DirecTV

[Little Whiskey]

Oh. And I called to cancel my service and they knocked half off Sunday ticket and $16 a month off the regular bill, so I'll hang onto it until after the season and THEN cancel it.

Zig, you might want to make sure you didn't enter into a contract for the discount. When I had direct tv I negotiated my bill down (matched a competitors price) and after I cancelled I was hit with a $90 fee on the last bill. I was told that since I didn't stay for a certain length of time (don't remember how long i needed to stay I think 3 Months)) after the deal was struck they back charged me for it. I had to fight them over many phone calls to finally get them to remove the bill.

Now I fight with comcast instead of direct tv. Its a pain in the ass really so I've just made a game of it. I don't hang up unitil I get what i want. I am very polite and just keep saying, "if you can't do it for me then please send me to someone who can". I usually plan to spend a couple hours on the phone evertime. Any time I call them it is an hour minimum on the phone.

[AtlPackFan]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I think you need a landline for Directv...yes/no????

No. You used to need one to get PPV, but now you can use highspeed internet. Or just not use PPV.

Do you need a hardwired connection or will wireless work? If so, how? Thanks!

I assume that you're talking about ordering PPV from the satellite box. You do need a phone line for that. Alternatively, you can use your PC, log into your account on the directTV website and purchase PPV that way. directtv then communicates one way, with your box, (the same way they program the card) and you have access to the PPV event.

Hope that helps.

The new boxes can use ethernet over highspeed. No phone line needed. I would assume that a wireless would work with it but I havent tried.

Zool and retailguy,

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

[Iron Mike]

How thew hell are you supposed to watch the Trailer Park Boys without DirecTV?

[SnakeLH2006]

Oh. And I called to cancel my service and they knocked half off Sunday ticket and $16 a month off the regular bill, so I'll hang onto it until after the season and THEN cancel it.

Any company that gets a regular payment from you....is always willing to cut deals...RETENTION.

Ty has been with Sprint since 99. Every contract that is up..ty calls...threatens to leave...connect ty to customer retention....what can we do to make you stay.

Ty hasn't paid anything for a phone in 8 years. Ty pays 40 bucks a month for 2000 anytime minutes (soon to be more), 7 nite calling time, and free top of line phone.

I agree, but if you have a buddy with Sprint it gets better. Currently I pay about $22 monthly with taxes on my HTC Mogul for 1200 anytime min. Unlimited text, unlimited data plan (streaming my Sling, Internet, Youtube vids), unlimited pic/video mail, 6pm nites, no roaming fees, free Sprint-to-Sprint and Sprint-to-Nextel, fab 5 match (don't know what they call it, but I can choose my top 5 numbers for free calls to and fro), and unless Snake goes over 1200 min/month (impossible...I hate long conversations) there is no possibility of an any overage fees. Oh yea, I also get 17% off for my firm I work for...depending where you work nationally, you get crazy discounts. I used to get a 15% loyalty discount, but had to turn it in for the 17%. In this shitty economy, EVERY cent counts, no?

I really used to upgrade my cell yearly, but the HTC Mogul is like a PC (totally mod worthy) and have a 32 gig SDHC card
that holds most all my MP3's, some great vids, EVERY old NES/SNES game to play if you are bored, etc. I rarely use it for that, but it's an amazing phone app. I really have yet to see something for a new phone since I got in Sept. 2007 that is better/need. Great phone.

Anywayz, Snake got that plan for being good buds with the GM of my local store, but got in the loop of the Sprint circle and helped out many buddies (prob. about 5-7...don't really remember/care) that get the same plan now too (called SERO....look it up on slickdeals.net) without them knowing anyone as my GM bud gave me a tip to help them out. They get the same deal for about $35 or less/monthly with taxes, just based off of Internet links.

Check that shit out. Google SERO as that is basically the plan ole Snakey is on but a bit cheaper, but for around $30/monthly that is some good stuff. My younger sis is 23 (Chemical Engineer now and smart as all hell) but shocked to hear that she could get this deal when I told her about SERO (which is the Sprint Employee and friends and family plan BTW)/hooked it up. She pays $27/monthly with SERO with Sprint for the same plan as Snake. But you could too! The best thing is that Sprint "GrandFathers" all the deals, meaning they will not raise the rates in the future. You are "stuck" and thank god, with the same rate 100 years from now if need be, as they can't raise your rate.

