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Gone!

12K views 70 replies 43 participants last post by  harsh 
#1 ·
After 12 years, I am leaving D*!

Deciding factors include;

-post card received for 'Free HD for 24 months', then noticing credit was off my bill(after 3 calls to CSRs was told each time that Free HD was no longer offered, and an email to 'Customer Advocate Team' who offered 12 months credit for HD on my bill, and then gave me the 'guilt trip' speech for calling about it. Also told me D* didn't have to give me anything.....and that D* 'never promised to be the least expensive service').

-SLOW response DVRs(tried several times to get an upgrade, but to no avail).

-$110 D* each month vs. $39.99 with cable company(with FREE HD, locked in for a year).

Congrats D*! I was your customer to lose, and you succeeded!
 
#6 ·
kash said:
as a person that just switched to directv, from comcast/u-verse.. have a great time, make sure you sign a contract. They will change rates after your promotion is done. One of the things i really like about directv is the interface.
Goes up $20 after the first year.....still a $50 savings!
 
#9 ·
#10 ·
I respect everyone who makes an active choice in managing his or her budget. Congrats, sdicomp, you are very lucky to live in an area where cable is so much less expensive. Around here it's Time Warner, and they don't have a package comparable to what I have at home; their closest package would drop me down to 1 DVR and 1 cable box (no multi-room), drop about 25 channels from me, and raise my bill $30/month.
 
#11 ·
sdicomp said:
-$110 D* each month vs. $39.99 with cable company(with FREE HD, locked in for a year).
sdicomp said:
Goes up $20 after the first year.....still a $50 savings!
Are you getting the same programming you had with DIRECTV and also two HD DVR's and it's $50/month cheaper even after the promo expires? If that's the case you're one of the exceptions since usually cable prices out higher when comparing apples to apples.
 
#12 ·
Good luck. I will never go back to Charter for my TV. Horrible customer service and their price and HD selection can't match DirecTV. I wish I had another way to get high speed internet in my area, or I would not have Charter at all.
 
#13 ·
One of the many reasons I bolted to Satellite from Cable was Time Warner's (NYC Manhattan carrier) inability to have a DVR that would last longer than a year without phantom recordings breaking it. And the HDD wasnt even overflowing full.. It gave me a phobia to this day that I've had Directv since 2005 and I've never wanted or longed for a DVR..when i came on board with SD it was a standard SD non DVR and then in 2008 with an H21 NON DVR to which I still have to this day..

Plus the cliche' of leaving providers for another isn't the answer, hardly applies to Time Warner's inability to land NFL network some 7 years after I left them...so f cable I left them for channels they don't carry and DVR's that failed like clockwork..Only thing I kept from Time Warner is high speed internet... that's a 49$ bill that pains their a$$ each time I get a call from a Time Warner CSR asking why I don't upgrade to a better package that involves TV..

your story of prices kinda not being honored or an "alright already" kind of attitude from the CSR for a semi bait & switch maneuver from their part are quite legitimate reasons to cast them off, and I wish you well. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise...Your wallet, your likes, your opinions are all yours..

good luck..
 
#14 ·
RAD said:
Are you getting the same programming you had with DIRECTV and also two HD DVR's and it's $50/month cheaper even after the promo expires? If that's the case you're one of the exceptions since usually cable prices out higher when comparing apples to apples.
Apples to Apples from programming and equipment in my area, cable is about $25 cheaper.

I almost switched this year. Downside is D*'s DVRs are still far ahead of what they are offering for cable in my area and no ST. I did not switch because of those two factors and D* stepped up with a discount to match the price.
 
#15 ·
RAD said:
Are you getting the same programming you had with DIRECTV and also two HD DVR's and it's $50/month cheaper even after the promo expires? If that's the case you're one of the exceptions since usually cable prices out higher when comparing apples to apples.
I switched from DirecTV to FiOS 11 months ago. Comparable service at $40 less for the first 12 months and $20 less for the next 12 months.

Much faster DVR response to remote commands and much bigger hard drive -- 500 gb vs 300 gb.

Verizon's VOD blows away DirecTV's offerings. HD PQ is about the same on my 40-inch Sony but SD looks much better with FiOS.
 
#16 ·
billsharpe said:
... and much bigger hard drive -- 500 gb vs 300 gb.
I wouldn't call that "much bigger", and in fact most of DirecTV's current DVRs are 500 GB, with the HR34 being 1TB. Also you an use an external drive up to 2GB if you wish to.

However, that single factor is but one of several you mention, and it is good that you are happy with your current provider.
 
#17 ·
Stuart Sweet said:
I respect everyone who makes an active choice in managing his or her budget. Congrats, sdicomp, you are very lucky to live in an area where cable is so much less expensive. Around here it's Time Warner, and they don't have a package comparable to what I have at home; their closest package would drop me down to 1 DVR and 1 cable box (no multi-room), drop about 25 channels from me, and raise my bill $30/month.
How many HD channels do they offer? If they're anything like Charter (locally), it's not even close.
 
#19 ·
"carl6" said:
I wouldn't call that "much bigger", and in fact most of DirecTV's current DVRs are 500 GB, with the HR34 being 1TB. Also you an use an external drive up to 2GB if you wish to.

However, that single factor is but one of several you mention, and it is good that you are happy with your current provider.
And of course encoding makes a difference, if they use MPEG2. TWC's 25 hours on their regular DVR just wouldn't do it for me.
 
#20 ·
I wish I had options here. "Viable" options anyway. Time Warner pixelates badly everywhere I have seen it. uVerse has a flat look to it when I see it at my mom's. Dish's pissing contest with AMC Networks is a deal breaker.

I dont dislike Directv by any means. Love it in fact. It would still be nice to have an apples to apples choice.
 
#22 ·
I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum. I had cable TV (i still have their Internet) since the beginning of time. In May i switched to DirecTV because TWC was charging me about $140 a month (without Internet). Because of all my discounts including "Refer a Friend", i am paying about $45 a month for the 1st year and about $65 for the 2nd. Now, i do realize i don't have DVR etc, but i never did with TWC. In case anyone is wondering, yes, i used to have the TOTL package with TWC, however, with all these freebies, including 3 months free premiums, and now 3 months free of HD Extra Pack, and free Sunday Ticket Max...well, i'm in heaven. I am a proud owner of Directv Ultimate.
 
#24 ·
ndole said:
How many HD channels do they offer? If they're anything like Charter (locally), it's not even close.
Over 100, and it is Charter. They have the ones I my wife and I watch, so that is all that really matters. DVR's have 70 hours of recording time.
 
#25 ·
RAD said:
Are you getting the same programming you had with DIRECTV and also two HD DVR's and it's $50/month cheaper even after the promo expires? If that's the case you're one of the exceptions since usually cable prices out higher when comparing apples to apples.
I have ALL the programming we WATCH. So far, the channel line up is comparable to D*. After 2 years, it will go to their 'regular' price, which form what I am told will be an additional $20.00. Still, that will be $30.00 less that I am paying now!

Since my price is locked for 2 years, I will stay where I am. I can, after the 2 years are up, always go back to D*, and get one of those 'new customer' deals that those of us who have been with them for years can ONLY read and hear about!
 
#26 ·
sdicomp said:
Over 100, and it is Charter. They have the ones I my wife and I watch, so that is all that really matters. DVR's have 70 hours of recording time.
Surprised its that cheap, If I wanted over $100 HD channels with Blue Ridge cable it would cost me over $145 with an HD DVR. $14.90 addtional for each room with an HD DVR.

Our Basic Plus with the Screw in cable in the back of the tv with NO HD is over $70 per month.
 
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