Jammer
Well-known member
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- Dec 20, 2009
- Posts
- 1,491
Most of the money goes to the networks. DirectTV, Dish, etc., keep relatively little. Direct your anger accordingly.
Direct TV is raising rates, again...
- Thread starter taoshum
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
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taoshum
Well-known member
Jammer said:
If you are writing to me, I'm not angry... but I am going to lobby the FCC to require that they offer a la carte pricing so I don't have to pay for 400 channels that I don't want and don't watch. Not that the the FCC will listen to a consumer, but maybe, just maybe, they will listen to the senators from NM... I know it's a long, long shot.
OTOH, maybe if they would just stop sending me advertisements offering much better deals to "new subscribers" than I'll ever see... every week... after a while it bothers me but if I were angry I'd cancel the subscription and do without. I bet they spend $1000 for every new subscriber and $0 to keep the existing customers and the timing is just perfect... right in the middle of a depression. Oh well.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
I do know a court case is pending against DTV in the state of Washigton, Misleading advertising and excessive rates.
If it comes to Michigan, I"ll join it (I agree with the plantiffs)
DId you click on a link to go to the DTV page or did you go to your bookmarks or hand type.
One of the clues as to someone playing Go Phish is when the letter shows a linke to "Go to the DTV home page"
andwhen I hover over it with my mouse the link-revealier shows
'
http://phis.mart.com/phisher/&P=www.dtv.com or some such
(NOTE: this URL, I hope, is completly invalvid as I made it up as I typed, save for the part after the &P=
If it comes to Michigan, I"ll join it (I agree with the plantiffs)
DId you click on a link to go to the DTV page or did you go to your bookmarks or hand type.
One of the clues as to someone playing Go Phish is when the letter shows a linke to "Go to the DTV home page"
andwhen I hover over it with my mouse the link-revealier shows
'
http://phis.mart.com/phisher/&P=www.dtv.com or some such
(NOTE: this URL, I hope, is completly invalvid as I made it up as I typed, save for the part after the &P=
OP
OP
taoshum
Well-known member
Hi John,
I fairly sure I went to the DTV "official" website. I typed it in and then logged into my account. I rarely click on a link in an email unless I believe I know what it is. I know that the pfishers are out there and are using really official looking emails, especially for PPay and other sites with lots of email traffic. thx, G
I fairly sure I went to the DTV "official" website. I typed it in and then logged into my account. I rarely click on a link in an email unless I believe I know what it is. I know that the pfishers are out there and are using really official looking emails, especially for PPay and other sites with lots of email traffic. thx, G
ZuniJayne
Well-known member
TaosHum,
I changed last year to DISH for exactly the same reason. I only watch about 15 channels out of the basic (not "family") package and they raised the rates $5 per month. They were not willing to bargain with me except for a $10 per month credit for a year which REALLY screwed up my billing and I was on the phone at least once a month trying to explain the deal to someone whose first language is NOT English.
I made the switch to DISH and got a mostly free DVR out of it, and the same programming for roughly $10 less that Direct after the initial six months' intro.
I changed last year to DISH for exactly the same reason. I only watch about 15 channels out of the basic (not "family") package and they raised the rates $5 per month. They were not willing to bargain with me except for a $10 per month credit for a year which REALLY screwed up my billing and I was on the phone at least once a month trying to explain the deal to someone whose first language is NOT English.
I made the switch to DISH and got a mostly free DVR out of it, and the same programming for roughly $10 less that Direct after the initial six months' intro.
RVRoadTrip
Well-known member
Step 1: Find a friend who has DirecTV.
Step 2: Get an extra receiver on their account.
Step 3: Find a free abandoned dish or buy your own.
Step 4: Watch DirecTV and pay only $6 per month to your friend.
Conclusion: You only get to watch the channels your friend subscribes to.
Step 2: Get an extra receiver on their account.
Step 3: Find a free abandoned dish or buy your own.
Step 4: Watch DirecTV and pay only $6 per month to your friend.
Conclusion: You only get to watch the channels your friend subscribes to.
Tom
Administrator
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- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 51,904
One caveat for the friend ....