Check it out. Snake is here to help if anyone has any questions.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Ty will check it out. ty is done with his contact...and looking at phones..checked out pre today.

Liked it, but felt the slider was a bit flimsy and would break.

Ty likes the HTC, but Ty heard they are coming out with new HTC Pro pretty soon...like end of month. Mogul? That isn't listed on the sprint site..at least not when Ty puts in his zip code..you just buy it? Mogul is older...doesn't have the Touchflo, right?

If I go with SERO..you think they'll gimme the phone for free? Ty hasn't paid for a phone since 99. And, since ty likes a new phone every 2 years...works about the same if i keep my plan and get a phone...or get SERO and have to buy a phone.

Ty just googled...seems SERO is defunct. It was open in 06 to everybody..now closed. You now need an email addy of sprint person.

Lots of people trying to sell/takeover their sero, but there are wide variations. It appears the standard for 30 beans is 500 minutes.

You just go to the sprint website and enter a sprint email addy .....and access to plans. How hard is that...guess Ty will mosy on down to the sprint store and look at phones..and take a biz card.

Maybe Ty will offer a few beans to the right person if they can match your deal. The talk time is a lot less, but the unlimited internet and text....very good.

[SnakeLH2006]

Ty will check it out. ty is done with his contact...and looking at phones..checked out pre today.

Liked it, but felt the slider was a bit flimsy and would break.

Ty likes the HTC, but Ty heard they are coming out with new HTC Pro pretty soon...like end of month. Mogul? That isn't listed on the sprint site..at least not when Ty puts in his zip code..you just buy it? Mogul is older...doesn't have the Touchflo, right?

If I go with SERO..you think they'll gimme the phone for free? Ty hasn't paid for a phone since 99. And, since ty likes a new phone every 2 years...works about the same if i keep my plan and get a phone...or get SERO and have to buy a phone.

Ty just googled...seems SERO is defunct. It was open in 06 to everybody..now closed. You now need an email addy of sprint person.

Lots of people trying to sell/takeover their sero, but there are wide variations. It appears the standard for 30 beans is 500 minutes.

You just go to the sprint website and enter a sprint email addy .....and access to plans. How hard is that...guess Ty will mosy on down to the sprint store and look at phones..and take a biz card.

Maybe Ty will offer a few beans to the right person if they can match your deal. The talk time is a lot less, but the unlimited internet and text....very good.

SERO is STILL active. It's just not available to the general public. Still would upgrade but my HTC Mogul still pimps my cell (and fuck I love upgrades) till I know/see otherwise.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Ty will check it out. ty is done with his contact...and looking at phones..checked out pre today.

Liked it, but felt the slider was a bit flimsy and would break.

Ty likes the HTC, but Ty heard they are coming out with new HTC Pro pretty soon...like end of month. Mogul? That isn't listed on the sprint site..at least not when Ty puts in his zip code..you just buy it? Mogul is older...doesn't have the Touchflo, right?

If I go with SERO..you think they'll gimme the phone for free? Ty hasn't paid for a phone since 99. And, since ty likes a new phone every 2 years...works about the same if i keep my plan and get a phone...or get SERO and have to buy a phone.

Ty just googled...seems SERO is defunct. It was open in 06 to everybody..now closed. You now need an email addy of sprint person.

Lots of people trying to sell/takeover their sero, but there are wide variations. It appears the standard for 30 beans is 500 minutes.

You just go to the sprint website and enter a sprint email addy .....and access to plans. How hard is that...guess Ty will mosy on down to the sprint store and look at phones..and take a biz card.

Maybe Ty will offer a few beans to the right person if they can match your deal. The talk time is a lot less, but the unlimited internet and text....very good.

SERO is STILL active. It's just not available to the general public. Still would upgrade but my HTC Mogul still pimps my cell (and fuck I love upgrades) till I know/see otherwise.

You misunderstood. At one point in time..SERO was open to anybody...you didn't need the sprint person or sprint email addy. Now you do.

If you have info on how to get more than the 500 minutes cough it up. Also, according to multiple sites...certain phones aren't available on SERO..like the PRE.

