Oh.. My.. Deity... Directv is expensive!

[Reignfire]

I tried to sign up for Directv's Plus DVR package (with a free HD DVR upgrade + $50 cash back) through AT&T and at the end of the registration my popup blocker tried to reload the site so I had to cancel it. I e-mailed them and they called me back today and they tried to tell me that the service was based on a credit check and that I'd have to not only pay $300 for a deposit (which is insane!) but I'd also have to pay $200 for that "free" HD DVR upgrade because it was based on a credit check. It'd cost me over $500 just to get Directv started! I told them I couldn't pay that now and to cancel the order and they said okay and have a nice day. Do I have to sell a kidney just to get a TV service!? Where's Uverse when I need it?

 

[oldford]

Sounds like you may have some negative information on your credit report. If you don't know what it might be, get a copy and take a look for yourself. Mistakes can be made.

GL, Eric

 

[ClemSole]

You might call D* directly and see what they say it would cost to signup. I would not trust AT&T for getting the best deal.

 

[dslate69]

Sounds like you need to use that money to pay some outstanding bills.

 

[Reignfire]

Yeah I think I'll do that. It was convenient to have my directv on the same bill as my phone and internet but I don't mind really.. The only issue I have is that DTV (or is it ATT?) lists a great deal (free HD DVR upgrade) on the sign up page but later on you find out that their "deals" require you to have good credit? I can pay a $300 deposit no problem.. but anything more than that and I'd feel like I'm being cheated. I just checked my credit report online but I could only view Equifax and not Transunion or Experian (I'm mailing in a request). On EQ I did have one negative entry but it shows it as being paid back in 2007 (darn medical collection agencies). I've been trying for a long time to get a Walmart or Newegg credit card but I guess that's impossible.

Are there any good alternatives to Directv? I always pay my rent and bils on time (which oddly can't be counted towards good credit..). Does Dish Network require a deposit? Is there anothers ervice with comparable pricing?

Edit: I have no outstanding bills I'm 100% debt free.

 

[ChrisK114]

If you have no debt, then that might be your problem. A credit report is like a I love Debt score. If you have no debt your score will be low, no matter if you have paid off all your debt. Do you have any credit cards that the account is still ope? If not and you closed them, that will reflect negatively on your credit report. As unfair and unlikely as this may sound, it is the truth.

 

[vurbano]

paying off your debt increases your credit score. Higher and higher debt amounts shown to be paid off raises your high credit score. Paying off early also raises it. carrying a bunch of debt is stupidity. The best thing to do is to make small charges on several credit cards and pay them off to keep the accounts open and active but do not carry a lot of debt. Also taking out a personal loan for a significant amount will raise your high credit score, then you can simply pay it back with the money you took out plus some interest, although you are throwing some of it away in interest. Your debt to income ratio will work against you if you carry it long enough and want to qualify for a large loan.

 

[Reignfire]

Actually I've never had a credit card. I've applied for quite a few but due to their credit checks I couldn't get credit and I can't build credit because I can't get credit cards. make any sense? It doesn't to me either lol.

I don't know why but I think "credit" in general is flawed.. Why can't there be a commonly used score that reflects how many bills you have vs. how much debt you have. So for example I have rent/power/phone/internet and I pay them on time with 0% debt so my score would be very high. That would make more sense to me.

 

[DodgerKing]

There's your problem right there. Direct requires a credit card; without one, you will not be able to take advantage of many deals and have to pay a lot of upfront costs.

 

[Reignfire]

I have a debit card which is used like a credit card. It asked for this information when I first tried to sign up.

 

[vurbano]

Actually I've never had a credit card. I've applied for quite a few but due to their credit checks I couldn't get credit and I can't build credit because I can't get credit cards. make any sense? It doesn't to me either lol.

I don't know why but I think "credit" in general is flawed.. Why can't there be a commonly used score that reflects how many bills you have vs. how much debt you have. So for example I have rent/power/phone/internet and I pay them on time with 0% debt so my score would be very high. That would make more sense to me.

You have a bank? get a debit/ credit card.

 

[DodgerKing]

I have a debit card which is used like a credit card. It asked for this information when I first tried to sign up.

That may work but it is not quite the same.

 

[Reignfire]

Oh it'll work.. I just can't bring myself to pay $500 for the service.. especially when $200 of that is for something that was advertised as free with the online order! I'll contact DTV directly and see how cheaply i can't get the HD DVR for. When I tried signing up it showed a list of how much it'd cost me and it listed the HD DVR fee of $199 then an online instant rebate of $199 to cancel it out. Later when my browser messed up and I had them call me they didn't mention this $199 deduction and said it was based on my credit. I can understand teh deposit (which I don't mind paying) but I have to pay for the DVR too when it was supposed to be free under the package I was going to get? No thanks.

