$10 to disconnect a premium?

Are you sure your hbo/max credit was wiped out? I ask because the charge and credit are two separate line items. You should have had a hbo-cinamax-starz for $35 and a seperate line of hbo/max $11.01 credit. Adding starz should not have wiped away the credit unless it expired.

As for the $10 charge. You are in the right on that. You definitely should not have been charged if you kept Starz. That other poster is wrong.

 

The same thing has happened to me twice. As has been noted, when a new premium is added, it gets bundled together with any existing premiums and the system sees them all starting on the new date.

The first time I encountered this issue, the CSR recognized the problem immediately and apologized. The $10 disconnect fee was refunded, and I think I was even given another $10 for my trouble, without asking for it. This was several years ago.

The second time, about a year ago, the CSR was much less nice. She kept telling me I was charged for holding the premium channel less than a month, even though I had actually subscribed (and paid for it!) for the previous 10 months. Long story short, I fought for a refund on the disconnect fee until I got it, although she said she was doing it "only as a one-time courtesy". I replied that should the same mistake happen again, I would expect them to correct it again.

I understand why DirecTV imposes the early disconnection fee and believe it is a fair charge. I do not understand why they cannot revise their system to keep channel additions/ deletions separate so that the charge is not applied erroneously. I try to make sure any premiums overlap by at least a month now, to avoid the hassle, but I shouldn't have to.

Bottom line, the OP should not have been charged a disconnect fee.

 

When you added Starz! last month, you restarted the clock.

http://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2410

This fee is not plainly documented in the Customer Agreement.

 

If its a flaw in the system its painfully easy to circumvent and credit back, I know first hand I used to work there

If theres truly a flaw in the system you dont have to climb up the ladder to get it corrected, and it wouldnt be happening consistantly either.

Just because you feel entitled to being credited for every perceived mistake does not mean that you should receive those credits, no matter how much begging you do to ellen, or retention and honestly the only reason they usually dish out in the case of legit charges is because there just tired of hearing from you.

 

If you added HBO/CMX on 07.16 you would have seen a charge of $26.00 (or less if this date was in the middle of your billing cycle) and a credit of $26.00 (if you were getting both HBO & CMX free, or $11.01 if only CMX was free - which I suspect was the promotion). You then would have seen another credit on 08.16 and one on 09.16.

The offer to add Starz for $10 was because it was being added as the third premium.

Before you added Starz, you had a 2-premium package (HBO/CMX)

After adding Starz you had a 3-premium package (HBO/CMX/STZ)

You did not keep your "3-premium package" for 30 days hence the disconnect fee. If you had swapped HBO for STARZ you would have still had a 2-premium package and no disconnect fee.

When offering a discount on premiums, Directv almost always shows the premiums at full price then adds a discount (like their 2 for 1 offers). The premiums continue on after the promotion period, but the discount falls off. It is possible for them to add some premiums that show on your bill as $0.00 - if they are added this way they fall off after the promotion period.

So it appears the disconnect fee is warranted, and I will bet that you received 3 discounts for your HBO/CMX offer or you got 2 discounts & your billing cycle starts somewhere between the 8th and 16th of the month (that would explain why you didn't get the 3rd discount by canceling HBO/CMX on 10.08). You're also probably not getting Starz for $10, but rather $12.99 since it is your only premium.

 

And to add to that those will always show under the far right "Other" tab in the online account with the [Premium channel package] and $0.00.

 

Is this fee in the Customer Agreement at all? I just checked and all I could find was a reference to incurring a $10 fee for downgrading a service package, which is not the same thing.

This has me confused. There used to be a warning about the early disconnect fee if you held a premium for less than a month, posted on the site (I think in the small print on the pages for the premium channels themselves.) I don't see that anymore. So has the policy changed? If so, then I was wrong before. But it should be made more clear.

 

lol, we will just agree to disagree. The charge would of never showed up if they had entered everything in correctly. Then a fee showed up even though I didnt do anything wrong. You might like paying for doing things the right way but I for one do not. I refuse to pay for a mistake made by someone else. I take responsibility for my own actions and not for someone else.

I am glad you feel differently and hope that many people at DirecTV oblige you with unjust charges so you can feel better about it. :lol:

 

A literal interpretation of the Answer Center explanation indicates that the fee was entirely appropriate. Going from any three Premium services to any two is a downgrade and since it has been less than 30 days since the OP added the third, they are eligible for the fee.

 

If your referring to DirecTV's website please provide a link to what you are stating. I just did a search there for premium disconnect with no luck and also disconnect fee with no luck either.

 

It's not easy to find:

http://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2410

or type in "downgrade" in the search box

 

I call them when I add a premium, and they always mention the fee when I do.

 

Other than appearing in post #25 of this thread?

 

Can I change my DIRECTV programming once I have service?Yes. When you create an account at DIRECTV.com, you can change your programming online. You can also call us at 1-800-531-5000 to make changes. DIRECTV premium programming services are generally offered on a monthly basis. If you downgrade your premium programming options within 30 days of adding a new service to your account, you may be subject to a $10 fee.


From your link..didnt have to scroll anywhere

 

Also posted in post #25.

 

I stand corrected. I don't agree with it but I don't have to either. I will make sure that never happens to me again. I also don't think its explained that way to most. I know it wasn't to me. People would change their mind if they knew they were gonna be charged a $10 disconnect fee. I have heard alot of people say that they just keep switching some premium but I was told by a D* rep that still brought on a $10 fee as you are still turning off a premium even if you are just changing which ones you have and keep the same amount in the end.