$10.89 Price Increase

[PopcornNMore]

My mom is trying to reduce monthly expenses since my dad passed away and is furious that her $68.65 a month DirecTV bill is now $79.54 (an increase of $10.89 a month).

Has DirecTV increased their package prices recently?

This is her new statement. I don't have access to her old statements, so I don't know where the increase came from.

Choice: 63.99 + 3.84 tax
FOX Network (grandfathered): 3.50 + 0.21 tax
Primary TV: 6.00 + 0.36 tax
Primary TV: (6.00) + (0.36) tax
DVR Fee: 8.00 + 0.00 tax

DirecTV is getting as bad as Dish Network.

 

[StealthMonkey]

Prices did increase a little.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/274451-new-directv-prices.html

Choice went up $3 and DVR went up $1. I don't see where the rest of the ten dollars comes from. There was likely some sort of promotion that expired.

 

[bbixler]

My mom is trying to reduce monthly expenses since my dad passed away and is furious that her $68.65 a month DirecTV bill is now $79.54 (an increase of $10.89 a month).

Has DirecTV increased their package prices recently?

This is her new statement. I don't have access to her old statements, so I don't know where the increase came from.

Choice: 63.99 + 3.84 tax
FOX Network (grandfathered): 3.50 + 0.21 tax
Primary TV: 6.00 + 0.36 tax
Primary TV: (6.00) + (0.36) tax
DVR Fee: 8.00 + 0.00 tax

DirecTV is getting as bad as Dish Network.

Yep, price went up for programming a couple of bucks but not close to $10. Direct TV sent notice of this price increase approx 2 months prior to it actually happening so it wasn't a surprise to anyone. Not sure why your mother's bill went up that much but they didn't increase their prices that much. If it's too much then she needs to call in and cancel it.

 

[Juan]

some areas got a $2 increase because they have more than 1 RSN and maybe they had a credit expire

 

[Mr Tony]

some areas got a $2 increase because they have more than 1 RSN and maybe they had a credit expire

the $2 only is right now in NY

 

[Mr Tony]

Prices did increase a little.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/274451-new-directv-prices.html

Choice went up $3 and DVR went up $1. I don't see where the rest of the ten dollars comes from. There was likely some sort of promotion that expired.

exactly. It should have been $4 increase which we all kinda knew was coming

 

[Blueridge66]

If Mom (or you) has online access to her account past billing should be available for comparison.

 

[Juan]

looks like she has $6 in taxes..Is that new for her area?

 

[jamieh1]

Taxes add several dollars to my bill every month. $3-4 added every year to the bill is really adding up. I remember when I first got Directv in the 90s you never saw a price increase. Channels were added all the time. The 1st time I saw a price increase its was just a few cents. Now Directv raises rates on not just programming but, DVR service, and additional recievers. Directv should not increase the fees on these. I have the Choice extra classic package, HD service, DVR service, and 5 recievers. Im getting the $10 hd credit, but my bill is still around $110. Thinking about dropping a reciever to absorb some of the recent increase.

 

[Mr Tony]

looks like she has $6 in taxes..Is that new for her area?

The OP posts the taxes
3.84+.21 is 4.05

so are you using some goofy metric math or something where $1 equals $1.50 metric money?

 

[insider66]

My mom is trying to reduce monthly expenses since my dad passed away and is furious that her $68.65 a month DirecTV bill is now $79.54 (an increase of $10.89 a month).

Has DirecTV increased their package prices recently?

This is her new statement. I don't have access to her old statements, so I don't know where the increase came from.

Choice: 63.99 + 3.84 tax
FOX Network (grandfathered): 3.50 + 0.21 tax
Primary TV: 6.00 + 0.36 tax
Primary TV: (6.00) + (0.36) tax
DVR Fee: 8.00 + 0.00 tax

DirecTV is getting as bad as Dish Network.

Price did increase by a couple of dollars as mentioned. She may have had a discount that expired at the same time the price increase took affect. Have her call and say cancel or close when she gets to the automated system, this will direct her right the the retention department. They could probably get her some promotions that would bring her bill even lower that what she was paying before. The good thing about directv is that any discounts applied do not apply any type of agreement to the account. Best of luck!

 

[PopcornNMore]

What is the lowest cost package she could subscribe to? Also, could I purchase a new standard receiver and install it myself to save the $8 DVR fee?

 

[insider66]

What is the lowest cost package she could subscribe to? Also, could I purchase a new standard receiver and install it myself to save the $8 DVR fee?

The family package has about 70 channels and is only 29.99, sure you could swap out the dvr for a standard receiver and save the dvr fee. If your mom has no commitment I'm sure there would be one available to her at little to no cost, regular price is $69. FedEx would drop it off, very easy to hook up. There would be a prepaid label inside the box it comes in to ship back the dvr.

 

[jcrandall]

Peraps this list will help:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/277486-2012-directv-packages-including-family-select.html

Family, Select (available from retention), Entertainment are all options to save money, and keep the DVR.

 

[Mr Tony]

What is the lowest cost package she could subscribe to? Also, could I purchase a new standard receiver and install it myself to save the $8 DVR fee?

Entertainment package is pretty much Choice - sports
$54.99

 

[Mr Tony]

What is the lowest cost package she could subscribe to? Also, could I purchase a new standard receiver and install it myself to save the $8 DVR fee?

but then you'd have a new 2 year agreement...actually I think its only a 12 month on the SD receivers

 

[OSD771]

You could get an SD receiver and It would put her into a new 1 year commitment, and that would get rid of the 8$ dvr fee. The cheapest package is Family @ 29.99.

 

[PopcornNMore]

I think for now she will simply downgrade to the "Entertainment" package to save $10 a month. Although she is pissed, because we downgraded her from "Choice Ultimate" to "Choice" to save $10 a month when my father passed away 5 months ago. Now she is paying the same amount and getting less channels. Being a big baseball fan and loving the IFC channel she isn't going to like the "Entertainment" package.

I'm thinking she should simply drop DirecTV and get a whole new Dish Network setup and pay a lower fee for the next year or two.

One final question: If I puchase a SD direcTV receiver for $69 and downgrade to the "Family" package would she receive the HD channels within the "Family" package in SD?

 

[insider66]

I think for now she will simply downgrade to the "Entertainment" package to save $10 a month. Although she is pissed, because we downgraded her from "Choice Ultimate" to "Choice" to save $10 a month when my father passed away 5 months ago. Now she is paying the same amount and getting less channels. Being a big baseball fan and loving the IFC channel she isn't going to like the "Entertainment" package.

I'm thinking she should simply drop DirecTV and get a whole new Dish Network setup and pay a lower fee for the next year or two.

One final question: If I puchase a SD direcTV receiver for $69 and downgrade to the "Family" package would she receive the HD channels within the "Family" package in SD?

Yes she would still get the channels in SD, I would call and get over to the retention department and see what promotions they can get her. From what you said she pays a month she's defiantly been a customer more than a year. She could stay one the choice package if it has the channels she likes and more likely than not they can apply a $10 discount for a year or $20 off for 6 months, possibly get her free dvr service for 12 months instead of exchanging the receiver out. Replacing the receiver would apply a commitment whereas discounts would not.

 

[Mr Tony]

Popcorn
I would suggest calling D* and talking with retention. Honestly you never know what they might offer you (or I guess your mom). Thats what I did and I'm happy that I did call them