How to Lower Your DirecTV Bill in 2019
Check out our updated post “How to Lower Your DirecTV Bill.”
Want to lower your DirecTV bill? Of
I’ve been paying in the range of $45 – $55 per month for my DirecTV service the past three years since I began following the annual renewal tips I’ll provide in this post.
That’s a far cry from the over $100 per month I was paying.
The tips in this post are not guaranteed to work, but if followed, provide a very good chance to lower your monthly DirecTV bill from its likely $100+ per month amount to a much more reasonable level.
Just keep in mind, there are a number of factors…the majority of which are unknown outside of the inner sanctum of DirecTV’s decision makers…that go into deciding who does/does not get offered a deal, and exactly what deal is offered.
Now, let’s take a look at what kind of deals are being offered in 2019, and what actions will better your chances for lowering your monthly DirecTV bill, too.
2019 DirecTV Deals
First, this is going to be a quick-hit, just the facts type guide to getting a better DirecTV deal.
If you want to see what kind of deal I got last year, read my piece “Here’s How My 2018 Lower-My-Bill Call to DirecTV Went.”
If you want a more up-to-date retention deal, read “My 2019 DirecTV Retention Call Was a Mixed Bag, But in the End I saved – and Made – Money,” where I actually follow the money-saving path I provide below.
And if you want even more details, with historical stats on my DirecTV retention calls, delving even further into what you should and shouldn’t do to get the best deal, read “Lower Your DirecTV Bill with These Tips.”
If you’d rather just get the basic facts, here you go.
In early 2019, we’re seeing DirecTV continue to offer retention deals that save subscribers anywhere from $50 – $90 per month.
Again, specific deals will be dependent on the individual subscriber.
Bottom line, calling does still result in saving.
Here’s what you do:
Call 1-800-531-5000 and once connected to a customer service rep politely state you’d like to set up a disconnect date for your DirecTV service.
You’ll likely be asked why and your answer should be your bill is too high and you’re considering lower priced options (streaming, Dish, over-the-air, etc.). Disconnect dates can only be scheduled 2 weeks out, so time your call 2 weeks before your current contract runs out. You may, or may not, be offered a retention deal on this call. $5-$15 off per month seems standard. If that’s good for you, take it, although you can probably do much better.
While end-of-contract is the best time for the disconnect tactic, it is sometimes successful even while in-contract. Just remember the early termination fee of $20 per month for the remaining months if you don’t get a deal and do end up canceling your service.
And, if you cancel mid-billing cycle, DirecTV no longer gives credit…you’ll be charged for the whole month.
Once disconnect date is set, watch your email and answer any unknown phone numbers to the contact number on your DirecTV account.
It was 2 days after I set up my disconnect date that I began receiving calls from DirecTV. It was during this call that I was offered my 2018 deal.
There are similar reports that this is still the practice in early 2019.
During this call, you should be offered your best deal. If what is offered doesn’t sound good to you, ask if they can do any better. If the answer is no, it’s a gamble that you’ll get a better offer by actually disconnecting service…think carefully about taking what’s offered during this call.
You can also ask for free movie channels and Sunday Ticket during this call.
Disconnect date arrives with no call.
If your disconnect date arrives and you haven’t received a retention call/email, call one of the numbers below and state your service is set to disconnect but you wanted to see if there were any offers on your account to lower your bill and keep you as a customer.
It seems some customer accounts are now billed under AT&T while others remain under DirecTV. Here are two numbers to try depending on your situation.
- AT&T 800-288-2020
- DirecTV 866-989-4040 or 855-291-0398
*These Loyalty Department numbers tend to change. Let us know in the comments if they’re no longer valid.
Still no luck? It’s time to disconnect…briefly.
Let the disconnect go through, wait 24 hours and call again.
Disconnections typically occur around midnight the date of your disconnect.
You can save your DVR shows/settings by unhooking the cable to your DVR box prior to midnight.
Hook it back up, or check another TV/box the next morning to confirm you’re disconnected.
*Update: As of late August 2019, there are reports the DVR disconnection trick no longer works for retaining/viewing DVR’d shows after a service disconnection. Keeping the DVR disconnected from both the coax cable and Wi-Fi/Internet may work. It appears a recent software update requires the DVR to check account status upon startup…if account is disconnected, DVR access is not available.*
Wait until that evening, or preferably the next day, to call the retention telephone number(s) again. State your service is disconnected but you wanted to see if any offers were available to keep you as a customer.
No offers at all.
If you’re still not getting an offer once your service is disconnected, you have a decision to make.
- Reconnect your service at the rate you were going to pay and try for bill lowering offers in a month or two.
- Let the cancelation stand and set up new service using another household member’s Social Security Number/email/credit card to get a new member sign-up deal. (See “Is This a Bad Omen for DirecTV Deals Going Forward” for new sign-up price changes.)
- Wait for the boxes to arrive for sending the equipment back and see if there is a retention offer included (very unlikely).
Wrap Up
Getting a retention deal for DirecTV can sometimes be hit or miss. Especially since AT&T has taken them over completely.
Your best bet, however, to get a bill lowering deal is to set up a disconnect date for your service.
More times than not, if a disconnect date is set, some sort of retention offer will be given at some point in the process. It just might take a little effort, and patience, to get there.
Whether you’re up for that process depends on how much you value DirecTV’s service.
Just keep in mind, DirecTV is still giving discounts in early 2019.
Let us know in the comments section how the process went for you, and what kind of deal you ultimately received.
And be sure to pass this post along to others who may benefit from the info provided via the social media links above, below and to the left of the text, or by emailing the post’s link. Thanks for helping to spread the money-saving word!
Just called and the best they could do was $55 off a month for 12 months.. This was not a “contract” and I still can cancel anytime. The phone number in the story works and I was connected right to a live person (no wait time) and very pleasant to talk with and within 5 min was done with the phone call.
David,
Thanks so much for your comment. A $55 per month savings is not too bad. True, deals have been better in the past, but your savings is better than what I was able to get this year. And, unlike my deal, the no contract aspect is really nice.
Glad to hear some are still getting decent deals, and that the phone number(s) listed are still valid.
Thanks again for taking the time to pass along your retention call experience. I’ll post it in the Discussion Board topic as a reference for others.
Love it
Any current info out there regarding Directv retention offers? Also, are the loyalty department phone numbers for Directv listed in the article above still valid? I’ll be calling tomorrow but was wondering if covid is affecting what retention offers they’re willing to give.
Hi Elizabeth,
It’s been somewhat quiet with regard to retention reports these past months. Although, I have seen a few in the $40-$60 off per month range since May. Then a few getting no offers. Not sure if those “no offers” followed the full retention plan above or not, though.
I’d still try the retention numbers in the post to see what happens. No reports they aren’t working. If that’s not the case, the recent positive reports had luck with 1-866-595-1331.
Good luck with your call. If you have a chance, let us know how it goes.
So I started out yesterday by calling 619-752-1409 due to our Directv promo ending. After 30 minutes of being on hold waiting to get a human on the phone, I hung up and tried 1-866-595-1331 and spoke with the sweetest lady. She was able to offer us a new promo on our Directv and internet that in total, will bring our bill to about $41 more than it was. This offer is only good for the next 6 months at which point we’ll be calling again. She was not able to lower the bill any more than that and could not throw in NFL Sunday Ticket Max but did up our internet from internet 300 to 1000 at no extra cost. Unfortunately, we’re under contract for 12 more months so we can’t discontinue service without paying termination fees to the tune of $20/month for each month left in the contract. I’ll likely try calling again soon to see if they can go any lower and if not, will set up a cancellation date just to give it a try. Regardless, we’ll end up keeping service with Directv until our contract is up and will likely then switch to Cspire Fiber internet and Hulu Live.
Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for your follow-up comment!
Glad to hear you were able to save at least some on your DirecTV bill with the call.
And thanks for the detailed overview of your call. Reports like this are invaluable for readers who are getting ready for their own DirecTV calls.
I’ll definitely be posting it to our DirecTV Retention Call discussion board topic for others to benefit.
Thanks again for letting us know how your lower-my-bill call went.
Thanks for this great info. I just called and told Direct Tv i was cancelling. I had a very nice lady that said “ooohhhh noooo” . She asked why i was
cancelling and I told her my bill was just too high. She asked if she could see if there were any available offers and of course I said yes. She quickly
came back on the line to let me know she could drop my bill to $56.99 (I currently pay $117.02) She said its Covid 19 relief program. It will only be for
3 months but I’ll take it. I will just call back in 3 months and start the dance all over again.
Jen,
Congrats! Interesting data point about the Covid 19 relief program – at least according to this customer service rep. Might be something readers want to check on for their own accounts, even if they already have a discount in place.
It’s disappointing that it’s only for 3 months, but that’s better than nothing.
I’ll add your comment to the Discussion Board retention call topic for other readers’ benefit.
Thanks for reading and your comment, and glad your DirecTV call was fruitful.
I opened my bill today to discover I have been paying $30.00 more for 3 months
When I called direct TV
I was hung up on 3 times
I called 5 times and treated very rudely
I terminated my service
I am a senior citizen and I feel I was taken advantage of
Payment comes from my bank account direct
I looked over my statement and I have been charged 04/01/2020
And again 04/20/2020
Hi Thelma,
Thanks for reading and passing along your billing issue with DirecTV.
Since you state you terminated your service, I’m not sure how helpful my suggestions will be for addressing your concerns, but I’ll pass them along anyway.
First, another call to DirecTV during which you calmly request to speak to a supervisor about an issue with your billing would be the best way to start toward getting your overpayment issue taken care of. Sometimes front-line reps can help, but if it seems they don’t want to, a request to speak to a supervisor is the route to go. Then lay out the issue to the supervisor and provide the result you would like to see…probably a refund of the additional charges in your case.
If a supervisor doesn’t provide the desired results, then you may want to follow the steps I outline in my article “What to Do When DirecTV or Any Major Company Isn’t Addressing Your Concern.” Typically, one of these steps will result in a resolution to a customer’s issue.
Good luck. Hopefully, one of these suggestions will result in your billing issue being addressed.
DTV will rip you off any way they can. File a complaint online with consumer protection agencies. That gets their attention very quickly!
So furious that DirecTV requires this kind of game playing to get a reasonable rate. I repeatedly get a nice $60-75/mo rate for 12-18 months, and then miss the doubling of my fees for 4-6 months before calling in again. I guess I’m the kind of sucker they count on.
This will be my last attempt to get a reasonable and stable rate. I will set a calendar reminder and cancel if it isnt maintained.
Mary,
Thanks for reading and commenting.
I, like you, and many readers I’m sure, hate that we have to make an annual call – or more than one – to DirecTV to keep our monthly bills at a reasonable level.
With the advancement of streaming TV, and the many streaming options that continue to become available, at least there are alternatives to keep entertainment costs in that $50-$70 per month range. Of course, it’s not exactly like the service cable/satellite provides. But, for many, it’s a good enough substitute.
I mention streaming just to say I do wonder how much longer DirecTV will be around? Unlike cable which has a broadband/Internet component to keep it viable, DirecTV is just television. If it continues to lose subscribers, we who are still subscribing may not have to worry about making these calls anymore.
Thanks again for reading. Hopefully, DirecTV will have some good offers available to get your bill to that reasonable level.
I called the number above this morning as my current promotion ended yesterday and my bill jumped by $35. The person I talked to said there were no promotions available. I asked to speak to a supervisor and they were all currently busy but would call me back. I have yet to receive a call. I’m going to keep pursuing it and see if I threaten to disconnect if that does anything.
Thanks for your comment, rmellenhead.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t count on receiving a call back. Maybe, but doubtful.
I would follow the steps listed above, though, and not just threaten to disconnect, but set up a disconnect date for a week out…or something like that. Sometimes getting a decent discount is a bluffing game…not only from the subscriber’s point, but from DirecTV’s, too. Unless you actually move forward with the disconnect process, they might not bother offering a decent deal.
Of course, there are a variety of factors that play into when a deal is offered and how much. As I’ve written, you might actually have to go through with a disconnect to get a deal. Or, DirecTV may call the day after you schedule your disconnect with a deal to keep your business.
I’d encourage you to follow the steps outlined above as far as you’re comfortable, keeping in mind a 24-hour disconnect might be required to get a deal. Not everyone is comfortable going that far, though.
If you do decide to set a disconnect date, let us know how it turns out for you. Good luck.
Well, I just called. My current billing cycle ends on the 10th of April, as do my current discounts. On the 11th, my bill will jump to just over $200 a month, from around $80 currently. So I called DirecTV to see what could be done before the next billing cycle. The rep was really nice (retention department). Oddly enough, there was some sort of automatic $60 credit for six months added to my account on 3/28 already that was just made aware of today. Yet, with that, the bill only drops to $140 something for the next six months. Still not good enough. The rep said he had no other offers to give me and that his supervisor would have the same authorities as him. So I scheduled the termination date for April 10th.
I plan to go to YouTubeTV and Philo for a total of $70 as a Plan B. My internet speed is great and $70 compared to $140 is an easy choice. I already have Disney+, Netflix, DAZN, and ESPN, so adding those other two services would not be the craziest thing as we’re very used to streaming already. The only reason to keep DirecTV is if they match the $70 price range (without changing my current package and channels) and for the convenience of having everything under one umbrella. So the termination date is set for the 10th of April. We’ll see if I get another call from DirecTV before then. Fingers slightly crossed, but I won’t be holding my breath. 🙂
Ernie,
Thanks for reading and for letting us know how your initial call to DirecTV went.
Interesting data point that your account had a $60 credit automatically added. If any other readers experience this, please let us know.
Even with that $60 credit, you’re right, $140 per month is still too high.
The coming months are going to be interesting when it comes to how DirecTV handles retention calls. The economy’s going to be challenging to say the least, and many customers won’t be just trying to get a better deal, but will be forced to get rid of DirecTV if the price isn’t on the very low side. Will DTV just let them go, or keep some revenue coming in to offset its own economic challenges? Will we see a return to the $30-$50 per month deals for the next year? I don’t know, I guess we’ll see.
If you get a chance, let us know what kind of offer you ultimately receive…either before your disconnect, or after via follow up call if you decide to go that far.
Thanks again for your comment. Good luck.
Most definitely. I’ll keep you folks in the loop. I mentioned the current climate to the DTV rep and how DTV should be appreciative of this as well. I went this far a year ago, and got a call a few days after setting up the termination date at that time. Maybe it will happen like that again. It’s good to know I at least have a plan b should things not work out.
Either way, I will keep this up to date. Very interesting times, on many fronts, including such a service as DTV. I see streaming services making a huge boom in the upcoming months as quarantines unfortunately become more and more common. I sense a big ‘ka-ching’ for the streaming services. Will DTV respond accordingly? We’ll see sooner than later for sure.
