CountryCletus Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Man, I'm with you. Hate it. I love making that call... These people for directv have no idea how much time I have to ask for the same thing nicely over and over... Persistence is key... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I love making that call... These people for directv have no idea how much time I have to ask for the same thing nicely over and over... Persistence is key... Definitely. I've been stonewalled twice now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 we will get through this together... How long have you been a Directv customer? What have you tried up to this point?? The bad thing is that they annotate the account every time you call... third time is a charm pal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I tried the loyal customer route...been a customer since 2005...but offered nothing. Not even a small discount. Two different people. Now that said, the first one was not customer retention, it was just a feeler. The second one was, but I admit I didn't threaten total cancellation, just ST cancellation. He was more than happy to cancel it. I've threatened full cancellation in the past and received good offers, but I wanted to try other routes this time. No good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I tried the loyal customer route...been a customer since 2005...but offered nothing. Not even a small discount. Two different people. Now that said, the first one was not customer retention, it was just a feeler. The second one was, but I admit I didn't threaten total cancellation, just ST cancellation. He was more than happy to cancel it. I've threatened full cancellation in the past and received good offers, but I wanted to try other routes this time. No good. I don't even discuss anything with the first people in customer service... I immediately ask to please be transferred to customer retention (just learned them and cancelation are the same, just a fancier word)... Once there, I would explain that your friends were discussing how they got the ticket for free and they haven't been customers as long as you... Feel free to tell them that through Comcast or Dish Network, you can get a comparable package for a fraction of the cost, and that the only reason you still subscribe to Directv is for the NFL Sunday ticket, and if they aren't prepared to give you the same free Sunday ticket as they gave your friends, you no longer have a need for their services, and have no problem contacting either one of the afore mentioned companies in an effort to decrease your entertainment bill... If they call your bluff- feel free to cancel.... You are considered a new customer after two years and can get that smokin' deal they advertise on tv all the time!!! That's another thing... You've been with them 10 years just about... They should give you an offer to stick around.... It's called loyalty... Lol... If all your efforts are met with the "hell no" request and you don't want to cancel, get a little (not much) irritated and explain that you are going to discuss cancelation with your spouse and expect to hear back promptly... Throw in the ol "I can't believe you guys are willing to lose a customer over the Sunday ticket!" If that doesn't get it for you- I don't know what will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zow2 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I think i failed. Made the call, spoke to their DTV NFL renewal "expert". Turned out to be a Superfan that started shmoozing me about the Bills and EJ. The guy knew alot, I'll give him that even though he is a Broncos fan. Anyway the best he could do after much haggling was $31.99/mo. or $191.94 for basic Sunday ticket. I asked for lower, or 6 months credit or free movie channels. Nothing. He said i would have to speak to the programming dept about that stuff. In the end he offered $191.94 for Everything...Sunday Max, RedZone, etc... . Last year i got a better deal but did not have Redzone or the mobile access so i just said OK. Realistically i would spend way more than that if i went to sports bars to watch games. Maybe I'll call back again in a week or two and see if i can get lower but for now I'm paying $31.99/mo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I think i failed. Made the call, spoke to their DTV NFL renewal "expert". Turned out to be a Superfan that started shmoozing me about the Bills and EJ. The guy knew alot, I'll give him that even though he is a Broncos fan. Anyway the best he could do after much haggling was $31.99/mo. or $191.94 for basic Sunday ticket. I asked for lower, or 6 months credit or free movie channels. Nothing. He said i would have to speak to the programming dept about that stuff. In the end he offered $191.94 for Everything...Sunday Max, RedZone, etc... . Last year i got a better deal but did not have Redzone or the mobile access so i just said OK. Realistically i would spend way more than that if i went to sports bars to watch games. Maybe I'll call back again in a week or two and see if i can get lower but for now I'm paying $31.99/mo. Ouch... This is the 5th year I have gotten free ticket, and for the last 2 years I have gotten $15 off a month for 12 months... This could be the 3rd year for that, but I have to wait until Aug 10 to call for that... Their Sunday Ticket team doesn't have the juice that their cancelation/customer retention teams have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I made my call this morning. Took about 15 minutes. - Explained to them I have been a DTV customer since nearly the startup of their company (I got in when they were giving out the dishes and boxes initially for free for promotion) - Explained to them that I am going through a BK and have to cut corners where I can - Have friends that have gotten it for free and can you do anything for me - Was very friendly.....did not threaten.....chatted