5 Things DirecTV Does Not Want you to Know
***DISCLAIMER***
This article is for information purposes only. I am not suggesting you use any of the following information to break the law.
5. Protection Plan
When your DirecTV equipment breaks down, you will have to pay about $80 for a service call, unless you shell out $5.99 per month for the protection plan. Instead you could wait until you have a problem, call to add the protection plan to your account (don't mention you have a current problem), call back the next day to schedule a $5.99 service call.
4. Upgrades
If you have fulfilled your contract with DirecTV, call them every six months and ask for a free upgrade. You can get additional rooms, new equipment, HD receivers, and DVR receivers.
3. Retention
Ahhhh, retention the magical customer service department that can get almost anything done. The retention departments job is to keep you from canceling your account. Retention representatives get bonuses if they can get you to stick with DirecTV, so they are always willing to help.
The key is to pretend you are going to cancel your account. I have had to evoke the magic retention word a few times when dealing with regular customer service, and every time my problem was immediately fixed and a credit added to my bill. Just tell the regular customer service rep. that you have had enough and want to cancel your account. Once they transfer you, tell the retention agent what is going on, and they will do whatever they can to keep you. If they do call your bluff, just say you have to sleep on it and you will call back tomorrow to cancel.
2. Phone Lines
DirecTV receivers can not send pay-per-view billing information back to DirecTV unless the receiver is connected to a phone line. That means if you disconnect your receiver from the phone line, and order pay-per-view with the remote you will not be billed. Some receivers have safeguards to prevent or limit this.
1. Receivers are Untraceable
As long as you disconnect your receivers from a phone line, DirecTV has no idea where that receiver is geographically. That means one receiver could be at your house, one at Grandmas house across town, one at your best friends house, and one in your R.V. You would have to be handy enough to install a few satellite dishes that you bought on Ebay, and run some coax cable.
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10/21/2008 12:04 AM
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10/22/2008 4:32 AM
teknia tech wrote:
Interesting. The retention info also works for land-line and cable internet service. Tags: directtv, retention,cable tv, dish network, phone service Link: 5BESTLIST.COM 5 Things DirecTV Does Not Want you to Know by Master Blaster at 10/20/2008 12:23 PM ***DISCLAIMER***This article
#2 doesn't make any sense. In order to order a PPV with your remote, you have to have the phone line plugged in. The only way to order without the phone line plugged in is to either call customer service to order (they add a service fee if you do this) or order on directv.com.
Saying you won't get charged if you unplug the phone line is like saying you can get free long distance if you just unplug the phone line from the wall before calling.
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It works with your older recievers. I have done that myself about 4 years back. The bad thing is that when you do plug in the phonejack back in it would send in the charges and then you would be billed.
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All cards have a dollar limit like $30.
After you have used up the limit, your card has to be wiped via phone lines. The $30 will then be charged to your bill, if you have it wiped!
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If the ethernet connection is working, they can use that instead of the phone line to get the PPV information. The HD receivers have this feature (660, etc.)
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Great info, thanks!
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#3 is a great tool that you can use for any cable company as well. You can get them to give you 1-3 months of free service, or a free receiver for another room... and lots more. You just have to give them the rigt reasons why you want to cancel.
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Ex-DirecTV installer here. Pretty much all of these are correct, save for 2. Newer models want you to call in or have the phone line connected whereas older models would let you order a few with it unplugged before cutting you off.
I have a few tips of my own to add:
1.) There are certain things an installer can charge you cash for up front, these include wall drops, putting your dish on a pole, trenching a line, and a few other things. It always annoyed my to no end when they did it, but the customer can be a complete jerk and demand the installer do it with no charge and the installer must do so. The install tech will of course put up a fight (a wall drop alone is worth $60 in cash, $90 for a pole) but if you force him/her to call their dispatcher/manager they will eventually come off of it and do the work for free. Sucks for the installer, since it was $45 first unit + $15/each additional unit and $15 for service calls.
2.) If you dislike something and want it done another way, make a service call and they must come and 'correct' it. Meaning if you decided to put the dish on a pole and paid for the protection plan, you can force an installer to do the job pretty much for free on your end (you've already paid for the $5.99/mo) and crap on his end (just the $15 for a service call, no extra $90 in cash for a pole).
