DirectTV has grown over time and has become one of the biggest satellite TV distributors in the United States with over twenty million customers in the country. All the packages that are offered by DirectTV for example the DirecTV local channels come with a two-year contract when one is subscribing to the service. This leads many prospective customers to ask: As much as I would love to get DirectTV, how long am I willing to be locked into using their services if I sign up? Below is a brief on the Direct TV contracts and commitment times that every consumer should know.
The Standard 2-Year DirectTV Contract The Standard 2-Year DirectTV Contract provides customers with services that include satellite television broadcasting, direct broadcast satellite services, and other related services under a fixed contractual period of two years in return for a one-time installation fee paid by the client.
As is the case with most other mass cable and satellite television services, DirectTV normally expects its new subscribers to commit to a 2-year contract after they have selected a package offer and decided to subscribe to the company’s services. This is a contractual agreement that will fix your prices for your DirectTV services and bind you to continue availing the services for the next 2 years. You should be aware that if you cancel service with the carriers before the time is up, then you will be charged an early termination fee.
Early termination fees are generally flexible and are calculated starting from $10 per month left to serve in the DirectTV contract. Therefore, if you canceled after one year you would be charged $120 which is the price for the remaining 12 months. The early termination fee reduces after some time but is charged in full in case you terminate the contract before the full two-year term.
No Contract Intro Packages
The above two years are considered normal by DirectTV although there are some options available to the clients. New customers can use intro packages/ promotions nicely without any commitment to the long term.
For instance, some of the bundles can be tied to 12-month packages for new entrants to the market. This slashes the possible early termination fee in half in case you make up your mind to cancel. Both individual plans and business plans of the major carriers also contain some promotional offers which can also exclude contracts during the first couple of months while the actual two-year terms take effect.
What consumers should watch out for is that normally these intro packages are offered without contracts and can be at a higher rate than standard rates, once the promotional offer expires. If you start with an initial offer of $50 a month and then continue using the service, you will likely see the price rise when you reach the 12-month or when the promotion offer is over. If the company is willing to agree to a two-year contract, then it should be possible to lock into this kind of low price from the very beginning.
Exceptions to Service Contracts
Although DirectTV offers its service on a contractual basis whereby most of its customers sign two-year deals, there are usually some special cases. For example:
- Prepaid packages – DirectTV provides certain bundles that can be prepaid after which one can cancel the subscription at any given time with no extra fees. There is less programming compared to the traditional packages but there is also less commitment.
- Business opportunities- Recreational vehicles, vacation homes, and those who live in their second homes for some part of the year can open a seasonal DirectTV account. This suspends service where it is not wanted and dispenses with the need for contracts.
- Some of the bundles that are selected – Sometimes, there is at least one DirectTV package that is offered without a contract. For instance, some specific international programming packages are capable of being initiated without contracts with specified terms.
When subscribing to DirectTV one must always be very careful when filling in all the necessary information, especially when filling in all the necessary terms and conditions. This will indicate promos and pricing that are set to expire or end, contract obligations, and service termination charges before providing service.
Month-to-Month Upgrades
If already a DirectTV customer at the end of the two-year guarantee, changing the programming package does not re-up the contract. You can add on more channels, other TV connections, and the like without a need to renew previous agreements. As far as upgrades are concerned, DirectTV remains on month-to-month service terms unless you expressly decide to renew or alter your whole package contract.
But it is also important to note that subscribing to DirectTV together with other AT&T products might result in a new contract. For instance, every time you get a new one or upgrade Internet service on AT&T, the company provides additional or new DirectTV contracts to enjoy the best bundling offers. They should warn users of early termination fees that may be triggered if one makes significant changes to the account.
In this article, the author shares their experience on the direct consequences of DirectTV; and the way it can be cancelled after the initial contract.
If you have gotten to the end of the two years that you signed up for DirectTV agreeing to subscribe to their service, then canceling is easy and you don’t have to pay any termination fees. However, some may require canceling to avoid new subscription agreements and new positive values from taking place.
DirectTV often reaches out to customers directly when renewal options are available about 90 days before the current contracts end. This is because services can renew at higher prevailing rates if you do nothing. It could also continue previous Free trial offers that later make you subscribe to them back with a higher amount if you are not careful with DirectTV.
To completely stop using DirectTV services after some agreements have been signed and some initial periods of subscription lapse, the client must dial to cancel the service or go online and cancel the service. If there is leased equipment such as receivers and dishes, return them to prevent additional charges. You may be ready for payment of your last bill which can include portions of days in a month from the last bill.
If you are sure that you will not be using the service, next month make sure to cancel it one day to the next billing cycle so that you do not incur charges for the next month. After account cancelation and equipment is returned, one will be free from DirectTV contractual obligations.
The Bottom Line
New customers receive a two-year contractual obligation from DirectTV, once they sign up and activate the service. But it is not the only option as there are some others with no contract such as contract-free intro packages, no contract prepaid programming, and month-to-month packages for existing customers. The only precaution to take would be to avoid pitfalls that can make you automatically renew contracts such as offering other services together with the service provider or not having the capacity and willingness to cancel a contract as soon as the agreed-upon term elapses. Find out all the fine print and termination conditions to familiarize yourself with the precise DirectTV commitments on offer before signing anything.
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