This minHour teaches you how to cancel your DirecTV subscription by calling a customer service representative and requesting that the service be cancelled. If you have a DirecTV Now subscription, which is similar to Netflix or Hulu, you can cancel it from within your DirecTV Now settings online (not in the app). Keep in mind that cancelling your DirecTV subscription before its contract is up will result in a cancellation fee as well as a $20 per month fee for every remaining month in your contract.
DirecTV Subscription
Call DirecTV customer support.
The DirecTV line is 1 (800) 531-5000. By calling, you’ll be able speak to a representative about canceling your subscription.
- Calling is the only way to cancel traditional service. In addition, when calling you may be able to get information about your account that is not available on the internet.
Navigate through the spoken prompts.
When prompted, you’ll have to press a number on your phone’s dial pad that corresponds with an option (e.g., “For all other inquiries, press [number]”).
- If possible, choose the “Other” option when available. This is the fastest way to reach a human customer support spokesperson.
Indicate that you want to cancel your service.
Say “Cancel service” when asked what you want to do or why you’re calling.
- Keep in mind that DirecTV phone options change often, so you may have a different experience up to the point of contact.
Ask to speak to the retention department.
When you reach a person, immediately ask if you’re speaking to the retention department; if they say no, ask to be transferred to retention. You’ll most likely be encouraged to explain the nature of your call before proceeding.
- You may have to hold 5 to 10 minutes, depending on when you call. Consider calling during low call volume time, such as between 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on week days, to reduce the hold time.
Explain to the representative that you want to cancel your service, as well as why.
Simply saying something like “I want to cancel my DirecTV subscription because I’m cutting all ties with technology” is a decent start.
- Unfortunately, honesty is rarely your best approach when attempting to get customer service to allow you to cancel.
- Saying that you’re moving to a different country will generally warrant mixed results, as your chosen country may have DirecTV coverage. Implying that you’re leaving to serve in the Peace Corps (or similar), however, is usually enough to render the customer representative’s arguments invalid.
Firmly refuse any offers or questions.
As is custom, your representative will offer discounts, free services, and even extra time on your free trial if applicable. Firmly (but politely) decline these offers by repeating “Thanks, but I want to cancel my service.”
- Never be rude to your customer service representative.
Wait for the equipment box to arrive at your house.
Once the representative accepts that you want to cancel your service, they will send a pre-paid delivery box to your house. You’ll need to send back most of the DirecTV equipment that they sent to you via this box.
- You usually have 21 days to return DirecTV’s property.
Send back the DirecTV equipment.
Place all of the DirecTV equipment, such as the receivers and remotes, in the box and send it back using the provided label. The one exception is your satellite dish—you don’t need to send that back to DirecTV.
- Make sure to disconnect all receivers and remotes and collect them together.
- If you rented any other equipment, like a video recording device or an internet router, you’ll have to disconnect that as well.
Pay the cancellation fee.
At minimum, you’ll need to pay a $15 cancellation fee. However, most DirecTV subscriptions are contractual in nature, meaning that you’ll need to pay a fee for each remaining month of your contract. This fee is usually $20 per month.
- You can get this fee waived if you’re cancelling DirecTV for a family member who passed away.
Call back DirecTV support to confirm that your contract is up.
Once you’ve sent away the DirecTV equipment and paid your termination fee(s), call back DirecTV support and ask them if they received the equipment and payment.
- You may have to do this a few times if they reject your initial payment or send back the equipment.
- If your DirecTV shipping box doesn’t arrive within five business days, call them back and request another one, making sure to tell them to reset the 21-day clock for your equipment. Otherwise, you may be charged a fee for the equipment.
DirecTV Now Subscription
Open the DirecTV Now page.
Go to https://www.directvnow.com/accounts/sign-in/ in a computer browser (e.g., Google Chrome). This will redirect you to your account page if you’re logged in.
- If you aren’t logged in, enter your email address and password, then click Sign In near the middle of the page.
- You cannot cancel DirecTV Now from within the DirecTV Now mobile app.
Select the profile icon.
