# R15/Protection plan



## sdicomp (Sep 12, 2006)

Here's a question for you all. I ordered an R15 some 18 months ago, to replace an ailing R10. After numerous headaches and redos, I finally got the old R15 replaced with a new one by customer service last May. I contacted customer service today to inquire about upgrading to HD, only to find out that the repalcement of my R15 gave them an 'excuse' to add 2 years to my programming commitment. I contacted 'Access Card Distribution'(as told to by c/s), and was informed that when an 'leased' receiver is replaced it automatically adds 2 years to your comittment? Is this legit?... or are they jerking me around? I have had D* for 3 years now, and have had the protection plan since I first signed up.


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

I understand when you have the protection plan, replacement of defective receivers should not add to your commitment.


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## FSSTech (Sep 7, 2007)

for your commitment to have been legit you would have had to of signed an form or contract without that they have no legal grounds to trow you in to a contract without your being aware.


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## personman (Apr 24, 2007)

If an owned receiver is replaced using the protection plan, it is replaced with an owned receiver. The status isn't always changed the way it should be. Have them check to see if the tivo was owned, then if it was, then have them check if the tivo was replaced using the protection plan. Those two factors combined should make it so that you have owned r15.


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## sdicomp (Sep 12, 2006)

they were both leased receivers


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## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

I seem to recall sometime in my past that I was told I did not have to sign any "new"paperwork when my contract was extended by getting new equipment. They said it was in the original contract that such action would be taken in the future if necessary. 

If you want to really fight it, tell them you are switching to "E" and see how fast they scramble to make things right.


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## sdicomp (Sep 12, 2006)

I threatened that, but the rep said that I was committed to D* until May 2009


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## morbid_fun (Jan 16, 2007)

sdicomp said:


> I threatened that, but the rep said that I was committed to D* until May 2009


There should not be any commitment when replaced under the protection plan. I know that there is a resource that tells the agent if this, then this type of stuff & that this is in there. I am surprised the access card team did not resolve that. Good luck.


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## Pink Fairy (Dec 28, 2006)

If a leased receiver is replaced, there is not a commitment associated with it...at least there should not.

You can always write and dispute it...

Or do what a lot of people seem to be doing, and go to www.directv.com/email

I email rather than call nowadays.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

DirecTV changes their plans and commitment requirements as often as the weather changes it seems.  

I moaned about my ancient Hughes receiver and it's problem with extra local channels appearing in the program guide. This was back in 2005. They said they could send me a reconditioned DirecTV-manufactured receiver for only the shipping charge ($15 at the time). I went for it and it became my property. BUT I agreed to a one year commitment for this "service".

Nowadays, I don't think ANY equipment they send out, you pick up at a store and take home, or get delivered by a "professional installer" becomes your property. In other words, EVERYTHING is leased.....and they want it back if you disconnect.

If you have the protection plan, you should be able to get replacement equipment or professional service at no extra charge and with no additional commitment. BUT in this case you got an "upgrade", even though it occurred under the protection plan.

I recently got an R15 for free by taking them up on their offer I got in email. In doing so, I agreed to a two year commitment. Now, for 90 days if it breaks down, they will ship me a replacement for free. After the 90 days, they send out a replacement for just the S & H charge of approx. $20. Since it is a like model replacement, I don't believe the commitment is extended. (I don't have the protection plan)

Now, before you lose your temper and call Dish Network, THEY even consider the dish and the multiswitch a "lease" and demand it back if you cancel!! And shipping the stuff back to Dish is on YOUR DIME. DirecTV sends you pre-paid shipping containers. Plus Dish CHARGES you every time you make a change to your programming if it is a downgrade or parallel change (they don't get more money). DirecTV only pops you if you take a premium package for less than 30 days because some "clever" subscribers spoiled it. (OH! There's a good movie on HBO tonight-lets take HBO for one day and watch the movie.....then disconnect HBO since it's pro-rated)

After having DirecTV for 6 1/2 years, there have been times when I was frazzled...but I have to hand it to them, their customer service people have always solved my problems to my satisfaction. I wish I could say the same about their email response unit. It is worthless. Every time I sent a question/concern to them via the web page I either got a reply containing no useful info or worse, WRONG info. I think their email response unit is some offshore operation staffed by folks that have never seen a DirecTV dish. :sure:


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## personman (Apr 24, 2007)

okietekkie said:


> If a leased receiver is replaced, there is not a commitment associated with it.


