My Install - The discounts - My First Bill - Did everything stick or get confirmed??

[jaj1701]

There was questions about if I would see all the discounts, the status' are in BOLD.

***************MY COSTS WITHOUT DISCOUNTS/REBATES****************


Monthly Charges:

Choice Ultimate $68.99
HD Access $10.00
DVR Service $ 7.00
Whole Home DVR $ 3.00
5 Recievers $20.00
Showtime/Starz $24.00 (3 months then cancel)

Total Charges: $108.99 (after show/starz free promo)

Add-on channels

MYX $4.99 (was used to get international dish, planned 1 month then cancel, might keep it or get it again)
en espanol $14.99 (used to get 5lnb, 1 month then cancel)
HD Extra Pack (3 months then cancel)

Hardware Charges at the time of the order

4x HD DVR $497.00
TV Internet Conn $25.00
Shipping FREE

Total Hardware Charges: $522 / $560.50 after tax

TV Purchase

50" Panasonic 720p Plasma $799.99 on sale for $699.99 (before tax) minus $140 in Bing Cashback for 20% BING Cashback promotion running that day on Best Buy purchases -------> Confirmed, will be getting $140 check or money in my PayPal account in 35 more days *I consider this a savings on the TV not on the DirecTV purchase, so I did not add this $140 (or the $100 off sale price) to the total savings as I would have gotten this without buying DirecTV as well.

***************$963 in PROGRAMMING DISCOUNTS****************

Monthly Discounts (1st & 2nd Year): (note: referral is only 10months)

$29 1st year ($29.00) 2nd Year ($14.00) ---->Was on first bill
$10 Free HD 4 life($10.00) -----> Was on first bill
$10 Referral ($10.00) ------> Was on first bill, despite fear that it would not "stick" do to my purchase though a retail partner (Best Buy)
$5 HD Extra Pack -----> Was on first bill

1st Year Discounts: $49.00 (plus $5 1st three months)
2nd Year Discounts: $24.00

1st Year Choice Ultimate, Whole Home DVR, HD, 5 Receivers $59.99
2nd Year Choice Ultimate, Whole Home DVR, HD, 4 Receivers $84.99

How the savings add up.......

$348 = $29 x 12 months 1st year programming discount
$168 = $14 x 12 months 2nd year programming discounts
$240 = $10 x 24 months HD for life ....so possibly beyond 24 months
$100 = $10 x 10 months referral (no one on SatGuys should sign up without a referral)
$72 = $24 x 3 months of free Showtime and Starz (filling up my 5 DVRs!)
$15 = $5 x 3 months of free HD Extra Pack
$20 = Free handling for online order
$000 = Free installation, dishes, SWiM, DECA, RG6 runs, etc....

***********$100 - $400 in non-direcTV MAIL IN REBATES ($400 for me) **********

None of these can be sent in...yet. Waiting for my first paper bill for Best Buy's rebates, the Show/Starz I have to wait a couple months

$25 Rebate from Showtime for service during free trial! <---- YMMV, sometimes goes though, sometimes not

$25 Rebate from Starz for service during free trial!! <---- YMMV, sometimes goes though, sometimes not

$50 Gift Card for Signing up thru Best Buy

$300 Best Buy Gift Card when you also purchase a $499 or up HDTV from Best Buy



********** 40% of initial costs rebated though BING CASHBACK ($208.00 for me)********

I had $522 charged to my credit card at the time of ordering, excluding tax

I will be getting $208.80 back in cash from BING CASHBACK

-------> I had to email a PDF copy of my order. CONFIRMED ONLINE..... I WILL be getting either a check or money in my PayPal account in 31 more days!



******************* TOTAL 2yr SAVINGS CONFIRMED $1171! ************************

$963 PROGRAMMING DISCOUNTS over 2 years, assuming no new referrals or offers
$208 Cashback for upfront costs
$000 Unclaimed value of free dish(es), SWiM, DECA, and other hardware



********* TOTAL SAVINGS WAITING FOR REBATE SUBMISSION $400 **********

$50 Best Buy DirecTV Sign up
$300 Best Buy DirecTV Sign up + $499 and up TV purchase
$25 Starz rebate, if fullfilled
$25 Showtime rebate, if fulled

$1571 is my total once the rebates come though, maybe $1521 if Show/Starz don't go though. I realize I had costs, etc etc, so it's money back, even if I had to spend money.....no different then the money needed to spend on DirecTV to save money on DirecTV! And about the TV costs, I sold my old 42" plasma to get the 50" plasma, and will end up with cash in hand after the rebate. Without DirecTV, I would have had my old 42" TV and no cash. Now I have a 50" and I'll have a $140 a nice $350 gift check to use or sell soon....those more then covering the cost of the difference I had to pay to upgrade!

I'm VERY HAPPY !
....and damn, the yellow is hard on the eyes

 

[jaj1701]

I forgot, one time $20 credit for paperless billing (going green).

Total - $1591

 

[joed32]

Your post is a little bit too long but I did read the "I'm very happy". Congrats on your new service!

 

[singkwan2004]

Sometime I wonder, spend over $110.00 per month on satellite program and only watch less then about 20 regular channels included local, its over $1300.00 a year, is it worth it ????

 

[jaj1701]

WooHoo!

Best Buy $50 gift card rebate showed up automatically on the DirecTV rebate page. It shows it posted 4 days after my installation was completed!

That means the stacking of BING, Best Buy, and referral works. Since the $50 rebate auto generated, that double confirms my order went in as a Best Buy order, even though BING was involved as well!

ID: #####
Description:$50 Bestbuy Gift Card
Eligibility Period: 4/15/2008 - 12/31/2010
Redemption Method: Data Import
Confirmation #: xxxx-####-####
Date Submitted: 07/06/2010

I sent in my mail in rebate today for the additional $300 for the gift card...so I should see that in 6-8 weeks. Hopefully the $50 gift card sooner then that!

I was honestly a bit worried about it, even though I confirmed that the order showed as a Best Buy order with a CSR manager. Now there is no doubt!

Did I say WooHoo already?

Jason

 

[Poke]

Congrats and Welcome to the Empire..

 

[jcrandall]

Looks like everything is falling into place just as you hoped. Congrats and enjoy.

 

[cfb]

I'd save the woo hoos until the Bing actually pays. I've had good luck with them paying when they've said that other offers would cancel the bing, but seen a lot of people who had the bing declined between when it posted to their account and when it was due to be paid.

Not sure if the ending of the program will make them more or less studious in analyzing the cash back criteria.

 

[jaj1701]

I'd save the woo hoos until the Bing actually pays. I've had good luck with them paying when they've said that other offers would cancel the bing, but seen a lot of people who had the bing declined between when it posted to their account and when it was due to be paid.

Not sure if the ending of the program will make them more or less studious in analyzing the cash back criteria.

Very valid point. Since there were no "coupons" used and I believe this looks like any other directv order to them, I'd be surprised if it didn't pay. But again, you are correct....payout is not a guarantee at this point...though it looks good.

Most that I've seen get cancelled is using extra coupons like with HP and the such.

My woohoo was a little more so about Best Buy....since one Best Buy rebate payed out, that validates the order being a Best Buy order and that the $300 rebate will pay out as well. That was the one I was the most concerned about.

Yes, I do wonder with them closing....if they are going to be more willing to just pay to end things and keep the support needed for non-pays to a minimum. I'll know in less then 30 days. So far, so good.