Okay, so here’s the update for April 6, 2020. I called the retention number noted in the article (619-752-1401). I spoke with a nice woman and explained my cutoff was set for Good Friday (April 10). I asked if there were any discounts that could be applied to keep me as a customer that would be comparable to me going to streaming services for $70 a month (YoutubeTv and Philo). She said she could add an additional discount on top of my current $60 discount for six months against my current XTRA package. It was about $70 on top of that. I asked if she could add anything else to lower it further, and she was able to make the discount a $75 with the current $60 (both start next month). The $60 is for six month, the $75 is for 12 months with no contract. Doing some math, my bill will be $72.95 plus tax for six months. Once I get to the six month period, I need to make another call to get the additional discount for the remaining six months. So, from a potential $205 bill to approximately $75 is not too shabby and very comparable to my plan b streaming cost of $70.
Ernie,
Thanks for the update. And congrats on getting your DirecTV bill lowered to a price-point that’s good for you.
I followed a similar path with my last retention calls. I was prepared to move to YouTube TV if DirecTV couldn’t hit a monthly price that I felt was within reason. They did and I’m sticking with them for another year.
It’s unfortunate you have to make the retention call again in only 6 months, but with a little effort, you should be able to keep your bill close to what you’re paying now. Who knows, maybe even lower!
Thanks again for your initial comments and especially for this follow-up. It’s information like this that helps fellow readers prepare for their own DirecTV retention calls.
I keep getting the runaround from the loyalty department saying that it takes ‘several weeks’ for a new promotion to appear on my account since one just ended. Just wondering if anyone else has heard this when they call?
I would say that’s not completely accurate. Although, it could be true from the standpoint that offers/promotions appear on accounts at varying times and for varying reasons.
I’ve never heard that it’s an “official DirecTV policy” that promos don’t appear for several weeks after a previous promotion has ended. My guess is it’s an excuse the customer service rep used to reinforce that your account doesn’t currently have any offers/deals/promotions attached to it.
As I mentioned before, the best way to generate offers/promos for an account is to set a disconnect date for up to 2 weeks from the date the call is made. Keep in mind, just because you set a disconnect date doesn’t mean you have to go through with it.
Or, you could wait and call back in a few weeks to see if any promos have been added to your account. No guarantees, but it’s possible. For whatever reason, offers are added to accounts all the time, which is why it’s sometimes good just to call every few months to see if any deals are available on an account. I’ve found that’s usually too much effort, though, especially if I’ve gotten a year-long deal I’m happy with.
Readers – do you have a different take? Let us know if you do.
Update–I have a disconnect date set so I’ll let you know what happens.
alright so here’s my direct tv story over the last few years. Back in 2018 i seen people posting on fb to call direct tv loyalty program and ask for their promotional offer to lower the bill. I saw in comments it was working for everyone some peoples discounts were larger than others. I guess depending on what package you may have had. anyway i called the loyalty program and they gave me the promotion at $75 off locked in for 12 months. One year later the promotion runs out and my bill goes to around $123 i call asking for it again and no luck. I ask to be disconnected and they did that exact day. I then called back the next day and gave a white lie that my service was disconnected without me asking for a disconnect. They also offered to reconnect free of charge and lock me in with the same promotion for another 12 years. Well here we are today in march 2020 and my promotion has ran out and bill back over $100 i called asking wanting to set up a disconnect date and the brought me to the retention program which she asked if I would like the $75 promotion for another 12 months. I gladly took it and looks like i will have to fight this battle once a year. Worth it at the end with a $43 bill for 12 months.
Beau,
Thanks so much for your comment. And thanks for your detailed, historical view of your DirecTV retention efforts. That’s an interesting data point that you were able to get the same, really nice discount three years in a row. Congrats on that!
But, most importantly for readers is that you were able to get $75 off your bill in March 2020.
And, you’re right, unfortunately, if we want to keep our DirecTV bills reasonable, we’re going to have to make these calls every year.
Thanks again for your comment. I’ll add it to the DirecTV topic on the Discussion Board so other readers can use it for reference.
How to I return two direct tv boxes I no longer need.
I only want the main box. The others are no longer in use.
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reading. I would encourage you to contact DirecTV via the main customer service telephone number (800-531-5000) to see what they’d like you to do. There have been reports that if equipment is over a certain age, DirecTV doesn’t even want it back…it’s up to the customer to get rid of it. But, DirecTV may want you to send the boxes back, in which case they’ll send shipping boxes to you in which you can return the boxes you’re no longer using. I definitely want DirecTV to tell you what they want done, since not returning equipment they do want can result in exorbitant charges on your bill. Hope this helps.
My Direct Tv bill went from $63 to $125. I called and told them this is way to high, they told me very sorry. I did ask to have my DTV disconnected. I was told it would be done that night, offered no discounts, nothing is available at this time. No break of any kind. they don’t seem to care if I leave or not. I’ve been with them for 8 years & they don’t care. Basically told me to take it or leave it.
Jamie,
Thanks for your comment. It’s very hit or miss as to whether or not DirecTV customer service reps will offer any type of retention deal prior to a disconnect being set up and in the system for a day or so. And if you’re talking about a front-line rep…the person you get when calling the main DirecTV telephone number…it’s almost guaranteed you will not get a retention offer from them.
So, if your disconnect has gone through…and you want to stay with DirecTV…now’s the time to call one of the retention/loyalty numbers listed in the post. Tell them your service is disconnected but you wanted to see if there are any offers to keep you as a customer. If you’ve read through the comments on this post and in the DirecTV topic on the Discussion Board, you’ll see many do get decent offers to stay with DirecTV. But, more times than not, you need to make that follow-up call.
If you have additional questions, just ask. And if you do follow-up with DirecTV, let us know how it goes.
Hi – not sure if you’ll see this, but my current bill is about $180. besides the Extra package, i have HBO and 5 extra sets, so i’m paying out the wazoo. I want to lower my bill, but i’m wondering if i should call them and cancel HBO and the 3 boxes i don’t need now, and then try to get another discount, or do i call just looking for a discount first, and after they (hopefully) give me one, then i hit them up for the reductions for HBO and the other boxes? I’m curious which order i should do those, or try to do both in one call? thx!
Hi JB,
Thanks for reading and thanks for your question.
I would look for the discount first, leaving HBO and the extra receivers out of the equation initially. My reasoning is this – Oftentimes (not always) discounts are given in a lump sum, $40 off, $50 off, even $70-$80 off per month, based on your package price. So if you can get a nice discount which keeps your current Extra package with HBO and your additional receivers in place, then that’s a major win. It’s extremely doubtful that you’ll get a good retention offer just calling the main DirecTV number, though. So try one of the retention numbers listed in the post or in the comments. If they won’t give you a discount that’s good for you, then your options are to set up a disconnect date and see if you hear from them prior to the disconnect or THEN begin negotiating with offering to drop HBO and some/all of the extra receivers. I would only negotiate, though, if you haven’t received an acceptable price reduction after setting up the disconnect date…and, depending on how much you value a lower bill, after actually having the disconnect go through.
Going that far is not something everyone wants to do. Sometimes just dropping services (HBO and additional receivers, and even channel package) will get to an acceptable monthly bill. But, going the disconnect route can usually keep your current services in place while lowering your monthly DirecTV bill.
Thanks again for reading and your question. If you have additional questions, just ask! And if you get the chance, let us know how your retention efforts go.
Hi. Beginning 8/2017, I was in a “new customer” package – after cancelling for several months due to a move and staying with relatives while our home was being built. For 2 years I was paying $73.48 for Choice (all included), after discounts and taxes. This included DVR and equipment for 4 TVs. In August, 2019 my bill went up to $132.49 for the same package. I called and they offered me a $45 discount, which I gladly accepted, dropping my bill to $87.49. My last bill effective February, 2020 increased to $93.99.
