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DTV & Versus…For What It’s Worth
by Mike Chen on 09/29/09 at 11:00 AM ET
Comments (37)
Pretty much everyone knows that the NHL has suggested that DirecTV subscribers call DirecTV and bug them about Versus. As a longtime DirecTV subscriber, I decided to do just that to see what they’d say. After doing a little research, I saw that some people were getting free stuff for complaining.
I’m not necessarily advocating that you do this, but it never hurts to try. Here’s what happened and what I got:
First, I got a thickly accented customer service representative who was utterly clueless. He told me that “The Versus” is no longer available and didn’t really know anything about it when I said that hockey season starts this week. Finally, when I told him that I’ve politely been a loyal customer with no complaints but I basically only watch hockey, and Dish Network has what I need, he read me a prepared statement (he put me on hold for a minute, presumably to load the statement on his screen). I then asked to talk to his supervisor.
The supervisor spoke more clearly and I politely (key point) explained that all I watch is hockey and while I already have Center Ice, Versus has exclusive games and the playoffs. This guy was much more with it and apologized, said they were getting flooded by Versus calls (he said that their call center has spiked by 3000% since then). I then threw in the caveat that while I still haven’t upgraded to HD, I was planning on doing it for this hockey season and Dish Network would get me Versus and a bunch of free HD stuff if I jumped ship.
First, he tried to offer me either free Starz or Showtime for three months, along with a six-month discount. I again emphasized my point about Dish Network and he said he could give me both channels and the six-month discount. I said I would talk it over with my wife because Versus was really important to me. He then said that he could offer me that package, then transfer me to another department where they could give me a promotional price on a new HD DVR (they usually force you to pay $200 for this unless you haggle with them). He promised that negotiations were happening with Versus and that their representatives were repeatedly telling the higher ups about the amount of calls they were getting, so the pressure was on to have the negotiations happen fast.
(Re: You’ll get it. Here’s free stuff. Don’t jump ship.)
I told him that sounded good and he instantly turned on the movie channels and transferred me to another guy in “packages and promotions” (which I’m assuming is customer retention). I explained the whole thing to this guy and he said they’d give me the HD DVR for $100, but that’s essentially free because of our monthly discount (though I had to pay out of pocket). We also had a random conversation about The Beatles Rock Band—hey, you gotta get on his good side.
So to sum up, I talked with three guys:
1) Utterly clueless CSR who couldn’t speak English.
2) His supervisor, who first offered a discount, then a movie channel, then discount with two movie channels.
3) Customer retention, which upgraded me to HD with $100 off of the HD DVR in addition to the aforementioned stuff.
I told a friend about this tonight and he managed to get free Center Ice ($160 value) out of them. They went through five CSRs to do it, including the first one who essentially blew them off.
News of this opportunity is spreading around the web—I’ve seen it on both bargain message boards and hockey message boards. I don’t know if you’ll actually get anything out of it, but I figured it was worth a try. Some people got more, some got less, and some got a metaphorical door slammed in their face. It all depends who you get and how you act, but I found that the first person who couldn’t get me a thing was willing to pass me along when I was politely difficult.
That still doesn’t solve the Versus thing, but the more people that call and do this, the more pressure it puts on DirecTV to get it done.
Filed in: NHL | Mike Chen's Hockey Blog | Permalink
Tags: Center+Ice, DirecTV, Versus,
Comments
why not? i had center ice last year and i watched the devs in HD......sadly the high definition doesn’t treat Chico Resch too kindly 
Posted by Itrusteddrrahmani from Ann Arbor on 09/29/09 at 12:23 PM ET
Half way thru the season, MSG HD was pulled off of CI. So if out of market, all games broadcast by MSG are not in HD.
Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 09/29/09 at 12:41 PM ET
I just called, got put thru to promotions dept, received CI for free.
Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 09/29/09 at 02:24 PM ET
direct tv is not rolling over for me. i called twice and only received a half price offer. i guess i’ll wait until next week when i get paid to call back.
Posted by josh from austin, tx on 09/29/09 at 02:57 PM ET
I think it really depends on the rep you get. Like I said, my friend had to go through five reps before they finally buckled (she was really stubborn to them too). Sounds like Paul had it easy. Eric Mcerlain from Fanhouse/Off Wing told me he got it half off.
My philosophy going into this is that something is better than nothing. As the season gets closer and they have more complaints, I’m not sure if they’ll buckle more or hold their ground more.
Posted by Mike Chen on 09/29/09 at 03:03 PM ET
i spoke with a p.r. statement reading agent at first, then stated i would have no problem paying the early termination fee on my contract in order to switch back to time warner, where i could get versus. i was immediately put through to customer retention and given center ice for free. thanks for the heads up, mike.
Posted by Brandon from Cincinnati on 09/29/09 at 04:19 PM ET
I was told that I was not informed, and that I should get over it...it was awesome.
Posted by Bethany on 09/29/09 at 04:45 PM ET
I just got a free HD DVR for my bedroom....
