Ok, I've called two times tonight and had to wait 15-20 min for a rep to pick up the line after being on hold. I said all of the things everyone suggested and am getting nowhere. Both reps said that the price on the HD DVR just dropped by $100 and is now $199 (I already knew that was the price). The best they could do was split up the amount into my next three billing cycles so I wouldn't have to pay it all at once. I told them that someone else got a $10 a month discount for 12 months to off-set the expense. They said there was no such deal they could offer. I said I would regretfully have to sign up with DISH where I could get it for free if they couldn't do something competetive to keep me as a customer and both said, "Sorry ma'am, but that's all we can do." We've been customers for 9 years and always pay on time (automatic billing).
Do they keep a record of the phone calls? If I keep calling and my account says I've called X amount of times, are they going to get irritated? Should I just keep trying? I don't know what else I could say to get them to give me a deal? We can't really switch to DISH beause we still have one year left on our two year agreement when we added the DVR last year. Maybe they know that so are calling my bluff?
I've had directv off and on since 95, mostly on. The secret is to getting to the right pool of phone people.
You do this by choosing "cancel my account" at the first phone menu prompt.
You then get sent to the people who are really good at keeping you from cancelling and have the authority to deal.
Most of the first line phone operators are little more than potatoes with a headphone strapped to them; no authority, fewer brains. Don't ever waste your time dealing with them.
Go directly to the "retentions" department by choosing "cancel your account", and then you say, "I want to cancel my account because I want to go HD and think I'm going to switch to Comcast (or whatever your local cable operator is)because they're offering me X deal" and they say, aw, heck, how about you stay with us, we'll give you this HD receiver for free.
You do need to call the competitor first and have written down in front of you exactly what the competitor is offering you so you can deal from a position of strength. If you're vague on what Comcast's going to give you you won't be able to negotiate effectively with DirecTv.
Just remember to go directly to the "cancel my account" people, don't deal with anybody else...