Anyway, I called again last night and they offered me an additional $10. I thought I could do better so I said no, cancel me effective March 8th, I was paid thru that date. Much to my surprise the rep did not offer me anything additional and we scheduled the disconnect. I was getting a little worried but then stumbled upon your website and saw the “answer calls from unrecognized numbers”. One hour ago, less than 24 hours after scheduling the disconnect, DirecTv called me and offered me the price of $68.99/month not including taxes, but including the regional sports fee and all equipment for the same package I currently have. I remembered reading one the comments where someone said they’d need to discuss with their spouse so I figured I’d give that a shot. Lo and behold, the rep said “let me check the next page and see if I can offer you anything additional”. hmmm…. the “next page” had an additional discount of $10 month for 12 months. I’m currently locked in for 12 months @ 58.99 (without sales tax, if applicable) for Choice (all included), plus free NFL Sunday ticket (which I also received last season). A 5-minute, 32-second call got me even cheaper than I was getting with the 2-year new customer deal. WootWoot!!! Thanks SavingsBeagle
CindyLouWho68,
First off, that’s a fantastic screen name!
Second, congrats on your DirecTV retention deal. And thanks for giving the “I need to check with my spouse” feign a try. The resulting data point is a good one that readers should keep in mind during their own upcoming retention calls. Even when taking with retention personnel, the first offer very well may not be the best offer available. Another really interesting result from your retention deal process is that DirecTV called you after you scheduled your disconnect date. That seems to be somewhat hit or miss these days…glad to see it’s still happening for some.
Thanks so much for reading and a really big thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed comment on your DirecTV retention efforts. I’ll be adding your comment to the DirecTV Retention topic in the Savings Beagle Discussion Board.
6 months ago DirecTV (Select pkg) lowered my bill to $20 which includes DSL by giving me a $50 6-month discount. I received my bill the other day and my discount was over and my bill was back up to $70. I called AT&T to disconnect and was not offered any deals, so I set up a disconnect for the day before my next billing month. Today, I had to make a rare call to AT&T while experiencing a “no audio” problem on my main receiver, the customer service guy recognized that I was scheduled to cancel and surprising offered me an additional $30 off my $70 bundled bill, plus 3 months of all of the movie channels (501-565), AND a $200 Visa gift card. So including the $200 GC I’m paying about $23 for my bundle for the next 12 months and just $3 more than I paid for the last 6 months. I think the magic of this deal might be that I had a Philippines based customer service guy on this call today versus the U.S. based agent I had the other day when setting up the cancellation. I think he had offers available to offer that the U.S. agent did not.
Lee,
Thanks so much for your comment. A $20 monthly bill for DirecTV?! Boy, would I like that. And only a roughly $3 increase as a result of your retention efforts? Nice!
It’s good to see we’re continuing to hear about good retention offers into 2020.
For readers looking to make their own lower-my-bill calls to DirecTV, it is possible to pay less than the usual $100+ per month. It just takes a little effort.
Thanks again, Lee, for letting us know how your calls to DirecTV went and the deal you were able to get. And thanks for your unique data point, being that you’re not just a DirecTV subscriber, but also a DSL subscriber, too. Good example for those with bundled plans with DirecTV.
I’ll be adding your comment to the DirecTV topic in the Savings Beagle Discussion Board.
So just tell them to disconnect will get me a lower price.!
Well, just asking for a disconnect won’t guarantee they’ll offer a lower price, but it’s the place to start. It’s somewhat like a game of chicken. When you say you want to set up a disconnect date, they might flinch first and offer a lower price to keep your business right then. Or they may think you’re bluffing and not offer anything. In which case you should wait a while after you’ve set up a disconnect date to see if they contact you with a better deal to stay. Some people get a deal on their first call, while others don’t get anything until right before their disconnect date…or even right after the disconnect has gone through. Very rarely will you not get any savings if you go the disconnect route. It just depends on how much savings, and when that savings will be offered.
A detailed reading of the post and the comments below should give you a good idea of how to proceed and what to expect.
Thanks for reading, Dawn, and good luck. If you have additional questions just ask. And let us know how your lower-my-bill efforts go if you have a chance.
Called and canceled my service with no push back. Two days later I got a call from direct tv. I told them bill was to high and I switching to a streaming service. She said she could take $50 off for 12 months. I was hesitant and told her I’d have to talk to my wife because that’s still more than we are willing to pay. She immediately knocked off another $35 bucks. I probably could’ve squeezed some movie channels outta her but I don’t really care about having those. My bill went from $115 a month before taxes to $35.
Chris,
Wow! Now that is a whopper of a retention deal! Congrats on getting such a great deal. And thanks for passing your experience along. It gives us all hope we can get a similar deal on our next call to DirecTV. Although, I would temper readers’ expectations…that’s about as high a retention deal as I’ve heard of…it’s most definitely not the norm. Negotiate with that in mind.
Thanks again for your comment, Chris. And again, a major congrats on your deal. I’ll definitely be posting your comment on the discussion board for others to see.
Jan 6 2020. First Lady I talked to flat told me I was just calling to lower my bill and offered to give extra channels to compensate for the 160.00 a month bill. I had promotion from the previous year where my bill was 105 with hbo and starz.. I told her it’s a shame that I have to call and threaten to cancel to get a reasonable price.. and she said I understand and that’s when she offered extra channels.. as soon as I mentioned I mainly watched “Netflix etc” I was transferred to a diff department. He offered me 40 off my bill for a year and I said that was still out of my budget.. disconnect date is the 24th so we will see.. I’ll update.
Kory,
Thanks for reading and thanks for your comment on how your call to DirecTV went. Not surprising that you weren’t offered decent retention deals with your first call…although the $40 off was getting close. Hopefully, you won’t have to actually go through with the disconnect to get a better offer. If it comes to that, though, be sure to wait 24 hours after the disconnect occurs to call one of the retention telephone numbers listed in the post or in the comments. I’ll add your comment to the DirecTV retention call section of the discussion board for other readers to see for reference. A follow-up would definitely be appreciated – either in these comments or on the discussion board – if you have the time.
Thanks again for reading and your comment!
2 years ago (Pre AT&T), I negotiated $40 off my bill plus free movie channels for 6 months with agreement of 2 year contract. Today I called 1-877-445-0625 at 2pm. Went through automated prompts saying I wanted to disconnect. Was immediately connected to a call center. Told the younger guy on the line I wanted to disconnect because price was too high. He put me on hold and came back within a few minutes with an offer for $50 off my bill for 12 months with no contract required. I asked if they had any free movie channels to offer as well and I ended up with Showtime for 4 months. I took the deal. I probably could have played hardball more, but I was actually only looking for $40 off my bill to begin with. The call only took 8 minutes. 🙂
Congrats John! And thanks for commenting on how your DirecTV retention call went. I’d say a $50 per month savings is a pretty good deal. The best part is your call was quick and painless. Can’t ask for more than that.
I’ll post your comment in the DirecTV retention call section of the Savings Beagle Community discussion board so others can use as reference.
Thanks again for reading and passing along your experience.
DirecTV is NO longer my go-to. I have been a customer for 15 years until today. I recently moved and was told my bill would be lowered since such a long time customer. On the contrary, it went up. After DirecTV stating that it may take a couple of months to receive the discounts that I was told I’d receive, I got a bill today for $227.20. Holy MONKEY! I’ve NEVER had a bill this high… not even during football season!! So, I did what I thought best and called to cancel. The lady on the other end told me I owed 20 per month to cancel, and had no record of my previous 15 years, nor the discounts. I was transferred to another delightful person who stated the same, then said he’d see if he could get me a better deal. He returned after several minutes of being on hold, and gave me a cancellation number. SO much for retention, huh? Good bye DirecTV. NEVER AGAIN!
