How quick is DirecTv to turn off service? (IE unintended late payment)

[colt45allstar]

My payment's going to be late this month, I don't want it to be... but quite honestly I have no real choice in the matter.

I've recently had to take an unexpected hour cut and pay cut at work and have been struggling to get my bills and rent paid.. while still being able to eat.

This is no exaggeration.. I've currently got shut off notices from both the water company and the electric company and literally survived on nothing but potato chips four out of the seven days last week.

This isn't like me, but sometimes life throws you curveballs and you simply have to make do... I just know I'm struggling to pay all my bills... got my gas caught up last week.. will get electric and water caught up this week.

My main reasoning for wondering about this is as follows. As luck would have it, another position opened up at work.... I've got senority on most everyone and this new position is all but mine.

I'm going to go back to making a decent little salary and getting 40 hours a week again, but it likely won't actually take place until the week after next.

My Direc TV bill is due this weekend, but I won't be able to pay it until next weekend if I'm lucky... but more than likely the weekend after.

Again I stress I'm not some deadbeat and I normally do pay my bills on time, have just been going through a tough period.

How likely is DirecTV to turn my service off if payment's a week or two late? I understand I will likely have late charges and I'm perfectly fine with them... tough period in my life or not, that's not DirecTv's fault.

I just hope they don't pull my service altogether... and wasn't sure how quick of a hook they had.

 

[hdtvtechno]

For them to turn off your directv.. they would have to send you a notice in the mail in advance to do that..

so as long as you didnt get it yet.. then your a-ok ..
and i think its 2or 3 months if your late i think ?

 

[jtwex]

I believe there is also a place on their website to let them know you will be late, the reason why, & when they can expect payment. You would obviously need to setup your online account with them first which is free, easy & fast.

 

[hdtvtechno]

I believe there is also a place on their website to let them know you will be late, the reason why, & when they can expect payment. You would obviously need to setup your online account with them first which is free, easy & fast.

Yes you can also do that..

 

[Claude Greiner]

Its 58 days with Dish before they shut you down for non-payment, I would imagine it would be about the same with Directv

 

[Big Dawg 23]

When do you receive you new bill every month? In my case it is the 2nd. Two months ago I unintentionally forgot to pay my bill. When my new bill came out on the 2nd and it said on line specifically when your service will be shut off for non-payment. You can apply for an extension online as well.

 

[dslate69]

Let me say it if no one else will.
Cancel your tv bill you don't need it. I love my HDTV but if I were teatering on being dead broke I would watch hulu or listen to the radio. I am sure you don't have a family or lord forbid kids because I am sure you already would have cut the non essentials. Do it now.
Do you not have any savings. If the answer is NO, cancel D* and use that money to start saving. If you are not a deadbeat now you will be in the future without savings.
Sorry, I may be an @$$ but that doesn't make it NOT true.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Directv does it like this, Say your Payment is Due the 25 of January and you don't pay it. Then Febuary 25 comes around, March 20 your Service will be shut off. You will get a service interuption notice 15 Days befor the shut off date. If you Pay the Past Due Balance before the shut off date You will be fine for another month. But If your service is interupted , You Must Pay The FULL amount Due on the account before services are restored. I know this because I went to Germany for 3 months ,and the card I had on Autopay Expired 2 days after I left. Talk about surprise when I got Home. My Bill was Like $800

 

[thetech2009]

just suspend your account untill you can pay for it. no need for late fees or for it to be cut off. they allow you to suspend for up to six months.

 

[mini1]

Suspend your account and live off free OTA before your credit rating takes dip! One missed payment will start dropping your FICO score like a rock. You don't need DirecTV to survive. Pay the water/water and food bills first and STOP living paycheck-to-paycheck. You should not be in this situation. You should have savings to live off of.

 

[hdtvtechno]

Directv doesnt report on your credit file
I've checked

 

[Hemi 6.1]

One missed payment will start dropping your FICO score like a rock. .

Sorry but I check my Credit report monthly, and I've not seen 1 Entry from Directv or Dishnetwork in my credit report. If your score is dropping like a rock, maybe you should pay the outstanding Balance you had for years with D*. When they submit you to a collection agency, thats when your credit score get wacked.

 

[hdtvtechno]

Sorry but I check my Credit report monthly, and I've not seen 1 Entry from Directv or Dishnetwork in my credit report. If your score is dropping like a rock, maybe you should pay the outstanding Balance you had for years with D*. When they submit you to a collection agency, thats when your credit score get wacked.

exactly..

