Directv customer retention lies about DISH Network

[Claude Greiner]

I got an account with Directv for Sunday Ticket with a 24 month committment, and for something I don't use the bill is simply too high.

So I called them up and told them to cancel my account, and told them I was switching to DISH Network...

I spent about 30 minutes speaking with a rep in customer retention trying to tell me why Directv is better than DISH Network. I wish I would have recorded the call, but here is basically what was said...

#1 They still think they are the HD leader. Eventhough Dish added several HD channels last week, somehow this important information has not made it to their idiots in customer retention.

#2 The rep then went on for about 5 minutes to try to scare me about the $5 no phone line charges with DISH Networks dual Tuner receivers. My responce was "Yes, the phone line is right behind my TV, so its no problem" and then this idiot still went on and had the nerve to even suggest that I could accidently disconnect the phone line and the charges would appear on my bill. Finally this rep said how to you know your going to hook up the phone line when none of your Directv receivers are hooked to the phone line. I reponded "Are you gonna waive the additional receiver outlet fee if I connect up the phone line to my Directv box" That was kind of the end of that conversation.

#3 So he could not win on the phone line charges, he starts attacking Dual Tuner Receivers! He said that Directv used to have them at one time, but got rid of them because they had too many problems (A Lie, Directv never had Dual Receivers like Dish)

Then he suggests that I would have No Tv in both rooms if my Dual Tuner receiver goes bad with DISH Network, and it could be several days before someone comes out and fixes it. But if my Directv box went bad I could still watch TV in the other room. What we seem to forget here is that it takes several days for Directv to come out also for service calls, and if your Dish is out of alignment you loose service on both Televsions reguardless!

But here are the 2 things that really pissed me off....

#3 Their rep tried to tell me that the 722 only has (1) High Definition Tuner, reguardless if I ran the box in single Tuner mode. Sure TV #2 is going to be SD out, but both Tuners will still record in High Definition.

#4 The last straw was when the Directv rep told me that if I needed tech support, that Dish would charge me $5 to speak with someone in Tech Support if I was having a problem with my receiver. He even had me bring up the residetial customer agreement on DISH Network.com and said the $5 transaction fee which is used to penalize you to downgrade programming is actually for Tech Support on your existing equipment.

I got pist off, asked to speak with a Supervisor and they told me the same lie!

Ther where some other things that where said that where not true, but after 30 minutes I told them just to cancel my account effective next Friday.

I was surprised they did not offer me any other discounts to stay, however since the disconnection date is scheduled for Friday, im waiting for someone to call me back in customer retention in the next few days

I asked this idiot where he saw that, we go to DISH Network.com an

 

[petsheep]

Disconnection date of Friday? It takes them like 7 seconds to cancel an account and deactivate receivers. Didn't know you can request a sepcific date for cancel.

 

[stonecold]

1. No comment they are probably wrong about dish HD count as it takes a couple of days for DTV information database to update.

2. Phone fee stuff it is a enngh thing. Probrably looked at your account saw that your boxes had not called home and mentioned it. Or just mentioned it for sheets and giggles as it a point they like to use alot.

3. No your wrong there was a dual tuner, multi tv reciever but it was not an dvr it was a regular reciver more like the 322 it was made by phillips but I have to look at the model number next time I am in dtv online database of info.


4 aka the other 3 and 5 well they dtv just spouting bs to try and get you to say.

 

[stonecold]

Disconnection date of Friday? It takes them like 7 seconds to cancel an account and deactivate receivers. Didn't know you can request a sepcific date for cancel.

I can deactivate all recievers in less the n3 seconds. select primary box and hit deactivate.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I'll admit both satellite companys lie, But I've never heard E* say anything about D* while I was on the phone with them.
But I've heard D* bad mouth E* on a number of occations. Yea my conversations were about the same . D* CSR spreading BS around that they know nothing about.

 

[NotMe546]

The Fing balls on them... But I guess when you got nothing else going for you I guess you have to lie. Except which must people I know don't pay stupid money for sports, not in this day and time.
Also I'm sure if this post wasn't started by some like Claude Greiner the D* fan boy would attack him.

 

[Rey]

even though i had dish for about ten years and left them in 08,if i posted something like this in the dish forum i would've be torn a new one and called a troll by the usual members that blindly defend their providers. i'm glad to see that hasn't happened here. everyone has good and bad experiences with either provider and this should always be respected when these members want to share that with us.

 

[Rey]

I'll admit both satellite companys lie, But I've never heard E* say anything about D* while I was on the phone with them.
But I've heard D* bad mouth E* on a number of occations. Yea my conversations were about the same . D* CSR spreading BS around that they know nothing about.

this is very immature and childish by D* csr's.

 

[Ronnie-]

this is very immature and childish by D* csr's.

It is.

