offset all these giveaways.
Getting near the end of a quarter...might be a push to keep churn in check. This is part of the DirecTV experience...if they didn't want people to call and whine/threaten for freebies they would just shut it down. They have rewarded this behavior for years so it must be the way they choose to do business.
Getting near the end of a quarter...might be a push to keep churn in check. This is part of the DirecTV experience...if they didn't want people to call and whine/threaten for freebies they would just shut it down. They have rewarded this behavior for years so it must be the way they choose to do business.
Yes and the treatment of different customers in different ways over the same issue is also the way they have choosen to do their business :rolleyes: I don't like it, but I don't run D*. And even if I weren't under a committment to D* and went with another company I'm sure there would be things they would do also that I wouldn't like. So you pick your own poison I suppose :( May be I should look at it in a different way--we are lucky to even have a choice of poison :lol:
spartanstew
12-14-08, 11:38 PM
I got a much better deal than that last year and I never threatened to cancel.
jclewter79
12-15-08, 12:32 AM
Maybe the Turbo HD deals from E* is affecting churn. Or, maybe the downturn in the economy has affected D* higher class subs more than first though. Just trying to reduce churn, it is a never ending battle.
trekologer
12-15-08, 05:57 AM
The representative can often tell if someone actually intends to cancel verses someone fishing for stuff. I would imagine that if the rep is confident that the caller is just fishing then you're not likely to get much (if anything) offered.
LameLefty
12-15-08, 06:46 AM
You know, in September '06 I called retention and simply said, "Comcast is pushing digital service here pretty hard. They're offering me all kinds of discounts to switch. I don't want to, but it would be nice to have a good reason to tell them to leave me alone." All of that was true.
A very pleasant CSR consulted my file and a moment later said they'd upgrade me to HD by giving me an HR20 and 5-LNB dish install, both for free (no big fees offset by service credits, not even $19.95 shipping: FREE! They also threw in free Showtime for like 3 months, free HD Access fee for 4 months (which I think was the usual thing for new HD customers at the time) and gave me free NFL Superfan for the next season (which was last year, 2007).
Now, it took about four or five weeks to get installed, but that was okay. It all worked out in the end. I was able to tell Comcast to go jump in a lake and they haven't bothered me since.
scott72
12-15-08, 07:16 AM
The representative can often tell if someone actually intends to cancel verses someone fishing for stuff. I would imagine that if the rep is confident that the caller is just fishing then you're not likely to get much (if anything) offered.
If you read through that thread you'll find several guys that never intended to cancel, and were indeed just fishing for stuff.
Piratefan98
12-15-08, 07:27 AM
If you read through that thread you'll find several guys that never intended to cancel, and were indeed just fishing for stuff.
From what I've read around here (and at satelliteguys), "fishing" is often rewarded. Might take a couple tries with a few CSR's, but there quite often is a payoff.
Jeff
Another thing, how many of those stories are really true and how many are fabricated?
fkostyun
12-15-08, 07:41 AM
Maybe the Turbo HD deals from E* is affecting churn. Or, maybe the downturn in the economy has affected D* higher class subs more than first though. Just trying to reduce churn, it is a never ending battle.
Well, considering the $35 package from dish has every station that we watch in it -
I need
HGTV
FoodTV
Discovery
TLC
ESPN
TNT
Bravo
Locals
We've probably watch other chanels only a handful of times over the past 5 years.
So that puts be at $45/month for the service. Right now my I am at $80/month with directv, and thats a pretty big difference.
Doug Brott
12-15-08, 08:17 AM
Another thing, how many of those stories are really true and how many are fabricated?
Come on, this is the Internet .. That never happens :p
Doug Brott
12-15-08, 08:18 AM
While every situation is different, just remember, if you call DIRECTV to cancel your service .. they may actually do what you ask of them.
Piratefan98
12-15-08, 08:40 AM
While every situation is different, just remember, if you call DIRECTV to cancel your service .. they may actually do what you ask of them.
Agreed. That's why it's probably advisable to use slightly tempered language when calling ..... i.e., I am "considering" canceling my service, or "FIOS is arriving this week, and I'm giving some thought to switching"
As Doug says, if you call and say something as direct and closed-ended as "cancel my service", you might just get what you asked for.
Jeff
ronsanjim
12-15-08, 09:43 AM
Also remember, they want to retain more than just the basic subscribers. They want the PPV, premium & sports purchasers. If you don't pay enough, why would they even want to keep you around?
