DirecTV has lost a customer.

Money has been tight for the past few months, and we called DirecTV a few months ago to have them stop the “auto-bill pay” that we had set up with them (to get a $10 off per month discount), but they kept taking it out. Well, right now we simply can’t afford the TV service, so I called to tell them that we were going to have to cancel the service unless they drastically reduced the price. Before I called, I did some research.

Right now DirecTV is offering new customers the following deal on the same channel package we have:
• $40 a month for the first 12 months, then $75 for 12 months.
• $100 Visa gift card
• All the movie channels for free for 3 months
• 2014 NFL Sunday Ticket
• Upgrade to their Genie DVR box
• $10 off your bill for the entire 24 months.

We have been DirecTV customers for several years. I figured that should count for something. I called, armed with the information above. I asked to speak to the retention department because I wanted to cancel my service (this is the best way to get the best deal from any company). I got a very nice guy to whom I explained that I was considering canceling my DirecTV service and moving to Comcast, because they have a deal where I can get the same channels that I’m getting right now, and it would only increase my bill by $50 since I’m already paying for my internet through them. This means that if I switched to Comcast from what I have right now, I’d be saving about $40 per month. I like my DirecTV service, and I really wanted to stay.

Short answer: no dice.

Long answer: the promotional deals are for new customers only. Who is a “new customer”? Someone who has either never had DirecTV or hasn’t had it for 24 months. What did he offer me as a loyal longtime customer of about 7 years?
• No reduction in price
• No Visa gift card
• No free movie channels
• The possibility of “having a conversation this fall about getting the 2014 NFL Sunday Ticket free” (but no guarantee)
• Upgrade to their Genie DVR box, which I qualify for anyway

So we can either continue what we have now: $38 to Comcast and $100 to DirecTV ($138 total), or we can switch to Comcast and get higher internet speed and the same channels as DirecTV for $98 per month total. Seems to me that saving $40 per month might be worth switching.

No matter what I said, the DirecTV guy wouldn’t budge on anything. The only thing he offered was giving me a package with fewer channels to lower my bill by $10 per month. So I told him I’m calling Comcast to set up our new service, and when it’s set up, I’ll call back to cancel. I can’t believe they would just give up $1800 over the next two years just because they don’t want to give me a discount that would total $420 over the next year. So instead of getting my $1380 (the difference between the two), they’re getting exactly nothing.

Comcast is going to set up our new service next Friday. I’m going to call DirecTV next Thursday evening and give them one last chance. Kim is hoping they budge, because she hates change, and she’s used to DirecTV.  We’ll see what happens.