DirectTV "new customer"

[woodjer]

I'm a current DirectTV customer but will be moving out of my current house soon. I won't be moving into my new permanent house for about 3-4 weeks. I know about their movers' plan but I really like "The Big Deal" that they are offering new customers. Anybody know how DirectTV defines "new customer"? If I cancel my service now and sign up at the new address in a few weeks, will I be considered new?

I'm going to try giving them a call and see if I can talk them into giving me the new deal since I got addicted to Sunday Ticket last year after doing the same thing. If that doesn't work, would it work to have my wife call and set the service up since it's currently under my name?

[p_rushing]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

Are you currently in a contract? If you don't have a contract, you most likely can. If you have a contract, you will have to pay a termination fee if you cancel, even if you are signing back up. Call them and get to the retention department, usually just say CANCEL to the computer prompts. They should be able to help you. The movers deals are usually good, but you usually don't get any discounts on the package. It is all going to depend on if you are in a contract or not.

[woodjer]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

Are you currently in a contract? If you don't have a contract, you most likely can. If you have a contract, you will have to pay a termination fee if you cancel, even if you are signing back up. Call them and get to the retention department, usually just say CANCEL to the computer prompts. They should be able to help you. The movers deals are usually good, but you usually don't get any discounts on the package. It is all going to depend on if you are in a contract or not.

Sorry, should have mentioned that. I'm not in a contract. When I called to wheel-and-deal with them last year (Comcast came to my house with a great offer), the guy specifically said there was no contract.

The movers deal gives me an upgrade to whole-home DVR and that's about it. The Big Deal gives me whole-home HD-DVR, free HD receivers, 3 months of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz (don't really care about those), and the Sunday Ticket package free. Basically, the deal for new customers includes the Sunday Ticket package but the movers deal doesn't. Maybe once I call, they'll change that but I don't know.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

Sorry, should have mentioned that. I'm not in a contract. When I called to wheel-and-deal with them last year (Comcast came to my house with a great offer), the guy specifically said there was no contract.

The movers deal gives me an upgrade to whole-home DVR and that's about it. The Big Deal gives me whole-home HD-DVR, free HD receivers, 3 months of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz (don't really care about those), and the Sunday Ticket package free. Basically, the deal for new customers includes the Sunday Ticket package but the movers deal doesn't. Maybe once I call, they'll change that but I don't know.

I don't have Direct TV but from my understanding and other stories on here, complain and you will get it.

[woodjer]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

I don't have Direct TV but from my understanding and other stories on here, complain and you will get it.

Yeah, that was my experience last year, too. Just wondering if I could skip the headache of having to haggle by just signing up as a new customer.

[bigbob]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

I worked for DirecTV.

You can't get the "New Customer" deal. No matter how much you complain, the "New Customer" deal is for New Customers. You can cancel your account and sign back up, but you're not considered a "New Customer" so you will be unable to get the "New Customer" deal.

The only route you can go is asking to speak with the "Cancellations" Department, and half the time they'll shoo you away. Front-End Customer Service Reps and Supervisors do not have the ability to give a different deal then the one you signed up for.

[mrclutch]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

Ditto. If you no contract play the cancel card. When I did that they offered all of the free upgrades plus 2 months free.
For what its worth Dish has been cheaper for me despite the Directv deals.

[woodjer]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

The only route you can go is asking to speak with the "Cancellations" Department, and half the time they'll shoo you away. Front-End Customer Service Reps and Supervisors do not have the ability to give a different deal then the one you signed up for.

Interesting. Any cancellation department that will just "shoo [me] away" is going to end up shooing me away from the company altogether. I didn't think that I spoke with the cancellation department a year ago when I called and ended up getting a deal that was very comparable to the new customer deal.

Not saying that you're wrong here just that I had a different experience. Maybe it is/was different since I am not under contract at all. Seems to me that, since the new customer deal is a 2-year contract, they'd want to lock me in now.

[woodjer]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

Ditto. If you no contract play the cancel card. When I did that they offered all of the free upgrades plus 2 months free.
For what its worth Dish has been cheaper for me despite the Directv deals.

Had Dish and wasn't at all impressed with their customer service. Back before HD locals, I asked them 5-6 times when it would be coming and was always just told "soon." When I finally called to have them set me up with an OTA antenna, they told me it wasn't worth my time/money because it would be here that soon. Six months later, I switched to DirectTV because they still didn't have them.

