$10,500

That's how much money we have shelled out to Directv these last seven years. 

Give or take, ~$125/month.

Over the course of these seven years, I've argued for various reductions based on our good customer status, and the fact that the customer service folks aren't all that keen when it comes to rational argument. So I've managed to save us $25 here and there. And I felt good about my negotiating skills. Silly me.

But we've had it. 

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Big Food inquired about a sports package. All he wanted to do was watch the Reds. So he subscribed to "Sports Package" for $12.99/mo with a $5 discount for the first three months. And for a week or so, he was able to watch the Reds and many other teams with-- and this is important-- the occasional blackout. 

And then, SERVICE NOT SUBSCRIBED 721. On all 100 or so channels.

And so he called. 



The folks he talked to last Thursday were so befuddled that they couldn't get him his channels that they offered his free HBO and Cinemax. He declined. They offered to send him to super-duper tech support but he was in the process of cooking and said he'd call back later.

Tonight he had time and called back.

He got through to super-duper tech support who instructed him to do a bunch of stuff including removing the card from the receiver, powering off and on, etc. We've all been there. 

And then the phone went dead. And Mr. Big Food turned it over to me because it was time to fix supper and, you know, we have to eat. I got in touch with tech support. I was informed that our Sports Package included the Braves and the Marlins and non-pro teams and that was it.

Why were we getting Reds games a week ago? B/C the broadcasters were broadcasting them at the start of the season. Oh. And if we cancel? We owe Directv $10.

So this fish really smells. 

We go through two calls where support thinks we have a legitimate problems, offers us free stuff, behaves as if something is wrong that is fixable (I did this once with a techie from Atlanta when we had a prob with the directv in the shack. She was awesome.) But third tech tells us we're paying for the Braves. And that's it. Plus, it's going to cost us $10 to cancel? No one in sales mentioned that. 

So my plan is this. I'll start with sales. I want to know what they have to say. I'll call from my cell. Haha. I have a question.

And then I will move forward.

I wonder if there is some good old bait & switch going on. 

And if we don't get Sports Package for nearly free for the next six months, we're outta here.

~~

I like television. I like having the T.V. on in the kitchen when I'm doing dishes. I like it when the dogs and I eat lunch when the Dog Whisper is on at 11am. TV is chatter. I don't get the news from TV. I can be otherwise entertained. 

Dircetv is going to have to come up with some really really good deal because I really don't care if we have TV any more or not.