Advice on getting better HD deal from DirecTV?

This is somewhat OT, but I think there are people here who have
has experience with this.

Made my first call to DirecTV's customer retention department
today... I have an SD-DVR40 DirecTiVo right now. Would like to
just add HD for the channels that offer it and my locals too. I
want a HR-20 or HR-21 DirecTV DVR to record the HD stuff and keep
the DirecTiVo for the SD stuff.

They first quoted me the standard deal - $199 I think. I said
that wasn't acceptable. He then offered $49 plus $20 "handling."
I said that I knew of existing customers who got an HD DVR upgrade
with installation for free. He said that they evaluate customers
individually. I asked if my being a 14-year customer who pays
with automatic credit card payment did not merrit a better deal.
He said he could offer $99 with 6 months of free HD. This seemed
decent (since HD costs $10/mo, that would be about $40 out of
pocket).

I confirmed that my existing receiver would be part of
the install and he said it would include "relocation" of the
existing receiver. I said it didn't need to be relocated - I want
to keep it in the same place to record my SD stuff and use the
TiVo software that my family knows and loves. He emphatically
stated that there can't be two receivers in the same room. I
asked why. He mumbled something about they can't network them.
I told him I didn't want them networked - just operating in the
same room. He said I'd have to confirm that it would work with
tech support. Am I right? This should work, right?

After I accepted, he told me the total charge: $127.
I asked how it went from $99 to $127. He said it was the $99
plus the $20 handling fee. I pointed out he hadn't mentioned
the $20 fee was part of the $99 offer - he got a little upset
and insisted he did. I asked if that was the best he was going
to offer me today. He said yes, so I said I wasn't interested,
thanked him and hung up.

Any advice on how I can get a better deal out of them?

-- TRW
_______________________________________
t i m . w i t o r t
_______________________________________

Call back and get a different agent


"Tim Witort" <tim_witort.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9A3C71B0B707Btimwitortwrotethis@216.196.97.131...
> This is somewhat OT, but I think there are people here who have
> has experience with this.
>
> Made my first call to DirecTV's customer retention department
> today... I have an SD-DVR40 DirecTiVo right now. Would like to
> just add HD for the channels that offer it and my locals too. I
> want a HR-20 or HR-21 DirecTV DVR to record the HD stuff and keep
> the DirecTiVo for the SD stuff.
>
> They first quoted me the standard deal - $199 I think. I said
> that wasn't acceptable. He then offered $49 plus $20 "handling."
> I said that I knew of existing customers who got an HD DVR upgrade
> with installation for free. He said that they evaluate customers
> individually. I asked if my being a 14-year customer who pays
> with automatic credit card payment did not merrit a better deal.
> He said he could offer $99 with 6 months of free HD. This seemed
> decent (since HD costs $10/mo, that would be about $40 out of
> pocket).
>
> I confirmed that my existing receiver would be part of
> the install and he said it would include "relocation" of the
> existing receiver. I said it didn't need to be relocated - I want
> to keep it in the same place to record my SD stuff and use the
> TiVo software that my family knows and loves. He emphatically
> stated that there can't be two receivers in the same room. I
> asked why. He mumbled something about they can't network them.
> I told him I didn't want them networked - just operating in the
> same room. He said I'd have to confirm that it would work with
> tech support. Am I right? This should work, right?
>
> After I accepted, he told me the total charge: $127.
> I asked how it went from $99 to $127. He said it was the $99
> plus the $20 handling fee. I pointed out he hadn't mentioned
> the $20 fee was part of the $99 offer - he got a little upset
> and insisted he did. I asked if that was the best he was going
> to offer me today. He said yes, so I said I wasn't interested,
> thanked him and hung up.
>
> Any advice on how I can get a better deal out of them?
>
> -- TRW
> _______________________________________
> t i m . w i t o r t
> _______________________________________