The yearly Direct TV dance

[John813]

Tried that last year. No bueno. Luckily, the Cowboys were on a lot in South Florida either via primetime games or getting lucky.

Wonder if this year will be the same after they went 13-3.

Probably will cancel for good once the contract runs out. First 2 years I never lost service during (light)storms. Now a bird can fly over the dish and I lose connection lol.

 

[dogunwo]

I was going to start a thread with the EXACT same title.

I haven't called yet either. Last year, I got it free. What I did was I called previously; they wouldn't give me the deal I wanted so I canceled Sunday Ticket. About a week before the season started, I called back and said I really wanted the service, but I just can't afford it. I asked if they had free service, and they did. I just had to keep DirecTV for a year. No problem, free NFL Sunday Ticket.

General tips on how to get reduced or free Sunday Ticket:

1. Call but don't talk to the customer service reps. They have the worst deals. Either ...
a.) ask directly to speak with retention or
b.) When you call, say you're canceling the service. That will take you directly to the retention office. They have the better deals.

2. Monitor this board and pay attention to those who say they called and got the service free, then call immediately (if the poster offers a post immediately after getting the service free). DirecTV offers discount packages. Sometimes, they're offering half off; sometimes, they're offering free Sunday Ticket. You have to catch them when they're offering it. If the discount that particular week is half off, they won't be able to give you the free service. You'll have to wait until they offer it. So anyone reading, if you get the free service, post immediately so we'll know to call during that window.

3. Be honest. I've used the fact that I lost my job, their service is too high and now, I have a son entering college. I just level with them, and usually that works.

4. Don't be afraid to cancel the Sunday Ticket service altogether then call back right before the season. Sometimes, doing this will get you a better deal. Sometimes, you'll get it for free. Remember, the Sunday Ticket renews each year even if you got it free the previous year. The retention department will likely work with you because by threatening to cancel, you're basically taking $300 off their books. So they'll try to make a deal with you just to get SOMETHING from you.

At the very least, no one should pay full price for Sunday Ticket. But you have to be able to negotiate. I can also use as a bargaining chip the fact that I have NFL Mobile on my phone, which will allow me to see any single game every Sunday. Even if they don't want to give me free Sunday Ticket, I can use this to get free channels because they know I have an option and an alternative to either get a better package from DirecTV or leave.

Hope this helps.

Believe it or not, so many people actually pay regular price for it, especially businesses, which subsidizes the rest of our ability to call and negotiate.

 

[Tabascocat]

They used to only allow that if you couldnt have the dish at your house, has that changed?

Im moving to Plano in September. Are all away Cowboys games televised on the local channels (Free-TV)?

I just told them that I move every few months and our cable is already set up through corporate and it isn't sattelite.

Just tell them that it isn't offered in your apartments, even if it is a house.....they won't check your story.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Went thru this last year with Uverse what a PITA.

This is what worked{eventually} called threated to cancel service which puts you over to the retention dept. The lady on the other end wouldn't give me any acceptable deal so I asked to speak to a manager who gave me just about what I wanted and then some.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Would have been a waste of time last year, so many televised games.

I cut the cord about a year ago, no regrets.

I catch what's over the air, go to a bar or stream if I must.

Same. I got 14 of 16 games on HD antenna last year.

 

[tyke1doe]

Believe it or not, so many people actually pay regular price for it, especially businesses, which subsidizes the rest of our ability to call and negotiate.

I agree. They're making a killing from customers who pay full price.

 

[tyke1doe]

Tried that last year. No bueno. Luckily, the Cowboys were on a lot in South Florida either via primetime games or getting lucky.

Wonder if this year will be the same after they went 13-3.

Probably will cancel for good once the contract runs out. First 2 years I never lost service during (light)storms. Now a bird can fly over the dish and I lose connection lol.

I feel your pain, brother.

 

[Tabascocat]

ATT are such crooks. I got half of last week doing the dance and what did I receive this morning? An email saying grats that my annual renewal has been processed for full price. I am 100% certain that I turned that option off last year.

So, have been charged 1.5 times the amount and now I get to waste even more time on the phone

 

[Them]

...Direct TV is ok I guess...but they seem to keep raising the price(probably because of AT&T...I just can't get away from that company, they keep buying out or getting involved with almost everyone...the bastids')
I need to call them and try and get a price reduction somehow. ..Also to tell them I need some new remotes and anything else I can get for free...lol!

 

[Trouty]

Can you PM me this #?

Was on timeout for being adversarial to a nameless other...

Check the message I "@'d" you in the beer thread, my brother. Would've shot you a PM reply but they're down for me for now

 

[DallasDomination]

I called dtv to see if they could do something about Sunday ticket, but they didn't a damn thing. Told me sorry their hands were tied. I don't like making a scene so I just left it at that. I never get free stuff I'm always paying full price for everything it seems.

 

[Kevinicus]

Was on timeout for being adversarial to a nameless other...

Check the message I "@'d" you in the beer thread, my brother. Would've shot you a PM reply but they're down for me for now

Called the number and they said they couldn't do anything for me until my account was either canceled or in the process of being canceled.

So, I called the usual retention department and they made some okay offers. Basically reducing my monthly payment by $20 a month and free Sunday ticket. I still setup a cancellation for 2 weeks from now. If they don't call me by Friday, then I'll give that number another try.

