Might be time to dump DirecTV

[DonandBonnie]

Our DirecTV bill just jumped to $105.00/mo. Up from $90.00 and the third increase in the past year. If a phone call doesn't drop it to a reasonable figure DirecTV will be history. Hello, Dish!

[bncinwv]

That is a phone call that I will likewise be making. We have Comcast internet and I got upset with them and called yesterday and they upgraded our service, threw in basic television for free, and dropped the bill $6 a month. I am going to use that as leverage with Directv (who we have had for 10 years), and I am hopeful they will come through when I ask to speak to a Customer Retention specialist. The mention of a competitor will help. Can't really drop them since the rig satellite is a new Directv system, but they don't have to know that. I was pleasantly surprised with the response Comcast gave (even sending a new upgraded cable modem and dropping the previous rental fees). Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised by Directv as well.
Bingo

[DQDick]

Kind of a shame though when you have to threaten a company to get them to treat you fairly.

[jjackflash]

I found the easyist way to get to customer service with Directv is when the automatic operator answers just reply CANCEL and that will take you right to customer service.
Works every time !
Jack

[WeBeFulltime]

Don't be too quick to think Dish is the answer for you. My Dish service keeps creeping up also with no change in service for 8 years. Have been thinking of dropping them but already know that Direct is not the answer. What to do?

[bethandkevin]

I go through this every year with our home service provider, Charter Communications. $93.00/month gets us expanded basic cable, 3 meg internet and line/equipment maintenance. When "promotional" pricing expires, I do the same song and dance each year. Usually having to set up a disconnect, all the while calling and talking to a different retention specialist each time I call. This year the mention of local competition for both internet and DirecTv brought them back in the same ball park as the previous year. Just keep calling, they usually come around.

[Captain Joe]

With directv's phone system, you can say "representative", too, to go directly to customer service. Discounts expire every six months. Put on a calendar and make sure you call. They do this so they can encourage you to upgrade. Becomes a semiannual routine, here.

[gkidsdlite]

I am thinking about not having any satellite tv at all when we go fulltiming, what other options for spending downtime in the 5ver are there? Local tv perhaps? I don't plan on spending any daylight hours inside unless its raining! We will have satellite for internet but getting to expensive for tv! Just my 2cents!

[Art-n-Marge]

We have Dish Network, nothing fancy (no special movie or sports channels) but 5 ports ($7 each plus programming) and it was just raised to over $100, meaning the TVs alone are $35 (includes one for the rig), then $65 for programming. Be careful switching to Dish. We've had them about 4 years and started at $59 per month for 3 ports. I'm thinking about going back to Digital antenna for the stickhouse AND the rig. We already subscribe to NetFlix ($8 per month) for movies and some shows. As this becomes prevalent it'll increase but hopefully it will take a while.

[Flymutt]

quote:Originally posted by gkidsdlite

I am thinking about not having any satellite tv at all when we go fulltiming, what other options for spending downtime in the 5ver are there? Local tv perhaps? I don't plan on spending any daylight hours inside unless its raining! We will have satellite for internet but getting to expensive for tv! Just my 2cents!

We don't full time (only 5 months out of the year)and don't have cable cuz I refuse to pay for a lot of what I don't use. We watch local channels and DVDs when we have to be inside the fiver. Sometimes we break out the board games.... The thing I really have noticed is how active I have become with no (or very little) TV.

[Carl n Susan]

All of the TV carriers are playing the same game. Periodic price increases consistent with the rest of the suppliers (DirecTV, Dish, Comcast, Charter, Time-Warner...) and discounts for switching to them. No consideration for an established subscriber. Short of switching every two years the only recourse is to call and complain. Usually the supplier will cut you some slack for a while. When that discount expires, you have to call again. My DirecTV charge is still much less than Comcast with a lot more premium movie channels.

[paulinbaja]

When we realized the programing on satellite systems was just a bunch of trash we disconnected. Just how much cooking can you stomach? How many exercise machines can you buy? How many religions can you join? Have been without about three years and do not miss it at all. We get local programming half the year and no programming the other half. The local programming is great, usually Hi-def. We do have many movies on our hard drives and we watch them when needed.

