Check Your Bill!

[JerryVolunteer]

I received my DTV bill and had a lease charge and a new annual commitment on a HD receiver I've had for 3 years.

I called DTV and they said that when they did the switchover that this got added to several existing customers acounts. So watch your bill for this. I was also charged $4.99 for having a leased receiver. While she was correcting my account I was asking information on the leased program and she said that it was basically the same as it was when you bought the receiver except now you pay the upfront charge of $499, pay a lease fee each month and have to return the equipment when you leave DTV.

I also got a quote for a HD DVR while I had her on the phone. $499 with a $4.99 a month lease and have to return the box when I leave DTV. I then asked what if I bought the box outright and she said it would be $899 for the receiver. I asked about any kind of rebate and she said that they were told that rebates would hardly ever be offered now that they are going to a lease program. She said they had recevied numerous complaints and she had lost several customers.

Thought I would let ya'll know what I was told.

 

[theslag]

go figure...i just hope their pricing doesnt turn into another cable company. So far Im totaly happy with D, my cable company RCN cannot match what I am getting from D.

 

[icstephen]

go figure...i just hope their pricing doesnt turn into another cable company. So far Im totaly happy with D, my cable company RCN cannot match what I am getting from D.

I had been a D* customer since the beginning and recently decided to switch to cable and I got an HD DVR for no money, with no contract and only $5.00 a month plus hd locals from 2 markets (Atlanta & Chattanooga)...I had thought about going back to D* but I won't do 2 year contracts...D* is getting as bad as the cell company.

 

[vurbano]

go figure...i just hope their pricing doesnt turn into another cable company. So far Im totaly happy with D, my cable company RCN cannot match what I am getting from D.

What are you smoking? What cable company charges you 500 bucks for the privaledge of renting their HDDVR which is NOT a deposit fee you NEVER get that money back? ANd makes you sign a 2 year contract with 300 dollars in termination fees? At this point it would be a VAST improvement if D* pricing did turn into cable company pricing

 

[JerryVolunteer]

I am very close to canceling and going to time Warner. I have been offered all the channels I have now, which is Total choice Premier and the HD pack for $74.99. This includes a HD DVR from TWC. They promised me that price for 18 months then the normal price here is less then DTV

 

[Doctor Bob]

Wow, we will be keeping an eye on our D* bills!!!

 

[Alan Lackey]

Whether old news or not, here is something I found in search my state's AG website...funny it claims Tennessee's portion of the settlement was to go to consumer education on the subject....never even heard about this much less seen any information by the state on the subject.

http://www.attorneygeneral.state.tn.us/press/2005/story/PR33.pdf

 

[markd]

I am very close to canceling and going to time Warner. I have been offered all the channels I have now, which is Total choice Premier and the HD pack for $74.99. This includes a HD DVR from TWC. They promised me that price for 18 months then the normal price here is less then DTV

Jerry, I suggest you try TWC before canceling D* if you can. You might want to make sure the PQ and DVR is to your liking. Unlike the sat companies you can cancel TWC anytime without a penalty.

I tried TWC, here in Memphis, last November. The HD channels had far superior PQ. But the analog channels (1-100) were grainy on a digital TV. At that time I was watching lot of the analog channels. Also, TWC's DVR was nowhere near as user friendly as the HD-TIVO. But it did work. TWC EPG is awful. It's a throwback to the 1980's.

If you do give TWC a try please let us know how it goes. I'm curious to see if they have made any improvements since November.

 

[JerryVolunteer]

I'll let you know. I did see the PQ at a friends house. It looked pretty good but he does not have a nice TV like me. Also, most of the channels that I would watch they have in HD plus they are adding more HD soon, including ESPN2, Starz and TMC.
They even called me back today and cut the price down to $60. So that is alot less then I am paying now. I compared the packages and they offer more channels and the package that has everything is cheaper then TCP. I think I may try it and if I dont like it I can at least keep it for a year or so until D catches up in HD world and by then maybe this stupid $499/lease for a HD DTV will be gone. That is really pulling me toward TWC.

 

[Tonedeaf]

I also had an annual commitment charge that was on my recent bill. Annual Commitment/2 Years on March 2 was added. I promptly called a retention CSR to get it removed once again. Had to call during the DVR4ME promo to make sure they did not extend my commitment from that. No lease fees for my receivers. Rep had no idea why that would have been added that day.