Ryan,
Thanks for your comment. I’m sorry to hear DirecTV wasn’t very responsive to your contacts. Unfortunately, DirecTV can be somewhat unprofessional when it comes to ensuring what they promise is what actually occurs. With my last retention offer, I experienced this first-hand. Luckily I was able to calmly, but firmly, address the issue (after a few calls) and get an acceptable resolution. Although still not exactly what they initially offered.
It is odd how one customer can get a reasonable deal with his/her first call, while others get no deal, or a deal that isn’t followed through on. Too many variables to nail down exactly why.
That said, you may still be able to get a lower-priced deal after your disconnect goes through if you want to stay with DirecTV. Although it sounds like you probably don’t…which is understandable.
I’m going to post your comment in the DirecTV retention call section of the Savings Beagle Community discussion board to see if others may have experienced your situation and how it ultimately turned out for them. Thanks again for your comment…situations like yours are helpful, although not what we want to hear, when preparing for our own DirecTV calls.
It would appear that DirecTV has given up trying to retain customers. I called in yesterday to schedule my disconnect and absolutely NO effort was made to retain my business. I was told to be sure to return my equipment or I would be charged for it and “Have a nice day”…click.:( Although I’ve pretty much transitioned away from watching any TV live since I have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and CBS All Access, I would have expected some small effort to retain me. It would have taken a great offer, but I may have considered any offer. I guess they finally realized that people aren’t going to pay $90 a month to watch commercials…
Mark,
Thanks for your comment and passing along your experience calling DirecTV. Your best bet for getting a deal – if you want one at this point – is after your disconnect goes through. Wait about 24 hour and call back “to see if they have any offers on your account to keep you as a customer.” More likely than not, there will be some deal available at that point. Exactly how much off is the question. Let us know if you decide to try a post-disconnect call back. Thanks.
Long time customer on Preferred Xtra with a Genie and 3 minis, no movies, etc. beyond Movies Extra Pack for my wife’s Hallmark fix. Called since $25/month Loyalty offer just expired and was fairly quickly offered $40/month for 12 months, so that even more than covers the January increase. Was afraid that it would be harder based on other reports here, but maybe they are getting more friendly?? I called on Tuesday around Noon and got agent in Miami call center. Discount showed on on web page in a few minutes plus got confirmation email.
Todd,
Thanks so much for reading and providing such a detailed comment. Getting a larger loyalty offer than you previously had was a nice deal for sure. And the fact that the discount showed so quickly with a confirmation email to boot is a little surprising, but most assuredly a welcome addition. With DirecTV, it’s always good to have a confirmation of the deal you were offered. Let’s hope this is the kind of result we all can expect when it’s time to make our own DirecTV call.
I’ll be adding your comment to the DirecTV section of the Savings Beagle Community Discussion Board where readers can check recently received deals and pass along tips that can benefit future DirecTV deal seekers.
Thanks again for your comment!
Just ask for the costumer loyalty and Retention department do not waste time with the first person who answers the call and what country the representative is in has nothing to do with what retention offer they have available at the time of the call
Raven,
Thanks for reading and your comment. Yes, front-line customer service reps aren’t going to offer any of the really good savings deals. If you’re starting with a front-line rep…the main DirecTV telephone number…just know it might take a few times of asking nicely to be transferred to the loyalty/retention department. Which is why we’ve published telephone numbers in our articles that ring directly to the retention departments, bypassing the initial back and forth that you’ll likely encounter with front-line reps.
I have a horror story going back to Fall of 2016
When I signed up for DirecTV promo that was supposed to last for 2 years $50 inclusive basic select plan with only one genie. (as long as you had one other AT&t ,—service, which I did landline phone for 15 years)
This was before the M&A with AT&t was final.
They lost my 2-year contracted plan. And ended up even changing my account number and I never received the promised $100 Visa card.
Today, I would guesstimate online and on the phone. I have spent in excess of 50 hours trying to get My plan rectified and subsequently when it expired. In May of 2019 continuing with discounted Service as I had had I’m going off the charts Tech difficulties with the DVR I was given which turned out to be an antiquated model.. much more to tell I did get some responsive raps who promised credits and plans, but the next billing none of the promise discounts populated on to my bills.
many more details to tell but I would end up writing five pages, but just trust me I have experienced all the negatives that other. Contributors have and more.
Today, I think I have at least 12 different. Varieties of 800 numbers, some of which were given to me previously as customer retention or customer loyalty and today after 45 minutes of being on hold this connected and transferred. The rapper who took my call said he was in the solutions Department..
This was the number ending in 5000. Does anyone have a more updated number as? Sense as the Beagle stated they changed the numbers all the time and you get automated menus and offshore customer service reps. tell me repeat your account information over and over are put on hold often disconnected and The majority of the time it is not I warm transfer and you have to repeat your whole history over and over and over. AT&t is now probably next to Amazon and some of the health and cheers one of the biggest corporate monopolies. So no one is looking out for us and all the consumer protection agencies. Have the fox watching the hen house. Basically my experience has been de facto fraudulent. bait and switch even though I beg them to record every word make notes and summarize. To document everything, regardless, nothing gets rectified and it has been an ongoing nightmare!
Kackie,
Thanks for reading and commenting. Your experience certainly does sound like a nightmare. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to hear DirecTV promising one thing…usually billing credits…and not following through. I had this exact situation happen with my 2019 retention call. Perseverance and luck have, hopefully, rectified my billing issues. But I’ll be watching closely as future bills are generated.
It sounds like you’ve been more than patient with DirecTV. If any readers have a direct telephone number that might help Kackie, please post it here. I think at this point, the main DirecTV line and the retention numbers are likely not going to prove helpful.
I would also suggest that you might file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau regarding your issues with DirecTV. I’ve heard of others who’ve gone this route and received positive results. That’s not guaranteed, but it’s something to consider. You can find the BBB complaint page here.
Good luck.
I just got off the phone with Direct TV. I had my bill in hand and went to the Dish website to see their offers. I found the comparable package for 64.99/month. I was paying $143 plus $13.99 for showtime to direct tv. I got a real nice lady on the phone. I told her what I could get Dish for and their price is a 2 year guarantee.. She was from Jamaica. We had a great conversation while she processed the order. I had her take off Showtime as I watched all the movies that were on there for now. She then took off $40/month for 12 months right off the top. Then she did another discount of $23 for as long as i have direct tv. So in total I get $63/month for 12 months then the $23 sticks until I cancel if I ever do. SO now my bill went from $157-showtime $13.99= $143.11-$63= 80.11. A little higher than I could probably get Dish, but the channel lineup is slightly different and I’d have to go through the hassle of changing out equipment and losing my wife’s DVR shows. All in all I thought this was a fair discount without even having to do any more than call in and ask for disconnection. I’ve had Direct tv for approximately 13 years.
Jeremy,
Thanks so much for the detailed overview of your DirecTV retention efforts. A $60+ per month discount is definitely a good deal. Congrats! I actually haven’t heard of till-you-cancel discount before this. That in itself is a good deal, and something readers should consider inquiring about during future retention calls. Lock in that savings, and then stack other credits on top of it when they become available on your account to keep your DirecTV bill reasonable. Thanks for letting us know about that – potentially new – discount to be looking for. Maybe it’s part of DirecTV’s efforts to keep customers?
Thanks again for commenting and providing fellow readers with helpful info for their own upcoming retention calls.
