customer loyalty

You own everything but the receivers since they where installed so that is why there is a service fee. You are not renting anything but leasing it.  DTV replaces faulty receivers but charge $20 for shipping unless you get the protection plan.

@Khasper 

DirecTV has never rented their equipment. You pay for each additional TV regardless of what box used, or no box at all (RVU TV Client). It is a mirroring fee, authorizing that TV to use the services.

HD, DVR, etc. are services  That cost is the same no matter how many can use those services.

The receiver/client boxes are 'leased'. There is no monthly lease cost. Any lease cost is one-time up front (i.e. HDDVR $199) if you don't have a free upgrade. You return back to DirecTV upon disconnecting (if still returnable model). A warranty replacement is $19.95 delivery.

All other equipment (cabling, dish, remotes, etc.) you own upon install. If an issue requires a tech to go out, so dealing with equipment you own, they charge for the service call (currently $99). And replacement remotes are $15 (or cheaper through other retailers).

The optional Equipment Protection Plan covers delivery, service calls, and replacement remotes. Personally I wouldn't suggest it as the one-time costs are cheaper in the long run. Also if DirecTV does an install, or did a service call for repair, and has to go back out again for it then they have a 90 day "worry free guarantee". So within that time they cover the cost for going back out. Outside of that then the service call would be chargeable.

Lease model is about 20 years old (before that was the purchase to own options, such as $499 HDDVR with only a 1 year warranty), but everything else is essentially since they started in 1994.

The department many refer to as "customer loyalty" is in reality retention/cancellation. They try to keep a customer, but that doesn't mean they can give you what you want. Sometimes all they can do is educate you on the reality of the situation.

However, that department doesn't close until Midnight EST, just like the rest of DirecTV customer support. Based on the time of your post, I suspect you were speaking to the AT&T side as they have more traditional business hours. If you decide to callback (tomorrow or another day, as I wouldn't call this late to them closing), make sure you are calling the DirecTV number. When you get the voice system if you say "cancel" that transfers you directly. No guarantee you will get a break on that charge, but it is a chance to speak to the department you were supposedly being transferred to.

They have millions of customers and are now short staffed struggling to keep up with people calling while they are open. An answering machine would be worthless as would just be an oubliette (dump them and forget about them) as there is no way they could keep up with that.

Got it!  Thanks!  So a streaming service would use my phone etc which I own and would expect to maintain. So it sounds like  that would eliminate the need for all this pesky infrastructure which AT&T, DirecTv or whoever doesn’t want to be responsible for?  How long will that be a viable business model I wonder?  And I especially like how you tell me to make sure I call the proper number when your company was the one who transferred me.     Thank you for “educating” me ahead of time so I don’t need to waste anymore time waiting for someone to help. Clearly it isn’t coming. After all, you do have “millions” of other customers!  Good luck! 

DTV has been doing this for 30 years where you own everything but then they went to leasing the receivers.

Satellite and streaming TV are different setups aimed at different markets of viewers.

Streaming services have no large infrastructure of their own. They rely on another provider, your internet, to deliver the service. You purchase your own equipment (phone, Roku, etc.) that they may be compatible with. In general this is a mobile service as available where you get (good enough) internet.

DirecTV has satellites in orbit, so is their own infrastructure to maintain. Their receiver/clients are proprietary as must decrypt the signal to ensure you are authorized for what you are receiving. It is a residential service as your address determines local channels, allowed sports teams, and taxes required to pay. Has no need for internet, just clear line of sight to the sky (a resource truly nationwide, unlike internet).

The business model has been around since DirecTV began in '94, with the introduction of the lease option about 20 years ago. That made it better for customers as now warranty of boxes do not expire. Otherwise you would be spending a lot more to replace/upgrade the boxes as you would have to buy them instead of just paying for delivery.

Remember a hardline TV or internet service has a physical infrastructure to the home to maintain. But inside the home, that cabling is your responsibility for any repairs as you own it. Only the provided boxes might still be company owned, as everything else becomes part of the home once installed similar to DirecTV or other satellite providers.

Not my company anymore than it is yours. I am customer like you, not an employee. So if you cancel or not makes no difference to me. But whatever decision you make, you do so now with the correct info instead of the misunderstanding you had earlier. Being another customer I cannot change how their service works or the answer they have to give, but I can at least give guidance to point you in the right direction.

In theory since the acquisition AT&T and DirecTV would be able to transfer you between the two without issue, but so far that does not have a good track record. That is why I suggest calling the historic DirecTV customer support number to make sure you start on the correct side to begin with. Unfortunately because of Covid there is still the low staffing and increased outsourcing to deal with.

“Satellite and streaming TV are different setups aimed at different markets of viewers.”

