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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
 
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#128 ·
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.
 
#129 ·
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.
 
#130 ·
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.
 
#131 ·
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?
 
#132 ·
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?!
 
#133 ·
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.
 
#134 ·
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. :)
 
#135 ·
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.
 
#136 ·
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.
 
#137 ·
#139 ·
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.
 
#141 ·
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...
 
#142 ·
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.
 
#144 ·
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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