Center Ice Price... gee thanks

[skottey]

For weeks I have been seeing the ads for Center Ice for four monthly payments of $39.95. My wife and I actually talked about getting it this year during the few days of free preview. It would be kind of silly, because we are Lightning fans and live in Lightning land, but having the option to watch a game, any game, any night of the week just about does add to the appeal, since we love hockey and I personally enjoy a few more games a week than are played by any given team and I know my wife would watch the Flyers and some other teams for sure.

So anyway, I woke up to an email form DirecTV with "Exclusive Offers Just For You"

I scrolled down to the Center Ice offer and it displayed, 4 payments of $42.25!

I am sure that somebody will come back and tell me that the $39.95 offer was only good until the end of the free preview or something like that. But why would the price go up. This isn't like a concert where if you wait until the last minute they jack the price up at the door. It is a service that is going on as is anyway and that is ongoing for a season. They don't really need a headcount to proceed. If anything, it should go down in price a little as each month of the season goes by. Not up. Now I am certainly not going to sign up. Here I thought they would splash up some price better than I have seen on TV. Maybe $150, $140, $130, but I guess my special offer went the other way. The money really wasn't the issue, but they are making it an issue with this type stuff. I'll bet that $42.25 offer is good for anybody that signs up for CI right now. I am not "special"

 

[darrencp22]

It was an early bird special. You passed the early bird. They do it every year. There was no shortage of advertising this over the past month.

 

[skottey]

I see that my local cable company does the same thing pretty much. I am sure the price is set by the NHL. It just seems like the price would go down.

Well, it actually does go down for a half season and a race for Stanley, which in my opinion is the best deal, since it begins later in the season when Football and other things are done for the year...

$79 NHL Center Ice Race to the Stanley Cup Package - valid February 16, 2009 - May 15, 2009.... Not a bad package.
Does DirecTV offer this package at the end of the season like cable?

 

[skottey]

It was an early bird special. You passed the early bird. They do it every year. There was no shortage of advertising this over the past month.

Right, right.... I understand that. It just makes no logical sense that as time passes, you pay more for less. The kicker here was that they email me as if I am a good customer and they are giving me special offers. That is the same offer they give anybody obviously. I didn't realize the trickery of DirecTV until I signed up for DirecTV. With this I mean, things like saying they have 130 HD Nationals when 30 of them are PPV.

 

[darrencp22]

I think in general is intended to reward people who had it the previous year and auto-renew.

 

[jcrandall]

Call DirecTV and ask if you can get the lower rate? Ask if you are eligible for any other promotions. Sometimes they can offset some of the cost with other discounts if you add the package. It completely depends on your account (length, average bill, etc).

 

[charper1]

Bitch, moan, allegations of deceit and trickery all because you don't like rules, the offer, or can't read or comprehend? Just don't buy the package then and wait out the half season price reduction! WTF? Does no one have any personal responsibility these days? Seems more like an axe to grind or the need to manufacture some hosility here as of late; about anything / everything. Just drop DirecTV and move on and problem solved. LOL

 

[Jimbo]

skottey,
In your opening post you mentioned how you and your wife love hockey and would get the package so you could watch a game every night.
Sounds like true Hockey fans :up

All this griping over $ 9.20 ????

Jimbo

 

[skottey]

Bitch, moan, allegations of deceit and trickery all because you don't like rules, the offer, or can't read or comprehend? Just don't buy the package then and wait out the half season price reduction! WTF? Does no one have any personal responsibility these days? Seems more like an axe to grind or the need to manufacture some hosility here as of late; about anything / everything. Just drop DirecTV and move on and problem solved. LOL

14,000+ posts, and I have never seen you say anything nice. That is sad.

 

[skottey]

skottey,
In your opening post you mentioned how you and your wife love hockey and would get the package so you could watch a game every night.
Sounds like true Hockey fans :up

All this griping over $ 9.20 ????

Jimbo

No, the point is they are acting as if they are offering me some special price. They are offering everybody new or existing that price.

