Directv raising rates AGAIN!

[bicker]

These price increases make sense, in light of the fact that salaries for folks working increased 3.2% in 2009 and 2.7% in 2010 (and are expected to increase 2.9% this year). While some businesses would be able to just cut staff to try to cut costs, a cable or satellite service, already cut to the bone by service quality reductions in the early part of the decade, doesn't have that kind of luxury. And as the economy starts picking up, they're going to have to start showing some mroe significant financial gains to their shareholders (raises hand... I have stock in all the companies mentioned in this thread) or there's going to be a revolt.

Generally, though, most folks get a bit better pricing from Dish Network (though usually accompanied by some service or service quality compromises). DirecTV is generally considered the Cadillac of satellite television services... ymmv of course.

While it is easier to keep a current customer than attract a new one, so few people actually switch that playing the odds they're better off letting customers threatening to leave just leave. As often as the threat is empty, and with no way of knowing if it is or isn't, better for them to just let the customers go if necessary. Otherwise, they basically box themselves into never being able to get decent revenues.

 

[DawnM]

I wonder if anyone has ever had success getting a lower rate on a longer term basis. I hate the one year things.

I was able to get a permanent low rate with Sprint by threatening to quit. They cut my bill in HALF and that was 3 years ago.

We are seriously considering trying a whole house TV antenna in the Spring, but we are leery because we have a lot of trees and live on a hill so we have had trouble with reception with an antenna in the past. But it may be worth a shot and to see if DTV will offer something better.

Dawn

These price increases make sense, in light of the fact that salaries for folks working increased 3.2% in 2009 and 2.7% in 2010 (and are expected to increase 2.9% this year). While some businesses would be able to just cut staff to try to cut costs, a cable or satellite service, already cut to the bone by service quality reductions in the early part of the decade, doesn't have that kind of luxury. And as the economy starts picking up, they're going to have to start showing some mroe significant financial gains to their shareholders (raises hand... I have stock in all the companies mentioned in this thread) or there's going to be a revolt.

Generally, though, most folks get a bit better pricing from Dish Network (though usually accompanied by some service or service quality compromises). DirecTV is generally considered the Cadillac of satellite television services... ymmv of course.

While it is easier to keep a current customer than attract a new one, so few people actually switch that playing the odds they're better off letting customers threatening to leave just leave. As often as the threat is empty, and with no way of knowing if it is or isn't, better for them to just let the customers go if necessary. Otherwise, they basically box themselves into never being able to get decent revenues.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

How does it work?

If I already have 3 DVRs what do I need to get to have one that works all over?

Dawn

We only have one DVR (therefore only had OOP costs for the 1- and 1 was free- when we signed up). With whole home service, we can start watching our recorded show in one room, and then go hop in bed and finish it in our bedroom...etc. I LOVE it!

 

[loreejohnson]

I have to agree and understand why prices are having to go up, but when it was the other way around, DTV did nothing to help us who were having a hard time keeping up with our bills. We have been with them for over 12 years and we get nothing. We thought about getting it set up in my husband's name, but know that it will be the same thing when the special pricing ends. It is a no win situation and if you want to have satellite maybe going back and forth every few years would help us

 

[Hardy]

Directv has honestly not been too bad to us...they have always given us discounts when we ask...our bill is close to $100 before discounts (I guess a little under b/c they always discount the first receiver) and we pay $63 or $67 a month I think. However, we have had issues, like how they expect YOU to pay for failed equipment when it is a lease (my receiver was randomly deciding to show whatever channel it wanted to, and then the hard drive totally went finally, the replacement now feels I need to watch random MTV shows that it records for me constantly)....had to fight hard on that one, but I believe they have changed that now in some settlement, and just other little things....but honestly, I just don't like tv enough to want to deal with paying those kind of prices every month. We are seriously considering canceling in March with 1 full year left on our contract (at $20 a month, it's something to think hard about) and go with a Roku box. For our main tv we already have a PS3 that can stream both Netflix and Hulu plus, so I think that would be enough for us. We'll have to get rabbit ears for live local and I'll have DVR withdrawal

 

[bicker]

I wonder if anyone has ever had success getting a lower rate on a longer term basis. I hate the one year things.

