Comcast or Direct TV

[Mellie2162]

I asked this on the community board but I will post here too, so as to get more opinions.

Help me decide. I actually have Direct now but I hate their customer service. Comcast has some specials that might lower our bill a good bit for 6 months (30 dollars) and then still be about 10 dollars lower a month after that. So if you have comcast do you absolutely hate it, love it, dont care, no difference between the 2? Do you like the channel line ups and quality?

 

[tchrchgo]

I have had both, and greatly prefer directv. I have only had one customer serevice problem, but I asked to speak with someone else and the other person fixed everything. They have always been generous with credits and free services. only thing I don't like is losing reception during storms, but think the channel line up is better than comcast.

 

[lindsmom]

I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience with direct tv. Ours has been just the opposite We had Comcast forever, then we switched to Direct Tv 2 years ago and we've been so happy. With Comcast, we lost service frequently (a couple times a month in the Winter); now we've had three nights without service since switching.

The main reason we left Comcast was customer service; we saw how the prices were skyrocketing, and our internet service wasn't working well for us so when we tried to discuss with customer service they turned a deaf ear. I didn't feel bad at all when I returned the hardware in a box, pushed it across the counter and told the woman "We don't want anything else from Comcast." She looked at me and said "You'll need to sign here." That was it. No questions asking why we were leaving or if there was anything we could do to get us back,etc. We joke all the time about how "comcastic" something is - referring to something negative.

If you switch to Comcast, you'll probably be happy with the cable, just realize that there isn't a lot of great customer service out there in general these days.

 

[Mellie2162]

Thanks for the response. I actually used to have comcast for internet but switched to dsl because i liked it better. I know customer service is probably going to be crappy there too. Im more interested in how satisfied you were with the channels and such. I guess im looking at it as if im going to crappy service both places might as well go with whats going to be cheaper for me. Im still undecided.

 

[harleyquinn]

I know at least 3 families that switched from DTV to Comcast and once their agreement was up, they switched back to DTV. They all hated the service and the quality and how they love to increase your rates and nickel and dime you.

It's funny you posted this today. I got a "loyal customer" offer from DTV for 3 months of Showtime after 4 years of service. They asked me to send them an email about how I felt about it. I told them that I was ticked that they hadn't offered me an equipment upgrade as we want a DVR, but I'm not willing to shell out $300 for the equipment.

A rep emailed me back within an hour and told me that I qualified for a free upgrade and I just have to pay the monthly DVR fee. They're mailing one out to us today!

 

[RobinFabulous]

We had Direct TV and didn't care for it. But they did have a LOT of children's channels.... We're with Dish Network now and LOVE them

 

[angwill]

In the last 2 months or so Directv customer service has been just awful. I used to tell people to go with Directv for the great customer service which is the most important thing in my opinion. In the last two months since our tivo box went out I have been overcharged and had to call to get credit on the last two bills and it takes forever to get the credit. I was told to toss the old box by the installer only to get a notice that I will be charged for the old box if I don't return it despite the fact that I paid them $100 for it a few years ago. I have been laughed at and treated rudly by more than one agent one being when I didn't understand what the foreigner on the phone was trying to tell me. I have been charged for a service plan I didn't ask for and when I called to cancel it they claimed I was told about it and agreed to it (maybe that was what the foreign guy was trying to tell me lol) Then I was charged $10 for canceling it and this month I have the service charge on my bill again. It has just been awful to deal with them.

I am looking into other options myself so will be watching this thread.

 

[Mellie2162]

You know come to think of it I cant tell you how many times theyve added pay channels to my acct and I have to call and get them to remove the charges only to have them get snarky and swear to me that I ordered them.

 

[harleyquinn]

If I were you, I would consider DISH Network before Comcast...

 

[ICF]

I'd also do DIsh well before Comcrap....

 

[tinkgirl2007]

To be honest we have had both and they are about the same. Once you sign their contract they act as if they could care less. The only thing that puts direct over cable is that the signal does not go out as often as cable.

 

[DisFlan]

We've had both Comcast and DirecTV. Last year we dropped both and moved to Dish - and we're very happy with it. Better customer service, fewer outages and a slightly lower cost for the same services. (We were never happy with Comcast.) A nice advantage with Dish is that you only need one sat dish if you also get local channels. We'd have needed two sat dishes with DirecTV.

We'd had DTV for years, but we finally got tired of bad CS and the price increases. The Dish reception is great and we get the same channels we watched on DTV. (We have the "everything" package.)

DisFlan

 

[Mellie2162]

Ok I just got off the phone with Dish and I like what they had to offer. I think DH will as well but need to wait and see what he thinks before giving them the ok. I completely forgot about Dish. The only thing was I have 6 tvs, I know thats insane, but I like my tv in the kitchen for when im cleaning or cooking. Anyway, they can do 4 tvs but I will have to pay 199 for the 3rd reciever for the other 2 and I tried hard to talk him out of me having to pay for that but he didnt budge. Im really not fond of giving up 200 bucks right now for tv right before Christmas so I may just get the 4 hooked up and do the other 2 later on. Dont know.

