How to cut your satellite tv bill in half

[Rot 911]

We got DISH satellite a couple of years ago. Got a package deal for 4 rooms with their version of a digital recorder. Anyways a few months ago the special rate expired bill went up from $48.00 to $60.00. Probably not a bad price, but we just don't watch that much tv. So I call them up and tell them we are happy with the service, but just don't watch that much tv and would like to cancel the service. They immediately say they will drop the monthly rate to $34.00. Then in the 30 seconds I was thinking about it they say they will drop it to $30.00 per month for the next 12 months with no contract extension. I say ok. In 12 months I'll see if I can get them to add on some more channels for the same price. What a scam!

[masraum]

nice. I'd try that with my comcast, but I suspect they'd have my service turned off before I put the phone down, and I don't want to trade to Satellite.

[71T Targa]

I know of several people who 'share' the service. One is the '4 room' subscriber and has two receivers, and the other has their own dish and the other two receivers.

[legion]

There are some downsides to living in a neighborhood with large, mature trees.

About six months ago, Comcast did a market swap with Insight. I loved Insight, hate Comcast. They closed our local service center and route all of our calls through a national switchboard (they used to go to the local office). I had to call for service a few months ago and the technician showed up wearing an Insight shirt. He said it was because he was in denial--he hates Comcast as much as the customers do.

[BReif61]

I have a feeling that the only way I'd be able to cut my Comcast bill in half is with a pair of scissors.

[David]

There was a story in Houston about a guy going door to door selling Comcast. Problem was he didn't work for Comcast and was illegally hooking them up. The comments after the report were hilarious!

My favorite: How could they tell he wasn't a Comcast employee? He showed up on time and the cable worked.

[sammyg2]

Kurt, is that dish network?

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Kurt, is that dish network?

Yes. Start to finish on the phone call couldn't have been 5 minutes max.

[87coupe]

As soon as you try to cancel service you are transferred to an "Account Specialist". These are the people who have the ability to set your rate, give you additional packages at discount, etc.

If you really want to save money check out FTA receivers.

[David]

A tip from a friend that just got Direct TV. They postponed his hook up time after he waited all morning, so he rescheduled. Then he asked if he'd get a credit for the time he waited when they didn't show up. They had him call some customer service rep, who told him, if he hadn't already rescheduled they could have given him a $100 credit

[tcar]

Originally Posted by Kurt V

immediately say they will drop the monthly rate to $34.00. Then in the 30 seconds I was thinking about it they say they will drop it to $30.00 per month for the next 12 months with no contract extension. I say ok. In 12 months I'll see if I can get them to add on some more channels for the same price. What a scam!

I did that also. Same thing.

They only did it once.

Next time you call, they say that they can only do it once. sorry.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by tcar

I did that also. Same thing.
They only did it once.
Next time you call, they say that they can only do it once. sorry.

At which point I will just cancel the service.

[Bill Douglas]

These will definetly cut your bill in half.

[UconnTim97]

Originally Posted by masraum

nice. I'd try that with my comcast, but I suspect they'd have my service turned off before I put the phone down, and I don't want to trade to Satellite.

Surprisingly, this actually works with comcast. I have done it twice in the last two years. You don't have to threaten to cancel, just call to reduce your services to the basic package because the premium package cost more than it is worth to you.

[bell]

with time-warner cable.........
call to ask how much you're paying for service, because you've been shopping dish and direct tv and you'll get a minimum of 25% discount for about a year.......dish is the magic word with them.....

[Oh Haha]

This is timely.

We had DISH's package of phone, Internet, and Sat TV. In the 8 months that we had them, I had to call service at least 3 times that I can recall. Once I had to go into my attic and help the tech feed the line through to the upstairs. I was THRILLED to help out after a nice, long day at work.

Our dish would go out in perfectly clear weather. I tried all of the DIY tips they suggested but they still had to send a tech out in usually 3 days. (The techs were very helpful and did explain what they found so I don't blame them.)

Just about a week ago, for absufreakinlutely no reason the dish stops working. I was literally in the middle of changing a channel trying to get my local news. Again, I tried the DIY steps to no avail. I finally got so ticked that I told my wife to cancel everything and get Comcast back. She did.

To my surprise, I got an email from her the next day saying that she had called DISH and told them to pick up their crap and turn off the service. They tried to lower the price and offer apologies but she stood her ground. (I was really just venting to her the night before because I had had a long, stressful day at work.)
Comcast came out in 2 days and had the install done by 9:30am.

Here's the best part:

DISH sent UPS boxes for us to send the gear back. That's nice of them but they told my wife that they need to have a reciever part off of the roof so they can reuse it. She told them that they would be welcome to come get it because SHE was not going up on the roof to get it . The operator suggested that "her husband or significant other " could do it. I'm pretty sure she politely told the gal to go away.

Happy with Comcast so far even though we had to change the phone number we have had since we moved to this house.

[3.2 CAB]

My youngest Son, periodically called Direct TV up, to let them know of the "special" that dish network is offering. It is really amazing, just all of the BS things they will concede to, in order to keep a customer. There are no other options or packages, that can be had from them, now, the service is less than $90.00 a month, plus a LIFETIME $5.00 a month discount, just because I have a land line phone, but... I don't order PPV so I don't even have to have the phone line connected to the receivers. Go figure?????

[targa911S]

I have done it with internet, phone, cable TV, cell phone, everybody I can. They ALL will play "Let's make a deal"

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by targa911S

I have done it with internet, phone, cable TV, cell phone, everybody I can. They ALL will play "Let's make a deal"

Yes, Directv is very generous and I've got more free stuff than I deserve, but it's not killing them to provide free programming perks to get loyal customers. I've got 2 hd dvr's and previous HD receivers for zero dollars. I left cable tv 10 years ago and from what I hear, they haven't got any better around here.


A weird discount is offered by Verizon. It's called their triple freedom plan. Verizon carries my home wired phone and they are my ISP. By letting them bill me for both of those services AND Directv, I save ~ $360 a year. My services are all the same as before, it just comes on one combined bill. No brainer.

[speedracing944]

what's all this talk about dishes and DSL and stuff. I just have an antenna on the roof, get 7 channels, and don't pay anything.

Speedy