Rambling series of DirecTV questions from a long time customer

[Will94]

I have been a DirecTV customer since September 1995. Looking at my recent bills, I feel like I am getting fee'd to death by them. I have Total Choice, which I think I am grandfather into because it doesn't show up on their website unless I am logged into my account. I am paying $10 per month for HD Access plus $12 per month for two leased receivers (both of which I bought at Best Buy) and $7 for a monthly DVR fee. That's a total of $29 per month in fees.

I looked into switching to Dish, but I don't think that they fee any less than DirecTV, except that HD is free from them if you go with paperless billing, which I already have with DirecTV. Is there a way to lose the HD fee with DirecTV? I was wondering if I am paying $10 per month because I am with an "outdated" package.

Their website could not be more confusing. According to it, I don't get a lot of channels with Total Choice that I actually do get. For example, their website shows that I don't get the Big Ten Network, Versus, and CBS Sports Network. I get all of those channels, although I always thought that it was because I have Sports Pack. For that matter, their website shows that I don't get ESPN or ESPNU, both of which I get in HD. There are a ton of mistakes for Total Choice. They show me without Bravo, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and on and on. There are enough mistakes that it makes me wonder if any of the packages they list are accurate.

Also, I would like to add the Smithsonian Channel and Universal HD. I got those channels for a month or so when DirecTV for added them, and at one time, there was an HD package that you had to subscribe to to get them. I can't find any mention of them on DirecTV's website today. How do you get them?

 

[bbixler]

I have been a DirecTV customer since September 1995. Looking at my recent bills, I feel like I am getting fee'd to death by them. I have Total Choice, which I think I am grandfather into because it doesn't show up on their website unless I am logged into my account. I am paying $10 per month for HD Access plus $12 per month for two leased receivers (both of which I bought at Best Buy) and $7 for a monthly DVR fee. That's a total of $29 per month in fees.

I looked into switching to Dish, but I don't think that they fee any less than DirecTV, except that HD is free from them if you go with paperless billing, which I already have with DirecTV. Is there a way to lose the HD fee with DirecTV? I was wondering if I am paying $10 per month because I am with an "outdated" package.

Their website could not be more confusing. According to it, I don't get a lot of channels with Total Choice that I actually do get. For example, their website shows that I don't get the Big Ten Network, Versus, and CBS Sports Network. I get all of those channels, although I always thought that it was because I have Sports Pack. For that matter, their website shows that I don't get ESPN or ESPNU, both of which I get in HD. There are a ton of mistakes for Total Choice. They show me without Bravo, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and on and on. There are enough mistakes that it makes me wonder if any of the packages they list are accurate.

Also, I would like to add the Smithsonian Channel and Universal HD. I got those channels for a month or so when DirecTV for added them, and at one time, there was an HD package that you had to subscribe to to get them. I can't find any mention of them on DirecTV's website today. How do you get them?

You should be able to get free HD with Direct TV if you have paperless billing and autopay. You may also be able to add the HD Extra Package free for 3 months if you check on your online account. I've been able to add and drop this for free for the past year. I would call in and say retention at the voice prompts and ask them if there are any current promotions to help a long time customer save money on their bill.

 

[Will94]

You should be able to get free HD with Direct TV if you have paperless billing and autopay.

Hmmmm ...
I already have paperless billing and autopay. I'll hunt around their website and see if I can get free HD. I suspect that it will take a call to their retention group though.

 

[mdram]

how many boxes do you have? first should be free
so if you only have 2 then the $12 is too high

what models are they?
even if you buy some models you really dont own them

 

[bbixler]

Hmmmm ...
I already have paperless billing and autopay. I'll hunt around their website and see if I can get free HD. I suspect that it will take a call to their retention group though.

You will need to call in and speak with someone do get the free HD credit, $10 off a month for 24 months. You should be able to add the HD Extra Package though via the website, free for 3 months.

 

[charper1]

Smithsonian is in the HD Pack add-on (see attached) and I don't think Universal Sports in full time HD yet is it? And they only carried specific / special live programming so far.