 

[ers26]

We've had both Comcast and DirecTV. Last year we dropped both and moved to Dish - and we're very happy with it. Better customer service, fewer outages and a slightly lower cost for the same services. (We were never happy with Comcast.) A nice advantage with Dish is that you only need one sat dish if you also get local channels. We'd have needed two sat dishes with DirecTV.

We'd had DTV for years, but we finally got tired of bad CS and the price increases. The Dish reception is great and we get all the same channels.

DisFlan

We have DirecTV and have had nothing but great service from them. We have our local channels and only one dish. I'm not sure why you needed an addtional dish?

We've been customers of DirecTV for a number of years and because of our customer loyalty, we just got a great deal on a new HD-DVR. Our contract was about to expire in December so I called because we needed to replace our defective SD-DVR with a new HD-DVR. To make a long story short, I was able to pick up a new HD-DVR retail (Costco has them for $169.99) DirecTV credited my account $199. They also threw in a $10 programming credit for 6 months. Plus they gave me the HD Extra Pack free for 3 months. This is regularly 4.99 a month. So with a couple of phone calls I received a new HD-DVR and DirecTV is actually paying me to use the new equipment.

$169 - My HD-DVR Retail Cost
$199 - DirecTV HD-DVR Credit
$60 - 6 month programming credit
$15 - 3 month Free HD Extra Pack

So I actually gain $105 !!!

Cheers,

Ed

 

[mom2princessj]

I HATE comcast. I have my internet through them and they suck!

I have DTV. We've been with them for about 10 years and have preferred customer status. In order to keep my business, they just gave me some free equipment (free hd dvr and a few other things). I haven't had any problems with customer service really although the hold times to get through are kind of annoying.
My mom had dish network and switched to DTV. She actually didn't like their service and her dvr never recorded the right way and they wouldn't fix it.

We have the NFL football package that is only offered by DTV so we won't ever switch.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[DisFlan]

We have DirecTV and have had nothing but great service from them. We have our local channels and only one dish. I'm not sure why you needed an addtional dish?

We've been customers of DirecTV for a number of years and because of our customer loyalty, we just got a great deal on a new HD-DVR. Our contract was about to expire in December so I called because we needed to replace our defective SD-DVR with a new HD-DVR. To make a long story short, I was able to pick up a new HD-DVR retail (Costco has them for $169.99) DirecTV credited my account $199. They also threw in a $10 programming credit for 6 months. Plus they gave me the HD Extra Pack free for 3 months. This is regularly 4.99 a month. So with a couple of phone calls I received a new HD-DVR and DirecTV is actually paying me to use the new equipment.

$169 - My HD-DVR Retail Cost
$199 - DirecTV HD-DVR Credit
$60 - 6 month programming credit
$15 - 3 month Free HD Extra Pack

So I actually gain $105 !!!

Cheers,

Ed

I don't know why we'd have need two dishes, but our neighbors with DirecTV and local channels all have 2 dishes and DirecTV said we'd need two. I tried for months to get a deal something like yours and no dice - and we'd had DTV for 14 years! We switched when we found out about needing the second dish (at our cost + installation). Plus, I didn't want my roof to look like a sat farm.

And this part is great - we're in a rural area, so we get a 30% discount on programming + free local channels if we ordered Dish through our local phone carrier. (The Dish guy actually alerted me to this.) I called DTV to see if they'd match it. No deal, even though they knew we'd be dropping them. So we are now happy Dish subscribers.


DisFlan

 

[tink2dw]

I love my Channals on Directv!!

We had a Problem Last Wed. our tv's just went dead. We called to get a service man and they said SAT. Day, on Sat. Day they didn't come. Called back OH not this SAT.Day Next!!!! Dh hung up.

Then call back in an hour and they gave him the the LOCAL REPAIR phone no#
we had the guy out Sunday!!! Who showed us what was wrong and how to fix it!!

So, always ask for the local repair men phone number!!!!

 

[OnePrincess]

I recommend going with Dish. We've have them for nine years and have nothing but great service with them. We've been very happy with them and would never switch to anything else.

 

[RobinFabulous]

I recommend going with Dish. We've have them for nine years and have nothing but great service with them. We've been very happy with them and would never switch to anything else.

I also wanted to say and didn't have time earlier, my BF installed for Dish for a long time and DISH's #1 concern is customer service. The customer WAS ALWAYS right. They had him hanging tv's and installing home theaters.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I do not know about Dish or Direct TV but have Comcast. We have frequent outages and the price keeps increasing. Also Comcast and one other company, cannot remember which one, are being investigated right now for taking channels off Basic and transferring them to another tier so that when the big change comes in February more folks will have to pay more for the 'pleasure'.

We have basic and I find myself flipping channels often in search of something to watch. I have a wide area of interests but still cannot come up with something. If it were not for my husband I would drop cable altogether and just watch Netflix Instant Viewing, more my cup of tea.

Slightly Goofy