Would you really want to be locked into paying for service for five years, even if you moved out after two years?

I have to agree and understand why prices are having to go up, but when it was the other way around, DTV did nothing to help us who were having a hard time keeping up with our bills.

It isn't a matter of helping them with their bills. It's a matter of them pricing their offerings in the best interests of their owners. They're not a charity, but actually in business mainly to make profit.

It is a no win situation and if you want to have satellite maybe going back and forth every few years would help us

If you're willing to go through the hassle of changing service providers every year or two, that will provide you a better price than sticking with a service provider long-term. You are effectively compensated for the work you do in switching.

 

[MeekoB]

If you're willing to go through the hassle of changing service providers every year or two, that will provide you a better price than sticking with a service provider long-term. You are
effectively compensated for the work you do in switching.

I agree. This is just a fact of life these days with just about every company. The only way to get a good deal on an ongoing basis is to keep jumping from provider to provider or sometimes threaten to do the same.

That being said, Directv has always been good to us in other ways. As a longtime customer (10+ years), we get upgraded service and upgraded equipment on a regular basis.

Once in a while, I get infuriated with the permanent discounts given to new customers, (ie, free HD for life) and call to negotiate a new deal with Directv. So far, they have been pretty responsive to those kinds of complaints.

Price increases are a fact of life. Unfortunately, whenever you see that there has been a renegotiation over some channel on Directv that usually involves the channel content provider asking for more money to provide the channel. Directv eventually has to pass those costs on to customers.

 

[DawnM]

No, I want a discount and no long term commitment. I have it for my cell phone. A great discount and my contract has been up for years.

Dawn

Would you really want to be locked into paying for service for five years, even if you moved out after two years?


.

 

[DawnM]

Ok, so how many boxes do you actually have? You said you got one free and paid for one....so you have two TVs hooked up to Directv? Or do you have more?

My understanding is that you need a receiver connected (and billed monthly) to each TV you wish connected to your whole house DVR.

Dawn

We only have one DVR (therefore only had OOP costs for the 1- and 1 was free- when we signed up). With whole home service, we can start watching our recorded show in one room, and then go hop in bed and finish it in our bedroom...etc. I LOVE it!

 

[Muushka]

I played the "I'm gonna dump you" dance with DTv for about 16 months. When you tell them to go ahead and send you the boxes to send the receivers back, they do make deals. I received many great deals in that 16 month period, but got tired of playing the game with them. Basically it came down to: The service I receive for $93 a month is not worth it. And while they did give me some great deals, ultimately it came back to $93 a month after all the deals were gone.

I now have my antenna to pick up my local channels and Netflix for everything else for $9.99 a month. Very happy.

Bottom line: dump them.

 

[bicker]

No, I want a discount and no long term commitment.

Wouldn't we all?

I have it for my cell phone.

Does that discount you get with your cell phone include television channels? Of course not. The point is that different services are at different phases of the cycle. Cell phones are still trying to increase market penetration, while subscription television is in the mode of just trading market share back and forth, and in some ways, getting read for the market to start declining, as folks will someday soon start getting their entertainment in completely different ways, as pointed out in this message:

I now have my antenna to pick up my local channels and Netflix for everything else for $9.99 a month. Very happy.

Also keep in mind that the most effective way of giving people discounts is to boost the basic rate higher, so we should be careful what we wish for.

 

[mom2my3kids]

We have dishnetwork..while I love our HD the prices have raised so much over the years..we now pay 107 a month for dish.We plan on getting a new roof this spring and I am going to be done with dish and go back to cable..plus when it storms the signal gets lost every time..

 

[DawnM]

That is a silly comparison.....everyone wants cell service just like they want TV service....it is service to service comparison, not TV to TV comparison.

I don't know anyone who has the rates I do for cell service. I am very happy and won't leave the provider because of it. However, I may leave Directv if I can't get better rates. THAT was my point.

Dawn

Wouldn't we all?