BTW, I’ve been with them for 10 years this month, so that may have something to do with the freebie, rather than a partial discount like I’ve seen from some others....
Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 09/29/09 at 05:17 PM ET
Bethany gave me the full details of her entertaining conversation over IM. I think we should peer pressure her into writing a full post about it because it’s probably the greatest example of poor customer service that I’ve seen in a long, long time. Probably the worst since a Denny’s visit in high school.
Posted by Mike Chen on 09/29/09 at 05:48 PM ET
I called Time Warner to thank them for not causing trouble with Versus like DirecTV. They raised my rates and cut off my internet service. 
Seriously though, good on everybody for calling and putting pressure on them. I’m not happy with the fact that the NHL is still on Versus, but I’m on Versus’ side through all of this. As a fan of the NHL, we need as many people watching the national telecasts as possible.
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 09/29/09 at 05:59 PM ET
I just got free center ice and a free hd dvr. I told them I was going to cancel my service and I am not within the 2 year commitment so that helped. Thanks Mike.
Posted by jt from NY on 09/29/09 at 07:34 PM ET
O.k. I’m on Customer Service Rep #2 now....I didn’t get Center Ice for free but they did give me a $100 credit for this month.
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 09/29/09 at 07:36 PM ET
I had got nowhere with the first CS, immediately asked to speak to someone higher up. Got a guy who said that he felt bad for me, but it’s outta his hands. Told me to be patient. I told him I was considering switching back to cable. He said to give it a week. If Directv didn’t have Versus up by then he is calling me back and is going to see what he can do to compensate me. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Posted by PScout from The Real Western Mass on 09/29/09 at 07:37 PM ET
Try asking for Customer Retention on the automated menu. Those dudes are there specifically to compensate customers who have complaints.
Posted by Peter Forsberg's Spleen on 09/29/09 at 07:55 PM ET
Tried and and stayed on the phone for about 30 minutes or so, but it was worth it. The first customer service rep offered me the $50 off the Center Ice package, but I said no. I was then transferred to the promotions department who offered me $10 off my bill for 6 months instead. I again said no and that I’ll probably end up switching satellite providers as a result. I was then offered $50 off the Center Ice package plus a free HD DVR receiver upgrade (worth $220 including the receiver and the delivery costs). I accepted that offer and saved $270.
Posted by Jason on 09/29/09 at 08:27 PM ET
DTV’s gotta be losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, between the customers who have actually switched and the freebies to what has to be thousands of callers....
Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 09/29/09 at 09:39 PM ET
Didn’t push too much and settled for $50 off Center Ice. If the dispute goes very long I’ll be back. And God help them if they continue to the playoffs!
Posted by BK from Detroit 144mi.;Columbus 142; Pitts. 144; Buff. 219 on 09/30/09 at 12:09 AM ET
Its great that people are getting some free stuff for hassling with the DTV people, but I just want to add my .02. I had DTV from the first year it was available, until a year and a half ago. I switched to DishNetwok and would never go back to DTV. The HD is excellent, rarely have outages, even during big storms, and the PVR is much, much better. Those who don’t want the hassle of fighting with DTV, you should check out DishNetwork.
Posted by Chris on 09/30/09 at 11:50 AM ET
I was only able to get half off Center Ice. Took some work too.
Posted by Greg on 09/30/09 at 12:57 PM ET
No offense but you should have gone w/ the Dish Network option. You would have gotten the HD DVR for free, even for 4 rooms. Plus current promotions offer $15 off for the first 12 mths and free HBO/Showtime for 3mths.
Add to that with the correct package you can get the new NFLRedZone which is awesome for those football fans also.
Posted by Todd from Columbus on 09/30/09 at 02:07 PM ET
No offense taken. After 13 years with DTV, 5 receivers, 3 DVR’s and mostly excellent service I am not ready to make that change for a few early season games. Directv was there for me after the years of suffering with Sports Channel America and they had ESPN2 when the deuce had hockey and my local cable didn’t. That’s not to say I would never switch. We’d better start getting more national HD channels and they’d better fix some receiver issues. But for now, I’ll be happy where I am. 
Posted by BK from Detroit 144mi.;Columbus 142; Pitts. 144; Buff. 219 on 09/30/09 at 02:26 PM ET
Had to go through 3 reps before customer retention but they hooked me up with a free HD DVR and 1/2 of CI.....The first rep blew me off completely though, but my second call to make a statement about her telling me very bluntly “well you cant watch those games” kinda ticked me off....but thanks for the heads up
Posted by nick from Pittsburgh on 09/30/09 at 05:54 PM ET
Well my better half score much better than I could. She called and sweet talked Directv into a free HD DVR and installation and free Center Ice. Apparently the CS she spoke with said that normally there is a cap when dealing with customer retention, but because of the issues with Versus there is no cap. The CS rep told her he could actually give her more, but her catholic guilt kicked in and she stopped.
