How to get an additional $240 off as a new DirecTV customer

[DJ Rob]

I wish Direct handled these "discounts" better.

My first bill had the all of the discounts I was promised including the $10 off AAA discount. I get my second bill and now the AAA discount is gone - the bill is exactly $10 higher than the first.

I called tonight and they said the AAA discount is supposed to start on the third or forth bill but it would be prorated back to my first bill. Does this sound right?

 

[stilllearning]

I signed up with Direct using the AAA discount, a couple rebates, and a referral discount. The AAA discount showed up on the first bill, the rebates and AAA discount showed up on the 2nd bill that I just received. You might want to call Direct to make sure the AAA discount wasn't knocked off your account somehow. If it showed up on your first bill I imagine it should show up on subsequent statements as well.

 

[jyafink]

Off to a bad start. Called D*. I was real polite. Told the guy I would like the 74.99 current deal with super fan free. I was planning on asking for other goodies people are posting too but never got that far. He said there's no way he could give me super fan free. I asked him what about a free year of showtime or 4 months free dvr and HD. He said nope. He said I checked with my supervisor and all I can give you is a free HD DVR upgrade and free shipping and handling. I said are you sure, a friend of mine got all of that just a couple days ago? He said your friend is giving you false information. I said that's too bad. I'd be willing to switch if you tossed in super fan. He said what's on our website is all anyone here can offer you. Would you like our offer? I said no. He said thank you for calling DirecTV and hung up. Whole call lasted about a minute. What gives?

 

[jimboc]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I just called to sign up today and the best I could get was:

- $50 referral
- $20 auto-pay
- $10/month for 24 months AAA discount
- $18/month for 12 months current promo
- 6 months free Showtime
- $99 HD DVR

They said the coupon book and free HBO/Starz/Show was last quarters promo and they don't have it anymore, unless you get the Premier package.

I wasn't too worried about the other stuff I missed out on because I don't think we'd really use it. And, we're saving like $20+ a month by going with this instead of our current cable provider.

 

[Vcize]

Yep, I dunno how you guys do it.

Just called in a couple times and no luck. They had no problem giving away the year of Showtime, but as soon as I mentioned getting Superfan for free she said no way. I told her a friend had gotten for free, she said it never happened, they've never given it away for free, she could get her supervisor on the phone to verify it, she's been there 5 years, etc. "Superfan is the pride and join of our ST package, for real sports fans, we'd never give that away for free".

So, I tried getting the second HD receiver for free instead of the $99 cost, and still no sale.

So basically I had the pre-determined offer of Premiere package + Sunday Ticket + AAA Discount + Free HD DVR, and was able to get only a year of Showtime added on top of that. No Superfan, no 2nd receiver for free, no free DVR service for 4 months, no free HD service for 4 months. I'm gonna keep trying...

 

[Vcize]

Well, I finally got a hold of someone that could help me. Still wouldn't budge on Superfan, but made up for it with some other free stuff. Here's what I got:

Premiere Package + Sunday Ticket
AAA discount $24/mo for 10 months
Free HD DVR
Free HD Receiver
Free Standard Receiver
Free DVR Service for 4 months
Free HD Service for 4 months
Referral discount $10/mo for 5 months
Free Showtime for 1 year
Free Nascar Hot-pass

Still paid the $99 for Superfan (again, he said they have zero wiggle room on that), and he said they didn't have any more coupon books. He made it sound like the free DVR service and HD service, as well as the free 2nd receiver were all part of the ST deal, whereas the previous CSRs all said they could not include any of them.

 

[jyafink]

Much better experience today. I got the following:

1 Free HD-DVR
3 free standard receivers
$50 for using American Express
$50 for a referral
$64.99 for 4 months for the current Sunday Ticket/Premier deal (instead of the stated $74.99)
1 year free showtime
Go Green discount
4 months for remaining Nascar season
1 month free game lounge.
Free shipping & handling, install, slimline dish, etc…
4 months free HD-DVR fee

The one thing she insisted was that absolutely no new customer will get superfan for free under the current offer. She said new customers were getting it free during the last offer if they signed up for the 81.99 Premier deal for four months along with the regular $299 Sunday Ticket fee (or whatever it was), because even with them throwing in superfan the customer was still not getting nearly as good of a deal as the current offer. As far as websites offering superfan free through 7/31, she said that is not from DirecTV themselves and she can guarantee that the customer would be paying that $100 fee to whoever offered it in some other way and would not be getting nearly what I got. Since I no longer care about wheeling and dealing, I'll trust her on that one.