There is a SERO plan..but, it isn't as good as the old plans. I'm in the site now...and the plan is:

Everything your phone can do — chirp, text, surf, watch, email, listen, find and, of course, talk — on one simple plan.

This plan includes
Data: Web surfing, email, GPS Navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV Premier, BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS)
Direct Connect: Direct Connect and Group Connect (for capable phones)
Messages: Text, pictures and video
Talk: Unlimited mobile to mobile, night calling starting at 7 p.m. and weekends, domestic long distance and no roaming charges

And, it is 60 bucks a month.

From research they got rid of the orig SERO plan in 08 or so..cos it was ABUSED. Thanx snake for fucking us all over.
Guess ty will research buying someone else's sero plan.

[SnakeLH2006]

Ty will check it out. ty is done with his contact...and looking at phones..checked out pre today.

Liked it, but felt the slider was a bit flimsy and would break.

Ty likes the HTC, but Ty heard they are coming out with new HTC Pro pretty soon...like end of month. Mogul? That isn't listed on the sprint site..at least not when Ty puts in his zip code..you just buy it? Mogul is older...doesn't have the Touchflo, right?

If I go with SERO..you think they'll gimme the phone for free? Ty hasn't paid for a phone since 99. And, since ty likes a new phone every 2 years...works about the same if i keep my plan and get a phone...or get SERO and have to buy a phone.

Ty just googled...seems SERO is defunct. It was open in 06 to everybody..now closed. You now need an email addy of sprint person.

Lots of people trying to sell/takeover their sero, but there are wide variations. It appears the standard for 30 beans is 500 minutes.

You just go to the sprint website and enter a sprint email addy .....and access to plans. How hard is that...guess Ty will mosy on down to the sprint store and look at phones..and take a biz card.

Maybe Ty will offer a few beans to the right person if they can match your deal. The talk time is a lot less, but the unlimited internet and text....very good.

SERO is STILL active. It's just not available to the general public. Still would upgrade but my HTC Mogul still pimps my cell (and fuck I love upgrades) till I know/see otherwise.

You misunderstood. At one point in time..SERO was open to anybody...you didn't need the sprint person or sprint email addy. Now you do.

If you have info on how to get more than the 500 minutes cough it up. Also, according to multiple sites...certain phones aren't available on SERO..like the PRE.

There is a SERO plan..but, it isn't as good as the old plans. I'm in the site now...and the plan is:

Everything your phone can do — chirp, text, surf, watch, email, listen, find and, of course, talk — on one simple plan.

This plan includes
Data: Web surfing, email, GPS Navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV Premier, BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS)
Direct Connect: Direct Connect and Group Connect (for capable phones)
Messages: Text, pictures and video
Talk: Unlimited mobile to mobile, night calling starting at 7 p.m. and weekends, domestic long distance and no roaming charges

And, it is 60 bucks a month.

From research they got rid of the orig SERO plan in 08 or so..cos it was ABUSED. Thanx snake for fucking us all over.
Guess ty will research buying someone else's sero plan.

I wasn't aware that you could do it online, as I always took my buddies into the store to meet with the GM, and he did the deal there. Of course I took about $50 from my buddies or so to do this...and in turn had to take my buddy/GM out for a round of golf/drinks.

As far as my plan, I believe I got the "Fab 5", 6pm nites, and 1200 min. cuz I knew my buddy. It's basically a raped version of SERO (not the one that is officially known). It's basically the same plan my buddy who runs the store has. For $22 a month, I love Sprint.

I really have no reason to upgrade to a new phone, but yeah, you can get new phones for free, but back in Sept. 2007 that was the pimpest phone out there (full PDA, touch, GPS chip, etc.) as I have yet to see something else to get. I did pay $50 for it, as it was BRAND NEW tech at the time, and wasn't even on the website or stores. The list was $650, but I used the $250 retention bonus, and scoured the web for a $200 and $150 rebate that I fudged and sent in. You get what you pay for (or swindle ) so yeah, you could get a new phone for free, but never a top of the line for free. The HTC Mogul rocks, as I added numerous MOD'd apps and still do, and upgraded the ROM with new cooked ROM's 3 times now. So it's fully upgradeable. If I wanted it to run like the IPhone, it could do all the same stuff EXACTLY like the IPhone, but that setup is for emo's.

