# New rate increase sheet in with my Bill..



## IwantmyTiVo (Sep 20, 2005)

I know most of you probably already know this, but I will share anyway. March 1, rates are going up. My Total choice is going to $44.99, and each receiver, $5.99 and dvr service, $5.99. I know we all knew this was coming, but this will be $7 (plus tax) for me, and its still a hard pill to swallow! HBO, etc. not to change at least.

My local channels are included with the Total choice. I don't know if this is the same for everyone.

Edit: I concede that the mirroring fee will not change, but the DVR service will. Sorry about that!


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## Rax (Jun 11, 2002)

The HD package was rumored to come down to $9.99 around then too.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

I didn't recall an increase in the MIRRORING fee?

Are you sure about that? (the increase to $5.99) for each reciever?


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## IwantmyTiVo (Sep 20, 2005)

ebonovic said:


> I didn't recall an increase in the MIRRORING fee?
> 
> Are you sure about that? (the increase to $5.99) for each reciever?


Earl, I am pretty sure thats what the sheet said. I'm at work now, so I can't double-check, but it said receiver fees were going to $5.99 and DVR service going to $5.99. I don't remember what it said for HD service, as I don't have that, sorry.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

The mirroring fee is not going up. It's the DVR fee that is listed as $5.99.
The HD package is being reduced to $9.99.
TC+ w/o locals will now be $45.99.


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## Larus (Nov 15, 2001)

And according to the insert in my bill received yesterday, Total Choice Plus is going up to $48.99


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## jeff92k7 (Jan 18, 2006)

I'm so glad that I cancelled my DTV service last month. It is so nice not having to worry about yet another price increase for overcompressed TV service.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Unless you have a local cable-co... where you get a price increase, and lose channels unless you go to their digital package (which raised it's prices to0)


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## CsrLiz344 (Apr 12, 2004)

I got mine yesterday also, and wrote an email this morning asking when my contract was up, cause they just raised prices last year. They're getting to be like the freakin' cable company, thinkin' they gotta do it every year.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 8, 2006)

CsrLiz344 said:


> I got mine yesterday also, and wrote an email this morning asking when my contract was up, cause they just raised prices last year. They're getting to be like the freakin' cable company, thinkin' they gotta do it every year.


If you are still under contract, your rates can only be increased when the contract expires.


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## DesignDawg (Aug 10, 2005)

Boston Fan said:


> If you are still under contract, your rates can only be increased when the contract expires.


Not true.



> Programming Agreement: Within 30 days of purchase of your DIRECTV System equipment, you agree to activate any DIRECTV® TOTAL CHOICE® programming package (valued at $36.99 per month or above), any DIRECTV PARA TODOS® programming package (valued at $33.99 per month or above), Phoenix TV, or Jadeworld programming package. DIRECTVs PROGRAMMING AND PRICING SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. The programming package must be maintained for a period of twelve (12) for standard system or twenty-four (24) consecutive months for HD or DVR system (without interruption) for each DIRECTV System purchased by you, including additional DIRECTV Receivers ($4.99 per month per additional receiver as long as all receivers are connected to the same phone line). After you have fulfilled your twelve (12) month or twenty-four (24) month agreement to the required programming package, you are not obligated to continue your subscription to DIRECTV programming for any specific duration. Existing DIRECTV customers may activate additional receivers with their existing DIRECTV programming package.


Notice the prices are listed as "$x.xx OR ABOVE" and it says "PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME."

They absolutely can, and will, change your rates mid-stream.

Ricky


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## Tonedeaf (Sep 24, 2004)

jeff92k7 said:


> I'm so glad that I cancelled my DTV service last month. It is so nice not having to worry about yet another price increase for overcompressed TV service.


Which service do you have now that doesn't increase their pricing? Dish Network and cable are all raising prices. Unless you are strictly OTA, you are still seeing increases.


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## Redux (Oct 19, 2004)

Tonedeaf said:


> Unless you are strictly OTA, you are still seeing increases.


