Direct TV Rant !!!! (1 Viewer)

[BrentG]

I have direct tv and really haven't payed alot ot attention to the billing other then I pay it every month. That said I have Pegasus service because I guess that is who we have to go through to get Direct TV, here is what I pay:

Total Choice = $36.99
Local Chann = $ 5.99
Total Choice Royalty = $1.50 (what the heck is this)

So that means I pay $44.48 per month for Total Choice + local channels.

Now you go on Direct TV's site and it says that Total Choice including local channels is only $38.99 per month!!!

That means I am getting nail for an extra $5.49 a month that I could be putting toward more programing, like HDTV. But I guess that my area is not "serviced" by Direct TV and I have to go through Pegasus, what a crock!!!!! It all comes out of the same sat in the sky.

OK now it gets even better. I want HDTV, I call up Pegasus to ask about the $399 deal that Direct TV adverstises and to find out about the $99 deal to existing customers that I have read about on many board. Well would you believe that they told me to go to Best Buy or somewhere and buy the HDTV reciever and dish then they would be "glad" to sign me up. They offer no deals and don't honor any of the Direct TV adds.

So I call Direct TV and they basically said to bad that they can't sell direct to me.

So I guess their are 2 classes of Direct TV customers and I am in the "we don't care about them" class.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Welcome to my world. What I ended up doing was switching to DishNetwork. They have a $49 deal for 1 HDTV receiver(the 811) and a standard reciever plus installation. They will also give you $49 credit in programming. Also if you order HBO and Skinamax, they will give you $49 credit each month for 4 months after which you can cancel HBO and Cinemax.

 

[Tim Holyoke]

Wow, that sounds weird. Where in Wisconsin do you live Brent?

 

[BrentG]

I am in Rice Lake, about 60 miles north of Eau Claire

Dish Network is my next option, and what I think I am going to do. Direct TV has said that they are gettin CBS & FOX in HD though, haven't heard about Dish. How it you quality would you say with Dish, that is my only fear about switching over to them.

 

[dpippel]

Why don't you just call DirecTV "directly" Brent? I've had their service in two markets on opposite sides of the country and have never had to go through any third party. Called DirecTV, arranged my programming package, they handled my free local installer. Simple. When local channels became available in my area I signed up for them on DirecTV's website, got a new access card in the mail, activated it via 800 number and all is well. I pay $39.99 a month for Total Choice Plus and my locals.

 

[BrentG]

I did call them:



Like I mensioned before they said too bad they can't do anything.

 

[Neal_C]

Yea, unfortunately if your zipcode falls in an NRTC area you get stuck with a third party like Pegasus. NRTC is designed for 'rural' areas, but there are places, like where I live, that it doesn't apply anymore. They need to change.

2 years ago I lived in a town of 400 people...my provider was Directv. I now live in a city of 28,000 in the DFW metroplex and I'm stuck with Pegasux. I'm tired of paying their royalty fees.

Dish Network is my next option.

By the way, the 49.99 kickback on programming for subscribing to HBO and Cinemax will end on January 31st when they roll out their "no long term commitment" package. You will basically lease the equipment, but there won't be any lease fees, you just have to return it if you change providers. But that only makes sense because you can be a subscriber for a month or 10 years, no committment.

I'm looking at getting the 811 HD receiver and the 522 PVR for my other rooms. The 522 has dual tuners, allowing you to watch and record a different channel in two different rooms or tv's with only one box. Dish is trying to cut back on equipment costs which should help keep their programming prices down. There will be no upfront equipment charge either, as far as I can tell.

Also, Dish will be including locals in their America's choice packages, so that saves $5/month. And (this is atleast true for the 522 PVR and I assume all other receivers) if you have a phone line plugged in to your secondary receiver (in my case the 522), you don't have to pay the 4.99 extra receiver fee.

I figured that I can get the same programming from Dish that I'm getting from Pegasus for about $15/month cheaper if I switch.

Neal

 

[Brian Schucher]

The $99 deal isnt really a promoted deal. You can only get this if you go through the retention dept. (where they dont really just offer it) and have been a customer for years..

 

[dpippel]

I missed that comment. Guess I should have read your post more carefully. :b Best of luck in getting your situation worked out Brent.

 

[BrentG]

Yea that is where I called, found the 1-800 number in one of the other posts. At first they offered me the $399 deal, then I pushed a little harder and she said she would go talk to her superviser (that is how these things generaly go). So I expected her to come back with the $99 dollar deal, instead she said she didn't realize that I was in the NRTC area and can't give me anything.


Sooooo, last night I called Dish already to sign up for their service, Haaaa. Now they say that they don't have any HD equipment left and wont have any for 4-6 weaks