Hover your mouse over the person-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the page. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu to appear.
- If the drop-down menu doesn’t appear, click the profile icon.
Click User Account.
It’s in the drop-down menu. This will open your user account page.
Click Manage My Plan.
You’ll find this option on the user account page. Doing so brings up a list of account-related links.
Click the Cancel Plan link.
This will open a reasons page.
Select a reason for cancelling.
Depending on the reason that you select, you may have to select an additional option or enter an explanation before proceeding.
Click Cancel Now.
It’s at the bottom of the page. This will cancel your DirecTV Now subscription within 24 hours.
- If you enter your request later than 7:00 PM EST, your request will be processed on the next business day. This means that you’ll be billed for another month of service if you cancel after 7:00 PM EST the day before your subscription is set to renew.
Cancellation Fee Prevention
Time your cancellation.
If you cancel at the right time, you may be able to avoid a cancellation fee. This will ultimately depend on your billing cycle, how long you’ve had your service, and when you’re slated to renew your contract.
- If DirecTV informs you of a rate hike, they may also allow you to cancel your service without a fee. This often occurs in December.
- Cancel at the end of your contract. If you cancel right before your contract is up, there either won’t be a fee or it will be really small. Most contracts are one or two years long, so pay attention when renewal time comes around.
Be polite.
When calling to cancel, you should always be extremely polite to the customer service representative. This is important, as representatives (and their supervisors) may have discretion when it comes to waiving your cancellation fee.
- Ask them how they are doing when they inquire the same of you.
- Tell them “thank you” when appropriate.
- Don’t groan, complain, use profanity, or insult the representative.
Inform the representative of the contract’s language.
If the representative denies your initial request to waive the fee, read them the contract. There is specific language in the contract which indicates that the company has discretion over whether it will assess a fee.
- Read the most important clause to the representative. It reads: “you may be subject to an early cancellation fee if you agreed to a programming agreement with DirecTV.” This clause suggests that they do not have to charge you.
Escalate the call.
If the representative says they’re not allowed to waive the fee, escalate the call by asking to speak to their supervisor. The supervisor might have abilities that the initial representative did not.
- Inform the supervisor that you enjoy DirecTV’s service and may sign up with them again in the future.
- If they tell you they can’t waive the fee, ask them to reduce it.
- Inform the supervisor that the contract was confusingly worded.
- You can also threaten to contact the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Communications Commission about DIRECTV’s misrepresentation of its service contract, though this should be your last move since it negates any courtesy up to this point.
Tips
- DirecTV employees are trained to attempt to keep you on your plan by using any legal means necessary, so you’ll have to stand firm in your decision to cancel. With that in mind, always remember to be polite and courteous—the people on the other end of the phone are just doing their jobs.
- DirecTV coverage is fairly comprehensive, meaning that you can’t say that you’re moving to a well-populated country to get out of your DirecTV contract. Try saying that you want to cut your satellite TV cord instead.
Warnings
- Cancelling DirecTV at the beginning of a renewal cycle will be the most expensive cancellation option. Keep track of your renewal period so that you don’t accidentally cancel at the beginning of a two-year contract.
- DirecTV likes to offer lots of free services as incentives for staying on your plan; however, be aware that the services will often automatically renew at the end of the free trial, resulting in you being billed for the service.
- If you cancel before your term of service (typically 12 to 24 months) has elapsed, you must pay a pro-rated cancellation fee. This fee may be as much as $480, depending on the type of programming package and equipment you have.
- While a DirecTV Now subscription can be cancelled from your user settings, you cannot cancel standard DirecTV online.
- If you are moving, beware of services such as 1-800-DTV-MOVE (the correct number is 1-888-DTV-MOVE). The 888 number is valid, but the 800 phone number will put you in touch with a company that pretends to be DirecTV. However, they are not. When you call the number, they will first ask for your personal information (phone number, address, etc.) and then they will try to sell you Dish Network and a Home Security system. You will also most likely get put on their mailing lists and they will probably sell your phone number. Always call DirecTV directly.