No. They are actually aimed at the same market but use different models to reach them. The ‘benefit’ of not relying on my ISP to deliver content due to DTv having its own infrastructure doesn’t seem to be helping me right now. I’m sure at the beginning of the 20th Century the blacksmiths used a similar argument for why their customers would be stupid to trade in their horse for a car. I have no doubt that I am on the hook for all of this. That’s fine. 

BTW I have a third party I pay to monitor web activity as well. So while you are not an ATT employee you are paid to monitor this stuff on their behalf. I do appreciate you clearing up my many misunderstandings. I feel very enlightened now.  Thank you!

No-one here is paid, we don't even get a discount on our services.

1) This has been directv's policy for a very long time.

2. You don't rent the boxes. They are leased. If you lease a car, you pay for maintenance. Similarly on directv's boxes.

3. If you don't pay for a service call then we all have to pay for it.  The technician does get paid for his time and mileage after all.

The service call covers anything that needs fixing in your system including parts.

4. If you want to avoid paying for service calls sign up for the protection plan. I guess Directv could add this to everybody's monthly charges and then your system would get service "free"!

Thanks TexasBrit!  I must really be missing something truly special about ATT.  I am doing this because I don't like how customers are being treated.  You and the others roll out of bed motivated to make sure that the world understands what a great deal we are all getting from ATT and you do this on a purely voluntary basis!  Every church, political party and non profit should immediately study how ATT accomplishes this! 

Based on this we should all expect our power companies to "lease" us the transformers we need to buy their electricity.  Otherwise, the "rest" of us would need to pay for 'your' transformer blowing up.  Sounds about right.  After all we wouldn't expect that poor utility company to be on the hook for paying those repair techs to fix "our' problem.  If you don't like that option you can happily send them an additional "Protection Plan" fee with your monthly electric bill.  ATT really is modeling a better world for all of us!

Thank you for opening my eyes.

BTW I have a third party I pay to monitor web activity as well. So while you are not an ATT employee you are paid to monitor this stuff on their behalf.

We (ACEs) have heard that so many time, it justified a meme.

Satellite and streaming are not aimed at the same market, though there is overlap. Many of us rural customers do not have good enough internet, if no internet at all, to support streaming. But we have the open sky.

Blacksmiths and car makers is not quite a fair comparison. They still both used roads, though they had to update going from hooves to tires (pavement). Internet that supports streaming and satellite transmission are not delivered on the same medium. So the sky covers the entire country, but internet does not. So you go with the one that best suits you.

Your 3rd party has nothing to do with who pays me. I do not work for AT&T. I am a customer. Because I got some great help quite some time ago, I started participating more and more in the forum. So I do this on my free time. I am not paid to "monitor this stuff" as you falsely claim.

I get you are upset. But the bottom line is you misunderstood how DirecTV has been setup for decades, including missing information in the Terms of Service as you stated. Now with the correct information you know what to expect and can decide if DirecTV or another provider would be the best one for you at this point.

Some companies lease or rent their equipment, others have it owned. And with the power company they only cover up to what services the property. Your power outlets and such inside the home you own and are responsible for, unless you have an additional protection plan with your local power that covers inside. But though there is a lot of similarity, each company is setup their own personal way. So never assume what one does based on another.

I am suspecting there is some sarcasm in your post. Regardless of your opinion on their business model, I am glad you now how the correct information on how equipment and service calls work. Sorry it wasn't the answer you wanted. Sometimes all we can do is provide the reality on how it works.

Haha!  That’s actually funny!  I feel the same way, only scratch the word “Payday” and insert “ATT to take care of its customers” and it sums it up perfectly!

Horses can use a road or not use a road.

 The market is “customers who want to consume content” (thats me).  If your point was that DTv is better equipped to service rural customers I would agree with you. However I suspect that DTv does not want to abandon its metropolitan customer base. In those areas they are clearly competing with streaming services. 

Honestly I have learned a lot.  You are correct that I have misunderstood how it works.  Shame on me for paying out like a broken slot machine for all of this time.  Thank you for helping me see that. Seriously. 

They are taking care of their customer. You just don't like the fact you have to pay for it as it is dealing with the equipment you own.

If you didn't own it, then the alternative could have been that you would need tear out all the coax, splitters, receiving dish, etc. and send back to DirecTV. Thankfully they don't do that. So if you deactivate individual ones, or just close the entire account, you just send back the boxes (if still returnable models).

DirecTV is better equipped to service rural customers. But per the sky they are able to provide nationwide service, which can move with you. Hardline TV, be it cable or streaming, is not truly nationwide as they cannot service a lot of those rural areas. And then cable providers cover specific areas as must have the physical infrastructure.

With clearing up the misunderstanding you can now work within the correct options. If you don't like their setup, then certainly go elsewhere as your not liking it will not change their business model.

Thank you!  So if a customer lives in an area where the internet is at least as reliable as DTv and streaming is half the cost, why would someone choose DTv?  Is it in case they move to a rural area?