3.) I don't know if this is still true any more since I believe they are keeping better track of their equipment, but when I worked there if you asked nicely (or slipped the installer some cash) you could get extra stuff to fix your dish if it breaks. Dish, mount, LNB (the 'eye' pointed at the dish), line, pretty much anything but a spare receiver.
4.) Local channels. If you live in certain areas, you CAN NOT get your local channels. Period. At all. You will get either East Cost or West Coast channels, but not the actual local channels. Call and complain to customer service all you want, it isn't happening. If you want them, ask your installer BEFORE he starts work. Make sure to ask if they're the LOCAL channels and not "local channels" our of New York or something. If he says you're in one of those areas, you're pretty much out of luck unless you can get something not quite local (within the same state at least) but not out of New York. You will save yourself and the installer a lot of time this way if you decide to cancel. Also, DO NOT ask to speak to their dispatcher/manager about this. They WILL lie every single time because if you cancel, they (and the installer) lose money. It must be the people the installer calls to activate the account.
5.) The phone line. It isn't needed. It is used to collect data and send PPV requests. DirecTV (and every other satellite company that insists on a phone connection) make lots of money off of this. Tell the installer either that you do not want a land line connected or that you only use cell phones (I got this excuse a lot). The installer gets complained at later for non-responsive units.
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I've gotten the free pay-per-view movies before using the method described. Only problem is, they limit the number of movies you can watch this way. Eventually, you will have to connect to pay for the movies you've watched before you can get more.
But, if you truly are planning on cancelling your service, you can disconnect your phone line and watch all the movies you want.
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beware!! i did the ppv trick (no phone connection) and i was able to "purchase" around 5 ppvs until my card got full. a year later, i upgraded my receiver and sent the old one back. the following month, my bill was HUGE!! all the ppvs i had watched got billed to my account!
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Do not do #2!
As soon as you plug the line back in you will get a bill or if you ever stop service you will get billed for the PPV.
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You are able to order 2 PPV events (movie, sports, pr0n, etc.) without having the receiver plugged in. However, if you cancel and send the receiver back, they do a dump of the card and THEN charge you for the PPV events...
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In addendum:
6.) Tip your installer. Preferably before he or she begins work. Seriously. They make little and work odd hours. Tipping an installer (especially before he/she begins work) will get you a lot further than if you're rude and demanding. Even if it's just offering food and/or drink. Best customer I ever had while installing for DirecTV was an older guy who worked on an oil rig for half the year. Gave me a $20 tip and told me to go get myself a beer when I left just because I ran line to a separate TV in a bedroom so he didn't have to get another receiver. And he got THAT because he asked for it, politely, and wasn't a jerk. I reiterate my point 3. If you're nice, you can get stuff that the company doesn't offer but the installer can do.
7.) As with 3, things have changed since I last worked there so I am not entirely sure if this still holds true. If an installer is running late and actually calls you to tell you he/she might not be able to make it later, you can demand the installer come anyway. Regardless of the time. If it's two in the morning, he's been on the job since 7 yesterday morning and has to do it again in a few hours, he still has to show up since after about 6pm the installer can not call in to dispatch and request putting the install off until tomorrow. They are not paid hourly, however, so forcing an installer to do this is one of the most annoying things a customer can do and you are almost guaranteed shoddy work, regardless of whether or not you stand there and watch them the entire time.
8.) Be at home when you say you're going to be at home. If you're not there, guess what? I'm not installing your stuff and you're getting bumped to later in the week. Driver pulls up and no one's home, they call in to dispatch and door-tag the house. They will not be back by later in the day--unless you get back within your agreed-upon time, then you might get lucky. That's fairly rare though.
9.) It does not matter much if it is raining when a driver comes by for install or repair. They can sight the dish in manually, without a signal-meter/bird-dog. It's not as accurate as sighting it in with one, but it can be done. In other words, if the installer complains about no signal, you can call them on it and they will either be forced to call dispatch or continue the install. Unless it is essentially coming a monsoon, dispatch will tell the installer to continue, even with no signal. This is about the second-most annoying thing you can do an installer though, since rain slickers get hot fast if they have one and the installer is almost guaranteed to get shocked on your equipment.