Posted by PScout from The Real Western Mass on 09/30/09 at 06:44 PM ET
Go here and you can see that DTV is offering a free trial (pre-view?) of NHL CI through Oct 24th. Not sure if this is automatic or if one has to do any form of signup. I may try it tonight.
Look for the banner/ad on the right hand side of the first page
https://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/sports/nhl?CMP=EMC-MQ-SM&ATT=120-ED-HD090930final&m=
Posted by Paul S - Stars Fan from Dallas on 10/01/09 at 02:14 PM ET
No sign up needed, just the usual week-long preview is for 3 weeks on DTV and many cable carriers.
Posted by BK from Detroit 144mi.;Columbus 142; Pitts. 144; Buff. 219 on 10/01/09 at 02:25 PM ET
The first guy I spoke with didn’t do anything for me but his supervisor first offered me 1/2 off (which I would have accepted) but I had another issue with their Sports Pack and when I brought that up he gave me Center Ice for free. I’m glad I read this, I had already called them when Versus was first pulled and they weren’t helpful at all at that time.
Posted by jennyquarx on 10/01/09 at 02:49 PM ET
I also took the easy route today and was given a $50.00 credit by DirecTV. No arguments. I’ve had DirecTV for 13 years and Center Ice as long as it’s been around. I’ll take it. Each day I am less and less likely to care about the loss of Versus. Come second round of the playoffs, I’ll be listening to the Wings on line or catching a game on NBC.
Posted by Spocks Brain on 10/01/09 at 03:58 PM ET
Thanks for the tip. I called and didn’t really give them much grief at all, and they offered me Center Ice for free!! I was going to buy the package anyway, but this just saved me some cash. Thanks Mike.
Posted by JoeRoz from Kansas City, MO on 10/02/09 at 05:35 AM ET
1) So Mike didn’t see anything in your post(perhaps I skimmed through it too fast- ; ) about who we, as fans should be more angry with. Direct TV or Versus/Comcast?
2) In other words who is being the villain and who is the one we should support? Both are arguing the other is at fault. Direct TV saying that Versus wants to up the rates it charges and Versus saying that Direct TV wants to place versus on a higher tier(more $$) of programming. So which is it?
3) The people who SHOULD be getting calls IS the NHL/Gary Bettman. because ultimately they are the only one’s who can get involved to try to resolve this. Will/can they? Isn’t Comcast owned/operated by the Flyers/Ed Snyder?
4) So while getting free Showtime is very nice, we as hockey fans want to see hockey, not re-runs of movies that we can find/rent for a buck at our local Red Box
Posted by fauxrumors from Here on 10/02/09 at 10:58 AM ET
You should be angry at both of them. I don’t have the any numbers to verify who’s more accurate but the bottom line is that they’re just being stupid.
That being said, there’s always a workaround for the crafty. If this drags into November, I’ll be shocked. In the meantime, I can stream Versus games at a reasonable quality to my TV through my PS3. If it means putting up with that for a month or so while this goes on (but I don’t watch the Versus games too often unless it’s a really good matchup) and I have Center Ice and they’re giving me a bunch of free stuff, well, I’ll just let it play out.
Posted by Mike Chen on 10/02/09 at 11:02 AM ET
These stories are great. No matter how frustrated you are it’s definitely best to stay calm and polite to get the best deals.
But I wonder if the folks who were able to get CI for free or at a discount this year are planning on keeping it next year at full price or will cancel it? I have a feeling that DTV is offering CI at a discount in hopes that these customers will continue to keep it for future seasons, which will in the end be profitable to them.
Posted by Marie Stiles from Los Angeles on 10/03/09 at 11:13 AM ET
Yes, it is a great move by DTV because I’m pretty sure that when you get it for free (or at a discount) they set you up for auto renewal. So if you got a deal and don’t want it next year, make sure to check that. For me it’s not a big deal, we will keep it anyway unless a deal is never worked out with Versus. I like DirecTV though, I hope it happens soon.
Posted by jennyquarx on 10/03/09 at 12:59 PM ET
So if we don’t have Versus, then which Stanley Cup games do we miss? I already looked up Versus broadcast schedule, but I’d like to know which games of the Stanley Cup I will miss for more ammunition against DirecTV.
Posted by Ben from Chicago on 10/06/09 at 12:24 AM ET
I don’t think it’s been determined yet but last season Versus had games 2, 3, and 4.
Posted by Mike Chen on 10/06/09 at 01:08 AM ET
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Mike Chen prides himself in being the only hockey writer integrating puck discussion with both Morrissey quotes and Star Wars references. Since 2004, he’s blogged about all things hockey and currently contributes to FoxSports.com, the Battle of California, and RotoRob.
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I complained about this a couple of weeks ago and got the NFL Sunday Ticket + Superfan packages for a one time payment of $70. I don’t even care about Center Ice this year since I can’t watch my Devils in HD with it anyway.
Posted by Mike from Idaho on 09/29/09 at 10:51 AM ET