This is incorrect. If a receiver (leased or owned) is replaced out of warranty; Then there is a commitment. If it's replaced in warranty then there is no cost for the replacement, and no new commitment.


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## sdicomp (Sep 12, 2006)

This is incorrect. If a receiver (leased or owned) is replaced out of warranty; Then there is a commitment. If it's replaced in warranty then there is no cost for the replacement, and no new commitment.


I thought warranty did not matter with the protection plan


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## personman (Apr 24, 2007)

Sorry, I was unclear. I was talking as if the protection plan was *not* on the account.


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## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

Dish sent me "pre-paid" UPS boxes to return my equipment. I did not pay the shipping. In fact, UPS showed up at my door without a call from me to pick up the boxes.


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## sdicomp (Sep 12, 2006)

ThomasM said:


> BUT in this case you got an "upgrade", even though it occurred under the protection plan. :sure:


How was replacing a defective R15 with a working one under the protection plan an 'upgrade'?


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## personman (Apr 24, 2007)

It's not, he is wrong.

Regardless of it being an 'upgrade' if the replacement is ordered via the protection plan, then the defective/broken unit will be replaced with a unit that has equal functionality. 

If a very old sony receiver is replaced with a D11, it could be considered an upgrade, but if it's replaced under the protection plan it would be replaced with a owned D11 (or another standard ird) (assuming you owned the sony receiver) and it would not change nor extend your commitment.


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## personman (Apr 24, 2007)

ThomasM said:


> I recently got an R15 for free by taking them up on their offer I got in email. In doing so, I agreed to a two year commitment. Now, for 90 days if it breaks down, they will ship me a replacement for free. After the 90 days, they send out a replacement for just the S & H charge of approx. $20. Since it is a like model replacement, I don't believe the commitment is extended. (I don't have the protection plan)
> 
> I think their email response unit is some offshore operation staffed by folks that have never seen a DirecTV dish. :sure:


It's not 90 days, it's one year (for DVRs and HD boxes)

Email support is just like phone support, most of it is in the U.S., and some of it is out of the U.S.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

sdicomp said:


> How was replacing a defective R15 with a working one under the protection plan an 'upgrade'?


It isn't. But YOU said:

>Here's a question for you all. I ordered an R15 some 18 months ago, to replace an ailing R10.

I would say an R15 is an upgrade over an "ailing R10", wouldn't you?


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

Supramom2000 said:


> Dish sent me "pre-paid" UPS boxes to return my equipment. I did not pay the shipping. In fact, UPS showed up at my door without a call from me to pick up the boxes.


Interesting. In the current micro-print at the bottom of a recently received DISH Network pitch, it said the customer was responsible for shipping back ALL equipment, including shipping costs. AND they want the dish & multicoupler back, too. (I'm surprised they don't want the coax and the ground block also)


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## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

ThomasM said:


> Interesting. In the current micro-print at the bottom of a recently received DISH Network pitch, it said the customer was responsible for shipping back ALL equipment, including shipping costs. AND they want the dish & multicoupler back, too. (I'm surprised they don't want the coax and the ground block also)


They were especially nice to us when we cancelled because my husband called and said DTV had already come and installed their equipment after a Dishnet CSR called me a liar. He was so angry that the cancellation person in India actually transferred him to a supervisor in the USA. She did the free UPS and wrote off all remaining bills - obviously hoping to get us back. My husband told her that if I had been transferred to someone like her in the first-place, instead of a non-native speaker who called me a liar, then we would not need to cancel!