 

[Ranching]

ATT are such crooks. I got half of last week doing the dance and what did I receive this morning? An email saying grats that my annual renewal has been processed for full price. I am 100% certain that I turned that option off last year.

So, have been charged 1.5 times the amount and now I get to waste even more time on the phone

I called AT&T to cancel my home phone that I've had since 1982 when I was 16. They ended up letting me keep it for free, gave me a 10 dollar discount on my wifi and doubled my wifi speed. They also gave me a 20 dollar discount on my direct tv.

 

[pjtoadie]

I just called two days ago. I wasn't under contract so I was going to try and get Sunday Ticket for free without having to agree to a one or two year contract. Well that didn't work but I was still able to get it for free with a one year agreement. Not too bad cause I can cancel the service after the season is over if I want to for only $60-$70.

 

[Trouty]

Called the number and they said they couldn't do anything for me until my account was either canceled or in the process of being canceled.

So, I called the usual retention department and they made some okay offers. Basically reducing my monthly payment by $20 a month and free Sunday ticket. I still setup a cancellation for 2 weeks from now. If they don't call me by Friday, then I'll give that number another try.

Yeah, that's why I said you had to wait, brother.

If you cancel they will call you, but to just hit them up, you need to be approaching the end of your contract.

Good luck, buddy.

 

[basstapp]

I cancel every year and then win back department calls me the next day and gives me sunday ticket and choice package with 3 tvs and HBO for the year for 64 a month. I only have to commit for a year.

The trick is to cancel once your out of contract and set a cancellation a week out

 

[Kevinicus]

Jackpot.

It turns out that the guy I talked to last week didn't do what I asked. When I turned down his offer and requested a cancellation, he instead implemented his offers and didn't setup the cancellation. I discovered this when a few of the channels in my guide had gone gray. One way he was attempting to save me money was taking me down to a lower tier (one that didn't have NFL Network, though for some reason I still got that one after he changed it). When I saw this, I called to see if they had setup the cancellation and was told they had not, so I had them set it up. The next day I got several calls that I missed from them, and today I returned the calls.

The first guy had given me Sunday Ticket and $40 off for 12 months. The new guy put me back up to the proper tier, kept the discounts the other guy made, and then added another $60 in discounts every month for a year. So I am getting Sunday Ticket for free and over $100 a month in discounts. My monthly bill with HBO and Sunday Ticket will now be $41.51 a month for the next year (I did agree to a 12-month contract). After I deactivated one of my boxes that we don't really use, it's down to $34.51 a month.

Thanks, @Trouty.

 

[Trouty]

Jackpot.

It turns out that the guy I talked to last week didn't do what I asked. When I turned down his offer and requested a cancellation, he instead implemented his offers and didn't setup the cancellation. I discovered this when a few of the channels in my guide had gone gray. One way he was attempting to save me money was taking me down to a lower tier (one that didn't have NFL Network, though for some reason I still got that one after he changed it). When I saw this, I called to see if they had setup the cancellation and was told they had not, so I had them set it up. The next day I got several calls that I missed from them, and today I returned the calls.

The first guy had given me Sunday Ticket and $40 off for 12 months. The new guy put me back up to the proper tier, kept the discounts the other guy made, and then added another $60 in discounts every month for a year. So I am getting Sunday Ticket for free and over $100 a month in discounts. My monthly bill with HBO and Sunday Ticket will now be $41.51 a month for the next year (I did agree to a 12-month contract). After I deactivated one of my boxes that we don't really use, it's down to $34.51 a month.

Thanks, @Trouty.

Awesome buddy, and you got it, Chucky!

 

[tyke1doe]

Jackpot.

It turns out that the guy I talked to last week didn't do what I asked. When I turned down his offer and requested a cancellation, he instead implemented his offers and didn't setup the cancellation. I discovered this when a few of the channels in my guide had gone gray. One way he was attempting to save me money was taking me down to a lower tier (one that didn't have NFL Network, though for some reason I still got that one after he changed it). When I saw this, I called to see if they had setup the cancellation and was told they had not, so I had them set it up. The next day I got several calls that I missed from them, and today I returned the calls.

The first guy had given me Sunday Ticket and $40 off for 12 months. The new guy put me back up to the proper tier, kept the discounts the other guy made, and then added another $60 in discounts every month for a year. So I am getting Sunday Ticket for free and over $100 a month in discounts. My monthly bill with HBO and Sunday Ticket will now be $41.51 a month for the next year (I did agree to a 12-month contract). After I deactivated one of my boxes that we don't really use, it's down to $34.51 a month.

Thanks, @Trouty.

I thought I got a good deal then read your thread.

But I guess I need to be thankful for my deal. I got $40 off for a year plus Sunday Ticket Max. Basically, for six months, $30 of that $40 will go to subsidized the reduced Sunday Ticket package (I'll in essence get it for free), then after the season, the entire $40 will apply to my DirecTV service.

So I'll be getting Sunday Ticket for free a second year in a row.

 

[Trouty]

I thought I got a good deal then read your thread.

But I guess I need to be thankful for my deal. I got $40 off for a year plus Sunday Ticket Max. Basically, for six months, $30 of that $40 will go to subsidized the reduced Sunday Ticket package (I'll in essence get it for free), then after the season, the entire $40 will apply to my DirecTV service.

So I'll be getting Sunday Ticket for free a second year in a row.

If you want the kind of deal Chucky got, let me know when you're about a week or so out. You should be able to get the $200 Visa card, too, Tyke