Dude is mental,
Let me tell you my recent story. I just purchased my 2nd Hughes Tivo about a year ago. I have had HD since its availability and have spent a lot of money on equipment to do so. I get tired of hearing the commercials talking of 70 HD channels and 100 by the end of year, so I flip on over to the guide him must be a typo i got the same 7 HD channels I have always had....... So i call up D* and inquire, " why am i not getting 70 HD channels, im paying for it and have all the HD equipment"? Well its 299.99 HD DVR and 99.99 HD ( bedroom ) and requires new dish install. I promptly hit the deck.
I said first of all I had to call in to discover how to take advantage of the addition of channels I am already receiving? and you want me to spend over another $400 after i just purchased a $300 receiver a year ago? I then explained that i know they are fond of calling people an "A" list customer but i suggest they look up my years of loyalty and average monthly bill because i spend a ton of money with D*.
Effect;raised my blood pressure to stroke levels and got no where. Called again and across 4 hours got 3 different people whom finally got it somewhere in the neighborhood of $249.99 no matter what i said or threatened. So i just drew a line and said no im not paying you guys another dime for this service. I asked if i were under contract and they said No and I had already paid for my Sunday Ticket and Superfan so I explored my options
I called up Dish and worked out a deal with them for comparable hardware and channel selection ( minus Sunday ticket of coarse ) for no money out of pocket and same price a month.
I then called Direct TV back and said cancel service at the automated attendant still got no where till i actually wanted to place the date for the disconnect which was wed of this week, then i got transferred one last time and presto chango got both receivers and the new dish installed for $19.99.
What have we learned ?
1. They can do the right thing if they want to.
2. You have to be actually willing to leave not threaten it. I suspect some allow you to make the date then call back before.
3. It is them who are taking advantage of their good customers. Some would have paid the first highest premium, especially in my bracket which is top end. The majority would have paid the reduced price thinking they were getting a deal. The very few who are fed up and willing to change service get it free. Now who is being dishonest here? I was a good customer and they had within their power to take care of me and treat me right yet they done nothing till they absolutely had to, to retain my yearly revenue. You think we are wrong to network together to get the best deal in light of a company which practices those kinds of policies on their very best customers? For them changing their technology after we already paid for the current? Having to seek out the information to realize the channels your already paying for?
I dont know if D* is public but you must on stock or i dont even know what the alternative is.
Sad thing is that i didnt want to leave them but i would have, I love the D* interface and im very happy with my service and the companies flexibility in paying ect.
Happy thing is, just got it all installed today and loving my $19.99 upgrade. Well technically they charged it all to me then credited it off....... If it wasnt for Sunday Ticket though I would have switched anyway after the hell they put me through.....
Im the victim here not D*
Shawn