DirecTV LIES

[NetViper]

Wow. What a terrible experience I just had. I ordered directv yesterday because they said I could get the two standard receivers replaced with HD receivers at no charge. Saves me $198, so I said OK.

They come out here today and they bring standard receivers. I said that isn't what your sales guy promised me. So he calls their modifications department, they do nothing about it. So I said cancel it.

I call the sales people and talk to a manager, the best he can do is give me a $36 credit. What a joke. Then he tried to tell me he is making me a great deal that comes out to being $200 more than what I had originally (not including the $200 for boxes).

I am really not impressed with these people at all. Very disappointing. Hard to believe they were willing to lose a customer over $200.

 

[passline]

Hard to believe they were willing to lose a customer over $200.

Not hard to believe at all!
They don't need you. Free markets, my friend. They just don't have enough real competition to keep them hungry.

 

[NetViper]

Not hard to believe at all!
They don't need you. Free markets, my friend. They just don't have enough real competition to keep them hungry.

Maybe so. I wanted AT&T U-Verse but I cannot get it in my area yet.:frown:

 

[tosugrad]

Im not a fan of DirecTV though I have been a customer for 10+ years. Any chance to bait n switch of screw you outright, they will. Complain LOUD enough and you will get some small concessions.

Best thing you can do is leave. You will get a MUCH better deal to come back.

 

[White92]

Best thing you can do is leave. You will get a MUCH better deal to come back.

Not always. I had Direct TV for many years. I dropped them one day for various reasons. It's been 6 months or so and they send me letters every other day as well as emails asking me to come back and have "special offers" just for me if I do come back. Unfortunately, I get offers all the time from local Direct TV installers as well as Qwest. They are all the exact same deals, to the penny.

 

[Miner]

AT&T has the absolute worst customer service ever. As bad as your experience with DirectV has gone, AT&T will be orders of magnitude worse if there is even the slightest need to talk with somebody.

Uverse is a good product, but until AT&T gets a clue, I wouldn't use the service even if were free.

800-333-DISH for Dish Network. They don't have the NFL, or MLB exclusive packages, but they have Versus HD.

Miner

 

[passline]

We need a dozen or so more satellite and cable companies in each area. Then you'll see them offer some pretty deep discounts, pretty damn fast. On top of that, promotions and courtesy perks; "Oh My!" ........... case closed!
"That, my friends, is the American Way!"

 

[NSXrunner]

Free Market = the ability of the big company to buy out the smaller company or make them go out of business.

Eventually only a few are left and they chop up "territories" for each other. that way they don't encroach on each others business. Buh bye free market and competition, hello customer shafting. :wink: Sort of like the gangs fighting for neighborhoods to sell their crack. :biggrin:

 

[Acura NsX Pilot]

Im sorry but all cable/satelite compainies are crooks IMO ..... One is just the better of the two evils.......every year when my special offer ends I have to threaten to leave to get a deal close to what I had. They nickle and dime you for every little thing ..... theres even a charge for the tv guide and remote control........gezzzz us

 

[slamstrom]

I wanted AT&T U-Verse but I cannot get it in my area yet.:frown:

Same here.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Maybe so. I wanted AT&T U-Verse but I cannot get it in my area yet.:frown:

Dave,
I CAN get it in my area and even went down to the local store to get more info and exact pricing and it would end up costing me more for their service than what I pay now.
My home phone is just a line with no frills and is $23 mo
HD cable and web are $116.
Total of $140 after all taxes, surcharges, etc.
AT&T was more than that and I was going to be getting fewer channels, slower internet speed, and would have to have all boxes HD capable even though I only needed one.
I decided to stay with Comcast.

 

[NSX-Stalker]

I dumped them as soon as FIOS became available. Do you have FIOS there? It's awesome.

 

[ANYTIME]

Maybe it is that you are dealing with a dealer of DirecTV and not directly with DirecTV??? I had a similar experience and made out like a bandit and got more receivers than I paid for.
I moved and got offered DVR or HD free for a year if I didn't change to DishNetwork :biggrin:

 

[lightguy]

Hard to believe they were willing to lose a customer over $200.

The sales crew / installers really dont make that much; not alot of wiggle room in the set pricing they receive.
Direct itself makes the bucks but doesnt care as they are too big. Like all of them.

 

[NetViper]

Maybe it is that you are dealing with a dealer of DirecTV and not directly with DirecTV??? I had a similar experience and made out like a bandit and got more receivers than I paid for.
I moved and got offered DVR or HD free for a year if I didn't change to DishNetwork :biggrin:

John, not sure why you think i wasn't dealing directly with Directv. I was.

