RyanC883 Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 As stated before. Called to cancel. Beat around the bush and got $150.00 off my yearly charges. Did it today. $323.94 per year is way to much considering local had 8 of 16 games on that I needed.( Bills Games } Go for it. Thanks. I'm considering switching from Cable to Direct TV to get Sunday Ticket. Has anyone been unpleasently "suprised" by hidden installation, etc. fees. Also, do they offer a bundle with internet and phone? Thanks ! I called to cancel yesterday. The guy was ready to give me all sorts of pitches.... but I cut him off. I am moving back to Buffalo this month.... and I wont really be able to settle into a new house until October sometime. Im keeping Directv in my NJ apartment until Im totally moved out... but no use for the Sunday Ticket. Good luck w/ the move. Leaving NJ is always a good idea, esp. when the destination is Buffalo !!
Nervous Guy Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Thanks. I'm considering switching from Cable to Direct TV to get Sunday Ticket. Has anyone been unpleasently "suprised" by hidden installation, etc. fees. Also, do they offer a bundle with internet and phone? Thanks ! I've had it since 2003 and don't recall any surprising negative stuff during installation...except for the tree fiasco...and they do offer a bundle with AT&T.
BillsFanNC Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Just got off the phone with them. I called intending to cancel my service entirely and I ended up with free Sunday Ticket, $10 off my bill for the next 12 months and a one time $25 credit. Not too bad!
Mr Info Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 (edited) I just got off the phone with them. I had stopped Sun Ticket (no autorenewal) at the end of last season because the possibility existed of no season. So, I did not have the leverage to cancel Sun Ticket and I already had the autopay discount. I had them look at my customer record of being a long-standing Directv & Sunday ticket customer. As you know, the regular price is 6 months for $53.99/mo. After some interaction/negotiating, this is the offer I accepted: $10 off Directv bill for 12 months, $10 off the HD receivers for 24 months, $25 off Sunday ticket/mo, + Sunday ticket To Go. Final tally: $120(12x$10)+$240(24x$10)+$150(6x$25) - $324(6x$54) = Sunday Ticket + $186 in rebates + To Go ($50). Outstanding... all around. IMO, the discounts are based on agent (I had a good one) and Directv subscription history. Hope others that have not renewed yet receive something similar. Edited August 19, 2011 by Mr Info
Ramius Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 I called a couple fo weeks ago, and said i saw their ad for free sunday ticket to new subscribers, and asked what they could do for me (longtime direcTV customer). The guy left me on hold for about 5 minutes, and came back and gave me the ticket for free. No questions asked, no need to threaten cancellation. And i've never gotten ticket in the past either. This also wasn't a pay now and get credits later, he simply added the sunday ticket to my programming at no charge.
jeanbe Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 Thanks. I'm considering switching from Cable to Direct TV to get Sunday Ticket. Has anyone been unpleasently "suprised" by hidden installation, etc. fees. Also, do they offer a bundle with internet and phone? Thanks ! Good luck w/ the move. Leaving NJ is always a good idea, esp. when the destination is Buffalo !! The only problem EVER with Directv was at installation. I'm in PHX AZ and they subcontract out the installation and I was without HD for a week after the initial installation of the dish and Directv did give me a 6 month credit on the spot for HD. The tech returned, still couldn't get the HD to work so I googled it and gave him the fix from, you guessed it, Directv forums. Directv customer support took my complaint about the installation and made me happy. They even paid the bill for the extra holes the guy drilled in my block wall and the side of my house.
NEPA Bills Fan Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 I've been a direct tv customer for 6 years and had the ticket each year. Called last night and I must say that it was the most difficult of all years to haggle with the pricing. Initially they said $20 off the ticket for 6 months - saving $120 the total cost of $335. I said no way.. Way too much for the year. She went on to say that's all she could do. I asked fo another dept. that person said it's all they can do. I said cancel my service and they transferred me there. Long story short, I told the person since I've been a loyal customer for so long I should have something additional on the discount. Waited about 10 minutes on hold, she came back w/ this.. Half off the ticket and $40 off my regular bill for the year!!!! BAM!!!! With some patience, and a few vodka's, I did pretty good. GO BILLS
sdevo Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 they called my bluff i have no ticket now.... i will call back next week i already paid my first payment since it was due the 21st but not sure what leverage i have when i call back
NEPA Bills Fan Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 they called my bluff i have no ticket now.... i will call back next week i already paid my first payment since it was due the 21st but not sure what leverage i have when i call back They were going to do it to me too man. You have to keep asking for a department above them. Get to the Cancellation department. I told them it was real S#&^ty that they would let a loyal customer walk away like that. The entire phone call took about an hour but wehn they came back on the line, I got some good pricing for the next 12 months. I would suggest having a few drinks and calling them later in the evening. You'll get it back.. Go Bills
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 (edited) Just called up, told them I've been with them for 10 years and can't get HD in my area and we're considering dropping them for the optimum triple play. Said I wanted the Ticket for free, along with a $45 monthly charge for HBO, Starz, Cinemax and Sports package taken off. They came back with free ticket and reduced that charge to $18.50 for 6 months and I had her throw in Ticket To Go for good measure! It's definitely worth the time. Right away tell the automated system that you're calling to cancel your service, that gets you talking to the right person. Thanks to those who have posted about this in the past! Go Bills Edited August 20, 2011 by Big Bad Boone
NEPA Bills Fan Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 Just called up, told them I've been with them for 10 years and can't get HD in my area and we're considering dropping them for the optimum triple play. Said I wanted the Ticket for free, along with a $45 monthly charge for HBO, Starz, Cinemax and Sports package taken off. They came back with free ticket and reduced that charge to $18.50 for 6 months and I had her throw in Ticket To Go for good measure! It's definitely worth the time. Right away tell the automated system that you're calling to cancel your service, that gets you talking to the right person. Thanks to those who have posted about this in the past! Go Bills Good stuff Man. Looks like I'll be calling back tonight.
