Bad news for fellow DirecTV customers

Which still gets your service shut off. Call in and get a credit, but don't expect DirecTV to hand them out without a call.

 

Hadn't heard of that one...

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/07/the-end-of-tv-and-the-death-of-the-cable-bundle/259753/

A good read and it reminds me of the argument against ESPN's high fees. Sure, folks like you and me think $5 a month for ESPN isn't excessive considering it might be the sole reason many people have cable/satellite. But everyone pays that, even those who never watch the channel.
Imagine if you realized you were paying $60 a year for Lifetime Movie Network? Throw in the increasing access of the internet and if bundling is done away with, imagine how much ESPN would have to charge per month for subscribers willing to pay it.

 

No it doesn't. Nobody shuts off service because someone was $10 short on a $105 bill. An account that is completely delinquent for 90 days, yes.

If my internet goes out for a day or two, I send $5 less with a letter explaining why. Never a problem.

 

Viacom is yanking stuff offline to force DirecTV to settle.

http://boingboing.net/2012/07/12/viacom-punishes-internet-to-ge.html

 

So, you offer up bad advice and when we point out the flaw in it, you come back with this smug crap. Thanks a lot.

Calling is ALWAYS better. No concern about service being shut off and DirecTV will usually do something if you call with a problem.

I called today. Got six months of Showtime free, $15 off my bill for the next three months and $10 for the next year. Also, as of today, DirecTV is giving Sprout and HUB for free for the duration of the dispute. I could have gotten the full $20 per month off my bill, but that comes with a 12-month commitment and we're considering dropping DirecTV after this NFL season (The only reason we went with DirecTV was so I could have NFL Ticket).

 

BOY THAT WILL SHOW 'EM.

 

Bet it will, to some extent.

Why would you think this won't increase the pressure on DirecTV?

 

I'm sure Hulu Plus customers are thrilled. At least Netflix offers Viacom content through its streaming service.

 

Which is exactly where it should be. Every single customer they have should be calling and complaining. As I said before, Viacom's demands are their problem. DirecTV still isn't delivering what its customers paid for and they have to answer for that.

 

It's not like there aren't other illicit means of watching the Daily Show or Tosh.0 or whatever. Most of the younger demographic can figure it out.

I almost guarantee that if you call to complain to DirecTV about not getting what you're paying for they'll hack off a portion of your bill or hand out free premium channels for a few months. But you have to call.

 

You can guarantee it. Hell, I barely had the complaint out when they offered six months of Showtime. They know they aren't delivering the content we are paying for and they seem to know better than to think they can get away with it.