[digitaldean]

Oh. And I called to cancel my service and they knocked half off Sunday ticket and $16 a month off the regular bill, so I'll hang onto it until after the season and THEN cancel it.

Any company that gets a regular payment from you....is always willing to cut deals...RETENTION.

Ty has been with Sprint since 99. Every contract that is up..ty calls...threatens to leave...connect ty to customer retention....what can we do to make you stay.

Ty hasn't paid anything for a phone in 8 years. Ty pays 40 bucks a month for 2000 anytime minutes (soon to be more), 7 nite calling time, and free top of line phone.

My contract is due soon, I may have to try a little haggling with my Sprint rep.....

[MJZiggy]

Ha! All this discussion on what to do with satellite and I turn the thing on last night only to find that I have no signal!!!

[Bretsky]

it appears if you had the NFL Package last year Direct TV will give you a notice and assume you want it this year.

I think I'm going to call to tell them I don't want it and wait to see if they have any special offers for those who sign up.

I've never liked that assumption strategy

[Little Whiskey]

just got my cable bill after renegotiating with them to a lower rate. damn thing is about the same as the old rate. of course they put so much crap on there you can follow what you are being charged for.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Oh. And I called to cancel my service and they knocked half off Sunday ticket and $16 a month off the regular bill, so I'll hang onto it until after the season and THEN cancel it.

Any company that gets a regular payment from you....is always willing to cut deals...RETENTION.

Ty has been with Sprint since 99. Every contract that is up..ty calls...threatens to leave...connect ty to customer retention....what can we do to make you stay.

Ty hasn't paid anything for a phone in 8 years. Ty pays 40 bucks a month for 2000 anytime minutes (soon to be more), 7 nite calling time, and free top of line phone.

My contract is due soon, I may have to try a little haggling with my Sprint rep.....

Yes, call them up...and say you are gonna quit..they should put you thru to customer retention. Now, Ty will say that he hasn't done this in 2 years, since last contract was up....and that Sprint has had some bad financial quarters....so, i guess they coulda changed, but i would think they would even be more desperate to stop the customer loss hemorrhaging.

Last go round: Got the Samsung Blade for free (was hot new phone at the time), got more minutes, and got them to put me at 7 for nites (ty had been at 8 when everybody else was at 9...but, then they had changed to 7).

PM if you need assistance or strats.

Snake's SERO plan isn't out there...unless there is something that you can get from the manager at the physical locations. However, Ty has googled "sero plans for sale" and they are out there for sale..customer transfers to you. However, that means you gotta pay for the phone.

Ty just got an email from a guy in Miami looking to sell his.

[SnakeLH2006]

The problem is this....if you call them up ready to quit...be ready to do it. It's 50/50 if they offer you better....and that's the past talking. If you really don't wanna quit don't do it, cuz with the economy (had 2 out of 2 buddies do it in the past month) you might get fucked. Don't call retentions. Just haggle them with "other" deals you might get, don't call retentions as you better be ready to quit if you don't get what you want. Both lost their plans..And NO ONE is as smart as TY, so just forget that nonsense.

[retailguy]

The problem is this....if you call them up ready to quit...be ready to do it. It's 50/50 if they offer you better....and that's the past talking. If you really don't wanna quit don't do it, cuz with the economy (had 2 out of 2 buddies do it in the past month) you might get fucked. Don't call retentions. Just haggle them with "other" deals you might get, don't call retentions as you better be ready to quit if you don't get what you want. Both lost their plans..And NO ONE is as smart as TY, so just forget that nonsense.

This has been my experience too. You had better be prepared to leave, because that's a distinct possibility. Too many people have gone before you, insisting that they know the firms business better than the firm.

I pay $85 a month for 3 lines with sprint and 2000 shared anytime minutes. How much better can a plan get? You think the retention folks at Sprint don't know that my plan is better than any plans on the market when I call? What incentive do they have to drop my price further? Because I'll leave? Then I'll pay more, wherever I go. It doesn't make any sense. The sprint folks know that, or should know that too.

You just have to fully think through what you're doing. You have to understand the market at the time you're calling, and you have to know what is reasonable for your particular situation. Just making a stink because you can won't typically work. Consumers have power, but not the power that they think they have. Some customers are just too difficult to deal with, regardless of the price.