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

personman said:


> It's not 90 days, it's one year (for DVRs and HD boxes)
> 
> Email support is just like phone support, most of it is in the U.S., and some of it is out of the U.S.


The Warranty Statement in the back of the R15 equipment manual says the unit is under warranty for 90 DAYS, and when I happened to be on the phone with DirecTV for another issue I asked and was told "yes, it's 90 days from the date of installation UNLESS you have the protection plan". Well, the protection plan is eight bucks a month for accounts with "plus" receivers which is too much in my opinion. Now, if you are rich and have no clue how to put a connector on the end of a piece of RG-6, it might be a good idea.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

Supramom2000 said:


> They were especially nice to us when we cancelled because my husband called and said DTV had already come and installed their equipment after a Dishnet CSR called me a liar. He was so angry that the cancellation person in India actually transferred him to a supervisor in the USA. She did the free UPS and wrote off all remaining bills - obviously hoping to get us back. My husband told her that if I had been transferred to someone like her in the first-place, instead of a non-native speaker who called me a liar, then we would not need to cancel!


Well, unfortunately nowadays it's often too late to try and fix things after a bad customer service experience and yours is a perfect example. As I said in a previous post, no matter how frazzled I've been with an aspect of DirecTV, the CSR I got the first time every time solved my problem and treated me with respect. That is why I still have DirecTV after 6 1/2 years!!


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

sdicomp said:


> This is incorrect. If a receiver (leased or owned) is replaced out of warranty; Then there is a commitment. If it's replaced in warranty then there is no cost for the replacement, and no new commitment.
> 
> I thought warranty did not matter with the protection plan


I was not aware that if a LEASED piece of equipment fails and DirecTV sends out a reconditioned replacement for the S & H charge ($20) it extends the programming commitment. I cannot find this little quirk in any of DirecTV's documentation. The closest I've found is this excerpt from the "Equipment Lease Addendum":

"In the event the DIRECTV equipment you have leased from DIRECTV does not operate, contact DIRECTV at 1-800-531-5000."


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## sdicomp (Sep 12, 2006)

ThomasM said:


> It isn't. But YOU said:
> 
> >Here's a question for you all. I ordered an R15 some 18 months ago, to replace an ailing R10.
> 
> I would say an R15 is an upgrade over an "ailing R10", wouldn't you?


Let me say that the R10 to R15 'upgrade' was taken care of at that time with NO committment extension. My problem was with a defective R15, replaced with another R15 in May 2007. I have has D*s 'protection plan' since I have had their service.


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## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

Supramom2000 said:


> They were especially nice to us when we cancelled because my husband called and said DTV had already come and installed their equipment after a Dishnet CSR called me a liar. He was so angry that the cancellation person in India actually transferred him to a supervisor in the USA. She did the free UPS and wrote off all remaining bills - obviously hoping to get us back. My husband told her that if I had been transferred to someone like her in the first-place, instead of a non-native speaker who called me a liar, then we would not need to cancel!


+1

I had pretty much the exact same thing happen to me a few years ago. And yes, my box was also pre-paid to return my equipment.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

ThomasM said:


> The Warranty Statement in the back of the R15 equipment manual says the unit is under warranty for 90 DAYS, and when I happened to be on the phone with DirecTV for another issue I asked and was told "yes, it's 90 days from the date of installation UNLESS you have the protection plan". Well, the protection plan is eight bucks a month for accounts with "plus" receivers which is too much in my opinion. Now, if you are rich and have no clue how to put a connector on the end of a piece of RG-6, it might be a good idea.


$8.? I pay $6. or $5.99 actually with the R15.

To me to not have it a subscriber would need to be rich.A service call is $70+.Plus
the protection plan covers the dish,alignments,connectors,coax,LNBs.Plus the service call charge.


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## personman (Apr 24, 2007)

It depends. It used to be $7.99. If someone who is paying $7.99 adds a leased receiver then the price will go down to $5.99.


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