Finally did it - cancelled DSTV

xrapidx

xrapidx

Honorary Master
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After a snotty email from them saying they'll disconnect me for short paying, and attempting to get a supervisor to phone me the entire week. I eventually decided stuff it and told them to cancel the service.

I'll use the extra cash to subscribe to decent ADSL and stream my content from some on-line provider.

I was paying DSTV via automatic debit - so the idiots don't increase the amount in April and its my fault. :wtf:

For sports I have a bar within 50m of my house...and another (Doodles) is 800m
 
It cost me R80 to wait for a call operator at multichoice to set up a debit order in my dad's name because they had no such (active) function on their website - also after they threatened him.

Multichoice can suck it.
 
I cancelled DSTV in December, then went one step further and disconnected the aerial for sabc feeds, so no telly AT ALL! :) It took a week or 2 for me to get used to not having the telly on as background noise but I'm used to it now! It's awesome, mainstream TV is full of utter crap and the news only reports negative stuff and generally made me feel bad. My mood has lifted considerably since I dont do tv anymore, more social too! I must admit I do miss the F1 cars and Superbikes quite a bit though!

+1 and good choice to ditch dstv! :)
 
Yeh... when the woman phoned me now she said is there anything she can do, so I said no, making me go to the bank to pay R90 to avoid disconnection is enough... she said all I have to do is pay the R90 and she promises everything will be better and they promise to improve their service, she said I should have emailed them, I told her I tried on the phone, email, facebook and hellopeter and didn't get a response...
 
Happy Camper said:
I cancelled DSTV in December, then went one step further and disconnected the aerial for sabc feeds, so no telly AT ALL! :) It took a week or 2 for me to get used to not having the telly on as background noise but I'm used to it now! It's awesome, mainstream TV is full of utter crap and the news only reports negative stuff and generally made me feel bad. My mood has lifted considerably since I dont do tv anymore, more social too! I must admit I do miss the F1 cars and Superbikes quite a bit though!

+1 and good choice to ditch dstv! :)
Click to expand...

My next battle is ditching my TV license... I don't even have an aerial.
 
Happy Camper said:
I cancelled DSTV in December, then went one step further and disconnected the aerial for sabc feeds, so no telly AT ALL! :) It took a week or 2 for me to get used to not having the telly on as background noise but I'm used to it now! It's awesome, mainstream TV is full of utter crap and the news only reports negative stuff and generally made me feel bad. My mood has lifted considerably since I dont do tv anymore, more social too! I must admit I do miss the F1 cars and Superbikes quite a bit though!

+1 and good choice to ditch dstv! :)
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+1. Same here - been TV-free for over a year now. It's taken nearly that long to convince the SABC that I am no longer obliged to pay the tv licence - finally last month they sent me a letter confirming I don't have to pay any more.

Uncapped internet FTW. And Justin TV for F1 Gp's.
 
xrapidx said:
Yeh... when the woman phoned me now she said is there anything she can do, so I said no, making me go to the bank to pay R90 to avoid disconnection is enough... she said all I have to do is pay the R90 and she promises everything will be better and they promise to improve their service, she said I should have emailed them, I told her I tried on the phone, email, facebook and hellopeter and didn't get a response...
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Tell them how you get your TV now, make her write it down and read it out to management. Explain why you do this.

Some one needs to hear the read reason why they are losing subscribers.
 
Well done! Feels good to be rid of that dead stinking albatross around your neck, doesn't it? :D
 
Grouter said:
+1. Same here - been TV-free for over a year now. It's taken nearly that long to convince the SABC that I am no longer obliged to pay the tv licence - finally last month they sent me a letter confirming I don't have to pay any more.

Uncapped internet FTW. And Justin TV for F1 Gp's.
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For real? Without having to install dodgy online viewing software? Will check it out, thanks for that ++ :) w00t!!1
 
Rapid i fear you may have jumped the gun here bud :D.