OTA HD/digital is really pretty good, if still inconsistent in many areas. Ghost-free, the tuners are much better than they used to be, antennas are higher quality and there are some nice efficient designs. It is extemely easy now in many locations to have a custom antenna (or set of two) rigged specifically for your local neighborhood that is cheap and very effective, with no need for rotators.

I think that's my future for local & OTA network DVRing, supplemented by Netflix and downloading specific programs from "cable only" stations a la carte. The escallating monthly subscription for 99% drek is not working for me and I may not be alone in that feeling.

Digital OTA for baseload, plus specific programs ala carte, may be the new revolution. Cable/Satellite as we know it may be end-of-life. Except as low-cost a la carte providers if they can survive on that very lean model.

At least something to talk over with retention next time you want to make a deal.


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## Directvlover (Apr 12, 2004)

ebonovic said:


> Unless you have a local cable-co... where you get a price increase, and lose channels unless you go to their digital package (which raised it's prices to0)


I switched back to cable recently from Directv which i did love...but i got to tell you...my cable company blows Directv out of the water with price, selection, and picture quality. They don't even charge for HD service. They provide more HD channel options then Directv including my local HD's. Their DVR is dual tuner HD recordable. They offer On Demand which is way cool...plus since i'm able to bundle with my phone and internet i save $10 a month on highspeed internet and $10 off my phone bill. I did a comparison price work up, comparing what i would pay if i had directv vs cable...and i get more services, more channels and better picture quality for over $30 less per month by going through cable.

It didn't use to be that way, but now cable (at least my cable company Cox) has done a good job at stepping it up. Directv better take notice...these price increases aren't the way to go. My cable company is still charging the same prices that they were charging in January 2005. Not a single increase...the only letters i get from them aren't ones telling me that my rates are going up...they're ones that tell me that they're adding more services and giving them to me for no extra charge...Got to love it. I loved my Directv when i had it...but i don't miss it.

I'm keeping a close eye on Directv.. Once they start offering better HD, i might consider them again, but as of right now...if i switched back, i'd be getting less for a whole lot more.($30+ per month)


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Directvlover said:


> I switched back to cable recently from Directv which i did love...but i got to tell you...my cable company blows Directv out of the water with price, selection, and picture quality.


I have considered it, but I am hooked on TiVo, so until I go HDTV, unless something really bad happens, I will stay with DirecTV and my DirecTiVos until 2009, give or take a year, which is my target date to go to HDTV.

Maybe you should get your user name changed to *Directvex-lover*.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

The problem with comparing DirecTV to CableCo's.... is that, not everyone's cable-co is the same.

When I have done comparisons to "MY" CableCo... it is no contest... DirecTV wins (easily if you exclude the upfront cost for the hardware).


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

ebonovic said:


> The problem with comparing DirecTV to CableCo's.... is that, not everyone's cable-co is the same.
> 
> When I have done comparisons to "MY" CableCo... it is no contest... DirecTV wins (easily if you exclude the upfront cost for the hardware).


I agree not everyone's cable is the same *BUT* many cable systems are bunding digital cable, internet and phone for $100/month with no extra charge for HD.

In many markets Directv is losing the price advantage they had.


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## Directvlover (Apr 12, 2004)

lew said:


> I agree not everyone's cable is the same *BUT* many cable systems are bunding digital cable, internet and phone for $100/month with no extra charge for HD.
> 
> In many markets Directv is losing the price advantage they had.


I don't want to be mis-understood...i never had a problem with Directv service. I loved it...i am not bashing it at all....in my market...Omaha....Cable wins...Directv use to win which is why i once subscribed...but like i said above, Cox has stepped it up here, and Directv can't touch the bundling discounts i get now. Especially the free HD lineup with more HD Channels offered.


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## smithken31100 (Mar 5, 2003)

My cable company, Brighthouse, is offering full basic, digital, DVR, a few HD channels and free on demand for $40 per month guaranteed for 2 years. This offer is good to satellite customers switching to cable. In the past I never had trouble with the quality of service from Brighthouse and my parents and some friends are still with Brighthouse and have no complaints about the quality. The Brighthouse installer left here about 3 hours ago.


