DBSTalk Forum banner

Get Discounts or switch to Dish???

6K views 100 replies 26 participants last post by  harsh 
#1 ·
I posted part of this in another thread but it's been hijacked! I have been with directv since 2006. I have a hr-20 hd dvr, 1 HD receiver and 1 standard receiver. My channel package is the old total choice. I have been out of contract now for several years. I have been thinking about how to lower my bill some. I am thinking of dropping to the entertainment package. I also would be interested in the genie if the cost was only an extra $3 a month for the whole home thing. I called and asked about getting one and they wanted $299. Told them to forget it. Several weeks passed and I called and talked to them about if I were eligible for any discounts to help lower my bill other than dropping to a lower channel package. They offered me 6 months of stars. WTF? Anyone have any suggestions? I seriously considering switching to dish for 2 years. My dream would be to drop to the entertainment package and save $12 a month and get the genie. Is this possible? I think that all together would drop my bill $9 a month which isn't much but I don't know how to get it any cheaper. It's over $100 a month right now.
 
#27 ·
studechip said:
You just contradicted yourself. You said you can't get discounts, then you said you can if you have Choice Extra Classic. That's exactly the package I have. So the truth is that you can get discounts if you have an expired package, just not every expired package!
Read the sentence between the region you decided to make bold. Especially the "almost all" part. :)
 
#28 ·
omartinjordan said:
I looked up the dish network pricing. It's pretty good. Even the same package I have with directv is only $59.99 compared to $64. Plus, I would get a free hopper and not have to pay $399. I am going to give them one more chance and then that's it.

Also, does directv offer the ala carte packages like dish? You can and a few more sports channels for just $5 a month.
Let's talk sports then go ask dish if they offer mlbei or nflst.
 
#29 ·
omartinjordan said:
I looked up the dish network pricing. It's pretty good. Even the same package I have with directv is only $59.99 compared to $64. Plus, I would get a free hopper and not have to pay $399. I am going to give them one more chance and then that's it.

Also, does directv offer the ala carte packages like dish? You can and a few more sports channels for just $5 a month.
Depends on the sports. When you call again, explain you are looking to go to dish. If you never get sent to department that seems like that want to help you, let them know you want to setup a date to cancel your services. If they go through every bit of the cancellation disclosure stuff and never give you much to help with your bill, I can only imagine you missed quite a few payments or were given more in the past than you realize. Best of luck!
 
#31 ·
goinsleeper said:
No it's not incorrect. Late last year, almost all grandfathered packages became ineligible for discounts over 5 dollars. The only package that qualifies now is Choice Xtra Classic. If you received discounts before that time, you maintain them. You will be urged to update your package in the future if you continue looking for discounts.
That is consistent with what I have. My package is Choice Extra Classic. When I set up an appointment to switch to Dish and called to cancel my DIRECTV service, the retention CSR offered me the $10 off per month onthe Choice Extra Classic, extended my $10 HD credit for a year, and extended my discounts on HBO and Cinemax.
 
#33 ·
lesz said:
That information is not correct. I have a grandfathered package, and I'm currently getting a $10/month base package discount and several other discounts.
studechip said:
I agree. I have a grandfathered package and I receive monthly discounts. Besides, we were also referring to a discount on equipment. He should be eligible for that being a long time customer.
Volatility said:
Exactly. The expired packages were at a time customers could get more channels and pay less money than they do today for the channels. Most of the really good discounts are either grayed out or just do not appear unless you are put on a current package of choice or higher. Alot of industries are trying to weave customers off expired stuff. Like how some cell phone companies delete your unlimited data plan for upgrading your smart phone.
You say something isn't going to happen after two posters have already testified to the contrary. $10+ seems like a pretty good discount.
 
#37 ·
I think you will find that if you are only wanting the absolute cheapest $, you need to switch providers every 2 years. If one of the providers has a channel or package that you must have and not the other, then you need to upgrade to a current package and ask for any discounts. It only makes sense that a business will be more willing to give a customer a discount when the customer is paying for a higher cost package, instead of the cheapest package available.

If you don't feel like calling, try an email - I just saw that my $10 HD credit for having autopay expired last month, so I sent an email yesterday from the link under the "contact us" section of the web page. I did not feel like calling in yesterday, so I just stated that I noticed that the $10 credit expired for autopay and if I could get it reinstated. Directv called me back last night and offered the $10 discount for another 12 months.
 
