DirecTV Now Grandfathered Plans no longer honored?

Hello @jtoney7852, we empathize with your concern over the recent price increase. We kindly remind you that the terms and conditions of this offer are subject to change. Our goal is to always offer exceptional service and provide value to our loyal and new customers. We genuinely appreciate your continued business and understanding. Luna, DIRECTV Community Specialist.

Hey @jtoney7852, at least they "genuinely appreciate your continued business and understanding" since you're paying 400% of your original service fee.

Hello @bcbsncjlj, thanks for the note.  My comments are not directed at you.

I have no stake here, honestly, I could drop the service and pay more or less for what I want at this point in my life.  I believe this is an ethical failure on behalf of multiple larger corporations...If you ever have a chance to ask the right person in AT&T or DIRECTV, I'd be interested to know the percentage of original subscribers that have endured the quadruple cost increase AND the demographic of the individuals or families that have gone along with the increase...

@DIRECTVhelp 

That's completely bogus. When you sign up customers under the terms and conditions and you show right there the stipulations of that you can't just change it. These people are now considered grandfathered and subject to the terms conditions in which were signed up and which were agreed to. You cannot simply just change this whenever you feel like it. All providers are under grandfathered Clauses in one manner or the other. As customers we have the right to form a class section lawsuit against you as well for violating these terms and conditions so I want to remind you "kindly" about that. If you look at the image I shared it clearly shows what we agreed to upon signing up for your service and what you are entitled to honor. If I don't get satisfaction from this forum I'm going to be filing a complaint with the FCC.

We understand how you feel @jtoney7852. DIRECTV aims to bring customers the best programming at a fair and reasonable price. TV networks and other content providers continue increasing the fees they charge DIRECTV for the right to distribute the content they produce, including movies, shows, and sporting events. As costs for content like sports and local programming go up, unfortunately, so do DIRECTV's monthly rates. Stephanie, DIRECTV Community Specialist

I filed a complaint with the FCC.  AT&T responded by saying that the base price of the package is $126 but that's not public information and customers don't have access to that price.  They also mentioned they will not review the terms and conditions we signed uo under and they don't have to honor it.  She said they don't give discounts.  This was from the presidents office.  

We want to help look into this. Please send us a Direct Message so that we can assist you directly.

I'm not messaging you. If you want to respond do it in the public so that everybody can see. We're not going to play the game where you hide your responses so you're not accountable.

We understand you are frustrated; however, we need your private account details to assist you further. To keep your information confidential, please send us a direct message.

I'm glad to hear that you filed the FCC complaint, jtoney7852, I hope someone listens.  But in the end, I'm confident that the service's lawyers have put them in a position where they have no legal liabilities.  There will never be any concern for you or me or what is right.

I just canceled my Go Big membership after 7 years.  I signed up on 11/30/2016, and I'm very happy that I no longer have to deal with the service and their price increases.  I regret having stayed a customer for as long as I did.  I bought into the idea that by being an early subscriber, early adopter, I was somehow getting a benefit.  In reality, I was getting $20 off of the "package" all this time.  When the package price was $60, the early adopter discount really made a difference, but with a package price of $150, a $20 discount does not really matter anymore.    

Bye, Felicia.

How much is AT&T paying you for that response? Sounds like you must be on the payroll with how you are defending this company.

@jtoney7852 

If you had bothered to read in detail, you would understand that I do NOT work for AT&T. So you just provided an example where instead of understanding what was actually there you chose to try an impose what you want over the actual reality.

Just because you are mad about what is really going on is no reason to try and make things up.

There was never an expectation that the price of the service would not change from the original $35 price and to characterize folks who have a problem with the price increases as too stupid to read the terms and conditions makes one wonder what motivated you to join this discussion. 

My price has tripled since 2016, do you think that is okay?  Take a look at the industry for a minute.  On average, streaming prices have risen 48.90% since 2012 and only about 8-9% since 2016.  My price has gone from $39.61 to $118.91 since 2017 without me having made any changes to the package that I signed up for.  That’s not a 48.90% increase, that’s not a 9% increase.....wait for it…that’s a 200% increase.  So don’t offer up some idea that the prices for the channels are just increasing because “the networks increase their costs”.  That’s dishonest. 

Here is one reference, there are others if you want to start comparing prices: https://www.cabletv.com/entertainment/streaming-vs-cable-prices

The cost no longer works for me, I think I made that clear.

(And I promised myself I would never talk to Felisha again, dang!)

I don't like the price increasing, just like anybody else. I do understand that the networks have been increasing their costs over the years. So though a lot of streaming providers started lower than traditional pay TV, they are catching up in cost. Nothing is dishonest about that.

As costs to the TV providers goes up, so do our bills to compensate. That is simple economics. If that results in a cost that is not comfortable than you reduce service or switch providers, whatever works best for you.

As long as the industry stays the course where channels are packaged to TV providers which are in turn packaged to us as required, as opposed to al-a-carte, this is how it will work. Again, not saying I like it, just that it is what it is.