I am now looking at dish network. Looks like it might be better.

 

[steveny]

I have someone checking into this now... I am thinking if these guys want to put their equiptment on my rentals then they are going to pay me a fee for doing so. In area's where I own a lot of property they won't have a choice if they want to sell their service. Either that or sell them back their friggen equiptment that is taken off the buildings after tenants move out! There were5 dishes over at the shop in the dumpster today. The cable company pays 50 bucks a box if they are called and informed of them. the cable company even comes out to pick the boxes up.

 

[Miner]

I have someone checking into this now... I am thinking if these guys want to put their equiptment on my rentals then they are going to pay me a fee for doing so. In area's where I own a lot of property they won't have a choice if they want to sell their service. Either that or sell them back their friggen equiptment that is taken off the buildings after tenants move out! There were5 dishes over at the shop in the dumpster today. The cable company pays 50 bucks a box if they are called and informed of them. the cable company even comes out to pick the boxes up.

Charge your tenant when they move out if they leave the dish, then also sell the dish on e-bay ($25+ for current spec dishes). Some of the equip is "Leased" to the customer and must be returned or the customer is charged, upwards of $200 for receivers, so if they are leaving equip there is money in it for you.

Miner

 

[steveny]

Charge your tenant when they move out if they leave the dish,

say again??? oh, charge the tenant.




















































LOL

 

[ANYTIME]

John, not sure why you think i wasn't dealing directly with Directv. I was.

I am now looking at dish network. Looks like it might be better.

My dealings with DirecTv offers were from DirecTv dealers, not DirecTv themselves. I've been told and have been offered many things and called directly to DirecTv to make sure I was getting the straight scoop. Half the time I wasn't. From the 4 rooms for free with free install to HBO, Cinemax, and a host of others pay channels for free if I sign up with a contract. From eBay to the local pennnysaver, there are offers that usually are too good to be true. I eventually ended up with a local company and couldn't be happier.
John :biggrin:

 

[Miner]

say again??? oh, charge the tenant.

LOL

No security deposits back east?

Miner

 

[SaleenS7Rs]

Ive only had verizon FiOS as a cable TV company and I like it a lot. My friends have had all those other providers and they came over and checked out FiOS and ended up switching to it. They all said its the best cable TV provider they ever had.

 

[Elistan]

Similar story here - called about replacing my dying DirecTiVo for their own HD DVR. Was told by the initial rep I qualified for for the unit w/o any one-time fee. The second person I called said it was actually $99, but they'd charge me the full, normal $199 first then I'd have to call back after installation to get refunded the difference. In hindsight, I should have told her to STFU and GTFO right then. Anyway, after installation I called and sure enough, no refund. So I complained about being lied to and they comped some fees for me, enough to equal $96 over six months.

(BTW, I had UVerse two years ago and sent the equipment back after the two free months. The DVR was atrocious. Random reboots, lost recordings, dropped scheduled recordings, super slow response to the remote... I still hear complaints about it, but I can't tell if its still as bad as it was.)

 

[NetViper]

Similar story here - called about replacing my dying DirecTiVo for their own HD DVR. Was told by the initial rep I qualified for for the unit w/o any one-time fee. The second person I called said it was actually $99, but they'd charge me the full, normal $199 first then I'd have to call back after installation to get refunded the difference. In hindsight, I should have told her to STFU and GTFO right then. Anyway, after installation I called and sure enough, no refund. So I complained about being lied to and they comped some fees for me, enough to equal $96 over six months.

(BTW, I had UVerse two years ago and sent the equipment back after the two free months. The DVR was atrocious. Random reboots, lost recordings, dropped scheduled recordings, super slow response to the remote... I still hear complaints about it, but I can't tell if its still as bad as it was.)

Sorry to hear about this. I think DirecTV has terrible customer service. I emailed them complaining about what happened. I have now had 4 different responses from 4 different customer service reps all the the same basic form letter. They are clueless. They all claim to have the best customer services and honor their customer promises. What a load of crap.

I filed a complaint with the FTC over their "bait and switch" tactics. Probably won't do anything, but if it is happening to me, I am sure it happens all the time.

 

[steveny]

No security deposits back east?

Miner

Sure but usually the lawyer gets them for the eviction.

 

[heySkippy]

We dropped DirecTV last year for Verizon FIOS and have been quite happy so far. We weren't that unhappy with DirecTV but we wanted to go HD and there aren't any HD TiVo options with DirecTV, so we kicked them to the curb.

Same goes for AT&T and U-Verse. No HD TiVo option, no sale in our house.