[BlankMan]

In lieu of another DirecTV price increase....

My contract with my telephone company ran out a while back so I called them tonight to see what new services/packages were available. DirectTV could learn a lesson from my telephone/DSL provider. I called to see if I could improve the service I've been getting in the features arena and save some money at the same time, and I did both!

I'm saving $3 a month for the next 24 months on my basic phone service and got a few features I didn't have, then on top of that an additional $10 a month for the first 6 months. So over the 24 months $72 + $60 = $132 in savings.

As for my SDSL with static IP addresses I had 768/768 for $35 a month, I'm now getting 1M up and 1M down for $25 a month plus $15 off for the first 6 months. So over the 24 months $240 + $90 = $330 in savings.

For a grand total of $462 in savings over the next 2 years. Man I wish I had more phone calls like that. All this for a existing customer and not a new customer. DirecTV only seems to give the really good deals like I just got to new customers.

Wish DirecTV would start providing more service at less cost!!! If TDS Metrocom can do it I see no reason DirecTV can't do it. Unless of course, you're greedy..

 

[Rax]

I've always gotten good deals from DirecTV as an existing customer. Just today I negotiated a new HD setup which I'm more than happy with. I've found that for good customers the deals are just as good or better than the new customer promos.

 

[BlankMan]

So did they waive the $3 a month increase effective March 1st for you? And did they lock you into another 1 year or 2 year agreement with this deal you just got?

I got my share of good deals, just about all my equipment, free HD for 6 months (for what they offer should be free all the time), just about paid in full for my Spaun, etc. So yes you get deals but in the end the prices continually go up, this is one case with TDS where the price has gone down. Has your DTV bill gone down $10 a month for the duration of any of your 1 or 2 year agreements along with receiving more programming? DTV typically gives you a short term savings then locks you in for a year or two.

Right now I'm staying away form any of DTV's good customer deals they're offering me. Reason? Because then I'd be locked in for a year or two and couldn't cancel without paying a cancellation fee.

I'm keeping my options open at least through summer because I may (cough-choke-gag) go back to TWC. Right now TWC is offering my current programming lineup and more for $5 less per month then DTV. And that's not a 3 or 6 month introductory offer.

Plus I don't lose TiVo and I get Music Choice back and a few more HD channels. I'm really thinking about it. Once my bill goes up and if/when I can get a HD TiVo box for cable and/or OTA, that would probably do it. So I don't want to get locked in to DTV for the next few months until I see how things pan out.