Universal Sports - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Will94]

I bought a Sony receiver for around $700 back in 1995 and an RCA receiver for around $300 back in 1998, I think. When DirecTV added CSN Chicago around 2005, neither of my receivers could view it, and DirecTV replaced both with their standard LG-made "DirecTV" models. It has always kind of irked me that they replaced equipment that I owned with leased equipment and didn't tell me that. Since then I "bought" my first HD receiver at Best Buy in 2006 and "bought" an HD receiver with a DVR in 2008, also at Best Buy. At that time, I unsubscribed one of my leased SD receivers, which sits in a closet because DirecTV didn't want it back. I went to Best Buy for the HD receivers because DirecTV has my sister's Houston address as my service address, and I didn't want to have to move twice. I like getting the Houston locals as they look much better than the Waco/Temple/Bryan ones do. Apparently DirecTV gives more bandwidth to bigger markets. I have a small antenna on my roof to get my "real" locals.

Is anyone here actually getting Free HD from DirecTV? According to their website, you have to pay the $10 monthly fee for it.

 

[bbixler]

I bought a Sony receiver for around $700 back in 1995 and an RCA receiver for around $300 back in 1998, I think. When DirecTV added CSN Chicago around 2005, neither of my receivers could view it, and DirecTV replaced both with their standard LG-made "DirecTV" models. It has always kind of irked me that they replaced equipment that I owned with leased equipment and didn't tell me that. Since then I "bought" my first HD receiver at Best Buy in 2006 and "bought" an HD receiver with a DVR in 2008, also at Best Buy. At that time, I unsubscribed one of my leased SD receivers, which sits in a closet because DirecTV didn't want it back. I went to Best Buy for the HD receivers because DirecTV has my sister's Houston address as my service address, and I didn't want to have to move twice. I like getting the Houston locals as they look much better than the Waco/Temple/Bryan ones do. Apparently DirecTV gives more bandwidth to bigger markets. I have a small antenna on my roof to get my "real" locals.

Is anyone here actually getting Free HD from DirecTV? According to their website, you have to pay the $10 monthly fee for it.

Yes....many, many people are getting it for free as long as you have paperless billing and auto-pay.

 

[charper1]

Just to point out that anything leased or to be leased is spelled out in numerous places including the user agreements on paper, online and even at local retailer that sold DirecTV gear.

 

[Will94]

Alright, I added HD Extra free for three months. I will call tonight and try for the 24 free months of HD.

Just to point out that anything leased or to be leased is spelled out in numerous places including the user agreements on paper, online and even at local retailer that sold DirecTV gear.

When I "bought" my two HD receivers, I knew they were leased. On the other hand, when my original Sony and RCA receivers were replaced, no one told me that the replacement equipment was leased. Their service tech spent a ton of time at my house one night trying to get the receivers I had to pick up CSN Chicago. He never could and came back the next night with two new receivers. I was kind of put out because I loved my Sony so much (the RCA was cheap crap from day one), and the new receivers weren't nearly as nice. After he replaced my equipment he told me to sign something which he explained meant that my issue was resolved. I signed it, admittedly without reading it. I finally read my copy when the lease charge started showing up on my bill. I had also signed a two year commitment in that document and wasn't told that either.

When I first started looking into DirecTV way back in 1994, one of the selling points was that you didn't have to lease your equipment like you had to with Primestar. Well, in the years since then, DirecTV bought Primestar, shut them down, and adopted their lease policy.

 

[raoul5788]

After he replaced my equipment he told me to sign something which he explained meant that my issue was resolved. I signed it, admittedly without reading it. I finally read my copy when the lease charge started showing up on my bill. I had also signed a two year commitment in that document and wasn't told that either.

There would have been no extra charge with the new equipment, you were already paying an additional fee/month regardless if it was leased or owned. They should have told you about the commitment. It's something they are much more careful about now.

 

[charper1]

I agree about "they are more careful" or even more pointed seeing that users don't read what they should; but not reading anything one signs is NEVER a good idea and should be a valuable lesson learned.