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## jrinck (Nov 24, 2004)

These increases are tolerable, financial-wise, but on a more dangerous side for DirecTV, I find that I reconsider just how much TV I watch every time they raise the price.

I am now a Premier customer, but looking at my Now Playing List and To Do List, I find that pretty much all of it comes from the "OTA" channels. If I were to drop down to the minimum package that still contained locals, I don't think I'd notice all that much.

And the concept of ditching it all for true Over The Air (with standalone Tivo) is gaining more mindshare as the months go by.

Maybe their marketing reports say that people will pay anything for TV, but everything--EVERYTHING--has a limit. And if they push too hard, people might just quit it altogether and discover that life without TV isn't really so bad after all.


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

lew said:


> I agree not everyone's cable is the same *BUT* many cable systems are bunding digital cable, internet and phone for $100/month with no extra charge for HD.
> 
> In many markets Directv is losing the price advantage they had.


Exactly. It used to be that TiVo had a better lineup, better price and better quality than the vast majority of cable companies. That advantage is rapidly disappearing and it may not even be a majority any more. Once the S3 arrives I can save $30 a month switching to my cable company's Digital Cable/Internet bundle and get more channels. They guarantee that price until 2008.


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## goony (Nov 20, 2003)

ebonovic said:


> The problem with comparing DirecTV to CableCo's.... is that, not everyone's cable-co is the same.


Another factor is reliability - some cablecos are notorious about having frequent extended outages (squirrel peed on the line?) while others are very, very stable.

Long ago I left cable for DBS due to crappy cable uptime, but I don't know if my local cableco is better now or not.

Christmas-before-last we had a massive ice storm that took down power and CATV lines (I had no utility power for 88 hours). My video was out for about 20 minutes (time it took to start my generator and wave a propane torch on the back of my dish to cause all the ice to slide off in one sheet). There were some people that got power back on within a day or so but still had to wait a week to get their CATV back.

In that kind of situation a few dollars off of the bill for a comp just doesn't cut it with me.


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## codespy (Jan 7, 2006)

What is T.C. premiere going up to? right now $93.99. Should I assume the position?


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## jeff92k7 (Jan 18, 2006)

jrinck said:


> These increases are tolerable, financial-wise, but on a more dangerous side for DirecTV, I find that I reconsider just how much TV I watch every time they raise the price.
> 
> <snip> I find that pretty much all of it comes from the "OTA" channels.


I was in this exact position about a month ago. Mine stemmed from too much month left at the end of the money. I reconsidered everything we spend money on to find out what we could cut back or cut out. Satellite was one of the first things I looked at.

I realized that we were paying about $65 per month (including all taxes and receiver and Tivo fees) to be able to watch local channels. We did watch some other things but not enough to warrant all that cost. So we cancelled Dtv and got basic cable with HDTV. We didn't get digital cable, just analog, basic cable with the HDTV package. Now I can just plug it into whatever TV I want without having to pay for extra receivers, plus I've got HDTV on our living room TV. Total cost including taxes: $21.18 per month. That saves us almost $45 per month...that's over $500 per year.

Each Cable Co. is different, but all should have a basic analog only package that would be a HUGE savings over the smallest DTV package that includes locals.

Now when I hear about rates going up with DTV, I don't have to worry about it. To my knowledge, they don't raise rates on the locals only cable package very often, but even if they do, it would have to take a LOT of rate increases to get the cost up to what DTV charges for their smallest package. (For comparison, based on the new rates, I would have been spending almost $75 per month. Needless to say, I won't miss that bill.)