with the retention guy about his family and the downed plane in Malyasia for a few minutes while he was working Got the whole thing (everything associated with the NFL Sunday ticket) for free......he did say I could not get it for free next year (Im still gonna try) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I made my call this morning. Took about 15 minutes. Wow that has to be a record. I never get off the phone in under 35 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I made my call this morning. Took about 15 minutes. - Explained to them I have been a DTV customer since nearly the startup of their company (I got in when they were giving out the dishes and boxes initially for free for promotion) - Explained to them that I am going through a BK and have to cut corners where I can - Have friends that have gotten it for free and can you do anything for me - Was very friendly.....did not threaten.....chatted with the retention guy about his family and the downed plane in Malyasia for a few minutes while he was working Got the whole thing (everything associated with the NFL Sunday ticket) for free......he did say I could not get it for free next year (Im still gonna try) I never ask for free I insist I pay about 100 but than add in discounts. This way the record shows I paid something for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beebes Bubble Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Just made my annual call. This time it was slightly less than 5 minutes. For those who stress about having to do the whole pretend you are going to cancel song and dance...it's quite simple...don't do it at all, as long as you are willing to pay something for Sunday Ticket. My experience the past 2 years has been almost identical. Follow these steps: At the voice prompt say "Retention". When the representative gets on the line verify with them that they are indeed the Retention department (and if not then have them transfer you). Tell them you know that new DirecTV customers get Sunday Ticket for free. Tell them that you can go to any internet message board and see that people all over are getting it for a reduced rate or even free themselves. Tell them that while you are willing to pay for Sunday Ticket, you don't want to be one of the suckers who pays full price. Rep tells you that there is a current deal on Sunday Ticket Max for half off. I was fine with this, so I took it. Tell them you know many customers are also getting additional bill credits. Rep will put you on a short hold and come back with a deal. Mine was $10 per month for 12 months. I was fine with this, so I took it. Rep also will give you a deal on movie channels for free for 3 months. And after 3 months they will not automatically appear on your bill, you will have to go online/call to make sure you keep any that you want. Now, I am sure I could have gotten an even better deal, but this method is fast and low stress, so it suits me just fine. Sunday Ticket Max price is about $330. I will pay $165 for it, plus get $120 back over the year, plus get HBO (which I have anyway) for free for 3 months, which would normally cost me $45 for 3 months. So, in the end, while I spend $165 now, I get every cent of it back within 12 months, plus Sunday Ticket Max. Not bad for a 5 minute call. I am no longer even under contract and they didn't even try to get me to re-up. At the end I even mentioned enjoying not having to pretend to cancel my service in order to get a deal. They laughed and said they get a lot of the pretend cancels this time of year. And most importantly, be courteous! Edited July 17, 2014 by Beebes Bubble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I never ask for free I insist I pay about 100 but than add in discounts. This way the record shows I paid something for it Thing is they told me the same thing last year......and I still got it for free this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Thing is they told me the same thing last year......and I still got it for free this year. I made the call yesterday. The customer service person couldn't help me so I said I want to cancel. I then spoke to the retention person and explained that I had a terrific bundle option with Verizon Fios that was a much better option than DTV. All I asked for was a free NFL Ticket, the same free service given to new customers. Without much further discussion he gave it to me. The representative was very professional and cooperative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasabres Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Just killed it! Told the first person that I want to cancel. Puts me on hold for 10 minutes. Get a great guy. Tell him I just took a job that paid less and I am only with DTV for Sunday Ticket (ST) so need to cancel. (Note: I have been a customer since 2005 and always had the top package. Get a discount on ST every year.) He offers me 1/2 off on ST max ($160) + $40 off with free HBO/MAX/Showtime for 6 months ($240) + $15 off per month for a year ($180). WTF!!!! No haggling or anything. Ended up getting $580 off my bill!!!! He also told me to call and cancel the movie channels in 6 months and that I will get an additional discount. WOW. Love DTV (Even though I pay out the nose for it)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 (edited) Made my first call today. Free genie upgrade with the minis for my SD boxes, free HBO and Showtime, and 10 bucks off a month for a year. I had to sign a new agreement for 2 years, but what do I care? Directv is awesome. Only problem is he couldn't do totally free, could only do 1/2 off ST Max. Since I was claiming poverty, I couldn't take it right away (without getting budgetary financial approval from management), but he gave me the direct line to Customer Retention and a pass key to use for when I call back later. Edit: oh, and free ReZone channel too. Edited July 21, 2014 by