 

[rta53]

You will need to call in and speak with someone do get the free HD credit, $10 off a month for 24 months. You should be able to add the HD Extra Package though via the website, free for 3 months.

Same with me. Already doing auto-pay and paperless billing. My contract ends in September. It's hard to believe they will just stop charging me for HD just by my asking them to do so. Should I wait until the end of September to call?

 

[bbixler]

Same with me. Already doing auto-pay and paperless billing. My contract ends in September. It's hard to believe they will just stop charging me for HD just by my asking them to do so. Should I wait until the end of September to call?

No...call now. Ask them if you can get the free HD offer since you have auto-pay and paperless billing. They don't stop charging for HD, they simply charge the $10 fee and then provide you with a $10 HD fee access credit each month, for 24 months.

 

[mini1]

Alright, I added HD Extra free for three months. I will call tonight and try for the 24 free months of HD.

When I "bought" my two HD receivers, I knew they were leased. On the other hand, when my original Sony and RCA receivers were replaced, no one told me that the replacement equipment was leased. Their service tech spent a ton of time at my house one night trying to get the receivers I had to pick up CSN Chicago. He never could and came back the next night with two new receivers. I was kind of put out because I loved my Sony so much (the RCA was cheap crap from day one), and the new receivers weren't nearly as nice. After he replaced my equipment he told me to sign something which he explained meant that my issue was resolved. I signed it, admittedly without reading it. I finally read my copy when the lease charge started showing up on my bill. I had also signed a two year commitment in that document and wasn't told that either.

When I first started looking into DirecTV way back in 1994, one of the selling points was that you didn't have to lease your equipment like you had to with Primestar. Well, in the years since then, DirecTV bought Primestar, shut them down, and adopted their lease policy.

I'm 100% sure that the fine print that you signed on said that the receivers were leased. If you sign for something without reading it, then that is your fault.
DirecTV was more or less forced to go to a leased model because of popularity of 'digital cable'. People did not want to fork over $100's up front to get DirecTV, when you could get cable for no money down. We are a no money down, pay in installments society. I really don't care to own an HD DVR anyway, as the hard drives are prone to failure. When I had cable, my Scientific Atlanta HD DVR would die (hard drive failure) every 6-8 months. That is something I don't have to pay for because I don't own the receiver. Now if I wanted to install a 1 TB hardrive in my HD DVR, then yes I would want to own it.

In saying all of that, if you really want to actually own a receiver then you can still buy them outright. I just bought two and I own them. You can turn them on/off as you like and never have to return them, plus you never have to deal with a contract extension.

 

[dodger72]

Yes....many, many people are getting it for free as long as you have paperless billing and auto-pay.

this isnt true i downgraded from premium to choice extra and lost free hd. i called saturday and the guy said no to free hd but i got $5 off for 6 months i do have paperless billing and autopay

 

[bbixler]

this isnt true i downgraded from premium to choice extra and lost free hd. i called saturday and the guy said no to free hd but i got $5 off for 6 months i do have paperless billing and autopay

I said......."Yes....many, many people are getting it for free as long as you have paperless billing and auto-pay." What isn't true about that?

 

[JerseyMatt]

Now if I wanted to install a 1 TB hardrive in my HD DVR, then yes I would want to own it.
.

That's what the eSATA port on the back is for..

 

[Will94]

Well, I called DirecTV to ask for the no HD fee for 24 months. They forwarded me to their promotions department who gave me that and all sorts of other stuff. I got $5 off of HBO for 6 months and either $5 or $10 off of Sports Pack for a year. I must have gotten more than that because my current balance is -$42.51. I should call the promotions department more often!

 

[bbixler]

Well, I called DirecTV to ask for the no HD fee for 24 months. They forwarded me to their promotions department who gave me that and all sorts of other stuff. I got $5 off of HBO for 6 months and either $5 or $10 off of Sports Pack for a year. I must have gotten more than that because my current balance is -$42.51. I should call the promotions department more often!

Great, glad you got the HD credit and the others!