Why is my DIRECTV bill so high?

Why do I have a high DirecTV bill?

If you are a DirecTV customer and you are asking yourself why your monthly bill is constantly rising then know that you are not the only one. This has caused many people who subscribe to the largest satellite television provider in the United States to wake up with a start when they review their latest bill. But while equipment fees and regional sports fees, broadcast TV fees, and so on may add to the base price you see advertised, it isn’t a close estimate to your actual monthly costs.

If you add up with DirecTV you will find that the price that is often advertised is usually only the cost of the programming package. Well, that is but a fraction of what you will actually pay in terms of your total medical cost. Here's a closer look at some of the major factors that can make your DirecTV bill skyrocket:Here's a closer look at some of the major factors that can make your DirecTV bill skyrocket:

Equipment Fees DirecTV usually has a mirror fee, which is $7 per month for each satellite receiver installed in your home. So if you have say 3 satellite boxes to help you get your program on different television sets you are immediately charged an extra $21 per month. There can also be a Genie HD DVR monthly fee of $15 and other fees associated with the equipment. Thus, while the receivers themselves may look quite ordinary, renting equipment from DirecTV will, of course, cost you.

Premium Channels and Packages DirecTV’s base packages which are marketed seem affordable but in actual sense a single HBO or Showtime, or any other extra channel package will see your bill shoot up. A premium channel on its own can cost up to $15 or more. And special interest channel bundles such as sports and movie packages which are always the most popular typically cost at least an extra $8 per month and above. Little additions here and there make a huge difference in the overall sum that you are supposed to pay.

Regional Sports Fees DirecTV started charging regional sports fees in 2016 which are between $2 and $8 based on the location of the subscriber. They say this should capture the rising costs of delivering local sports channels. However, critics have said it is an unfair approach to make more bills as the fee is concealed in the bill statement rather than displayed clearly. And the annoying thing is this fee comes and goes regardless of the fact if you even tune in to watch sports programming.

Broadcast TV Fees Later on, in recent years the fees related to broadcast TV have also appeared in the statements as the local channels’ costs have increased. Similar to the regional sports fees which are rather unclear, customers do not have much of an option regarding these mandatory broadcast fees which increase the bill by $8 - $10 on average.

Taxes and Surcharges While Direct TV does not control the various sales taxes, property taxes, government fees, and regulatory charges that consumers are charged with, they are responsible for passing them to the consumers. However, this list of line items is labeled as taxes and fees and can go over the top, to 20% and above of the total bill. And unfortunately such bothersome fees appear to do nothing but go in one direction – up.

Early Termination Fees To make it worse, if you attempt to cancel your subscription with DirecTV due to rising rates, then they are more than willing to slap you with a penalty fee. Early termination fees range from $10 to $15 per month that is left on your contract in case you wish to cancel the Direct TV service. Since many contracts are for two years, leaving early could cost over $300. This acts as a discouragement to the unsatisfied customers who cannot fathom the extremely high charges.

Limited Promotional Offers Now and then DirecTV fliers and Web site banners entice consumers with mouthwatering specials such as free high-end channels for a few months or monthly bill rebates of $10 to $15 for one year. However, the print on these promotions is that they are only valid for new customers. Thus, the old subscribers pay a high price for the regular use while the new customers are offered unlimited free trials.

Price Hikes Over Time The increase in the price of DirecTV is real – packages and other fees are not only more expensive over time. Currently, DirecTV has had a pattern of raising its rates every one to two years, thus raising the prices of its services to new and even current subscribers. Such fees as the broadcast TV fee for instance have risen by nearly a double over several years. Still, the price may seem rather affordable, and, suddenly, your bill is much higher than you expected.

Lack of Competition Indeed, in many regions of the country there is just not meaningful CHOICE in pay TV providers. As reported by Bloomberg, about half of the American houses have only one provider or NO provider for broadband cable or fiber. DISH does have Satellite as a competitor, but it has to deal with many of the SAME problems such as fees and constantly rising rates. Sogeois in effect enabled the company to increase prices at its behest as there were no other options for the consumers.

In conclusion, DirecTV kicks you where it hurts with expensive equipment charges and then whittles away at your bill with SNEAKY ENDLESS fees and consistently RAISING basic rates. Those products that may look like a great offer end up being the most expensive in the long run AS PROMOTIONS END. Oh, and GOOD luck to those who ever want to get OUT of the DIRECTV prison without MAJOR penalties. How high will your NEXT statement go?