#38 ·
donalddickerson2005 said:
If pac12 is that important to you then switch. I don't care for any of their teams however I live in Atlanta and need my stl cardinals and my stl blues so DirecTV is my only choice mlbei.
A business model built around offering out-of-market sports coverage is getting increasingly difficult to support. Some would assert that it is a model built entirely around a market of displaced consumers.

Would DIRECTV have nearly the appeal if you were a Braves fan?

Atlanta has had more than their share of trouble hanging on to a hockey team.
 
#39 ·
shuye said:
I think you will find that if you are only wanting the absolute cheapest $, you need to switch providers every 2 years. If one of the providers has a channel or package that you must have and not the other, then you need to upgrade to a current package and ask for any discounts. It only makes sense that a business will be more willing to give a customer a discount when the customer is paying for a higher cost package, instead of the cheapest package available.

If you don't feel like calling, try an email - I just saw that my $10 HD credit for having autopay expired last month, so I sent an email yesterday from the link under the "contact us" section of the web page. I did not feel like calling in yesterday, so I just stated that I noticed that the $10 credit expired for autopay and if I could get it reinstated. Directv called me back last night and offered the $10 discount for another 12 months.
I sent an email confirming that I am no longer under contract and see if that prompts any kind of response. I have been out of contract for several years. I am getting the feeling they don't care. At this point I don't know how they could compete with the deal you would get if you switched. They would have to drop the programing cost for a year and give you a genie at no cost. I haven't read anyone on hear getting that kind of deal unless you are a new customer. Certainly not an existing one.
 
#40 ·
omartinjordan said:
I sent an email confirming that I am no longer under contract and see if that prompts any kind of response. I have been out of contract for several years. I am getting the feeling they don't care. At this point I don't know how they could compete with the deal you would get if you switched. They would have to drop the programing cost for a year and give you a genie at no cost. I haven't read anyone on hear getting that kind of deal unless you are a new customer. Certainly not an existing one.
You haven't been reading much then, because quite a few people lately have posted about getting an upgrade to the Genie for free, and some getting discounts on their programming as well.

It seems like the ones who tend to get the better deals are the ones who have higher up packages like Choice Ultimate, or Premier, and don't call in asking for freebies/discounts all the time.
 
#41 ·
I called them about the increase in my monthly cost rising recently. I researched what Dish would cost over two years, what cable would cost over two years in comparison to Directv. When I called them I had already figured out what my monthly / yearly savings would be if I switched to Dish or cable. I told them I really liked Directv , have had it a vey longtime but the cost savings was a compelling reason to leave Directv. I asked them what type of credits or reductions they could give me to make the programming cost close . After about 30 minutes or pleasant back and forth they ending up giving me 10.00 off a month for 6 months, a 200 Visa Gift card , 159.00 Credit for the MLB extra innings , three months of Starz and Showtime. They offered me a Free Genie and install of it as well but I didn't want to sign a two year agreement .... So the cost comparisons, call, be nice and you should get some nice credits ....
 
#42 ·
Beerstalker said:
You haven't been reading much then, because quite a few people lately have posted about getting an upgrade to the Genie for free, and some getting discounts on their programming as well.

It seems like the ones who tend to get the better deals are the ones who have higher up packages like Choice Ultimate, or Premier, and don't call in asking for freebies/discounts all the time.
I currently have the old total choice and haven't called for any freebies until a couple of days ago. The only freebies I have gotten is they gave me the sports pack free for 3 months when I called to purchase it. I do read the forums but maybe I have missed something. I have seen people getting the free upgrade but paying for installs. All I know is something is going to change pretty soon.
 
#48 ·
harsh said:
A business model built around offering out-of-market sports coverage is getting increasingly difficult to support. Some would assert that it is a model built entirely around a market of displaced consumers.

Would DIRECTV have nearly the appeal if you were a Braves fan?

Atlanta has had more than their share of trouble hanging on to a hockey team.
I like the braves but not as much as my cardinals.
If I was a fan of local sports only I'd probably have basic cable and not satellite.
However since I am from STL I have to get the packages. And the only people that offer me my sports is DirecTV. With that said of I were a die hard pac-12 team supporter I'd go to dish.
 
#49 ·
ilike2eattacos said:
It's interesting how my friends that have dish want to switch to direct tv, and my friends that have directtv want to switch to dish.. and I want to switch to roku. lol
The grass is always greener... lol
 
#51 ·
ilike2eattacos;3201690 said:
It's interesting how my friends that have dish want to switch to direct tv, and my friends that have directtv want to switch to dish.. and I want to switch to roku. lol
thats because no company is worse than the other. when people get unhappy they do not qualify for new customer deals they switch from one place to the other.
 
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