I was surprised to get that much off in one call. I guess having the bill and the comparable dish offer side by side helped. I went line for line down the direct tv bill and whatever was different about the dish prices I wrote to the side and added it all up. Also, it’s been a while since I called in, probably a good 2 or 3 years.
I was receiving a $60 monthly credit on my account up until Oct, 2019. I have 4 receivers w/ the Choice package. My bill went from $88 to $148. I called to see if I could renew the offer, the best they would offer me was a $5 monthly credit. Said I wanted to cancel, was transferred to customer retention, same deal, $5 monthly credit. Waited, no call for the month. Termination day came and went, nothing. I then called to get information on how to send the boxes back (I already knew, but used it as my excuse to call in). Went to customer retention. I got a very nice kid who asked me a few questions on why and I was VERY POLITE in my responses. He put me on hold for about 5 mins (checking with me periodically) and came back with the following deal: 4 Receivers, Choice package, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax (3 months free), rest of season NFL Sunday Ticket (whatever) & $200 visa gift card for $98/month. This was more per month than I was paying, but the $200 gift card makes up the difference. It helped that I let the termination happen. Thanks for all of the tips!!
Scott,
Glad to hear you were able to get a deal on your DirecTV bill, even though it didn’t lower your per month price to the deal level you had been enjoying. You’re right, though, the $200 Visa gift card helps lessen the sting of the extra $10/month.
You mentioned the NFL Sunday Ticket throw-in, which reminds me to add a caution. If it works the way most of the NFL Sunday Ticket comps do, and you don’t want to pay for next season, be sure to set up a reminder for next summer – or earlier – to call DirecTV and cancel the Sunday Ticket subscription. Likely it’s on auto-renew, which means if you don’t cancel before it’s billed, you’ll need to call (and maybe argue) to get the charge(s) removed.
Congrats on your deal. And thanks for letting us know the details. It’s a good illustration that for some, you do need to go through with the disconnect to get the best deal.
**Update**
After renewing, the movie channels and the NFL Sunday Ticket never showed up on my channel guide. Waited a week to see if they would appear, but nothing. Called this morning to find out what was up. Ended up in customer retention again and politely explained the situation. Was told there was nothing on my account that would indicate I should get any promotional channels. After some persistence, and a 5 minute hold, was given an additional $30/month credit for 12 months taking my bill to $68/month. That was completely unexpected. It goes to show that there is room for additional savings, but you have to keep them honest.
Thanks for the update, Scott! Yes, you definitely do have to keep DirecTV honest. Unfortunately, it’s not unheard of to have a negotiated deal not show when your next bill comes around. I chalk the follow-up call(s) to the cost of getting a deal, as long as they ultimately do what’s right. And in your case, it appears they have. And, you’re right, there does always seem to be room for additional savings, especially when there’s been a problem that is DirecTV’s fault. Thanks again for your follow-up comment. The more personal experience info we get, the better off we’ll all be when contacting DirecTV.
My discount expired on my last billing cycle. I was given a $100 discount last year so my bill was going to increase from $64 to $164 and I called the general customer service number and was sent to the retention department. My numerous attempts there to lower the rate were largely unsuccessful. I was offered a one-time discount of $25 and a monthly discount of $15 after that. I down graded my package a couple of levels but was still paying more than what I had for a lot more channels. I found this website when I Googled “how to save on my Directv bill” and I called on Saturday and asked again for a lower rate and but no luck so I politely said that I would like to disconnect at the end of my current cycle. (If you go past the last day of your billing cycle, you have to pay for the whole next month and it won’t be pro-rated, I was told, so keep that in mind.) On Sunday, I received a call offering me a $60 discount and a $25 discount, in addition to the $15 the offered previously and also received a $200 Visa gift card. So now I’m back to where I was before, which was my ultimate goal. The lady that called Sunday was very helpful and I didn’t have to “demand” anything, this is the offer they gave right away. I just wanted to share this success story to let everyone know that they are still offering good discounts. The reps that I talked to prior to the one who called me were all telling me that once a good rate expires that it will be at least a couple of months before you are eligible for any better rates, but this lady said her department has more “flexibility” when it comes to offering discounts. It’s a hassle doing this every year, but I’m willing to deal with it to save so much. Thanks for this website. I wouldn’t have known the “disconnect tip” without reading it here!
Denise,
Now that’s what I like to hear when it comes to trying to get a lower DirecTV bill! As you mention, the front-line DirecTV reps really don’t have the authority to offer significant discounts. Yeah, they’ll tease with a $10 or $15 per month discount, but often there are larger discounts to be had if you follow the “disconnect” strategy.
That said, it’s interesting how some customers get called with deals…like you did (and I did last year)…and some don’t, having to follow up to get some kind of deal (like I did this year). It really is a process, that takes time and effort, if you want to lower your DirecTV bill, that’s for sure.
Glad to hear you were able to turn that effort into a significant savings and that DirecTV is still offering decent discounts.
Thanks for reading, and a really big thank you for helping others by commenting on your personal DirecTV bill lowering experience.
Yes, it takes time and effort but to save $100 a month, it’s worth it to me. I don’t think I made it clear in my original post. They also put me back to my original package so I didn’t lose any channels, as well as getting the $100 discount that I had previously. Thanks for helping everyone save money!
Thank you so much for your advice and awesome tips! I spoke with two very nice customer service reps. The first one wasn’t able to offer any discounts so I asked to schedule a disconnect date. I explained to the disconnect rep that the price had become too expensive and they weren’t able to offer any discounts. He was able to offer a $40 discount. Two years ago (we called in the evening) when we asked for a better rate they only offered a $10 discount. Would say calling during normal business hours helped. Thanks!
Sheila,
That’s great news! Glad to hear we were able to help you save on your DirecTV bill. And thank you for letting us know about your success. We definitely appreciate hearing about our readers’ experiences…it not only reinforces that what we’ve written does work, but also helps others who are preparing for their own DirecTV retention calls. The more information we all have, the better our chances are of lowering our DirecTV bill. Thanks again for reading and commenting!
Thank you for your help and these awesome tips! I just called and got a $50/month credit which is truly appreciated!
Emmy,
Congrats on your DirecTV bill credit! And thanks for letting us know the info provided was helpful. That’s our goal at Savings Beagle, provide tips and deal info to save everyone money. It’s always greatly appreciated to hear reader feedback on how we’re doing.
I called a month ago and asked for another promotion since my almost 50 dollar monthly promotion expired, told them I wanted to cancel. Transferred to retention
Departure. All they offered was a 5 dollar discount a month, said it wasn’t good enough and that I would call back soon and cancel. I called today and was transferred to Retention department who offered me 15 bucks month discount for 1 year, I said could they do better or else I’ll cancel, so then I got transferred to loyalty department where they finally offered me 25 a month for a year discount so I took it.
I’ll call again in a month or 2 to ask for another discount. Thanks,
Ellen,
Thanks for your comment! And thanks for the detailed overview of your DirecTV calls. What we can all learn from your experience is that it very well could take multiple calls to DirecTV and a little prodding during those calls to ultimately get a deal. For those reading this, don’t just call once and figure you won’t get anything better than what is initially offered.
Congrats on getting the $25 per month discount. I think your plan to call again in a few months is a good one. New savings offers can populate on an account at any time. If you have a chance, let us know how it goes.
I’ve been getting texts from an 844 number saying I can get 50% off my bill if i call another 844 number… is this a scam?