Anyway, the unscientific secrets from my experience are 1.) avoid the night CSRs – either it was a coincidence or they are really nasty to deal with, and 2.) ask every little stupid question you can think of to keep them on the line. My entire call was 1 hr. 15 min. and it took a while before she started adding things such as the reduced $64.99 and some of the other stuff. Maybe they figure after spending so much time with you they better do something to get you to sign up! It's also true what other posters say about persistence. If they knock you down don't give up and keep calling for more until you get someone nice to deal with.

 

[Islandguy43]

Well, I finally got a hold of someone that could help me.
Premiere Package + Sunday Ticket
AAA discount $24/mo for 10 months

They are doing the AAA discount over 10 months now or 24 months?

 

[Vcize]

They are doing the AAA discount over 10 months now or 24 months?

Whoops, I said that backwards. It's $10/mo for 24 months, not $24/mo for 10 months.

 

[jacmyoung]

...Anyway, the unscientific secrets from my experience are 1.) avoid the night CSRs – either it was a coincidence or they are really nasty to deal with, ...

That is because the AAA sales section only opens during business hours (including day time in the weekend I think), and off hours your call is switched to the regular sales department, which reps there know little about the AAA deals.

And it may also be true that the AAA reps are required to be more polite to the AAA members because of D*'s special agreement with AAA.

 

[cubfan74]

Does anyone have a working AAA promo code for Miss?

 

[RACJ2]

Does anyone have a working AAA promo code for Miss?

I don't, but joined in Texas for under $50 and saved the $340 more then the going D offer. In addition to the $10 for 24 mo, you get $100 off your second receiver. I think its worth paying $50 and netting $290 in savings.

 

[cubfan74]

It definitly makes sense, but you know how it is. Trying to cut a little bit everywhere.

 

[jacmyoung]

It definitly makes sense, but you know how it is. Trying to cut a little bit everywhere.

The $50 is worth it, without a record with AAA D* can easily withdraw the benefit from your account if they want to, I have no clear evidence of that but did hear rumor a few lost the $10x24mos credit.

With the AAA deal AAA should get a small kickback from D* too, and if the kickback can not be tied to any member with a name match AAA could be required to return it back to D* and give D* the heads up at the same time. Just my speculation, no proof.

 

[chaveznwo]

Does anyone know how long it has been taking the AAA discount to show up on bills? I ordered the end of June and haven't seen that credit yet.

 

[jokeworm]

My AAA credit was immediate and every month since then - my "mail-in" $18 credit showed up on third bill onwards ... I would send them an email to check on it. You did order via the AAA phone number didn't you ?

 

[chaveznwo]

My AAA credit was immediate and every month since then - my "mail-in" $18 credit showed up on third bill onwards ... I would send them an email to check on it. You did order via the AAA phone number didn't you ?

Yes, it was through the AAA number and I gave them the first 3 digits on the card when they asked. Looks l will be calling them up tomorrow.

 

[RACJ2]

It definitly makes sense, but you know how it is. Trying to cut a little bit everywhere.

I hear you. I tried a "buy your NHL CI $20 off coupon for $5 ". So I understand about saving a buck.

 

[blakex]

1 Free HD-DVR
3 free standard receivers
$50 for using American Express
$50 for a referral
$64.99 for 4 months for the current Sunday Ticket/Premier deal (instead of the stated $74.99)
1 year free showtime
Go Green discount
4 months for remaining Nascar season
1 month free game lounge.
Free shipping & handling, install, slimline dish, etc…
4 months free HD-DVR fee

I just signed up today with basically the same thing:
1 Free HD DVR
$100 off 2nd HD DVR
$50 off for referral, thank you Rob
$74.99 for four months Sunday Ticket
1 year free Showtime (thank you poster, I just asked about a year free Showtime that I read about)
Free install
4 Months waived DVR fee
Free remaining NASCAR season
1 month free game lounge

And then the usual $10 off per month for 24 months via AAA discount.

After the four months, I'll downgrade to the Plus HD DVR package and not have to worry about the HD fee or the DVR fee and just add HBO thanks to Showtime free for a year.

Very sweet deal - the $100 off the second HD DVR was the clincher ON TOP of the $10 off for 24 months.

 

[jayfrmsd]

I wish the reps when signing up would let us know that all these rebates won't start up until the second or third billing cycle. They had me going when my first bill came today