Ramius Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 Good stuff Man. Looks like I'll be calling back tonight. Yeah, when i called, i said "cancel" at the prompt and didn't dick around with regular customer service people.
aristocrat Posted August 20, 2011 Posted August 20, 2011 said the lowest they could go for me was $200 total.
nucci Posted August 21, 2011 Posted August 21, 2011 Have to be careful when threatening cancellation. I just called and said I may have to cancel some movie channels and maybe hockey package to afford football. Asked if there is anything they could do and we started negotiating.
BUFFALOKIE Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 The best angle is the, "Wife.....BUT IT COSTS TOO MUCH" story. Literally have your significant other....Or some girl for that matter call in and complain that the price is too high and you cannot afford it. The rep will then "negotiate" a better deal to make something vice nothing. Most reps gotta believe that any male who has had the ticket before will complain....but ultimately pay the full price IOT watch any game they want. Let a "wife" call in.....And Directv will acknowledge that you're serious about cancelling....LET THE NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN! That is a very crafty idea. Unfortunately, I would probably end up with another 378 movie channels to compete with football.
GOBILLS78 Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 (edited) Thanks. I'm considering switching from Cable to Direct TV to get Sunday Ticket. Has anyone been unpleasently "suprised" by hidden installation, etc. fees. Also, do they offer a bundle with internet and phone? Thanks ! Good luck w/ the move. Leaving NJ is always a good idea, esp. when the destination is Buffalo !! I had it installed Monday. Since i couldn't put the dish on my house, I was charged $40 for pole installation. For the wiring, they charged $1 per foot for trenching so I just did that myself. Edited August 24, 2011 by GOBILLS78
DCBongo Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 I got $20 off for 6 months, not bad, take $120 off the cost of the ticket.
billsfreak Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 (edited) I have been on the phone so much over the past month with Directv I should be on their payroll, but it for the most part has been worth it. The first time I called to tell them one of my old boxes wouldn't work (I have 3), they gave me a free upgrade, with free installation of another HD DVR in a bedroom (I already have one in my living room). Then I wanted to tell them I was cancelling my Sunday Ticket (I wasn't really going to but I was trying for a discount of course) and the lady gave me $5 off my bill a month for two years as well as two months credit for my one box not working. She forwarded me to another agent (was still trying to talk to the Sunday Ticket people), and this agent gave me another $25 off my bill for 6 months. I finally got to the Ticket people (this was while the lockout was still on) and he said he couldn't do anything until the labor situation was clear. I called again a couple weeks ago and asked to talk to the Sunday Ticket people and the girl said I was already getting all these discounts, but I said to let me talk to them anyway. I got to the Ticket people and the guy acted like a robot reading a script. He said "you aren't just a good customer you are a loyal customer" or something like that, which he said over and over, and said he wanted me to finish the call with a smile on my face, so I told him that was going to take something special for that, and acted like I was disgusted with Directv. He offered me $20 off each of the six months payment of $33 or something like that ($120 off there), and said how is that? I still acted unhappy and he gave me a one time credit of $50 off my bill ($170 from them now) and I still acted not totally happy so he gave me the Sundary Ticket extra or whatever it is called for free (another $60 value-which I wouldn't have paid for but I'll take it for free). I finally figured I had pushed my luck and told him that would be fine. So basically just from the Sunday Ticket people I got $230 value for free not counting the discounts on my regular bill from the other folks, which was another $240 discounts, for a total of $470 of discounts for my time on the phone. All that and I was never going to leave Directv, but I figured I have had the Ticket for 8 or 9 years and never got a penny discount, I might as well give it a try. Edited August 24, 2011 by billsfreak
BillsFanNC Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 I think the one key like others have mentioned is you need to get right with a customer retention rep, otherwise you will not get a good offer from Direct TV. In my case I told them I was canceling my service entirely, not just Sunday Ticket. This I believe got their attention and started with an immediate offer for 1/2 price Sunday Ticket. It only took me mentioning that I knew of others who received it for free to get them to offer it to me. There is always a chance they could call you if you are bluffing, but I had the offer from Time Warner in front of me which I read to them and I was fully prepared to say goodbye after 9 years if I didn't get a good offer. According to the rep I talked to they have budgets that they are allowed to work within depending on your customer rating, so if you've been a long time loyal customer there is no reason that they shouldn't work with you to get a good deal.
billieve420 Posted August 24, 2011 Posted August 24, 2011 Standard offer it appears this year is $20 off for 6 months for a total savings of $120. I made my annual call to Retention stated that I would like to cancel the Ticket due to increasing costs and I could not afford to spend that much. They came out and offered $20 off for 6 months without any haggling. I probably could have gotten more if I pushed the envelope but it was a fair offer so I accepted.
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