DBSTalk Forum banner

Best way to reduce bill?

27K views 143 replies 48 participants last post by  EW800 
#1 ·
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
 
See less See more
#102 ·
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.
 
#103 ·
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.
 
#105 ·
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.
 
#106 ·
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.
 
#107 ·
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.
 
#108 ·
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.
 
#109 ·
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.
 
#110 ·
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).
 
#111 ·
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.
 
#112 ·
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.
 
#113 ·
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.
 
#114 ·
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.
 
#115 ·
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.;)
 
#116 ·
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
 
#117 ·
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.
 
#118 ·
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
 
#120 ·
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?
 
#121 ·
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.
 
#122 ·
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.
 
#124 ·
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.
 
#125 ·
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??
 
#126 ·
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?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top