Does that discount you get with your cell phone include television channels? Of course not. The point is that different services are at different phases of the cycle. Cell phones are still trying to increase market penetration, while subscription television is in the mode of just trading market share back and forth, and in some ways, getting read for the market to start declining, as folks will someday soon start getting their entertainment in completely different ways, as pointed out in this message:

Also keep in mind that the most effective way of giving people discounts is to boost the basic rate higher, so we should be careful what we wish for.

 

[connie254]

I agree with playing the game. Call the local cable company and ask for their price for your same package, both introductory and what it will be after that. Call DTV and tell them you will switch if they can't match it. They will give you a song and dance. Tell them you want to send back the equipment and ask for the boxes and give a date when you want it shut off. Make it 2-3 weeks from that date. You will get calls aplenty. You then have 3 options. Take one of the offers, switch to cable, or go without. I always ask what the initial cost is and what it will be after that so I can compare.

 

[DawnM]

Apparently the local CBS channel and Directv are in dispute and I just read today that DTV has again declined the CBS offer/negotiation. If DTV no longer offers CBS, that is a dealbreaker for me!

I wish I could KNOW if we can get good channels over the air with a good antenna. We got a nice set of rabbit ears and still have issues.....we live in a somewhat rural area with tons of trees to block it, but if we put our TV to the North side of the house, and put the antenna OUTSIDE the house facing north, we get better signal! Of course, that leaves out the basement media room completely unless we get a whole house antenna. I hesitate to try as it may not work and then I will be out that $$.

Dawn

 

[HM]

UGH!

Our bill will be over $100 with taxes without any discounts. Our contract is up in April and I am seriously considering canceling.

We have HD Total Choice Plus with DVR- 3 TVs.

Dawn

That's a decent price for what you have. We have 1 HD-DRV, 1 DVR, and two regular units and we're paying $118.xx

 

[momof1princess]

Apparently the local CBS channel and Directv are in dispute and I just read today that DTV has again declined the CBS offer/negotiation. If DTV no longer offers CBS, that is a dealbreaker for me!

I wish I could KNOW if we can get good channels over the air with a good antenna. We got a nice set of rabbit ears and still have issues.....we live in a somewhat rural area with tons of trees to block it, but if we put our TV to the North side of the house, and put the antenna OUTSIDE the house facing north, we get better signal! Of course, that leaves out the basement media room completely unless we get a whole house antenna. I hesitate to try as it may not work and then I will be out that $$.

Dawn

we're having the same issue where we live, only here, it's directv and fox. if they can't reach an agreement by 1/31, we'll no longer have a local fox station!

 

[sam_gordon]

I wish I could KNOW if we can get good channels over the air with a good antenna. We got a nice set of rabbit ears and still have issues.....we live in a somewhat rural area with tons of trees to block it, but if we put our TV to the North side of the house, and put the antenna OUTSIDE the house facing north, we get better signal! Of course, that leaves out the basement media room completely unless we get a whole house antenna. I hesitate to try as it may not work and then I will be out that $$.

I can help you on this. First there's really no such thing as a "nice" set of rabbit ears. Here's what I recommend you do...

Go to http://www.tvfool.com/. Follow the prompts to 'Check your address for free tv'. You put in your address, it will give you a chart showing what channels are available, what kind of antenna you need to receive that channel, and where to point the antenna.

Now that you know what kind of antenna (they vary by strength), you can price them.

I got a directional antenna when we moved into our new house and put it in the attic. Then you take the line from the antenna and split it to feed the various TVs (you might need to amplify the signal depending on how long the cable is and how many splits you need).

I got my house done (feeding three TVs right now) for ~$100. But I did all the wiring and hookups.

 

[hsmamato2]

try dish,it's WAY cheaper around here..... they do get you with the hd stuff.....

 

[hsmamato2]

on the antenna note..... I was thinking of this,even tho our tv service is only 36.00 per month.... do you hook the roof antenna using the same lines that now attach from the dish to our tv, would we just run the wire up thru the same routes? I'm going to go read that link on antennas.....tv isn't important enough to us to pay more than we currently pay....