Direct TV question....(rant) your thoughts?

[MikeInEburg]

After being a happy DTV subscriber for a few years, we took down the dish and put up an antenna. We now get the five major broadcast networks plus a couple independents. Only eighteen channels instead if 200. And there's still nothing good to watch. Add Hulu + service and we're fairly happy. At $70/month lower cost.

 

[dmccarty]

When we bought Directv for the new house the installation was supposed to be free. The dufus shows up and tells me he does not want to climb on my one story low pitch roof. To be honest I don't wont the guy up there either. He said he can install the dish on a pole but it would cost extra. Say What? I don't think so. He starts asking for money which I don't have on me. He asks if I have a check which I don't. The install was supposed to be free, and in the end it was, but I was ticked off about him trying to get another $50 out of me for putting a cheap pipe in the ground which was MUCH faster and easier than a roof installation.

Anyway, at the end of last year we went cold turkey and stopped our TV addiction by canceling Directv. Should have done it years ago. I wish I had the money we had wasted for all of those years on Directv...

When I canceled, Directv tried real hard to keep us. I told them I would stay if they would give me the package I currently was using for $20-30 which was at least a third less than what were where paying. I figured $20-30 was what Directv was worth to me. We just did not watch much TV and we were watching less and less as the quality of the shows kept declining. With Internet streaming and DVDs we have more than enough TV shows to watch when we want to watch and it is much cheaper.

With an antennae we have picked up MeTV which is broadcasting old TV reruns. Kinda sad when the best thing on TV, including Directv, is a free channel broadcasting old reruns like I Love Lucie and Lassie....

Later,
Dan

 

[dgl24087]

13 year Directv subscribers here. Receivers upgraded at no charge 3 times. Dish upgraded 2 times at No charge. Newest dish mounted on a metal pole in concrete, again, no charge. HD dvr failed and replaced at no charge. Dish has never had to be readjusted. Customer service has been A+ any time I've called, which is about 4 times n 13 years.

 

[Western]

13 year Directv subscribers here. Receivers upgraded at no charge 3 times. Dish upgraded 2 times at No charge. Newest dish mounted on a metal pole in concrete, again, no charge. HD dvr failed and replaced at no charge. Dish has never had to be readjusted. Customer service has been A+ any time I've called, which is about 4 times n 13 years.

We had Dtv for around 5 years and our experience was dido yours, no complaints. While at my Brothers watching his Dish network, we liked the format much better than ours with Dtv, we switched and it has also been a great experience for the past 7 years.

My neighbor has Direct Tv and likes it over Dish, so I guess it is a "case-by-case" thing. I have seen the Dish network commercials that say Dtv has had a horrible customer satisfaction and BBB rating, dont know how tru that is, after all it is a "commercial"

Bottom line, I dont appreciate the "bait and switch" routine with cable or any other business, better be a valid reason to try and up-sale me.

 

[hr3]

Out of line,, hmm I'd say yes,, First you move and they mount the dish on your fence,," Just like everybody else's is mounted,," Then you get a letter that it can't be there,, " Not DTV's fault",, Then they put on a post the way they are supposed to,, You didn't tell them it had to be on the ground and not in the ground.. Not DTV's fault....

What they charged was cheep about the price of an oil change,,,if you want the tires rotated and the car washed too for the same price,,???

 

[teejk]

I had DTV in the previous residence (solely because they had a lock on the NFL package and in NY you get the Giants or the Jets, no GB Packers unless they get a National slot). The intial install almost burned the house down so I sent the guy on his way and finished it myself (and re-did the wiring in the garage that he drilled through). That experience could have happened to any of them so no knock on DTV. BUT, the service even in a light rain was terrible. I took it upon myself to buy and install a Channel Master dish that did a much better job and new receiver. When I was finished and called to activate the new receiver, I was told that I had just committed to a new 2 year lock in, even though I paid full retail for the parts and installed it myself. I fought them for months to no avail. I guess they knew I wanted the NFL package and wouldn't budge. In our new house, Dish for sure and it works just fine. I particularly like that the signal can be split (unlike DTV that needed a receiver at each TV at $5 per receiver/month). I do know people that play the game of switching back and forth when the offer period expires but I can't be bothered.

 

[Richard]

They're due out tomorrow. Guess we'll see if they try to upcharge me again (as it relates to the 'total' price I've been quoted by DTV themselves) She went so far as to say the amount will be stated on the bill that I'm supposed to pay.

 

[Richard]

The rest of the story: DTV wanted a signed letter from management so they'd have it in their records. I went over this morning to get TWO of them signed. I told the lady there (who was someone different from the other day) that I wanted the second one for MY files since this is the second time I've had to do this.

She made me repeat that so she understood that I've already 'fixed' it once. Yes.

Well, let's go look at it and see what it looks like.

Walked around the corner, saw it and said she could give me an exception on it since it was tucked away so nicely in the corner behind the privacy fence.

Went back to her office and she wrote me the exception & signed it. I called DTV and cancelled their appointment.

Nice.