DTV receivers are no longer purchased (haven't been for a few years), and don't belong to the "purchaser". When you sell the RV and the new owners try to activate the receiver on their account, they're told they can't. Meanwhile, DTV asks the friend to send the receiver back or pay a hefty bill.
Don't ask how I know this, but being cooperative with the friend and having a cooperative new owner, neither of which are overly possessive of the receiver, can save the friend a lot of grief
DTV receivers are no longer purchased (haven't been for a few years), and don't belong to the "purchaser". When you sell the RV and the new owners try to activate the receiver on their account, they're told they can't. Meanwhile, DTV asks the friend to send the receiver back or pay a hefty bill.
Don't ask how I know this, but being cooperative with the friend and having a cooperative new owner, neither of which are overly possessive of the receiver, can save the friend a lot of grief
strangebird
New member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2010
- Posts
- 2
Raised rates, more infomercials buy this ,buy that, channels than ever and still 400 channels of nothing on they got us all suckered in
Sirius has been adding royalty fees lately I called them and I threatened to cancel all four of Sirius radios. Without skipping a beat they offered 50% off all the radios subscriptions for one year
Sirius has been adding royalty fees lately I called them and I threatened to cancel all four of Sirius radios. Without skipping a beat they offered 50% off all the radios subscriptions for one year
Jim Dick
Moderator Emeritus
Just received our notice of increase today. They don't even mention the package we have but it appears the rates will increase about $9/month.
SCR
Well-known member
Jim Dick said:
DTV changed some of their packages so they may have dropped yours or are calling it something else.
I've come to accept the annual DTV price increase as I have the coming of daylight each day. They increase the price I lower my services accordingly. This time HBO goes, I didn't change anything at last years increase.
Jim Dick
Moderator Emeritus
SCR,
I've already dropped HBO/Cinemax. Not much left except feeds from both east and west. I like that feature so will probably keep it.
I've already dropped HBO/Cinemax. Not much left except feeds from both east and west. I like that feature so will probably keep it.
SCR
Well-known member
Jim Dick said:
Jim,
That's where I'll be after I drop HBO. I carry the east coast feeds only. West coast went with the 2008 increase. I may still be able to drop one package level but that will kill the Science channel and a couple of others we enjoy so I'll look at that next year but I doubt that will make up the 2011 increase.
At some point I will also run out of packages to drop to keep the price of TV within our budget.
Back when I first started with satellite TV Dish was hungry and offered 15 channels, you picked the ones you wanted, for $16 a month, plus the 4 east coast feeds for $2.00. Ahh the good old days (circa 1999).
Stan
SargeW
Site Team
I got notified a few weeks ago too. Not happy about it, but I too want satellite reception anywhere in the country. And I don't like the Dish alternative. I see some folks with 2 dishes outside their rigs to get all their channels as Dish may split them between 2 different satellites.
I think Jammer is on to something though. I don't think Direct is awash in cash. I know that if I got strapped like lots of folks in this country right now, the first thing I would ditch would be the "extras" and that would start with TV satellite service.
As a side note, I recall reading on line somewhere about a year ago that Dish was having some cash flow problems and near the edge of becoming insolvent. Direct quietly stepped in and bought up some Dish stock to keep them around. Two Satellite companies prevent anti-trust law suits for having a monopoly. It sure doesn't make them saints, just business men. And it's all about the dollar........
Just my .02, Sarge
I think Jammer is on to something though. I don't think Direct is awash in cash. I know that if I got strapped like lots of folks in this country right now, the first thing I would ditch would be the "extras" and that would start with TV satellite service.
As a side note, I recall reading on line somewhere about a year ago that Dish was having some cash flow problems and near the edge of becoming insolvent. Direct quietly stepped in and bought up some Dish stock to keep them around. Two Satellite companies prevent anti-trust law suits for having a monopoly. It sure doesn't make them saints, just business men. And it's all about the dollar........
Just my .02, Sarge
Jim Dick
Moderator Emeritus
Stan,
Things certainly have changed in the last few years. I only hope I can keep the satellite service but they can't keep raising prices so high that one can't afford it.
