HD-DVR Price Gouging at Directv

When you signed up with DirecTV, you agreed to the terms that were in
effect at that time. Terms change all the time, there are always
special promotions for new subscribers, etc. This is true for all
kinds of services. DirecTV is under no obligation whatsoever to bend
the rules for you - and yet they offered you a $150 credit. You got
"insulted" and turned it down. You had your chance!

I had direct tv a few years back, It cost a small fortne to set up
their free offers where far from free. When they installe dthe dish
on a pole for 150 buck they did so under a tree in November. I had
asked about what would happen in the spring when the tree got leaves
again and was told it would be fine dont worry. Low and behold leaves
came in we got no signal-zilch. They then wanted another 150 to move
thje pole they should have placed elsewhere to begin with. I took my
business to dish network and payed the early termination fees. I
couldnt be happier, its cheaper better service. They still call and
send letters trying to urge me back, ha! I have discouraged anyone
who asks from DirectTv and will continue to do so. I pay a monthly
charge formy dvr to dish network simply because its cheaper than
buying my own, so far I'm on my third box the other two just gave out,
they replaced them free of charge because I rent the equipment from
them.

I've seen a commercial recently for some company or other in which
they end with "If they're so helpful when you're just looking, imagine
how they'll be when you're a customer!" or something like that. It's
kind of hilarious, because once you are a customer they'll count on
your inertia to keep you a customer. It's just easier to stick with
some service or repeatedly-sent product than to go through the hassle
of switching.

Before you're a customer, though, they'll do whatever they can to
attract you -- and that takes more than it does to just keep you once
you are a customer, because of that same inertia. In particular,
they're willing to lose money on you for the first few months as long
as you sign a contract that lasts long enough for them to make money
in the long term. They can afford to give those people expensive
freebies because their income from those people will increase if they
sign up. It has to increase. They're not bringing in any money from
those people right now. Giving existing customers expensive freebies
means bringing in less money on those accounts than they're getting
now.

When DirecTV tells you you are a most valued A-list customer, the most
important word -- at least when it comes to getting a DVR unit -- is
"customer".

Now, if DirecTV got into the business of giving its current customers
the same offers and deals they give potential customers, I'd start
agitating for my household to switch from cable to DirecTV.

So if you mean the threat seriously, go do it: go look at other
providers you might use instead and see what deals they're offering
new customers. Then check the contract you have at DirecTV to see
whether getting out of that contract is worth the freebies or how long
you'll have to wait to be able to get out. Maybe if companies start
to understand that if their customer loyalty is based on inertia and
laziness eventually the customers will quit being layal they'll start
wooing existing customers more aggressively. But for that to work
people actually have to be willing to jump ship when they don't get
treated the way they think they should be treated.

Just like Redhead said, those are the New Customer prices. They wont
make you an offer comparable to those and you're hardly the first
person to whine about it. I heard it from Dish customers day in and
day out when I worked there. Just switch TO Dish and pick up the new
customer prices over there. Otherwise, just get over it, because just
like Redhead said, the best prices are introductory in most fields.
Its not just sat tv and it really won't change.

It's not "gouging", they have their price. Failure to research is
your fault. If you had looked around you would have found the other
deals.
DirecTV counts on people who are too busy/lazy/whatever to look
around.
You were offered a discount and refused, so you have no right to
complain about the price now.

Often, those special offers are meant to lure new customers, not keep
current customers happy and loyal. So newbies get the best deal.
It's not just with satellite tv -- cell phones, phone service,
internet service -- it's a common practice.