I have never had either companies CSRs badmouth the competition, not in the manner that is presented here anyway

 

[DodgerKing]

1. Technically they can still be considered the HD leader if they count PPVs and RSNs, but I agree that for the most part Dish has more HD channels. I would not call this a lie; I would call it spin.
2. They do charge for a no phone line fee as you are aware. The rest of the argument was simply an attempt to keep you (basically their job). The rest of the CSR said was just out of despiration.
3. The DVRs do have duel tuners now (tested in a beta CE). I am currently using it on my HR20. Other receivers, such as a TiVo I currently have, also have/had duel tuners. He was correct on this one. On the HD issue with the duel tuners. I think he meant that one can only watch an SD picture on a second TV using one of the tuners. If he did mean that only one tuner is HD all of the time, he is either ignorant about the VIPs (which is more likely the case) or he is lying.

 

[Claude Greiner]

The reason why I requested to be disconnected next Friday was specifically so I would get a call from their customer retention Department...

They called me this morning, offered me an additional $20 off my bill for the next year and then a one time $75 credit to my account!

 

[Claude Greiner]

Disconnection date of Friday? It takes them like 7 seconds to cancel an account and deactivate receivers. Didn't know you can request a sepcific date for cancel.

Yes I knew that, but I wanted it to show in their system as a pending cancellation so they would have someone in their Winback department call me and give me a better offer.

Got the call this morning and they are giving me a one time $75 discount and $20 more off my bill for 1 year in addition to the discounts im already getting.

 

[HIFI]

did you take it claude?

 

[Claude Greiner]

Yes, I took it. I wasn't about to pay a $400 cancellation fee to Directv......

The whole point of calling them to cancel was to see what their Winback department would offer me. They would not do anything for me on the first call, but I figured they would call back and make me an offer I couldn't refuse!

Im paying $45/mo now for Choice with Locals, DVR and HD, with a 2nd DVR.

Im not sure exactly where the credits stand, but its like $35 off per month for 1 year with a one time $75 bill credit.

 

[jokeworm]

Is this not your second "Discount" in as many months?

You signed up in November .. got the equipment/discounts that were on offer ($23 + whatever promo was available at the time)

Then an additional $15 per month because you sneezed, then an additional $20 per month + $75 ?

That's $60+ in discounts per month that you have reported so far ... Have you not criticized people on these forums in the past for this type of behavior with Dish Network?

I got this same "Don't go Directv Sucks" when i left Dish ... in fact only last week i was getting harassing calls from Dish after i had asked them not to call me anymore ... works both ways ... seems to me like with $60+ per month in discounts, rather than complain about them - you should be singing their praises.

Only another 10 months for me with Directv and i'll be back to choosing a new provider that will give me the most discounts for the next 2 years .. I have no problem using a companies own desperation against them, if they offer the discount .. i'm willing to take it.

 

[stonecold]

If Retentions/Winback group is dumb enough to give him all those credits who am I to argue.

 

[MikeinBaja]

Anyone ever wonder what our "normal" monthly bills would be without folks slamming service providers back & forth every 24 months or continually gaming the system and begging for discounts?

$ needs to come from somewhere - everybody else pays just a little bit more to make up the difference in bottom line revenue.

I'd like to see BOTH providers take a stance that they give you the "new" customer sweatheart deals once every 60 months (5 years). That way the rest of us don't subsidise the habitual slammers - and we all know that there are many of them.

Just my personal opinion - and notice I didn't pump either provider.

 

[satjay]

Some of the time providers also give out the big Winback discounts, such as mailers

I switched from Direct to Dish and today in the mail, I recived an offer for the current "new" subscriber offer at Direct. I am happy with Dish and just started Dish, but I guess it will be intresting if I continue to get the winback offers, what they will be like.

 

[satjay]

Is this not your second "Discount" in as many months?

You signed up in November .. got the equipment/discounts that were on offer ($23 + whatever promo was available at the time)

Then an additional $15 per month because you sneezed, then an additional $20 per month + $75 ?

That's $60+ in discounts per month that you have reported so far ... Have you not criticized people on these forums in the past for this type of behavior with Dish Network?

I got this same "Don't go Directv Sucks" when i left Dish ... in fact only last week i was getting harassing calls from Dish after i had asked them not to call me anymore ... works both ways ... seems to me like with $60+ per month in discounts, rather than complain about them - you should be singing their praises.

Only another 10 months for me with Directv and i'll be back to choosing a new provider that will give me the most discounts for the next 2 years .. I have no problem using a companies own desperation against them, if they offer the discount .. i'm willing to take it.

I could agree with you. In todays crazy economy I think you have to try to get the best deal you can within somewhat of reason

 

[lee78221]

Anyone ever wonder what our "normal" monthly bills would be without folks slamming service providers back & forth every 24 months or continually gaming the system and begging for discounts?

$ needs to come from somewhere - everybody else pays just a little bit more to make up the difference in bottom line revenue.

I'd like to see BOTH providers take a stance that they give you the "new" customer sweatheart deals once every 60 months (5 years). That way the rest of us don't subsidise the habitual slammers - and we all know that there are many of them.

Just my personal opinion - and notice I didn't pump either provider.

I 100% agree. It sickens me when people try to game the system like this.:down:down