Jeff


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## Guindalf (Jun 13, 2001)

I wish I HAD an alternative to D*. Not that I would necessarily change, but it would be nice to have the option. Where I live, we have the choice of Alltel (who offer Dish!) or maybe Northland Cable. The latter wouldn't know HD if it slapped them in the face. I think they believe it means Heavy Duty or something. Their Digital Cable service starts at $35 but their cable internet is $50 a month - all plus taxes and fees - and, as we know, their basic channels are not even stereo, let alone digital. Looks like crap on my 53" Panny widescreen.
They do offer more locals than I get from D* as we're between Atlanta and Greenville, SC, but they just dropped channel 11 (NBC Atlanta) as they had to pay something like $45k for three years to continue. 
So, like so many here, I'm stuck with D*. Not that I'm complaining. I have an HR10-250 and a Philips 704 (and a third SD TiVo on its way this weekend thanks to the "free" deal) and PQ is pretty good. And if they keep adding HD channels, I'll be even happier. I guess with the HD reduction and price increases, I'll be paying an extra $1 or 2, so I can live with that. Especially as I got the HR10 for free (plus programming extras and a $200 credit for the installer not coming out when he should!).


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## IwantmyTiVo (Sep 20, 2005)

Our directv bill is currently around $90 ( to go up in March). If it was just me, I would have the basic (plus 3 receivers) I rarely watch anything on Cable. But hubby who loves movies has to have HBO and Starz. So not much I can do here.

Our local cable service is Time Warner, and that worked out horrific for us. We stupidly once got rid of Directv a few years back and went back to TW for a while because it was a little (not a lot) cheaper. Anyway, just like the first time we had it, the service was horrific. The picture was slightly staticy (is that a word) on all the channels. After having service techs (with attitudes) come out three or four times to try to 'fix' things over a two-month period, we gave up and went back to Directv. I want to say never again. But I just don't know at this point. Directv is really going down some questionable paths in my opinion. We have Road Runner Internet (through Time Warner), so I may be pursuaded to go with some sort of 'bundle' with Time Warner if the price was really a deal, and Directv really ticked me off in some way.


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## codespy (Jan 7, 2006)

Talked to retention today, prices are going up $3 across the board for packages. T.C. Premier goes to $96.99.


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## CsrLiz344 (Apr 12, 2004)

Boston Fan said:


> If you are still under contract, your rates can only be increased when the contract expires.


My contract is up, I emailed them yesterday and asked. As much as I hate to go back to cable, they offered me a good deal, price guarantee for 18 months. So, I'm gonna take it-if it's that bad, I'm sure D* will give me a deal to come back.


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## smithken31100 (Mar 5, 2003)

goony said:


> Another factor is reliability - some cablecos are notorious about having frequent extended outages (squirrel peed on the line?) while others are very, very stable.


My cable company used to be very reliable, the dog would pee in the yard and the cable would go out, it didn't matter that the cable was 20 feet above where the dog peed. When Time-Warner became our local cable company things changed drastically, it's been over 10 years since my parents have had a cable outage and I never had an outage from the time Time Warner took over and when I switched to DTV.


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## islander (Sep 15, 2002)

jeff92k7 said:


> So we cancelled Dtv and got basic cable with HDTV. We didn't get digital cable, just analog, basic cable with the HDTV package. Now I can just plug it into whatever TV I want without having to pay for extra receivers, plus I've got HDTV on our living room TV. Total cost including taxes: $21.18 per month. That saves us almost $45 per month...that's over $500 per year.
> 
> Each Cable Co. is different, but all should have a basic analog only package that would be a HUGE savings over the smallest DTV package that includes locals.


Wow... I was paying $42.99/month for basic analog service (no HDTV, no Digital, just locals + basic cable) from Comcast before I moved.... and was paying $13/mo on top of that for a standalone TiVo.

I went for DirecTV because, even with the service, mirroring fee and TiVo fee, I am still paying less than I was.... and that's even before BellSouth knocks $10 off!


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## IwantmyTiVo (Sep 20, 2005)

islander said:


> Wow... I was paying $42.99/month for basic analog service (no HDTV, no Digital, just locals + basic cable) from Comcast before I moved.... and was paying $13/mo on top of that for a standalone TiVo.
> 
> I went for DirecTV because, even with the service, mirroring fee and TiVo fee, I am still paying less than I was.... and that's even before BellSouth knocks $10 off!