It really isn't the money, it is the business practices.

Yes, I am biased. I am a business owner and cannot help but using my own business practices as a baseline. I go out of my way to make sure that my customers have the right information. I go way above and beyond. So perhaps I expect the same from companies I do business with. You know the ol' saying, do onto others as they do onto you. I would never do onto my customers what has been done to me. DirecTV isn't the worst thing in the world but they have had a lot of broken promises, such as the announcement in June 2007 of a bunch of HBO/MAX channels in HD that never happened in fall of 2007, like they said.

 

[Jimbo]

No, the point is they are acting as if they are offering me some special price. They are offering everybody new or existing that price.

It really isn't the money, it is the business practices.

Yes, I am biased. I am a business owner and cannot help but using my own business practices as a baseline. I go out of my way to make sure that my customers have the right information. I go way above and beyond. So perhaps I expect the same from companies I do business with. You know the ol' saying, do onto others as they do onto you. I would never do onto my customers what has been done to me. DirecTV isn't the worst thing in the world but they have had a lot of broken promises, such as the announcement in June 2007 of a bunch of HBO/MAX channels in HD that never happened in fall of 2007, like they said.

As for Charper, look around, he's help just about anyone that has asked for it.

Is your company a small company or a Country wide one that you own.
I know that doesn't make it right, and I believe like you that you should do everything you can, but the LARGE companies, tend to get away from personal service.

Sorry but you'll have to post the link to the supposive PROMISE that D* made about the HBO being on last June ...

fwiw, had you ordered the NHL CI before the season started you could have gotten it cheaper.... as the case is with all sport packages.
They will offer a end of season package somewhere around March I think.
I never buy into the CI because I don't have the time to dedicate to it.
At least the HD portion is included.

Jimbo

 

[jtwex]

fwiw, had you ordered the NHL CI before the season started you could have gotten it cheaper.... as the case is with all sport packages.
Jimbo

Sorry about the "special letter" claiming your importance but if you call them up & tell them you want the 'early bird' special or just tell them it's $39 or nothing they will accommodate you. That is if you approach them with a Coke & a smile. Go off on tangents & promises & you might need to watch the RSN's.

 

[skottey]

Sorry but you'll have to post the link to the supposive PROMISE that D* made about the HBO being on last June ...

Jimbo

The press release is no longer on the DirecTV website, but here is a discussion of it from 2007 when they announced it on the DirecTV site and it was discussed here. I am sure somewhere in there there is a link to the actual press release, but I haven't looked too hard to find it again this AM. I saw the actual press release in June of this year and it didn't hit me right away that it was from 2007! They came through for us with Fox News HD on DirecTV today, so I am not going to complain about DirecTV today (haha). I feel good about them right now. They gave me Fox News HD before the actual election! Excellent... but here is a link to discussion regarding the new HBO/MAX channels.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/98821-directv-carry-11-hbo-cinemax-channels-hd.html

Edited after further looking -
Here is the press release (note- it is still not from the DirecTV site, but captured from their press release on their site at the time)
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1015081&highlight=

 

[Big Dawg 23]

Skottey here you go. Sorry not to post minimum yet for links.

dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=286351

I would have to agree why put out this press release and do nothing. I will be joining the Directv family on 10-30 and did it for when I go HiDef. Those channels would be nice. Have you every called the people at the bottom to ask why they haven't launched yet?

 

[skottey]

Skottey here you go. Sorry not to post minimum yet for links.

dtv.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=286351

I would have to agree why put out this press release and do nothing. I will be joining the Directv family on 10-30 and did it for when I go HiDef. Those channels would be nice. Have you every called the people at the bottom to ask why they haven't launched yet?

Actually, I was thinking of calling them but have not. I think if we put the pressure on DirecTV we may be able to get something done. I really think they added Fox News HD today because of all the complaints. I called and emailed several times, as did thousands of other customers. They felt pressured into adding it and did. If they would just add the HBO/MAX channels, Travel Channel HD, and maybe AMC HD, I would be good for a while.