Come on, this is the Internet .. That never happens :p
Sorry Doug, I forgot, everything on the Internet is true. !rolling
Agreed. That's why it's probably advisable to use slightly tempered language when calling ..... i.e., I am "considering" canceling my service, or "FIOS is arriving this week, and I'm giving some thought to switching"
As Doug says, if you call and say something as direct and closed-ended as "cancel my service", you might just get what you asked for.
Jeff
Like the old saying goes, "Be careful what you ask for, because you may get it".
Ira Lacher
12-15-08, 10:00 AM
I guess what bothers me is that in the end it effects all of us when they have to raise prices to offset all these giveaways.Agreed, Scott. At some point, when bogus complaints reach a critical mass, a business has to assume that everyone who calls in might be trying to put one over on them. This type of wheedling does nothing but make it harder for subscribers with legitimate complaints to get commonsense results that satisfy everyone. And I am not an apologist for DirecTV or any other company -- just a realist.
randyk47
12-15-08, 10:05 AM
I take some of these "I'm going to cancel" postings with a grain of salt. In fact, last year I called to cancel an upgrade install, not the service, just the install. So what does the CSR do? She's closes my account totally without so much as a "thanks, don't let the door hit you on the way out" comment. In fact, I didn't know she'd done that until a couple of days later when I turn on TV only to see a "no service" notice. That took a bit of calling to straighten out.
tcusta00
12-15-08, 10:07 AM
And people wonder... http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=147289
A few months back when I bought an HDTV, I wanted to upgrade to the HD DVR but didnt want to pay 199 for it. I called up and talked to them, I was a month away from my contract ending and stated that as a new customer with dish I would get such and such for such price. They worked it out so I payed 99 for the box but got 10 off a month for a year and free HD access for a year. Along with a few other small perks (free HBO, cinimax and starz for 3 months)
I didnt really want to go to dish but I figured it couldnt hurt to say something. I tried pushing for the NFL package but no dice.
curt8403
12-15-08, 10:41 AM
A few months back when I bought an HDTV, I wanted to upgrade to the HD DVR but didnt want to pay 199 for it. I called up and talked to them, I was a month away from my contract ending and stated that as a new customer with dish I would get such and such for such price. They worked it out so I payed 99 for the box but got 10 off a month for a year and free HD access for a year.
I didnt really want to go to dish but I figured it couldnt hurt to say something. I tried pushing for the NFL package but no dice.
About a year ago someone posted a message here about someone who played the cancel card, and Low and Behold, he got cancelled. he had to go through a lot of squish to get back in.
About a year ago someone posted a message here about someone who played the cancel card, and Low and Behold, he got cancelled. he had to go through a lot of squish to get back in.
I never mentioned canceling just that dish was willing to give me a better deal, I also made note of the fact that they were giving new customers the same deal so why couldnt I get a similar deal.
If they didnt give it too me I probably would have paid or I would have let the contract run out and switched to Dish.
I called DTV to have my service turned off after I already had AT&T u-verse installed. I had thirty days Money back Guarantee if I didn't like u-verse.
Times are tough....I was gonna save about $20/month by switching to u-verse. So I call DTV to cancel and they ended up giving me another HDVR for $99 plus free showtime for 6 mos and they knocked off the HD charge for a year. Not a bad deal. In the end I was saving an extra $10 a month by sticking with DTV, for a total of $30 savings compared to what I was paying before.
This was a real cancellation call, I certainly wasn't fishing.
In hindsite, DTV has better hd PQ than uverse and with u-verse your limited to only 2 live HD streams at a time, because of bandwidth limitations. With DTV I can run 10 live HD streams if I wanted to and it wouldn't cost me an extra dime.
DTV is a superior to anything thats out there with the exception of FIOS I heard. I haven't seen Fios yet but I hear it's pretty amazing.
1. DirecTV's rates would go up even if they stopped giving away free programming or discounts. A lot of those freebies are paid for (not charged) by the programmers themselves as marketing development and don't cost DirecTV anything. The discounts off service are at full cost so the true cost to DirecTV is closer to 50% of the discount. When you consider their cost of subscriber acquisition a few discounts is almost meaningless.
This is part of their ongoing business model. It is the way DirecTV WANTS to do business. If they didn't, they would have stopped the activity years ago. Basically, they give some discounts to the small percentage that call and just hope the majority will continue to pay full price. Approximately 12% of DirecTV's customer base voluntarily terminates service per year (over 2 million) You can bet they'd be delighted if even a fraction of that group would retain service by giving them some free premiums or a small percentage off.