Things certainly have changed in the last few years. I only hope I can keep the satellite service but they can't keep raising prices so high that one can't afford it.
blueblood
Well-known member
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- Mar 16, 2005
- Posts
- 1,082
SargeW said:
Your view of a monopoly is too narrow. As both companies state in their Risk Assessment for investors in their SEC filings they not only compete with one another but face competition in many forms including cable, telephone companies, Internet streaming, pending potential foreign entries, etc. Both companies are to report 2009 results within next three weeks but past filings do not show any investments by DirecTv in Dish.
Biker56
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2009
- Posts
- 133
The notice I got last month said rate was going up Feb.1
My bill on Feb. 3rd was same as Jan. 3
Guess I will need to wait on the March 3rd bill for a change.
From DTV web site
New rates for some DIRECTV packages will go into effect in February 2010. Most TV packages will see a $3 to $5 adjustment and some optional services will also have new prices. For more information on the new prices, see the "New Rates for DIRECTV Service" information included with your January or February bill. If you do not receive a paper bill, you should receive an email with the new pricing information in January or February.
It's never an easy decision to raise prices. Unfortunately, the increasing costs we pay to carry the channels you see sometimes force us to adjust our prices. For several years programming costs have steadily outpaced the average increase our customers have seen on their bills.
Even with new pricing the cost of DIRECTV service continues to be a better value than our competitors. While our prices have changed we have continued to invest in new programming and innovative services in order to provide you the best possible entertainment experience.
My bill on Feb. 3rd was same as Jan. 3
Guess I will need to wait on the March 3rd bill for a change.
From DTV web site
New rates for some DIRECTV packages will go into effect in February 2010. Most TV packages will see a $3 to $5 adjustment and some optional services will also have new prices. For more information on the new prices, see the "New Rates for DIRECTV Service" information included with your January or February bill. If you do not receive a paper bill, you should receive an email with the new pricing information in January or February.
It's never an easy decision to raise prices. Unfortunately, the increasing costs we pay to carry the channels you see sometimes force us to adjust our prices. For several years programming costs have steadily outpaced the average increase our customers have seen on their bills.
Even with new pricing the cost of DIRECTV service continues to be a better value than our competitors. While our prices have changed we have continued to invest in new programming and innovative services in order to provide you the best possible entertainment experience.
OP
OP
taoshum
Well-known member
If a satellite TV company would come along and offer al a carte pricing, they would run these DTV and Dish TV folks out of business in less than a year and we could stop paying for stuff we never, ever watch. How many PPV, NHL, NBA, NFL channels do we need over and above the basic rate? If you want a channel, fine, pay for it but if you don't why does everyone have to pay for it? I don't get it. Maybe this would provide enough customers that they could make a profit since it certainly doesn't cost much to add a customer after they have their satellites deployed. Computers are really good at keeping track of who subscribes to what.
Oh well, with a 15% approval rating, I guess my senators are not going to listen to me as often as they listen to DTV lobbyists. Sorry for the rant but it is getting tiresome.
thanks, G.
Oh well, with a 15% approval rating, I guess my senators are not going to listen to me as often as they listen to DTV lobbyists. Sorry for the rant but it is getting tiresome.
thanks, G.
It's not necessarily the choice of DTV or Dish to bundle those channels. It's often a requirement of the programming providers (the networks) that they offer all the provider's channels and not just individually. If an ala carte service were practical and profitable to offer, it would be. Business is not as simple as we like to think it is. When you put together some business plans, you find out just how complicated it can get and much is not under your control.
I'm not defending the satellite or cable companies, they certainly have lots of room from improvement, but it's not all under their control either.
I'm not defending the satellite or cable companies, they certainly have lots of room from improvement, but it's not all under their control either.
Jim Dick
Moderator Emeritus
G,
I believe the channels you mentioned are all extra cost. They are not included in the basic packages. Hence, we are not necessarily paying for them. What I don't like is they are starting to move some channels to their digital network making it more costly for those that want to receive them. They claim if frees up bandwidth needed for more channels. I'm sure it does but it doesn't help many of their customers.
I believe the channels you mentioned are all extra cost. They are not included in the basic packages. Hence, we are not necessarily paying for them. What I don't like is they are starting to move some channels to their digital network making it more costly for those that want to receive them. They claim if frees up bandwidth needed for more channels. I'm sure it does but it doesn't help many of their customers.