10.) Regardless of what you want or what dispatch and/or customer service says, if you push an installer too far they can and will simply leave. You will be bumped to later in the week and given another tech.
11.) Regardless of what you believe, you do not pay the installer's salary, the company does. Threatening to have an installer fired will get you nowhere.
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Tip your installer? LOL...Fuck you.
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Tipping a Tech is always nice. I always get tipped. Thank you!
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And here's a tip for you...find yourself a different job especially if you have this many gripes about it.
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question for you. I'm trying to share my directv with a friend, meaning i want to connect an activated box in another location.
I have all the equipment, and the second home is an older apt building that has a community directv dish on the roof. So basically i just need an installer to disconnect my apt unit from comcast, and connect it to the dish. if he does that, and i plug in my activated receiver to the dish, will it work just fine?
I know it will work with a stand alone dish, i just don't know anything about these community dishes.
Thanks.
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I hate Directv (the company, the service was fine.) I was a subscriber from 1997, and they were awesome in the beginning, but got worse as time went by, to the point where I couldn't wait to dump them. Mostly customer service issues, plus the way they'd turn anything you did (added new box, upgraded box, etc.) into a new service contract. They got me on the 6.99/month "service contract" by telling me that it would be $80 to come out and figure out why I had no reception (gee, isn't that supposed to be what they're delivering) and then the guy came out, found a branch that had grown a little and was blocking part of the signal, and spent fifteen seconds pruning it back.
Final straw was, when I called and said I investigating what it would take to get out of my service contract, the guy claimed that it would cost me "up to $500 in disconnect charges", though I walked through said charges, called him on all the BS, and the final amount was $75. Which was the payment I'd just made, so I was transferred to the "retention guy." I began the conversation by saying that I detested the company, and that nothing he could say would change my mind, so just cancel the account. He did, and I never felt better.
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Dude.. you are a moron. A tree branch ON YOUR PROPERTY, ON YOUR TREE, grew in the way of the dish and you lost signal? Holy cow, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Besides, do you honestly think that DirecTV is somehow responsible for you maintaining your property? The fact that you turned around, paid the service fee to have someone come out to trim your tree.. ugh.. Why am I bothering?
With regard to the disconnect charges, you did the right thing calling them on it. I think (hope?) your basis for your dislike of the service had to be more than the issue with the service contract, though.
Disclaimer: I have neither love nor hate for the company. I do use their services, and have been pleased with the results. I do, however, detest "stupid".
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Wow, that is VERY good to know. I love it. Thanks for the helpful hints!
Jiff
www.privacy-center.be.tc
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The secret to getting free movies used to be to "unlock" your card with some special equipment. This has since been fixed by upgrading all the hu cards out there.
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By disconnecting my DirecTV altogether, I save $50+ per month. Plus, I am no longer victim to the social conditioning that is television.
Kill your TV.
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Instead you troll the interwebs....Fail
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I actually have to tell you that #1 is entirely wrong, even under the old pricing structure.
Before 10/20, it was $79.95, and $19.95 if you sign up for ProPlan the same day you set the service call.
But, if you add the Protection Plan and don't create a service call at the same time, you have a 30 day grace period. DirecTV doesn't charge for the Plan, and you're not covered under it. So any service call is full price.
However, on 10/20, the costs of service calls changed. A service call with no strings is $49, and a service call when you sign up from ProPlan is free.
And remember, if you ever get the discounted service call because you signed up for the Protection Plan, but the you cancel it within 1 year, you may be charged the full amount of the service call at that time, and that is NOT minus the fees for the Protection plan that you've paid.
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Lovely list, too bad I jumped ship from DirecTV about 6 months ago.
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If you get behind on your bill, and you pay their bills online, they will empty your bank account. It happened to me twice (my dumb sister kept renewing the service anyway). Would not have their overpriced crap in my house. Satellite TV is a cesspool anyway. And their Internet service is plain robbery.
Terrible company. A blight on humanity.