Not sure how much sport you watch but a bar is going to cost you a pretty penny in alcohol unless you don't drink alcohol.

Will you be able to select the sports you want to watch at the bar?
 
Nerfherder said:
Tell them how you get your TV now, make her write it down and read it out to management. Explain why you do this.

Some one needs to hear the read reason why they are losing subscribers.
Click to expand...

I did - I explained to her I can pay a US provider a sixth of the cost and stream up to date content.... I said the only reason I'm still with DSTV is sport, which I hardly ever watch at home anyway... told her my PVR has items recorded in December which I never get round to watching.

She actually said they really don't want to loose another customer... maybe a sign of things to come for them.

killadoob said:
Rapid i fear you may have jumped the gun here bud :D.

Not sure how much sport you watch but a bar is going to cost you a pretty penny in alcohol unless you don't drink alcohol.

Will you be able to select the sports you want to watch at the bar?
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Most sport I hardly watch at home, the last time was the Stormers vs Sharks game months ago...
 
Happy Camper said:
For real? Without having to install dodgy online viewing software? Will check it out, thanks for that ++ :) w00t!!1
Click to expand...

What about SS streaming? I am sure you can get a smart card number from some1 or still use your old 1? not sure if they check it against canceled accounts
 
O well if you don't watch much sport then it seems a good option. I would not have dstv either but i cannot get away from the 10-15 hours of sport i watch in a week :D.

Well i can but i doubt bars have brazilian footie, moto gp, gp. Besides i would blow my entire monthly sub in the first weekend at a bar :D
 
xrapidx said:
I did - I explained to her I can pay a US provider a sixth of the cost and stream up to date content....
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what provider ? would love to know ... if that is the case I would do the same in a heartbeat
 
Deep78 said:
what provider ? would love to know ... if that is the case I would do the same in a heartbeat
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Astraweb.

Kidding, I'll dig up the name, they do international streaming - haven't used them yet as I've been lazy in setting it up, discovered them on the boxee forums, and I need to switch my Openweb account.
 
I always love the way people who cancel DSTV make such a big deal about it, getting their freedom etc etc. Last time I checked, we have a consumer society and it's always your choice whether or not to pay for entertainment (with the exception of TV licenses) and you always have the option of going with the competition, whether that be another operator or switching to purely online consumption. I'm sure people are happy either having the extra cash every month or not paying it to a company they consider monopolistic but come one, nobody forced you in the first place.
 
stevenv said:
I always love the way people who cancel DSTV make such a big deal about it, getting their freedom etc etc. Last time I checked, we have a consumer society and it's always your choice whether or not to pay for entertainment (with the exception of TV licenses) and you always have the option of going with the competition, whether that be another operator or switching to purely online consumption. I'm sure people are happy either having the extra cash every month or not paying it to a company they consider monopolistic but come one, nobody forced you in the first place.
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Actually, if you are a F1 car lover, superbikes and MotoGP then yes you are forced to get the premium package from DSTV. Even now, to this day.
 
Tiscanny said:
What about SS streaming? I am sure you can get a smart card number from some1 or still use your old 1? not sure if they check it against canceled accounts
Click to expand...
That still defies the purpose - the aim is to move people away from DSTV.
killadoob said:
Well i can but i doubt bars have brazilian footie, moto gp, gp. Besides i would blow my entire monthly sub in the first weekend at a bar :D
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There are many things that we blow money away on - bars, clubs, DSTV, eating out, cigarettes, etc. These are all things that we can do without, but have conditioned ourselves to think that we need them. Many people I know have now moved away from the bar scene - we'd rather buy a few bottles which will last a few weekends, have a braai and sit down to some poker. That's assuming that the noise and random screaming in bars annoys you. I personally don't find it appealing any more.

With media players now supporting internet streaming (or a proxy mechanism via which you can stream videos through a PC), sport can be taken care of separately, at a fraction of the cost.
 
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