 

[ChrisK114]

This is another thing that is ticking me off with D*. They are beginning to give the impression that they feel it is a priviledge for someone to have their service. I use to feel that D* customer service was the best, but now I am feeling that they are looking like the rest of them. I can underastand if someone has a history of not paying their bills, but this person has given them no reason to think that other than they are not in debt. Good for them I say. Even more of a reason they would pay their bill. Not alot of other payments going out.

 

[dslate69]

This is another thing that is ticking me off with D*. They are beginning to give the impression that they feel it is a priviledge for someone to have their service. I use to feel that D* customer service was the best, but now I am feeling that they are looking like the rest of them. I can underastand if someone has a history of not paying their bills, but this person has given them no reason to think that other than they are not in debt. Good for them I say. Even more of a reason they would pay their bill. Not alot of other payments going out.

???
No one will give him a credit card, so how is D* a bad guy here? He admitted to having bad credit...

On EQ I did have one negative entry but it shows it as being paid back in 2007 (darn medical collection agencies)

Remember, credit isn't just how many bills you have but how much income coming in and if there is enough left based on that persons history to pay new bills. The last thing any business needs to do is float credit to those that haven't earned it; ex: Housing market collapse???

He seems like a nice guy and all just wondering how you came to the conclusion D* is doing something wrong here.

 

[ChrisK114]

???
No one will give him a credit card, so how is D* a bad guy here? He admitted to having bad credit...


Remember, credit isn't just how many bills you have but how much income coming in and if there is enough left based on that persons history to pay new bills. The last thing any business needs to do is float credit to those that haven't earned it; ex: Housing market collapse???

He seems like a nice guy and all just wondering how you came to the conclusion D* is doing something wrong here.

Well maybe there is more than meets the eye, but he did say the bill did get paid. I have seen D* take customers with much worse credit than that. The real reason they won't give him credit is because he doesn't have a credit card and that is not a bad thing. I do not have one and all it took was my debit card to get service. I can almost guarantee you that if he had a credit card they would have done it. It is not a negative not having debt and not having a credit card. There may be other reasons they won't extend him service that the OP is not telling us, but based on what we know, I don't think the one negative thing on his credit report that was paid off was the reason.

 

[al]

...
Remember, credit isn't just how many bills you have but how much income coming in and if there is enough left based on that persons history to pay new bills. The last thing any business needs to do is float credit to those that haven't earned it; ex: Housing market collapse???...


Credit is also based upon how timely you make your payments. For medical bills to go to a collection agency, it would appear that the medical bills were ignored. Most medical facilities will accept $10/mo. They might not like it, but as long as you are making an effort to pay, it usually does not appear as a black mark on your credit.

 

[dslate69]

Well maybe there is more than meets the eye, but he did say the bill did get paid. I have seen D* take customers with much worse credit than that. The real reason they won't give him credit is because he doesn't have a credit card and that is not a bad thing. I do not have one and all it took was my debit card to get service. I can almost guarantee you that if he had a credit card they would have done it. It is not a negative not having debt and not having a credit card. There may be other reasons they won't extend him service that the OP is not telling us, but based on what we know, I don't think the one negative thing on his credit report that was paid off was the reason.

Just because a bill gets paid "eventually" does not mean that some one is not a riskier loan than someone that pays their bills on time. He does have a debit card. The reason why D* wouldn't give him credit is the same reason walmart and newegg won't give him credit; BAD credit, not lack of a credit card.

 

[ChrisK114]

Just because a bill gets paid "eventually" does not mean that some one is not a riskier loan than someone that pays their bills on time. He does have a debit card. The reason why D* wouldn't give him credit is the same reason walmart and newegg won't give him credit; BAD credit, not lack of a credit card.

Whatever. My whole point is that if he had a credit card then the one bad thing on his credit wouldn't matter. I am not bashing D* only. Companies as a whole assumes that if someone doesn't have a credit card they can't pay their bills. That's just wrong.

 

[Jimbo]

Yeah I think I'll do that. It was convenient to have my directv on the same bill as my phone and internet but I don't mind really.. The only issue I have is that DTV (or is it ATT?) lists a great deal (free HD DVR upgrade) on the sign up page but later on you find out that their "deals" require you to have good credit? I can pay a $300 deposit no problem.. but anything more than that and I'd feel like I'm being cheated. I just checked my credit report online but I could only view Equifax and not Transunion or Experian (I'm mailing in a request). On EQ I did have one negative entry but it shows it as being paid back in 2007 (darn medical collection agencies). I've been trying for a long time to get a Walmart or Newegg credit card but I guess that's impossible.

Are there any good alternatives to Directv? I always pay my rent and bils on time (which oddly can't be counted towards good credit..). Does Dish Network require a deposit? Is there anothers ervice with comparable pricing?

Edit: I have no outstanding bills I'm 100% debt free.

Call back to AT&T, and try again.
As for the credit check, if your is bad, both D* and AT&T are going to want to check.