 

[fkostyn]

Whatever happens with Windows Media Center is going to win my $$$. Either way, I can have a couple OTA's, and either a cable card OR a d* reciever (and not loose my recordings if I change providers)

 

[Doctor Bob]

Whether old news or not, here is something I found in search my state's AG website...funny it claims Tennessee's portion of the settlement was to go to consumer education on the subject....never even heard about this much less seen any information by the state on the subject.

http://www.attorneygeneral.state.tn.us/press/2005/story/PR33.pdf

Consumer Education??? This was interesting... Thanx for the input...

 

[dragon002]

Whether old news or not, here is something I found in search my state's AG website...funny it claims Tennessee's portion of the settlement was to go to consumer education on the subject....never even heard about this much less seen any information by the state on the subject.

http://www.attorneygeneral.state.tn.us/press/2005/story/PR33.pdf

it means it is going into the politicos slush fund. of course it is tenn., could be going into gores retirement home/insane assylum. LOL

 

[JerryVolunteer]

Jerry, I suggest you try TWC before canceling D* if you can. You might want to make sure the PQ and DVR is to your liking. Unlike the sat companies you can cancel TWC anytime without a penalty.

I tried TWC, here in Memphis, last November. The HD channels had far superior PQ. But the analog channels (1-100) were grainy on a digital TV. At that time I was watching lot of the analog channels. Also, TWC's DVR was nowhere near as user friendly as the HD-TIVO. But it did work. TWC EPG is awful. It's a throwback to the 1980's.

If you do give TWC a try please let us know how it goes. I'm curious to see if they have made any improvements since November.

Just to let you know. I got TWC installed and I am very much impressed. I got a new DVR they said that got in last month. I like it and I really like the HBO on demand. the HD channels are 10 times better then D's and I have INHD 1 &2. The SD channels look good but I do have to stretch the screen to make it fill up my whole screen on SD but I am really happy.

 

[Alan Lackey]

Thank goodness Gore is pretty much out of sight and mind...more so than they want you to believe....what a whack...he is probably working up his story for how he has invented Internet V2.0!

I just thought it was interesting that this did address issues around D* charging fees for service cancellations when they apparently have not made it clear to some that those fees exist. A lot of states covered under this settlement.

As for the consumer education part Dr. Bob...I have seen nada in middle TN around it.

 

[JerryVolunteer]

Thank goodness Gore is pretty much out of sight and mind...more so than they want you to believe....what a whack...he is probably working up his story for how he has invented Internet V2.0!

I just thought it was interesting that this did address issues around D* charging fees for service cancellations when they apparently have not made it clear to some that those fees exist. A lot of states covered under this settlement.

As for the consumer education part Dr. Bob...I have seen nada in middle TN around it.

Only if were lucky, then Gore will be back. Hell maybe another freakin Bush wont be around to buy the white house again. It always takes a democrat to get us headed back in the right track after a Bush fiasco, first time Clinton/Gore, this time...we'll see...

 

[scotsmanron]

 

[Doctor Bob]

Dang, I'll keep checking the "BILL"... LOL

 

[markd]

Just to let you know. I got TWC installed and I am very much impressed. I got a new DVR they said that got in last month. I like it and I really like the HBO on demand. the HD channels are 10 times better then D's and I have INHD 1 &2. The SD channels look good but I do have to stretch the screen to make it fill up my whole screen on SD but I am really happy.

Jerry, Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad to hear you are liking TWC.

I'm curious as to what's the brand & model of your new DVR? When I tried TWC last November they had the Scientific Atlantic 8300-HD. It wasn't very user friendly.

Also, how does the channels between 1-99 look? Those were the analog channels that were grainy when I had TWC. If they are looking better, then TWC might have the digital channels up and running and mapping to these channels. If that's the case I might have to check them out again.

 

[JerryVolunteer]

I ahve not had a problem with grainy channels on my Sony. I have an SA 8550 I believe it is. they told me when I signed up that everything had been converted to all digital. there were a couple channels that were grainy on DTV. I still have my direct turned on. I'm gonna think about it for a week. But I really like the HD package that TWC offers and they are going to be adding some soon.