Call me the king of credit. D* Retention ... How much is too much.

[smackman]

I just signed back up with D*... Here's the deal I got from them:

1 HD Receiver
1 Standard Receiver
1 Standard Tivo
1 HD OTA Antenna
1 triple LNB dish
3 mo free HDTV package
Installation

$176.



I had to call 3 times to "negotiate". Originally they wanted $299, which was more than I wanted to pay. Called again and this time they wanted $499... Told them I was going to E*... Signed up with E*, scheduled an install, but called D* one more time and told them I already signed up with E* and they had one more chance to swing a deal. The CSR looked it over, made the offer, and I was quite pleased and scheduled the install right away.

Installed last weekend, everythings working great. Glad to be back with D*.

 

[jbcheshire]

Did you have to pay the $176 out of your pocket up front?

 

[slacker9876]

So Thanks everyone for your advice........And Slacker you were pretty close,

Here's what they offered me.........HD receiver with a new 3 LNB dish, a Tivo for the other room, 6 months free HD package for $149 and free installation. I didn't get the OTA antenna(but then again I didn't ask for it, we get very good reception on rabbit ears and I didn't think to ask. We're satisfied. We want to install it ourselves, DirecTV said no way, we won't sell it to you that way, but suggested we talk to the installer they assign and see if he'll let us do it..........what do you think, are installers pretty easy that way?

Sounds like they made a you a pretty fair offer. Especially considering you’re a ten year vet and have never asked for anything. Outside of this forum I have actually “sold” 6 DirecTV installations and two HD upgrades … not as a retailer, but by word of mouth. So maybe even I deserve a little of what I have been given. I am glad they took care of you Pat, they should! The Installer I am sure will happily let you install on your own as long as you sign his work order saying the job is complete. The TiVo DVR requires two runs, if you are okay doing it then you don’t have to let them.

Did you have to pay the $176 out of your pocket up front?

That is usually how it works, that is why most of us negotiate a self-install and retail equipment purchase … Then D* just give a credit upon activation. As they wouldn’t with Pat … sometimes they just will not allow a self-install.

 

[smackman]

Did you have to pay the $176 out of your pocket up front?

No, They put several charges against my D* account, and then applied several credits towards my D* account... So in other words, didn't have to give them my credit card# or anything like that, but I will have to pay the $176 when I get my D* bill.

 

[Pat]

Yes, they told me to expect the $149 charge on my monthly bill.

 

[Sharpie]

Slacker,

Thanks for the advice on customer retention. I am having some very minor issues with my receiver so I called customer retention and explained my situation and right off the bat they knocked off $5 a month for one year off my bill and gave 6 months free showtime. I hope showtime has a hd channel. Thanks for heads-up.