CHOICE XTRA CLASSIC LINEUP

You cannot do anything with grandfathered packages online. Have to call to discuss.

Also there is more than "4 offerings". Current packages are Family, Select, Entertainment, Choice, Xtra, Ultimate, Premier. Though Family is listed separately as only works for a niche group of people who need very minimum programming or a way to drastically cut cost for a while.

Historically the only reason to have Choice Xtra Classic was that it gave you Cloo, Chiller, and Boomerang for cheaper than raising to the Ultimate package. Since Cloo and Chiller networks shutdown and Boomerang moved to the other packages, then Choice Xtra Classic became not worth it anymore paying about $2 higher than the current version of Xtra. And new channels were not added to gandfahtered packages.

I would review the channels you enjoy compared to the current packages to see if the current version of Xtra would be a better fit, or possibly lowering the package. You can search by specific channel or look at a PDF overview of all the national channels.

DIRECTV Channel Lineup List (att.com)

Yeah Choice Xtra Classic was very popular to keep as was cheaper than Ultimate with about the same channels (minus Encore of course). Now it is more cost than Xtra for no benefit. Plus historically when discounts are available, most of them don't qualify on a grandfathered package. So time to change to Xtra or something lower, depending on what you watch.

Wow!!  What a cluster-***k. 

I have phoned AT&T DirectTV a handful of times about this package. Not only are the agents and supervisors very evasive, they basically know nothing. Perhaps corporate has instructed them to play dumb but it certainly is not professional.

How are the grandfathered customers supposed to compare without a list? Oh, wait! I'm supposed to scroll through the channel line up that I get on my TV, write down each channel name and them compare to the current channel list(s)? Now isn't that rude and archaic!

Another issue. DirecTV can sell and charge whatever they want for the Choice Xtra Classic package because it's not published anywhere on their site. Yes sir. And since they have ZERO reference on their site, the channel list has been purged from the database so no one can see it.

Point number three. I have been with this company for decades (since day #1!). That's 30 years of loyalty. How do they treat me? POORLY at best. New customers pay around 50% of what I get charged as a "(Edited per community guidelines) in" for new customers. Forget treating the OG loyal customer to anything!

I think it's time to either see what Dish Network can do for me, switch to streaming or simply let the TV go dark. It's full of crap anyways!

New customers no longer get the 1 year discount you got when you signed up, they now get a 2 year price lock then pay the regular price in effect at the time it ends.

How can a CRS answer questions when nothing comes up on their screens?

You compare previous bills to the current bill to see if it changed but there is still the annual price increase to factor in.

Had I known years ago what I know now about DirecTV, I would have co tinted for the long term  like I have. This company has the professional manners of skunk.

They sell a product no longer made….they have no idea of exactly what it’s comprised of and they evidently then have no idea of its true value. But they keep selling and we keep buying. Not me, no more, uh-uh!

I wonder how the cell service with Verizon is….

And I wonder if anyone from DirecTV reads these missives? If so, they probably couldn’t care one bit.

Only the moderators, DTVhelp and the few employees on their own time read these posts in this customer to customer forum.  DTV no longer sales equipment they went to lease only in 2006 IIRC and AFAIK they are only installing the HS17 Genie2 system.

DTV like all TV providers can only pick the channel package that they believe provides the best content to their customers from the channel packages the content providers provide and pay what they charge for them.

@cigarbox66 

It has been the long standing policy to only list the channel lineup of their current packages.

For grandfathered, they wanted you to contact support so they could compare with you and hopefully encourage you off a package that is probably losing them money as not with their current carriage agreements.

In most cases, the grandfathered package is a waste of money for the customer at this point. Choice Xtra Classic was a very popular one because it included Cloo, Chiller, and SoapNet at a lower price point than raising to Ultimate. Now that those channels no longer exist (with anybody, those channels have completely shut down) then it tends to mean you are paying more for no additional benefit.

From experience, many discounts or other promotions are not available when on a grandfathered package. Not a guarantee it opens up new bonus savings, but just something to be aware of.

Personally I would go through and review what it is you watch in the first place. Once you know your go-to channels, what ones are nice to have but not dealbreakers, and which ones you pretty much aren't watching, then see how it lines up to current packages. Those in Choice Xtra Classic tend to go to either Xtra (the current equivalent level) or Choice (one level down.

Yes the new packages are named better. Instead of having Choice, Choice Xtra, Choice Ultimate they are now Choice, Xtra, Ultimate. And supposedly they still have one special package, Preferred Xtra. It removes most of the sports channels from Xtra and adds in a few non-sports channels in their place. No RSN fee as the RSNs are part of that removal.