TheMadCap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msw2112 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Major thanks to Beebes Bubble and his post above. The last couple of years, I have, based on the great info found on TBD, called in and gotten some substantial discounts on DTV and Sunday Ticket. Last year, in an attempt to get a deal on Sunday Ticket, I threatened to cancel and was offered the Ticket at 50% off. Thinking I could do better, I pushed harder and ultimately, my bluff was called. To save face and hope they would come to their senses, I ended up canceling my service. I figured I would have a stack of voice mails the next day with all kinds of free offers to come back to DTV, free Sunday Ticket, etc. There were no such messages. My wife couldn't watch TV and wanted to kill me. I felt like a fool. She told me to do whatever I had to do to get our TV service back. I ultimately went crawling back to DTV with my tail between my legs to reinstate my service. There was a silver lining - they made so many mistakes in reinstating my service, that I had to call in 4 of 5 times. I spent hours on the phone with them. In the end, I had spent so much time calling in to fix their mistakes, that I had the ammo I needed, and found a merciful agent who agreed to give me Ticket Max for about $75. A great result, but WAY too much time, effort and stress. This year, I was not going to cancel and didn't want all the hassles of last year. I made one call, tried everything (B word, moan, complain, threaten, grovel, ask for mercy, etc.) and was able to get free Showtime for 3 months and $15 off of my bill for the year, but NOTHING on the Ticket. I was pretty depressed, having sold my soul to DTV and coming up short. I decided to wait a couple of days, checked TBD again, saw Beebes Bubbles' post, and tried again. I followed his script to the letter and voila! Sunday Ticket Max for 50% off! Plus, $15 credit just for calling in and being a good customer. And it only took about 5 minutes! No groveling necessary! This was last Friday and I have been in much better spirits ever since. Now, all we need is for Dareus to get his fat ass into camp, and all will be good again! Note that I have never posted to TBD before, but feel so indebted to Beebes and all of you guys who have posted here with advice before, that I had to step up and make my voice heard. I have been a regular reader of this site for several years and I look forward to adding a bit to the discussion. I've been a huge Bills (and Sabres) fan for about 40 years. Work and family have taken me out of Buff for the last 20+ years, but I never miss a game on TV and get back for a game almost every year as well as catching them on the road whenver they are in my part of the world. I will be there to see us squish the fish in the remodeled Ralph on September 14! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Never call on Mondays I finally got to retention and told them I heard Sunday ticket free etc for people said I feel I should pay something. Hot st max for 50% off, 25 instant credit , another 20$ off for next year and free job n Cinemax for three months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Note that I have never posted to TBD before, but feel so indebted to Beebes and all of you guys who have posted here with advice before, that I had to step up and make my voice heard. I have been a regular reader of this site for several years and I look forward to adding a bit to the discussion. I've been a huge Bills (and Sabres) fan for about 40 years. Work and family have taken me out of Buff for the last 20+ years, but I never miss a game on TV and get back for a game almost every year as well as catching them on the road whenver they are in my part of the world. I will be there to see us squish the fish in the remodeled Ralph on September 14! Welcome! Don't be a stranger. Go Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Slingbox + family in Rochester = My "Sunday Ticket." Hopefully they don't get blacked out too often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zow2 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) I think i failed. Made the call, spoke to their DTV NFL renewal "expert". Turned out to be a Superfan that started shmoozing me about the Bills and EJ. The guy knew alot, I'll give him that even though he is a Broncos fan. Anyway the best he could do after much haggling was $31.99/mo. or $191.94 for basic Sunday ticket. I asked for lower, or 6 months credit or free movie channels. Nothing. He said i would have to speak to the programming dept about that stuff. In the end he offered $191.94 for Everything...Sunday Max, RedZone, etc... . Last year i got a better deal but did not have Redzone or the mobile access so i just said OK. Realistically i would spend way more than that if i went to sports bars to watch games. Maybe I'll call back again in a week or two and see if i can get lower but for now I'm paying $31.99/mo. Just an update. I knew i could do better and after reading Beebes and some of you guys i called back. Had to get through one Rep to get to retention and then stated my case. I told them i wasn't looking for free ST but i'd like to pay something closer to what a new subscriber would pay considering I am a 14 year loyal customer with never a payment problem. Bottom line. - Got ST Max for half price ($40.99 x 4 payments = $163.96) - a 1 time credit of $25 (for being a nice guy) - a 6 month $10 credit for having the sports package - a 12 month $5 credit for switching my billing to paperless (makes no difference since my DTV bill comes on my Verizon bill already) - HD extra cut in half for 12 months to $2.50/mo All told, paying $163.96 for ST Max and billing credits for the year add up to slightly more than that. = Free = happy customer. Edited July 22, 2014 by zow2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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