 

[Zellio2008]

I once missed a month payment for D* because USPS lost my check and I had to cancel it...

But um, this isn't related to this topic..

 

[Kheldar]

just suspend your account untill you can pay for it. no need for late fees or for it to be cut off. they allow you to suspend for up to six months.

This would not be an option in the OP's case.

D*'s "How to put your DIRECTV® Service on hold" page:

Requirements for putting your service on hold

• Zero balance on your bill

So you place your account on hold until the bill is paid in full anyway.

 

[dslate69]

I once missed a month payment for D* because USPS lost my check and I had to cancel it...

But um, this isn't related to this topic..

I once missed a payment because my dog ate the check.
Seriously though if one D* bill is all that stood between me being broke I would cancel and start putting that money in savings so when life kicks me in the nuts again, I'd be ready.

 

[Jimbo]

The OP did not say he's broke, he said he's changing job titles and will be fine in a few weeks.

My suggestion is for him to pay a partial bill, as much as he can handle at this time and catch up when your stable again.

Most companies will not shut you off if you are at least making partial payments.

Isn't your D* bill paid a month in advance, so if he paid this month (in March) he's good thru the next month anyways ?

Jimbo

 

[dslate69]

The OP did not say he's broke, he said he's changing job titles and will be fine in a few weeks.

The poster said he could not pay his TV bill.
Again the facts are: He has not got enough on hand or in savings to cover a TV bill.

He is doing just fine.
No need to save that money each month, maybe he should add a couple of premiums since he obviously isn't broke.

 

[colt45allstar]

The poster said he could not pay his TV bill.
Again the facts are: He has not got enough on hand or in savings to cover a TV bill.

He is doing just fine.
No need to save that money each month, maybe he should add a couple of premiums since he obviously isn't broke.

Appreciate the help from everyone (you included in your two previous replys) what I don't appreciate is the sarcastic tone in this particular one.

As stated earlier in the thread by both myself and others, I'm going to be back to making my regular salary in less than two weeks. Just going through a thankfully short lived rough patch, given this current economic situation.. it's going to be happening to a lot of people... some much longer than what I had to deal with.

Do I have any savings? Nope not really... I've never been good with money and even when I was making a decent salary, like I will be again soon.. I never saved anything. This isn't abnormal in anyway, as this Country in general tends to live paycheck to paycheck and could learn a thing or two about saving money.

This has taught me a valuable lesson and I will save and be prepared, should this sort of thing happen again.

To answer a previous concern from earlier in the thread, no I don't have kids.. if I did I would have shut off The DirecTV and the internet when this first started taking place.

 

[dslate69]

Appreciate the help from everyone (you included in your two previous replys) what I don't appreciate is the sarcastic tone in this particular one.

The tone was directed to the poster that was implying I was making up facts.

As stated earlier in the thread by both myself and others, I'm going to be back to making my regular salary in less than two weeks. Just going through a thankfully short lived rough patch, given this current economic situation.. it's going to be happening to a lot of people... some much longer than what I had to deal with.

I more than feel for you and my friends that have been effected by the economy, sincerely. Still you are relying on a steady income that is going to be the same as what you were living pay check, to pay check on. The description of them cutting your pay and hours sounds like you are hourly not salary which hurts a lot more when missing a day because your sick or any other reason.

Do I have any savings? Nope not really... I've never been good with money and even when I was making a decent salary, like I will be again soon.. I never saved anything. This isn't abnormal in anyway, as this Country in general tends to live paycheck to paycheck and could learn a thing or two about saving money.

Because there are others in your "no savings" boat doesn't make it right right. (This statement is courtesy of Mom and Dad )
Even still the fact that you have no savings means you need to save a lot more aggressively now since you didn't save any before. There is an amount you should have in savings today depending on your age and your lifestyle. You have to catchup to that point as fast as you can and I still say D* is a good place to start.

This has taught me a valuable lesson and I will save and be prepared, should this sort of thing happen again.

Glad to hear you understand the position you are in.
I can't stress enough, since you are starting from zero; saving a few dollars a week isn't going to do it.

To answer a previous concern from earlier in the thread, no I don't have kids.. if I did I would have shut off The DirecTV and the internet when this first started taking place.

:up