Wow how are you getting $10 knocked off? I only get $2 knocked off.


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## jeff92k7 (Jan 18, 2006)

islander said:


> Wow... I was paying $42.99/month for basic analog service (no HDTV, no Digital, just locals + basic cable) from Comcast before I moved.... and was paying $13/mo on top of that for a standalone TiVo.
> 
> I went for DirecTV because, even with the service, mirroring fee and TiVo fee, I am still paying less than I was.... and that's even before BellSouth knocks $10 off!


That $21 breaks down to $13 for local's only, $5 for HDTV, and the rest is taxes. TiVo was purchased with the rebate so there is no monthly svc fee right now. We may upgrade it to lifetime subscription to save even more over it's lifetime.

With our situation, we only really watched the locals. The cheapest we could get locals with DTV for was adding them onto one of the total choice packages that contained all those channels we didn't watch. It just wasn't worth it to us anymore.

I had no complaints about DTV while we were with them. The service was good, I never had any problems with extended outages, and when I had to call customer service a few times, I always had good service. Unfortunately, those benefits still weren't enough to justify the cost.

Now that I have cable, I can tell you that the picture quality with DTV wasn't as good as what I thought it was. Due to their overcompression, there was a lot of pixelation in fast moving images and foggy or smokey scenes. I don't have any of that pixelation with the uncompressed cable, but the picture through the TiVo or the cable box isn't quite as clean as DTV's was, but the tuner in my TV is pretty darn good and can clean up the image so much that it looks almost digital (without compression artifacts) To me, its a fair tradeoff. The HD channel through the cable box are perfect, of course.

Jeff


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## islander (Sep 15, 2002)

IwantmyTiVo said:


> Wow how are you getting $10 knocked off? I only get $2 knocked off.


I've got DSL, Long Distance and Complete Choice thru BellSouth... I think it was $2, $5 or $10 off depending on how many services you have thru BellSouth.


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## Steve1212 (Dec 1, 2004)

It's really amazing to me. Because of a few dollar increase in TC people are whining like its 20 bucks more a month. I mean sure no increase would be great, but geez it's only a couple bucks lol. Think of it as an extra coffee on the way to work.


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## hoopsrgreat (Jan 2, 2005)

i dont think it is the 3 bucks, i think it is the fact that we all used to agree that D* was different than the cable company, and we actually felt special(maybe a reach), but now D* seems to be just like the old cable companies we despised when we switched from cable to D*.

Kind of like watching an old friend with alzheimers............ we still see you direct tv, but you dont know us anymore.


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## smithken31100 (Mar 5, 2003)

Steve1212 said:


> It's really amazing to me. Because of a few dollar increase in TC people are whining like its 20 bucks more a month. I mean sure no increase would be great, but geez it's only a couple bucks lol. Think of it as an extra coffee on the way to work.


It wasn't the increase that made me switch but the increase did make me take another look at cable. I can get cable for $39.95 guaranteed for 2 years, this includes basic, digital and DVR. By the time I throw in taxes and franchise fees we're probably talking about $45 per month. I figure that's a savings of roughly $10 per month over DTV and I still get everything I want.


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## JJA (Feb 27, 2000)

One day D* will be remembered for making the cable companies improve. D* will be a distant memory except those places than can not get cable


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## tbeckner (Oct 26, 2001)

Steve1212 said:


> It's really amazing to me. Because of a few dollar increase in TC people are whining like its 20 bucks more a month. I mean sure no increase would be great, but geez it's only a couple bucks lol. Think of it as an extra coffee on the way to work.


I really don't believe it is the $3 to $4 per month increase, I believe some of us really don't like being *lied to*. I also believe the reaction is a symptom of a deeper disease and reflects all the bad news coming from DirecTV and directed at the customer. Its not just the price increase; this thread is just a sounding board for a lot of unhappy people, whose numbers appear to be growing.