Hi Will,
This is the first time I’ve heard of DirecTV (or AT&T) texting bill saving offers. I’d be cautious of responding to the number provided. I would, though, call one of the numbers provided in the post above (or the main DirecTV number on the website) and say you received this text and wanted to see if it’s legitimate. If so, tell them you’re definitely interested in the 50% off offer!
If you follow up on this with DirecTV, and you have a chance, please let us know what they say. Texting to lower a DirecTV bill would make things easier, that’s for sure. I just think there’s more to it, though…if it’s even legitimate.
Just spent an hour on the phone with two different reps in the loyalty department. I tried to reinstate the $50 credit I received last year. Both were were very difficult to understand and kept repeating the same thing. “I will attempt to resolve your issue.” Nothing was resolved. No discounts but would send my information to another department and perhaps in my next bill there would be an offer.
Thanks for letting us know how your DirecTV retention call went, Susan. I’ve heard that if calls are made to DirecTV during traditional business hours – M-F, 8-5ish – that customer service is sometimes better. Those hours aren’t always an option for many of us, though, especially when we’re kept on the phone for an hour! Yikes.
I wouldn’t hold my breath for any deals coming as a result of your call. If you really want to save on your DirecTV bill, I’d recommend following the plan laid out above, Set up a disconnect date -> Wait for offers -> Call loyalty phone numbers listed above just before disconnect date -> Let disconnect go through (if needed) and call listed numbers again 24 hours after disconnect. That’ll give you the best chance of getting a deal.
If you give those steps a try, let us know how it goes for you. Good luck.
Called again today.The regular ATT service
877-714-1509. The rep transferred me to the loyalty dept. A very nice rep (Rose) immediately offered a $30/per month discount. She told me to call periodically as they add more offers and it is worth it to check. She also said that when I do call back to ask for the disconnect rep. She said all disconnect calls are now routed to the loyalty dept first. You were right to try to call during regular business hours and not on weekends.
Excellent! Thanks so much for providing follow-up info on your attempts to get a discount on your DirecTV service, Susan. We really appreciate hearing how our readers’ calls to AT&T/DirecTV go, and the latest deals that are being offered. Updates help us all prepare for our own calls down the road. Glad to hear your second call proved more fruitful than your first.
For the last 4 years I’ve successfully done this. Every year $60-90 off and Sunday ticket for free. This year was different. 1 discount fell off after 6 months and the started charging $8.99 a month for a protection plan which you can cancel. My final discount date is oct 9 so I called the other day to sets disconnect date of sept 16 knowing retention always calls. So far nothing. I even called back to make sure everything went through and nothing. The rep try to get me to switch from Verizon to AT&T for cell service. That was it. No discounts available. I still have a few more days to go but they always called me back within 24hrs or offered something right away. I think now that it’s at&t they’re aren’t giving things away like they used to. That’s fine though, I’ve wanted to try slingtv anyway since it’s half as much. Maybe I’ll reconnect next year for football season.
Tim,
Thanks for your comment and update on your DirecTV retention efforts. I wouldn’t give up on getting a deal. Might need to have the disconnect actually go through, though, before a good retention deal is offered. While deals are dependent on a variety of factors, there have been reports within the last week that individuals calling the retention/loyalty/Win Back numbers after having their DirecTV service disconnected for 24 hours or more have been getting decent savings offers to “come back.” If you decide to go that route, let us know how it goes.
If you do decide to cut the cord, I’ve been surprised how good YouTube TV is. Their recent 21-day free trial has expired, I believe, but you can still get a 7-day trial, I think. And PlayStation Vue is a solid contender for streaming live TV, too. Just need to compare channel lineups and cost to see which works best for you.
Good luck.
Just called DirecTV/ATT and spoke with a nice CSR. Explained to her that my bill had gone up greatly and I could not afford it anymore and wanted to set up a disconnect date. She was very polite and said that she would look into what options were available to help lower the cost. Within 10 minutes she offered me $25 off my DirecTV bill for the next 12 months and was also able to get me through to the NFL Sunday Ticket Dept. They helped me out no problem and took 40% off the Sunday Ticket cost for this upcoming season. I was then transferred back to a new CSR who was able to take another $15 off my total bill for the next 6 months. I didn’t have to fight with anyone or deal with any headaches.
Anthony,
Thanks so much for your comment. That’s great to hear you were able to get a nice savings on your DirecTV monthly bill, as well as on NFL Sunday Ticket, without any hassle! That seems to be a major accomplishment these days.
As I’ve said before, it really is a mystery why some DirecTV customers are able to get a deal, while others struggle to get any savings at all.
Your success should be a motivator to us all to not give up on lowering our DirecTV bill until ALL avenues have been exhausted.
Thanks again for letting us know how your lower-my-bill call to DirecTV went.
We’ve been a Direct TV customer for over 16 years. Last year, to get a decent deal, we did set up a disconnect date and got a retention email that offered us a lot to stay. This year, spoke to several people, they offered $10 off a month, transferred us to the “VIP” department and he said He “didn’t want to waste my time, they can’t come close to the deal I was getting”, they set up the disconnect date… which is past and they want their equipment back ASAP. No emails… no calls… Guess they don’t care.
Mary,
Thanks for letting us know how your DirecTV retention efforts have gone. If your disconnect has been in place for 24 hours or more (and you haven’t already done this) you might try calling 619-752-1401 one last time to “see if there are any offers to keep me (you) as a customer.” For some, it’s this last attempt prior to sending back the equipment that proves fruitful. Kind of like DirecTV’s way of sorting out the bluffers. But, things may be changing at DirecTV as I mention in a recent post “Is This a Bad Omen for DirecTV Deals Going Forward.” If you do try calling one last time, and you have a few minutes, let us know how it goes.
just called got no satifaction , , have been with at&t since high school with phone and 17 years with directv , (im 50), had a good discount and it runs out in sept, trying to get done before get charged full price , said cannot do anything to that date ,, want to keep it lower , or we will have to take it out and our children will be quite upset , and me with football right around the corner , and my wifes hallmark shows for xmas, we will be quite mad , im dissappointed , i get more help , and didnt this time , also need people i can understand (enough said), so if they keep not wanting to help i guess , i will have to look into other options , and no cable were i live, thats why i have directv, if somebody can help me plz , lots of years invested in your futures , how about mine
Scott,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, your situation isn’t unique. Seems like AT&T is now playing hardball with DirecTV customers for a variety of reasons. Your best bet for getting a deal on pricing is to follow the steps outlined in the post above. Frontline customer service reps just aren’t going to offer a good deal. You’ll have to set up a disconnect date for the last date of your billing cycle and then wait. You may get an email/telephone call with an offer to come back prior to the disconnect date…or you might not. If you don’t hear from DirecTV, you can call one of the numbers listed in the post prior to your disconnect date to “see if there are any offers on your account to keep you as a DirecTV customer.” If there aren’t, you’ll have to go through with the disconnect, wait about 24 hours and call one of the retention line telephone numbers listed in the post to say, “My DirecTV service has been disconnected, I just want to check one last time to see if there were any offers to keep me as a customer.” If you’re going to get a deal, that’s when it’ll happen.
As I’ve said before, it sucks we have to go to these lengths to make DirecTV affordable. But, if saving on our monthly DirecTV bills is the goal, these are the steps we have to take.
Thanks for checking out Savings Beagle!
Let us know how the process goes for you.
Just called and told the agent I wanted to disconnect my service and he made no attempt to keep me as a customer and nicely asked when I’d like my service to end. I’m still in shock.
