Quote:
Originally Posted by 5thGenCamaroChick
I really wanted to check "I complain when my 6-month promotion ends in 6 months." We (my hubs and I) think it's crappy that loyal customers who have been paying their bills on time for years can't get deals like this, yet Joe Blow, whose 6 month Dish Network deal just expired can call up DirecTV and get another 6 month deal.  There, I complained.  |
I agree. Loyal customers should get to the top of the list. If you have a very serious problem with your bill and threaten to leave, we will generally send you to our
retention, service changes, disconnects, or saves department. This department is responsible for keeping customers. If you specifically request them, we have to do what you ask.
A supervisor in billing cannot help you with promotions for most companies. Call the division that disconnects unhappy customers, and you might get a new promotion.
I've seen people get 75% off their whole bill this way.
I will also point this out. Despite my complete lack of loyalty to my company, I am informed. Satellite companies do offer very good service when installed properly, but it is really hard to compete with the quality of a direct signal that goes into your cable box or TV. It is also worth noting that satellite companies have to pay for a satellite in space. As a result, they tend to hide their promotions even more questionably than sketchy cable companies. For example, they may offer a 3-month promotion but will require you to sign a 2-year contract. In the long haul, your bill will usually be cheaper with cable service. Add to that the cost of the channels. In order to do this, you need a channel guide from every company you are considering and the full price, not the promotional price, of each package. Usually, cable companies offer lots of HD for free and more channels that you'll actually watch. Have you noticed that cable companies never tell you how many channels they have? They usually have over 20 music channels, over 60 regular channels, over 30 premium channels, and over 100 digital channels. When you add those together, you'll find yourself enjoying more programming with cable. I don't even like my cable company, and I think the pricing sucks, but they're better than the space-based alternative.
Get the cheaper full price package, regardless of how much the promotion saves you. A lot of times, people will get Starz for a couple of months for free, but they will start getting charged full price, angrily calling customer service to demand why their bill increased.
"You added Starz on promotion, and that promotion expired. That is why your bill increased." If you don't want it, then don't get it on promotion.
If you do want it, learn the full price before you ever consider the promotional price.
Finally, I'll add that
almost every cable-internet-phone bundle is a terrible deal. You'll only end up saving $10 per month, which adds up over time, but you may have a phone line that costs more than $10 that you will never lose. Stupid customers fall for this all the time. They want the service trifecta thinking that they will save money. It only saves you money if you actually need all 3 services.
If you don't need something, don't pay for it.