Some Examples of the Negative DirecTV News or the lack of (uncertainty)


Discontinues TiVo DVR options (which is embraced by many DVR users)
Lease Options (uncertainty surrounding purchase options)
Rate Increase (when we where told there would be no rate increase)
Release of a buggy new DirecTV DVR (which offers no real increase in features)
Uncertainty of HD DVR options (replacement of TiVo HD DVR and unknown and unannounced costs)
Uncertainty of HD Channels (no announcements explaining HD channel activation and availability) 

And the following posts reflect the "Unhappy Customer Syndrome".



JJA said:


> One day D* will be remembered for making the cable companies improve. D* will be a distant memory except those places than can not get cable





hoopsrgreat said:


> i dont think it is the 3 bucks, i think it is the fact that we all used to agree that D* was different than the cable company, and we actually felt special(maybe a reach), but now D* seems to be just like the old cable companies we despised when we switched from cable to D*.
> 
> Kind of like watching an old friend with alzheimers............ we still see you direct tv, but you dont know us anymore.


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## Steve1212 (Dec 1, 2004)

While i appreciate the feedback, i will have to agree to disagree. I personally think Directv is a premier TV choice (and no i dont work for DirecTV.) They provide the best sports packages and everything is automated within thier site. While im not a Huge HD buff, i am fine with the channels that are available. I really am enjoying the Hockey on UniversalHD for the olympics and love ESPN & ESPN2HD for College BBall. I am dissapointed that the Tivo DVRs are discountinued, but that is something we all knew for quite some time. Just like with insurance, people will always switch companies. I personally hate cable and will never go back. Thier HD DVR's were a joke and customer service was non existant. Just my 2 cents


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## m17_jeff (Jul 12, 2005)

So... have online billing.. How do I view the insert in my bill???

"New Pricing Effective March 1, 2006, the monthly price of some of our services will change. See the new pricing enclosed with this bill for details."


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## Kablemodem (May 26, 2001)

We received emails a couple of weeks ago.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

funny thing is, no insert in my bill last week. Also even though I subscribed to all their newsletters, i never get a single one and they are in my 'approve' list.


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## i_be_broke (Feb 16, 2006)

I know the reply is a little late, but I feel compelled to chime in on this one!

I, too, received the 'note' listing the rate change...not the reason mind you...just the rate change. Is it due to increasing fees from content providers? More $$ for R+D? Al Queda? C'mon, you have to tell me something! 

Contrary to Steve1212's rationalizing, tacking on another $3.00 to my monthy bill is a little 'pimpy'...especially when you consider my equipment is three years old (technologically, probably closer to five). 

At least when my condo association tacks on a special assessment, they have a discussion leading up to it. This one came clear out of the blue.


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## BlindLemonLarry (Jun 19, 2004)

IwantmyTiVo said:


> My local channels are included with the Total choice. I don't know if this is the same for everyone.


I've never subscribed to local channels, as I'm in a major metropolitan area with strong broadcast signals, and my old ReplayTV handles OTA PVR duties nicely.

Ever since the rate increase, I *DO* get locals from D*. It's likely I never would have known, but I added a second (DVR4ME) DirecTivo, and while in the process of locking out channels I don't get, noticed that locals were active. I assume they've simply rolled them into the base package price. (I have Total Choice plus HBO & Starz.) You used to be able to order locals "a la carte," but I no longer see any option for that on the website.


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## mick34 (Sep 13, 2005)

I called the retention line about the price increase. I started a new 2-yr contract in September so I'm locked up for the next 18 months. I said it's not fair to raise the price if I'm not allowed to cancel the service. As an extreme example, I said they could double the monthly price and I'm still obligated to pay it.

The bottom line is I got a lump-sum credit that offsets my rate increase for the duration of my contract.

I had many billing problems too, so that could've been a factor in getting the credit, but the rep said that if the $3 increase is a burden, they could help out. In other words: ask nicely and you'll get a credit.


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