Need help deciding on what to do. Want to upgrade our equipment.

[John91]

Sorry for long post.

We got Direct TV 10 years ago when we moved in. I liked them. But now things are changing. This Christmas we will complete our HD TV's in every room and we want HD on all of them as well a HD DVR and more channels.

Here is the catch. We pay more than $80 a month. We get I think the medium package which is about 150 channels. We don't get any premium channels nor do we have DVR's or anything like that. We have never complaind to Direct TV never bothered them or anything. We still use the same receivers we got 10 years ago. Except two years a go we got my brother HD which we paid $100 + Installation. Now I am not going to stand for this any longer. Direct TV refuses to make us any deals and that is just as low as a company can get for a customer who has been with them for 10 years paying as much as we have for Stand Definition and only 150 channels.

My family wants to switch to Dish but they like Direct TV because their use to it, I feel the same. But If we switch to Dish we get 2 free HD Receivers a free HD DVR, free VOD, Free HD for life, and we got all there channels (285 +) including Starz, Showtime, Cinemax, and HBO for the same price we are paying now. There is no doubt that is a huge, huge step up from what we have now.

Direct TV has pretty much the same deal except new customers only, same as Dish. I want to know. Can we cancel Direct TV in my Stepdad's name and sign up again under someone else's name, like my mother or brother? Or will direct TV still not consider that being a new customer.

If we can't do that we will get Dish but I want to know if we can do that first. Does anyone know?

 

[mdram]

have you called directv?

how many recievers do you have?
dish has much higher fees, that 80 a month will be 120 in no time with a couple hd dvr's

 

[Jimbo]

Have you checked on the D* website under equipment and see what they have to offer you ?
They will tell you the items they have available for you right there in your account.

Also, how can you complain about a company NOT upgrading you when you have never called to let them know that your interested in upgrading ?

I would call in and ask them what they can do for you before you just up and jump ship to a different provider.

 

[John91]

I have called them before. They say all of that is for new customers. We have 4 receivers and they charge us $10 a piece (Think the first two are included in the package though. They are basically telling us, since we signed up 10 years ago we have 150 channels no premium channels like starz, no DVR's and only one HD Receiver which we paid a $100 for. Any receivers beyond the first two cost more (More than a HD DVR monthly which is stupid). And Dish's package is $85 a month for the first year and I think $100 after that. Direct TV's is a little more expensive. But thing is, if we upgrade to the best package there is with Direct TV our bill goes up like $40 a month because we have been with them so long we have the older deals. And even then if want HD for all our tv's and a DVR we will need to shell out $400 more not to mention the monthly cost. Sign up as a new customer and get all of it free.

So I was just wondering, since its clear Dish and Direct TV offer the best deals to new customers only. Can we cancel and sign up under someone elses name and get these offers. Or do we have to switch to Dish. Either way it is 10 times a better deal we are getting now. I am going to call them today and find out, just wanted to know if that was a viable option before I did.

 

[raoul5788]

You may be able to cancel and re-up under another name, but they may flag your address and therefore not allow you a new account there. Never the less, you could try calling the retention department and telling them what you want. Let them know you like the service and want to stay, but the upgrade costs are too much for you. They may be able to offer you a better deal than the regular csr can. As to the equipment fees, each box except the first one on the account, which is free, is $4.99/month. That includes any dvrs that you have. There is also a monthly charge of $7 for dvr service which covers any and all dvrs on the account. If you sign up for auto pay, you might get hd free for two years.