With the troubled economy, many of us are not able to pay our Direct TV conract and bills. Did you know that you can put your Direct TV contract “on hold”, during which you will have no bills whatsoever? Don’t risk losing your good credit, service, or get slapped with huge fees over a breeched Direct TV contract. Here’s how to save your good name and your money!
Cable television is a facett of our modern American society. After all, most of the kids today have no clue what it means to watch television by rabbit ears! Yet, with the troubled economy, many of us are facing tough choices when it comes to our finances. In many cases, luxuries such as Internet service, cable or satellite television, and cell phones must be set aside. The good news is, your high Direct TV contract can be put aside without ruining your good name, allowing you to keep the service for when you can afford it.
If you are one of the many Direct TV subscribers, but you cannot pay your monthly bills, let me share with you a quick and easy way to save your good name, your credit score, your contract, your service with their company, and your money. The Direct TV contract will not disclose this information, and the company will not readily tell you this secret to financial management. I learned this secret by asking specific questions while inquiring about payment options on my own service a few months ago.
If you cannot pay your DirecTV contract as agreed or your monthly satellite bill, but you would like to keep your service, here is how to do so. First and foremost, your bill must be paid in full before you call the customer service line. You can call the day before the next billing cycle, if you like. When you speak to the customer care specialist, tell them that you want to put your Direct TV account on “vacation hold”. This is a special program through Direct TV which was designed for those customers who have more than one home or who travel for extensive periods of time. Regular customers can take advantage of this program as well.
The customer service representative will first check that you do not have a balance due on your account. If you have a balance, go ahead and pay what is due over the phone, if possible. Your account and Direct TV contract cannot be placed on vacation hold if you owe them any money at all.
Once it has been verified that you do not owe any money or that you have paid all that is due, tell them that you want to place your Direct TV contract on vacation hold. Ask them what is the maximum amount of time that you can place the account on hold. More than likely they will tell you that there is a maximum, although you can request longer. They will ask you what date you want your account to go into vacation hold, and what date you want it to come out of vacation hold. Set these dates according to your financial needs. If you are in dire financial conditions, set the restart date for service as far into the future as possible.
The representative will enter this information into the computer and confirm the dates that you have requested. They will then tell you that by placing your account on vacation hold you will be extending your Direct TV contract by the amount of time that the service is turned off. So in other words, if you are in a 12 months contract and you request a 12 months vacation hold, then the contract would start up again once you come out of the vacation hold on the account.
Your satellite service will shut off within 1-2 days.
Direct TV limits the number of times that any customer can request a vacation hold. The last time I checked, the limit is 2 times within a 12 month period. So, use your vacation hold privileges wisely. If you think that your financial situation will not be improving soon, take the maximum amount of time allowed for both vacation hold requests. You can also use the requests for your Direct TV contract holds back-to-back if necessary.
While your Direct TV contract is on vacation hold, be sure to check the system periodically. Sometimes the computers at Direct TV will turn your service on by mistake, even if your requested vacation hold time has not expired. I have a good friend who used the Direct TV contract vacation hold feature back in November of 2008, requesting that the service not be turned back on until April 1st 2009. In Febuary 2009 she got a bill for two months worth of service. It seems that Direct TV turned her service on automatically on January 1st, and she had no clue it was on at all.
Bottom line: if you are in a financial crisis and need to reduce your bills, putting your Direct TV contract (or any other cable service contract) on hold for “vacation” or “extended leave of absence” is a great idea. You will avoid a breach of contract issue with the company, save your good name (and credit), avoid cancellation or termination fees, and retain your Direct TV service. After all, by putting your Direct TV contract on hold, you can have your cake and eat it too!