2. I would bet the chance of someone actually getting canceled by DirecTV when they were fishing for a discount is akin to the chance of most campfire ghost stories being true. "ooh...I heard a guy called looking for free HBO and the deadly CSR with one eye and gnarled teeth actually canceled him...and THEN...they wouldn't let him sign back up again or take his money (okay everyone shiver in fear and pass the marshmallows).
Sure, it's possible but more than likely involves a pretty adamant/rude customer who really did intend to cancel or a very poor representative in DirecTV's retention department.
Personally, I wouldn't call to cancel if I didn't intend to, but at the end of my programming commitment if I wish to stay with DirecTV I will call and see what they will offer.
jdspencer
12-15-08, 12:35 PM
Wouldn't it be nice if DirecTV would automatically reward long time customers with some kind of bonus? Like maybe $5 off the subscription for a year. This could reduce the number of customers calling in to get freebies.
Wouldn't it be nice if DirecTV would automatically reward long time customers with some kind of bonus? Like maybe $5 off the subscription for a year. This could reduce the number of customers calling in to get freebies.
jdspencer,
They are starting to do a little something like that. Although, I'm sure they'll save the nicer discounts only for those who call and request them.
qtermile14
12-15-08, 03:32 PM
Well, considering the $35 package from dish has every station that we watch in it -
I need
HGTV
FoodTV
Discovery
TLC
ESPN
TNT
Bravo
Locals
We've probably watch other chanels only a handful of times over the past 5 years.
So that puts be at $45/month for the service. Right now my I am at $80/month with directv, and thats a pretty big difference.
That price has to be a promo like when I started back in April 06. I had a total of $40 in credits for 10 mo, and then $20 of those for another 2mo.
scott72
12-15-08, 04:37 PM
Wouldn't it be nice if DirecTV would automatically reward long time customers with some kind of bonus? Like maybe $5 off the subscription for a year. This could reduce the number of customers calling in to get freebies.
I think what frustrates people is some get amazing deals, such as free HD DVR's, free HD access, free premium channels etc, while the next guy calls in and gets next to nothing or nothing at all. There are way too many inconsistencies. They really need to come up with a set procedure based on years of service, timely payments, previous freebies etc. for situations like this so everyone gets the same treatment.
tcusta00
12-15-08, 05:20 PM
I think what frustrates people is some get amazing deals, such as free HD DVR's, free HD access, free premium channels etc, while the next guy calls in and gets next to nothing or nothing at all. There are way too many inconsistencies. They really need to come up with a set procedure based on years of service, timely payments, previous freebies etc. for situations like this so everyone gets the same treatment.
You say that as if such a system doesn't already exist. It probably does but we don't know the nuances of said system. Keep in mind that this is the "internets" and you can't exactly take everyone at their word for the deal they got... as much as you'd like to be able to.
Piratefan98
12-15-08, 06:12 PM
You say that as if such a system doesn't already exist. It probably does but we don't know the nuances of said system.
LOL. I hope you don't actually believe that.
Honestly, there are countless stories from lots of people describing the specific deals they got on equipment, deals on installation, deals on free movies packages, deals on monthly credits, etc. etc. etc. You can't fling a dead cat in here without finding a thread where someone mentions their experience with this kind of thing.
To think that there is some actual "set procedure based on years of service, timely payments, previous freebies etc", and/or that the only reason it appears inconsistent is because "it's the internet" is pretty silly.
Jeff
tcusta00
12-15-08, 07:14 PM
LOL. I hope you don't actually believe that.
Honestly, there are countless stories from lots of people describing the specific deals they got on equipment, deals on installation, deals on free movies packages, deals on monthly credits, etc. etc. etc. You can't fling a dead cat in here without finding a thread where someone mentions their experience with this kind of thing.
To think that there is some actual "set procedure based on years of service, timely payments, previous freebies etc", and/or that the only reason it appears inconsistent is because "it's the internet" is pretty silly.
Jeff
You really think it's haphazard?
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=134670
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=108108
jmrwiseguy
12-15-08, 08:42 PM
Well, they sometimes give you a good deal but sometimes not. A couple months ago I was ready to switch and had already priced what I wanted with Dish. When I called to cancel the customer retention person offered me a free HD DVR and I could buy an additional HD DVR for $99 (I had to pay $199 but they credited my account to get the price down to $99).
But then my brother in-law called a week ago to do the same thing but the retention rep didn't give any break on the HD DVR (quoted $199) so he canceled his DirecTV service and switched to Dish. The sad part was that he liked DirecTV and didn't really want to switch until DirecTV couldn't match the deal he could get with Dish as a new customer.
But, the bottom line in my opinion is that you shouldn't play that game unless you are really ready to go through with it.
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