Honestly, Sunday Ticket is the main reason I'd want to stay with DirectTV. If I can't get that, I'll go with Comcast or Uverse so I don't need to worry as much about losing signal due to weather. It hasn't been too bad with DirectTV (3-4 times/year) but definitely worse than Comcast (once/year) was.

[mestevo]

Just cancel and start a new account with your wife's name. You have to be away for like 3 years to become. New customer again. You won't get all of that stuff from retention.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[bigbob]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

Interesting. Any cancellation department that will just "shoo [me] away" is going to end up shooing me away from the company altogether. I didn't think that I spoke with the cancellation department a year ago when I called and ended up getting a deal that was very comparable to the new customer deal.

Not saying that you're wrong here just that I had a different experience. Maybe it is/was different since I am not under contract at all. Seems to me that, since the new customer deal is a 2-year contract, they'd want to lock me in now.

There's times, because there are a bunch of people that work there that don't like to deal with customers, where they'll tell you they're getting "X" person on the line to help you with it and they'll send you to a completely different person.

90% of the Supervisors you get sent to don't give a crap if they keep a customer or not (I've had it where a Supervisor wouldn't help the customer and told them to go get Dish if they wanted).

If you're lucky, you'll get someone who cares enough to tell you everything straight forward.

Like I said, I worked there. Right now, your best option is to go to Cancellations or do what mestevo said and set up a new account in your girlfriends name, as long as she has good credit, you won't have to pay a fee.

[daflyboys]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

I've been through this with them. They scammed me into automatically re-upping my contract when I didn't ask for it. Don't let installers sign you up for a customer status that you aren't asking for. Make sure they give you the proper paperwork, file it away.... and I would even email the company so that you then have an email verification of what you did, want and don't want.

They're shifty.

[Fiddy]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

I worked for DirecTV.

You can't get the "New Customer" deal. No matter how much you complain, the "New Customer" deal is for New Customers. You can cancel your account and sign back up, but you're not considered a "New Customer" so you will be unable to get the "New Customer" deal.

The only route you can go is asking to speak with the "Cancellations" Department, and half the time they'll shoo you away. Front-End Customer Service Reps and Supervisors do not have the ability to give a different deal then the one you signed up for.

been with DTV for like 14 years.

when they offer any package like the NFL one for free for new customers for signing up etc, movie channels etc, i pick up the phone and get our account credited.

i do believe the NFL package costs $330 altogether. last year it cost us $50. we also get credited 8 months out of the year for HBO and Starz.

they messed up the bill for the MLB package for 3 months in a row. we then got the last 3 months payments taken care of for free. (last year)

all people have to do is call and be nice about it. it seems it helps if you have been with them more than say 5 years or so. but any time there us an issue or a promo like the above (which is like every year) we call and get credited.

if you call and are a jag about stuff, they wont do nothing for ya.

[bigbob]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

been with DTV for like 14 years.

when they offer any package like the NFL one for free for new customers for signing up etc, movie channels etc, i pick up the phone and get our account credited.

i do believe the NFL package costs $330 altogether. last year it cost us $50. we also get credited 8 months out of the year for HBO and Starz.

they messed up the bill for the MLB package for 3 months in a row. we then got the last 3 months payments taken care of for free. (last year)

all people have to do is call and be nice about it. it seems it helps if you have been with them more than say 5 years or so. but any time there us an issue or a promo like the above (which is like every year) we call and get credited.

if you call and are a jag about stuff, they wont do nothing for ya.

Everyone has some kind of "credit" on the account, as long as you call in and ask for it. But getting the exact "New Customer" deal that you're calling in about won't happen.

Everyone has a free upgrade every year to two years (DVRs for free, etc). Everyone can call in a get Starz, Showtime, HBO etc "free" for a few months here and there. These are things that can are on the account. Some people have "$20 off their account for 6mos or 12mos" on their account and when you call in and ask about it, they may give it to you, as long as your nice about it.

Again, if people are looking to get the NFL Sunday Ticket for free, unless you call in and threaten to cancel, you are NOT going to get it for free.

Like you said, THEY messed something up with the MLB Package. That's why they gave you 3 months free.

[Dirty Turtles]

Re: DirectTV "new customer"

I've called in and gotten reduced rates for half a year, free DVR service for the life of my contract, 10$ off the sports package for the 4 months that baseball isn't on, and other sweet deals. You never know unless you try I guess.