How to Lower Your DirecTV Bill

Want to lower your DirecTV bill? Of course, you do. Paying $100 or more per month is ridiculous.

With the following tips, we’ll show you how to lower your DirecTV bill, freeing up that money to be used for more essential expenses.

I’ve been paying in the range of $45 – $75 per month for my DirecTV service the past four 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.

That said, deals are being offered and thanks to Savings Beagle readers we have an idea what they are and what it took to get them.

Savings Beagle Message Board

Last year we created the Savings Beagle Message Board.

One of the topic areas relates to all things DirecTV, and most importantly, a section for reader retention deals.

Here are a few recent additions to the retention deals section.

From Ernie –

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.

And…

From Beau –

…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.

*Retention deal posts edited for length.

These reader posts / comments regarding retention deals are extremely helpful and much appreciated.

They not only provide insights into what kinds of deals are being given but the process DirecTV subscribers are going through.

Please consider providing your own experiences in the comment section of this post or in the DirecTV section of the Savings Beagle Message Board.

Now, let’s take a look at the process for lowering your monthly DirecTV bill.

How to Lower Your DirecTV Bill

First, this is going to be a quick-hit, just the facts type guide to getting a better DirecTV deal.

DirecTV continues to offer retention deals that save subscribers anywhere from $40 – $90 per month.

Again, specific deals will be dependent on the individual subscriber.

Bottom line, calling – and now messaging via Facebook – does still result in saving.

Here’s what you do:

The Facebook Route

If you’re comfortable messaging via Facebook, this is a newer option that some DirecTV subscribers are having success with when requesting a lower DirecTV bill.

You’ll want to go to DirecTV’s Facebook page and select the Message button at the top of the page. Then submit your message to DirecTV’s Facebook reps stating that you’re considering leaving DirecTV due to your bill being too high and asking if there are any offers to keep you as a customer.

It may take a while for a customer service rep to respond to your message. And, in some instances, the response will be to have you Direct Message a rep within a specific period of time.

Some are having success getting decent reductions to their monthly bills in addition to added premium channels for a period of time. Others, however, aren’t having much luck.

Again, it just depends.

But, if you’re comfortable using a chat feature to negotiate your DirecTV bill, this may be an option to try.

If you aren’t offered a decent deal during your chat, you should follow the steps detailed in the Traditional Route below.

I haven’t used Facebook’s Messenger option, so if you have, or do, please let us know about your experience in the comment section below.

The Traditional Route

1. 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.

2. 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.

Reports indicate that this is still happening for select DTV subscribers who’ve set a disconnect date.

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 sports packages during this call.

3. 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.

4. Let the disconnect go through, wait 24 hours and call again.

Disconnections typically occur around midnight the date of your disconnect.

You may be able to 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 fall 2019, it appears 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. But, reports indicate a software update now 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.

5. 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).

Following these steps should provide most DirecTV subscribers some savings on their monthly DirecTV bill.

If you want more details and/or historical info before making your “lower-my-bill” call to DirecTV, check out the posts below.

Additional Lower My DirecTV Bill Posts

If you want to see what kind of deal I got during my most recent retention call (fall of 2020), read my piece “My 2020 DirecTV Retention Call Shows Good Deals are Harder to Come By, But You Can Still Get Something.”

For the prior year, check out “My 2019 DirecTV Retention Call Was a Mixed Bag, But in the End I Saved – and Made – Money.”

And for my 2018 experience…”Here’s How My 2018 Lower-My-Bill Call to DirecTV Went.”

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.”

Wrap Up

Getting a retention deal for DirecTV can sometimes be hit or miss. Especially since AT&T has taken them over completely.

The best way to get a bill lowering deal is to set 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. And if you follow the process, you can lower your DirecTV bill, too.

Let us know in the comments section, or the retention deal section of our Discussion Board, how the process went for you, and what kind of deal you ultimately received.

Your comments are extremely valuable and much appreciated.

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!

customer service rep image courtesy of photostock at freedigitalphotos.net