How DirecTV Paid me to Watch NFL

[j4jets]

This is the situation I was in at the end of July:

 

I had 7 months left on my 2-yr service agreement with Directv. Cost of cancellation was $140 ($20 each month). Monthly bill was about $110+. Programming ($65), 4 receivers at $6 each ($24), HD ($10) and DVR fees ($10) plus about $10+ in taxes.

 

I called the DTV cancellation department and told the rep I was paying too much for my services and that I could get Time Warners tripple play for less than that (which includes internet, cable, and phone). The rep told me he could do a bundle and set me up with Fios and the same tv package for about $160. I told him thats not saving me a dime since my current internet and dtv bill are at $160 anyways. His next offer was enticing. He told me to keep the same internet provider but offered to cut my bill down by $20 a month for 12 months. I told him no, its still not worth it for me and that I'd rather pay the $120 fee to get it cancelled. He then offered me what he called "the most I can do is" offer and additional $15 a month discount for 15 months. That would bring down my bill to about $75 a month. That seemed reasonable for 4 receivers, HD, DVR and their choice package.

 

I agreed to it and he went on to save the changes. Here's the kicker. Discussing further while he was saving those discounts to my account, I told him NFL is the only reason I have DTV and the packages of $300 was pretty outrageous.He told me that since they are offering free Sunday ticket to new customers, he could offer the same to me, for free, as long as I signed up for a 12 month contract from that day forward while voiding the 7 months I had left on my original contract. I jumped on the deal. While listening to their disclosures, he mentioned that the new contract cancellation would be $10 a month for each remaining month ($120 max) instead of $20 a month I was supposed to pay if I cancelled earlier.

 

What did I save? Well if I call in and cancel today, I'd be paying $120 in cancellation instead of the $140 I was supposed to pay. If I continue to keep it, Im now saving $35 a month for 12 months, plus I'd be getting another $300 worth of Sunday NFL Ticket. For those of you keeping tabs, that comes to a grand saving of $720 plus tax. If I had not called, I would have paid $110 for the next 12 months ($1320) plus $300 for NFL ($1620). With my new bill structure, I will be paying $75 a month for 12 months ($900) and thats for FOUR receivers.

 

In essence, DTV paid me $35 a month to watch NFL. I say that because I never intended on cancelling the contract. So if you have less than a yr left on ur contract, make the call and save money. Oh, and the $900 I'd be paying over the year, is split up between 3 friends. Do the math. It comes to $25 a month for each of us!