[Art-n-Marge]

I like the cooking, but not all the shopping channels and I can't only not afford all the exercise machines, but can't afford the shipping for the exercise DVD collections... Dudes, don't you know I'm retired and can't afford that most obscure jewelry available? I watch TV for entertainment not shopping, and to know I finally cracked $100 per month on Dish TV! AAHHHHH! And I still get commercials, even during the 1/2 to 1 hour long infomercials.

[DonandBonnie]

Now is the time for some decisions. It would be nice if we could pick and choose the channels we want to watch, but I know that's not possible. Sure seems a waste to spend good money on a bunch of junk you never watch, like the shopping channels and the teenage music channels. If you consolidate all of the channels with duplicate programming, the 200 or so that they claim that is in your package is probably only about 20 or so. The real problem is that DirecTV only offers some channels that we want and likewise Dish has others that we would like, but neither has all that we like. Guess we will keep what we have and fight over price every few months.

[BB_TX]

quote:Originally posted by gkidsdlite

I am thinking about not having any satellite tv at all when we go fulltiming, what other options for spending downtime in the 5ver are there? Local tv perhaps? I don't plan on spending any daylight hours inside unless its raining! We will have satellite for internet but getting to expensive for tv! Just my 2cents!

Most of the places we have stayed have had some level of cable. Some pretty good, some not so good. And if you are within a reasonable distance of a large population center you will likely be able to get over the air stations.
But we have also stayed at a number of places where there was no cable and too far to get network channels over the air. Occasionally some small market local programming stations, but more often than not those were of little interest.
We typically stay at one RV park of the latter category for 2 1/2 weeks each summer. Since we have Dish at home I added Dish to the trailer for $7/mo to the home account. But we are paying over $100 also for their 250 channels package plus locals and the RV.

[DQDick]

quote:Originally posted by gkidsdlite

I am thinking about not having any satellite tv at all when we go fulltiming, what other options for spending downtime in the 5ver are there? Local tv perhaps? I don't plan on spending any daylight hours inside unless its raining! We will have satellite for internet but getting to expensive for tv! Just my 2cents!

Many parks are dropping cable for various reasons and like everything in full timing you need a plan. For us we have Dish because we like to watch movies and can't stream because of the way we get internet and we like NASCAR and most of the places we stay we have to get our local stations from the Dish also since we are too far from town or a mountain is in the way. In other words satellite fits our plan even though we seldom watch regular shows. That doesn't make it a good fit for everyone else.

[Flymutt]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

I finally cracked $100 per month on Dish TV! AAHHHHH!

Man, that's 1,200 bucks a year! I can remember when I gave up smoking for that much and enjoyed smoking way more than watching TV.

[richfaa]

Our Directv bill this month was 133.98. Four receivers and the protection plan. The service has always been excellent. We are due for a complete upgrade when we get back to Ohio that will be free. We enjoy the flexibility of sat and are not unhappy with the cost.

The protection plan adds 7.99 per month to the bill but gives a free upgrade every two years as well as total protection.
We have the total choice extra package.

Sales tax 2.94...Communications service fee??? 11.06
HD receivers 10.00.

we have 205 channels. Some of them do not speak English which is the only language we do speak. There are some religion channels that can forgive sin for a donation. Helen watch's some of the cooking channels and exercise channels. We have no movie channels as we use red box when we have the urge to watch a movies. We listen to many of the music channels but none of the teen age stuff as we are far from teenagers. There are some good old peoples music channels.
We watch what we choose to watch and are pleased with the service.

[K0LCB]

I bought a new motor home in 1996. It had a sat antenna on the roof and a RCA satellite receiver. It cost us $5.00 a month for basic service. Seems prices keep going up, we just got a $3.50 increase on Directv, $107.00 now. I wish my retirement would have increase at the same percentage

[Recumbent]

We have used Directv for the past 17 years and like all others have observed the price increase now up to $101.76 for the same package as richfaa, but I think less tvs (will add one more tv this summer) and slight difference in tax. We currently have two HD receivers and carry one of them in the Monty when traveling. We usually watch Over The Air Antenna or Cable if available on the second Monty tv. In 1958 our first tv was a 19 inch black and white (parents tv) at a cost of $450 and was paid for by us kids picking cotton, picking strawberries, and selling watermelons, and we got 3 channels, reception was weak and I think service calls were expensive.