Playing Hard Ball with DirecTV

I’ve been with DirecTV since they started the small satellite revolution around 1994…one of their first subscribers. However, I’ve been trying to figure out for nearly two years whether I want to stay with them or go with Dish Network.

I prefer DTV over Dish…they have some channels the other doesn’t, I prefer the hardware, and I’ve been with them so long. But the fact that Dish is cheaper and offers local channels (and has for over two years) keeps me conflicted. And every time one or the other has a special, it sends me into overdrive: either the desire to move to Dish increases, or my anger against DirecTV does. You see, all their little deals apply to new customers only, and us old customers can just go fly a kite…they already have us.

Not much longer.

Having been a customer in good standing for nearly fifteen years, I’m going to call these goons, and I’m going to lay down a set of demands. First, I want the new customer pricing. Second, I want all my broadcast networks for free for as long as I continue service. Third, I want the free three months of premium movie channels. If they can’t meet this, I’m going to drop service and go over to Dish and get what I want. I’ll lose a few channels I want to keep, but I’ll get local channels and a year of preferred pricing.