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regarding equipment breakage and DTV's demand for the $80 service fee, if you're outside of your service contract, call to cancel your account and then call echostar - they'll be happy to hook you up with new equipment (albeit with a service commitment). However, their breakup fee is likely to be noticeably smaller than if you deduct the $80 DTV wants
(this also works if you have Echostar and you can switch to Directv)
Also - when signing up, both DTV and Echo will ask for your social security numbers (that way they can trace whether you've been a subscriber before). Refuse to do so - citing that they have a credit card number to charge you with (and don't use the same credit card when you "re-sign" up)
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These are all correct. I was a Customer service agent for DTV's contracted company. certain receivers require the phone line to be plugged in (think it was older tivo), you can call in and have a phone agent setup your settings to allow ppv by telling them you just reconnected the phone line if the installer did not. Eventually the receiver's card will fill and you will no longer be able to order more however (without having them retrieve the past PPVS.
BTW you can always get few free months of showtime by calling and asking.
If you want to threaten to cancel you will have to do it more than once to get to the retention department.
there is usually an option to receive $5 off for 3 months also if you come up with a good enough excuse for it.
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Great article. Thanks for the information. I thought it was a good list.
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The thing that kills me about DirectTV, and the reason I will NEVER use them again (I'm on Comcast again now) is that "protection plan". Think about this for a moment - you are RENTING the equipment, right? Which means it is their equipment, not yours. When the equipment breaks, they charge YOU to fix it. Yes, that's right, you have to pay them to fix their own equipment that you are renting from them. If you choose not to fix it, then you still owe them the rent on broken equipment. How is this even legal? We seriously need to get a class action lawsuit going on this one.
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I tried COMCAST. I kept running out of cable when I traveled in my motorhome. lol.... I have DIRECTV I can never have cable for this reason !
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Due to two and a half years of my life being dedicated to telling the customers they were wrong and not being able to hang up when my ear was being verbally mutilated and assaulted, smiling over grit teeth saying, "I do apologize, but..." I say, KUDOS to the writer of this list....and buy dish network.
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#2 is completely false. The boxes can also use an internet connection to call back on. The phone line requirement is no longer valid, you can go internet only on them. You can't order ppv without being on the internet or a phone line.
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Regarding #1... Can they trace the unit if the ethernet cable is connected. Say you have a phone line connected to a unit at one location, and an ethernet connected at another. What will they do if they notice?
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DTV would love me. I've had my receiver for the better part of 10 years. I don't think the phone line has been plugged in for a good 7 of those years. Last time I tried to cancel they agreed to let me suspend my account (6 months) around the time I deployed over seas or something. I don't remember, either way, they setup the whole thing automatic and even sent letters to remind me the service was due to come back on. Never had that much trouble with customer service. Considering I could probably just spend the $50 a month on DVDs of what we want to watch it'd probably be worth it. Kids watch it for toons and that is about it... Sad really..
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I hate Directv. We disconnected their service, now our account is not in good standing. I have 10 boxes I don't have any use for. Can I sell these, or would people not be able to use them, since my account is not in good standing?
Thanks
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direct tv and dish are evil brain rotting...........
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very interesting read thanks for posting.
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I have HD-DVR and another standerd room box. I have about 4 month service with 2 yr contract. how can i get another 1 or 2 box for free? any one can give me valid reason to call them and get free boxes for additional rooms. I moved from one state to another state. where i intialy have serive it was one room apart now where i have service is 6 room house yet i only have one hddvr for living room and one box for another room please help!!!!
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just to inform all about the phone line and ppv.
yes you can order them without the phone line if you havent reached your limit and true if you plug the line back in it will be billed to the account but what no one yet has mentioned is that if you lets say return the ird DTV down loads info and bills the account at that time as well. also if you own the box and sell it on ebay and that person plugs it in it will download the ppv's then and you have an angry ebay customer. So best not do what will cause issues later in life.
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First you do not need the ProPlan. However if something happens to your equipment you will be responsible for any service calls, or replacements.
and for the FOOL, who stated he was renting the equipment, I believe if you check you either "OWN" or "Lease" the equipment. Like a car lease YOU are responsible for any repairs, Unless of course it is under warranty.
What get's me is everyone wants something for FREE!
I've had cable, I've had over the air tv, I've had Dish, I've had Directv.
Both Dish and Directv - I got MORE for my money then I did with cable.
Cable provide the best coverage in case of bad weather. So if you really need to be watching TV in cases of serve weather, I would go with cable.
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