10 year DirecTV customer needs advice on how to get extra HD-DVR

[MisterBilbo]

Hello gang,

Been with D*TV for at least 10 years. Have had Sunday Ticket since its onset. Superfan since day one. Have had Premier package for a long long time. I have all the premium movie channels and sports channels. Looks like Versus is out tho! I thought I was a valuable customer to them. Guess not or I just don't know the game.

I am disabled. I currently have 1 HR21 (HD-DVR) in my bedroom where I had been spending most of my time healing from multiple surgeries. I have a H20 (HD/non interactive) in my living room. I have 3 standard def receivers in spare bedrooms and one in the Kitchen. Yes, I pay way to much in per receiver fees.

I called today to see about getting another HD-DVR because I am more mobile now and would like to hang out with my family and watch TV on our 56" Samsung. I got shut down so fast you would think I was 10 months past due. I explained my long term history (loyalty) and that I pay over $200/mo (now the NFL-ST is on). Didn't matter. I was told that I used my "free" receiver upgrade "a little while back" and there was nothing that could be done. The "free receiver" upgrade I supposedly used was to replace a crashed HD-DVR (hard drive failure). Hmm that was about 18 months ago. Great business tactics. Oh and they lady I just spoke with told me that back then they could have added the protection plan AFTER it failed and swapped it out and I wouldn't of used my "free" receiver! Nice.

I realized I was getting nowhere with this lady. She did offer me a one time $50 off my bill but I said no thanks. I figured I would reach out to those who have came before me and know how to handle these situations as it seems to be a complete game.

I have been really ill for several years and I just didn't bother with anything related to D*TV. I don't know the tricks of the trade and how to use the retention angle....if thats what ya all still do. Its been a while.

Can someone tell me the best way to get a second HD-DVR? Oh, I live in the country in far Northern California so our locals are not in HD. I went through this
hassle when the gave me the FREE receiver to replace the failed one. Remember when they took the OTA receiver out of the main box and manufactured that little matching add on? I will need that too. I was able to get waiver for NBC, CBS and FOX. ABC told me to pound salt so I had to errect a 15ft antenna to receive ABC from their tower 50 miles away. Grrr.

Any help with getting an extra reciever, a deal on Sunday Ticket and Super Fan would be sweet. I really hate to pull out the "Dish Card" but if that is what I have to do.......

Thanks!

 

[Lkr]

Telling them that you want to cancel ST and SF because it is too expensive should be enough to get a discount. You might have to be transferred to retention for a free HD DVR upgrade.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Well the Dish card won't give you NFL ST.
But the Best way to get an HD DVR is call D* and ask them what they can offer you.

 

[MisterBilbo]

Please do not read anything into my questions. I am not challenge you. I am just confused.

I know that Dish doesn't have Sunday Ticket. However, I think they will soon. Congress and the FCC are not happy with DTV's monopoly of the NFL. I can't wait. A little competition and prices will come down. That doesn't help me in the short term so any "retention" based call would have nothing to do with NFL-ST. I would be about equipment I need.

As for calling DirecTV and asking them what they can offer.....isn't that what I just did? I guess I could have pushed the issue and asked for someone with more authoratay! I don't understand what you mean.

Well the Dish card won't give you NFL ST.
But the Best way to get an HD DVR is call D* and ask them what they can offer you.

 

[MisterBilbo]

How do I parlay ST and SF being to expensive into getting a free HD-DVR? I can see them offering me money off but equipment? Is it a better move for them? I really don't know. Who do I call? Regular DirecTV line? That already bombed. I remember reading about a retention number. Is that still in effect?

Before I messed myself up I was in sales. I know the game. Every level you talk to has a certain "discount" they can offer. Do I need to wade through the weeds to get to the the Flowers?

Telling them that you want to cancel ST and SF because it is too expensive should be enough to get a discount. You might have to be transferred to retention for a free HD DVR upgrade.

 

[stonecold]

NFL will stay an exclusive ... It is fair and open business not DTV fault Charlie can bid with the big boys.

 

[JAG72]

Call Directv and on the voice prompts just say cancel every time they prompt for something. Just ask the CSR what type of deals they have for a long time customer. I never threaten to cancel but just ask what they can do for you very nicely.

 

[stonecold]

Getting a 2nd HD dvr is very hard to do in such a short time frame. I could go into deatials but ways agents use to get around the system to save a customer are closing up and the system being more strict about free hardware give aways and credits applied to accounts

 

[Lkr]

How do I parlay ST and SF being to expensive into getting a free HD-DVR? I can see them offering me money off but equipment? Is it a better move for them? I really don't know. Who do I call? Regular DirecTV line? That already bombed. I remember reading about a retention number. Is that still in effect?

Before I messed myself up I was in sales. I know the game. Every level you talk to has a certain "discount" they can offer. Do I need to wade through the weeds to get to the the Flowers?

You mentioned you wanted a deal with ST and SF, i thought you meant you wanted a discount. If I misunderstood, my apologies.
For retention, you just have to call the regular D* line, just tell the person that picks up that you would like to speak with the retention department.

 

[joed32]

How do I parlay ST and SF being to expensive into getting a free HD-DVR? I can see them offering me money off but equipment? Is it a better move for them? I really don't know. Who do I call? Regular DirecTV line? That already bombed. I remember reading about a retention number. Is that still in effect?

Before I messed myself up I was in sales. I know the game. Every level you talk to has a certain "discount" they can offer. Do I need to wade through the weeds to get to the the Flowers?

You use the money you save with the discount to pay the up front fee on the DVR

 

[cfb]

"Hi, I'm afraid I need to cancel my service" (but...why?!?)

"Well, I like the sunday ticket, but its gotten too expensive and times are tough right now, so I cant afford it. And I need another HD DVR...and without sunday ticket, I could go to dish and they'll give me new equipment and a new HD DVR. So while I love directv, I need to keep my bills down."

Would be very surprised if they didnt offer you a discount on sunday ticket and another free HD DVR, or a heavily discounted dvr. Some money is better than none.

 

[MisterBilbo]

Ok, so I placed a call to D* and simple asked what deals could they offer on ST and SF for a customer who has been with them for 10+ years. The 1st offer wasn't really an offer as they suggested I change from premier to the next level down. I said WTF I watch those channels.

Then discounts slowly started to roll in, Isr a $5/mo on showtime. I was thankful but unimpressed. She kept looking. Then I got $5/mo of the sports package. Then she wiped out the HD Access fee. Cool. It was right at that time when someone her tried to make an outbound call and in the confusion the rep hung up.

I called them back and had them read the notes to see what department I was talking to. They routed me back to that section and I got another great rep. She reviewed what the other had done and said it was quite clever. There was no specific ST special so that rep just "made some up". The second added free SF and I was really satisfied. I had just heard my Rams we one of two teams to not have a nationally scheduled TV game. Pathetic.

So I guess I saved $15/mo for 6 months plus whatever SuperFan costs. I will take that money and get a second HD-DVR. I am satisfied,]
Thanks D*!!!

And thanks everyone for the suggestions.

 

[cfb]

You should have told them you're a rams fan. They'd have given you another $20 a month off for your troubles