As for price on Choice Xtra Classic, like all other packages it remains the same cost until the annual price adjustment. When they send notice of the new prices, grandfathered plans still in use are listed.

All new customers get some sort of intro perk. That is not permanent pricing. Also what is advertised doesn't tend to include all pricing as depends on number of TVs, optional services, RSN fees, etc. In the end when you compare base cost then it is very similar.

Claiming they sell a product no longer made is a false claim. They don't sell Choice Xtra Classic as it is grandfathered. You are still subscribed to that service for as long as you choose, or until it reaches a mandatory switch point (though I'm not aware of that happening with any of their old packages so far).

In the end it is up to you to decide to stay on a legacy package or switch to a newer one. There is no guarantee, promise, or expectation you get any special pricing because you've had them since their launch day. They are still a business and you are a customer, nothing is going to put you to a point where you are not profitable to them.

Considering how long that package has been grandfathered and years ago those additional channels shut down, that suggests you have ignored your service for far too long. So doing a full review of what you use is the right thing to do as it is your responsibility to manage what you're paying for.

First off I want to thank those that passed along comments. The information is very helpful and insightful.

I am no business professional by any means. But when I owned my company and sold to very large aerospace firms, the last thing I wanted was rude people handling grievances from clients. That should be done by people with the ability and authority to assess the situation and provide immediate resolutions. You always should be trying to satisfy the customer without giving away the store. My situation is over a $60.00 up charge for one month. When I ask for relief, I get none. When I say I'm going to have to leave DirecTV, I get, go ahead.

I will be exploring alternative sources for my television needs and saying goodbye to DirecTV and AT&T (phone provider).

DTV farms out most customer services to third parties like most other TV providers.

Juniper,

Talk about a dose of reality delivered in a fast pitch! What you say is true. All of it.

However, I have over many years spoken to the fine folks (sarcasm intended) about my plan. Rather than help me out, it h as always been left to me to "figure out things and make a choice". 

What ever happened to good old customer service and salesmanship? I'm of the old school wherein you help your customers. You don't shove them aside as if there is a long list of replacements awaiting their turn.

Nonetheless I have had my say here and received exactly what social media platforms provide....nothing more than a venue where I can vent and no one cares in the big picture.

Some agents are certainly better than others. And I do prefer those directly employed by the company with proper access to the system and training on their specific services. Though it is on us the customer to manage our service, when we call they should be focused more on what options will work best for us for the long run and not prioritize upselling.

Doesn't mean they will have the options we want. And a $60 increase in one month is not normal. If you had that much in discounts, then you lucked out is that is what they are addressing right now. Huge discounts are not sustainable and they had a significant financial review that going forward pulled back discounts and intended for them to be reasonable going forward (which around $60 a month certainly is overboard). So more people are understanding the actual cost and can no longer expect the company to pad the way for them

As pay TV is entertainment, there is no "relief". Comes down to if you want it, you pay for it. If you cannot afford it, or just not comfortable for your budget, then up to you if you reduce service or go elsewhere.

Everything I've stated does look at the big picture. When consumers don't get huge discounts like they think they should have, compare against their perception of new customer pricing (which often misses that it is not permanent or the entire costs), and focus on not getting the price they want, that is what I call looking at the small picture (just what benefits the individual consumer).

Certainly there are improvements needed for the service. And I definitely would like better options and pricing for us consumers. I simply acknowledge the entertainment business to consumer relationship and that they are not obligated to adjust anything for me because of my own finances or feel on "loyalty".

That "good old customer service" you speak of went overboard. Companies would bend over backwards to keep customers at their own loses. That bred a culture of "customers" who would make a fuss to get what they want, complain to corporate and employees get in trouble for following policy, etc. (an issue seen primarily in retail but applies to service providers as well). So now the pendulum swings back and the concept of "customer is king" is of the past. Businesses are to make money, not be servants (financially or in policy) to their customers.

This platform is to provide help and guidance customer to customer. Sometimes that is proving a realistic perspective, even if it is not the ultimate answer you want. Regarding the conduct of agents over the phone, either complain with customer support (or request a supervisor) or even a BBB complaint if you feel the issue is big enough. As for the options you want regarding pricing and loyalty, that is more your personal opinion at odds to them as a business and I doubt anything will fix that to your liking.

As for no channel lineup for your grandfathered package available, I do wish when you logged into your account online there would be a link to it to make it that much easier to compare. But I can see from a business perspective they want a live agent to go over that and perhaps find other options to make updating the package more desirable. Definitely two sides to that coin, not a perfect answer for both business and consumer.

As you have such an old package (long past it being a good value I think), something to be aware of. Their billing policy changed a few years ago to be in line with other service providers. If you cancel it goes through at the end of the service month with no proration for any days, no matter how mid-month you may be.