Ben,
Unfortunately, your experience isn’t surprising. Front line customer service reps rarely offer deals that are any good, and more and more, make no attempt to keep customers at all. Not sure if it’s a “call your bluff” tactic, or they really don’t care if those not paying full price for DirecTV leave. If you set your disconnect date, watch your email/spam folder for retention emails, and answer any calls to the telephone number on your DirecTV account. The caller ID will not say DirecTV, and they will not leave a message…you’ll have to answer. If you don’t hear from a DirecTV retention rep soon, call 619-752-1401 and tell them you have a disconnect date set but wanted to see if there were any deals available to keep you as a customer. If your account’s been moved to AT&T rather than DirecTV try 800-288-2020. If they ask how you got the number, just say it was on your caller ID.
Good luck getting a retention deal. Let us know how it goes.
I have been a Directv customer since 1997. My latest bill just went up $40.
I called two times in the evening and the following morning to try to get a lower monthly rate.
I was offered a $5 discount to stay- I have set up a cancellation date at end of billing cycle.
I also found out the ATT has 20,000 people on strike which may explain why no one at ATT-Directv cares regarding customer retention.
Barry,
Thanks for your comment. The $5 discount from a front-line DirecTV customer service rep sounds about right. It would be nice if they’d just offer a fair deal right away. But, that’s not how the save-on-your-DirecTV-bill game works, unfortunately.
Since you’ve set up your cancellation date, be sure to watch your email/spam folders for retention offers, and answer any unknown telephone numbers to the phone number on your DirecTV account. The calls won’t show as DirecTV on the Caller ID, and they won’t leave a voicemail. You can either wait a few days and call 619-752-1401 to see if any deals have populated on your account or just wait for the service to be disconnected and try the call then…or maybe both. A deal should be possible if you follow the steps in the post above.
The strike portion of your comment is interesting and may be part of the reason for lack of retention interest. You might also check out my post “Is This a Bad Omen for DirecTV Deals Going Forward,” especially the Wrap Up portion for another possible reason.
If you get a chance, let us know how your retention efforts work out.
Ok so I have been playing this game for years now and always works yet now that art took over it’s a bit more difficult. This to e I set up cancellation date which is in 2 weeks. I already got 2 emails asking me to come back wjjth new offers. I was like great so I called the number on the Email and told them I got email asking me to come back said there was an offer for me. The lady I spoke to looked in system said nope no offers for u at this time, WTF man really. So I told her I will just continue with cancellation and hung up. As it gets closer I will call back if I don’t get a call. Sometimes I feel the people we talk to there have no clue about anything and all they do is look in computer. Don’t know any other way but what basic info tells them
Alex,
Thanks for letting us know how your retention efforts are going thus far. Very strange that you got retention emails but the call center staffer couldn’t see those offers on your account. I agree that the people answering our calls can sometimes be less than motivated to help. Since you already have a disconnect set up, try calling 619-752-1401…that’s the retention number that many DirecTV customers seem to be getting retention deal success with recently. I think it’s primarily an outbound number, so if they ask how you got the number just say something like it was on your caller ID, etc. If you have a chance, let us know how your retention efforts end up going.
Call and ask for the loyalty department. They won’t transfer you right away. just be persistant and politely keep asking for the loyalty department. Eventually you will get to the loyalty department. tell them you have been a loyal customer and would like to continue as a customer what can they do to retain your business. I was offered a 50% off my bill. I called the next year and she did the same thing and near the end of the phone call she said… now be sure to call back next year to get your discount again.
Hi Sharma,
Thanks for checking out Savings Beagle and passing along the loyalty department option for lowering your DirecTV bill.
That’s definitely a good place to start. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a deal like you have when talking with the loyalty department. Why some customers get a decent retention offer going that route while others get nothing really is a mystery. If the loyalty department doesn’t provide a good enough retention offer, it’s time to set up the disconnect date and follow the steps in our DirecTV posts for the best odds of lowering your DirecTV bill.
Thanks again for your comment!
Definitely didn’t get as good of a discount as I had last year, but they are still offering discounts with through the loyalty department. Was able to save about 35% on both the programming and NFL package.
JMG,
Thanks for letting us know how this year’s DirecTV retention call went for you. Glad you were able to get a deal even if it wasn’t as good as last year’s. Gives us all hope we won’t have to pay $100+ per month!
I am a retired AT&T employee. For the 2 years I had a decent rate on the cable. Now they keep telling me that with my employee discount it can be no less than $126.33 per mo. They insisted I separate my uverse instead of bundle it. It was $15 per mo now it has gone up to $20.60 no explanation given.
Every time I call there, I get a person who doesn’t speak decent English. Any suggestions?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your question and for reading Savings Beagle!
While not your main question, let me offer a suggestion on dealing with call center personnel. If you’re having a hard time understanding a call center staffer or just aren’t getting any satisfaction with your question/concern, Hang Up, Call Again aka HUCA is a great option. Just say something like…”I have an important call coming in right now that I have to take, thanks for your help so far, I’ll call back later,” and hang up. Then, call back and try your luck with a new customer service representative.
With regard to lowering your AT&T Uverse bill, that’s a little more difficult. Unfortunately, cable operators (Uverse, Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, etc.) are less likely to negotiate a lower bill for current customers than is DirecTV. Your best bet for paying a lower price for your cable service – even with an employee discount, it seems – is to research new customer pricing with cable competitors in your area. New customer offers will usually provide a decent savings the first year of service. Get that new customer price and call AT&T back and say you’re going to cancel your Uverse service and move to whatever competitor you have found unless they can match the competitor’s price. Sometimes your current cable provider, in your case AT&T Uverse, will match that deal for the next year…sometimes they won’t, in which case you might have to move to the new cable provider to reduce what you pay for cable. Just know that with cable companies, pricing is usually pretty close within a geographic area once the new customer pricing ends, meaning to get a lower price, you’ll likely have to move on to another cable provider, taking advantage of its new customer pricing deal to keep cable costs down after the first year. Yes, it’s a hassle for sure if you want to keep cable pricing at a reasonable level.
Two other options are: Move to DirecTV which does negotiate with current customers…if you follow the strategies we provide. Or, use a bill negotiating service like Bill Fixers billfixers.com. Savings Beagle has no connection to Bill Fixers, and we have not used its service, but it’s an option for those who don’t like to negotiate themselves with any service provider. Usually, Bill Fixers (or similar companies) will take 50% of the first year’s savings that they negotiate as a fee for service. The rest of the negotiated savings is yours. If they can’t get you a deal, you pay nothing. Only you can decide if that route is worthwhile.
Hope these suggestions help. If you have additional questions, just ask. And if you have a chance, let us know how your negotiating goes. The best way for all of us to save money is to learn from those who’ve saved.
For the past 3 years , I’ve been able to receive a discount on my bill due to speaking to the Loyalty Dept . It was pretty much painless too . This year however , nada . I called once at night and once during the day a few days later . Still , nothing . I set up a cancellation date since an agreement couldn’t be reached . I spoke to the “vip Dept “ A few days later and still nothing . I expressed how in previous years they’ve always been able to work with me on the pricing and that prevented me from canceling . They just thanked me for being a customer and Said there’s nothing available . I’m not sure what changed At directv but it did .
Lee,
Thanks for your comment and perspective on your DirecTV retention efforts past and present. I agree it does seem like DirecTV is less willing to give sizable retention deals these days. That said, I just went through my own retention quest, the details of which can be read in my post “My 2019 DirecTV Retention Call Was a Mixed Bag, But in the End I Saved – and Made – Money.”
Bottom line, I was able to save on my DirecTV bill, but not like I have in past years. My experiences this time around, and my thoughts on those experiences, may help you, and others, as you try and get a deal on your DirecTV bill. Good luck.