So, you know how just last week I said I’d be cancelling DirecTV? Yeah…not so much. After sampling a couple streaming programs, I had decided on DirecTV now. This past weekend I used it almost exclusively for watching live TV, and while it had its quirks, I knew it would be okay in the end and I felt good about cancelling our regular DirecTV.
A couple of days ago I contacted DirecTV to cancel. and the conversation went well initially. I told them that under no uncertain terms did I want ANYone to offer me free HBO or Showtime, nor did I want to hear about the NFL ticket. I told the rep that the ONLY thing that would induce me to stay would be getting my bill down to $60 a month.
He offered me $40/month, which would make my bill $100.
Nope. No good. Especially since last year I got my bill down to $80/mo with a $50/mo discount only to have my bill get up to $91 by the 12th month despite me CHANGING NOTHING in those 12 months.
As Hector went to go “look into [my] account,” I did some searching of my own. My current bill of $144 included Choice programming (175 channels), three boxes in the house, DVR and HD.
We use the office TV maybe 1-2 times a year, so losing that box would be no big deal. $7
There are some channels missing on the next tier down that I really didn’t care about. Oprah Winfrey Network? Up? Paramount? Pffft. That took it down another $15.
I wasn’t willing to lose the DVR, and I like having HD. So even though those cost a bit extra, I’d keep them for now.
Hector came back.
“Let me tell you about some options that can improve your entertainment value.”
“YOU HAD BETTER NOT OFFER ME NFL OR PREMIUM CHANNELS, HECTOR. The only thing that will improve my entertainment value is a bill that is only $60 a month.”
“Okay, Jaynee. I won’t offer those to you. But I can only get you a $40 discount at this time.”
“What if I return a receiver box to you, and lower my programming by one tier?”
“Hold on, let me look into that for you.”
Pause for effect.
“That will take you to $57 plus taxes and fees.”
“And I don’t want a contract.”
“No contract. I can do that, too.”
SOLD!
And just like that, my original bill of $144, which would have originally been reduced to $104 if I had accepted his first offer, is now ~$60 thanks to a no-contract $40/mo discount, with a returned receiver box that I never used anyway, and the loss of 30 channels – none of which I watched with any regularity. For those keeping score, that’s a 58% discount to my monthly bill AND no loss of enjoyment on my part. I just wish I had thought to return the receiver and lower the programming package LAST year so that I’d have been saving that $22/mo much sooner.
