# Activating VIP622



## verendus (Feb 21, 2008)

I just purchased a used unit ViP622 from local craigslist. The seller told me I would be able to activate the unit by calling Dishnetwork. 

I called the CSR and was informed that the unit was leased to another account and I cannot activate it. The seller tells me he spent the money and has nothing to give back. 

Is there any way (legally) to get around this problem? Is it possible to get some kind of smart card to activate the unit? Or do I have a $300 brick?


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

You have inadvertantly purchased stolen merchandise. A lease unit cannot be sold, so either the guy who sold it to you stole it from his Dish account OR he acquired it from someone else who did.

Your recourse, legally, would be with the guy from whom you made the purchase.

This is why it is always a good idea to get information and check with Dish before purchasing a used receiver from someone. I still wouldn't do it anyway, but at least checking to see if Dish will activate before purchasing would remove this potential problem.


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## ChuckA (Feb 7, 2006)

Yes, I was caught this way ONCE. Always get the R and S numbers before you purchase and check with Dish to be sure it can be activated. If the seller won't give you the numbers before purchase, walk away quickly.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

HDMe said:


> You have inadvertantly purchased stolen merchandise. A lease unit cannot be sold, so either the guy who sold it to you stole it from his Dish account OR he acquired it from someone else who did.
> 
> Your recourse, legally, would be with the guy from whom you made the purchase.
> 
> This is why it is always a good idea to get information and check with Dish before purchasing a used receiver from someone. I still wouldn't do it anyway, but at least checking to see if Dish will activate before purchasing would remove this potential problem.


Or, possibly, the person that had it before didn't call Dish and release it. Maybe ?? It could happen.
Probably not.


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## Ken Green (Oct 6, 2005)

TulsaOK said:


> Or, possibly, the person that had it before didn't call Dish and release it. Maybe ?? It could happen.
> Probably not.


Leased??

To the OP....I suggest you cut your losses. If you pursue it through law enforcement, you could be charged with receiving stolen property. It makes no difference if you had no knowledge it may have been stolen.


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## verendus (Feb 21, 2008)

So, the units that you receive when you sign up for DVR plans like $5.98 are the leased ones? And they belong to DISH Network? What about all the ones people are selling on ebay? Are they leased units?


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## Ken Green (Oct 6, 2005)

If they're legitimate, they're resales. DISH receivers can be purchased from DISH or DISH retailers, and/or leased from DISH.
There are instances where a once leased receiver becomes the property of the lessee, but that is usually with older/long time leased receivers.
I don't think that would apply to the newer ViP receivers, but not sure.

As others have said, best thing to do is obtain the R (receiver) and S (SmartCard) numbers from the seller, and call DISH. They will be happy to confirm/deny if the receiver can be activated.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

verendus said:


> So, the units that you receive when you sign up for DVR plans like $5.98 are the leased ones? And they belong to DISH Network? What about all the ones people are selling on ebay? Are they leased units?


It is possible to purchase from Dish resellers... but generally speaking, when you sign up through Dish you are leasing.

A big clue to folks signing up is... did they get the receiver for free or for some $150 or less "upgrade fee"? If so, then you are most definately leasing. These receivers cost $400+ to purchase outright so if you paid less than that, you probably didn't purchase it.

It is then certainly ok to resell a unit that you own, presuming you deactivate it and pay any outstanding debts like PPV owed to Dish.. you just have to be careful, especially buying from strangers, that they are not selling a leased unit that cannot be legally sold.


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## Ken Green (Oct 6, 2005)

Just to be clear, obtaining the "R" and "S" numbers, and confirming them with DISH is not a fail-safe. It is always possible scammers, and the like will use one set of "good" "R" and "S" numbers to provide to you online, only to find a different set when your receiver arrives.
It is always best to complete your transaction face-to-face, and verify the numbers with DISH at the time of the transaction.


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## verendus (Feb 21, 2008)

Ken Green said:


> Just to be clear, obtaining the "R" and "S" numbers, and confirming them with DISH is not a fail-safe. It is always possible scammers, and the like will use one set of "good" "R" and "S" numbers to provide to you online, only to find a different set when your receiver arrives.
> It is always best to complete your transaction face-to-face, and verify the numbers with DISH at the time of the transaction.


Lesson learned, although a hard way.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

verendus said:


> Lesson learned, although a hard way.


There's always Small Claims Court.


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## ZBoomer (Feb 21, 2008)

verendus said:


> I just purchased a used unit ViP622 from local craigslist. The seller told me I would be able to activate the unit by calling Dishnetwork.
> 
> I called the CSR and was informed that the unit was leased to another account and I cannot activate it. The seller tells me he spent the money and has nothing to give back.
> 
> Is there any way (legally) to get around this problem? Is it possible to get some kind of smart card to activate the unit? Or do I have a $300 brick?


Hey, just wondering why you'd plunk down $300 for a used 622, when you can get it for free as a new Dish customer, or $100 if an existing customer?

Is there some advantage to owning it over leasing?

On a related note, I had a coworker give me a 510 DVR, since he no longer has Dish. E* activated it for me no problem.


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## verendus (Feb 21, 2008)

ZBoomer said:


> Hey, just wondering why you'd plunk down $300 for a used 622, when you can get it for free as a new Dish customer, or $100 if an existing customer?
> 
> Is there some advantage to owning it over leasing?
> 
> On a related note, I had a coworker give me a 510 DVR, since he no longer has Dish. E* activated it for me no problem.


I don't like getting into a contract. I was told that if I owned my own, I can at least get the local HD contents without paying any enabling fee or monthly DVR fee.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Umm, you just got wrong info outside the sites - if you'll check here you'll find HD enable and DVR fee are unavoidable if you have SD sub, replace HD enable fee to HD sub ($10 or $20 or $30) - it's only one change for kill it.


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

verendus said:


> I don't like getting into a contract. I was told that if I owned my own, I can at least get the local HD contents without paying any enabling fee or monthly DVR fee.


The only disdvantage to the contract is if you think your going to have to terminate early. If you don't, then you save some money.. Otherwise the worse case is you spend if I recall $13 a month of the remaining contract time to leave.

As a new customer, you spend little or nothing to get a 622/722, if you are an existing customer and qualify for DIU, its $150 to upgrade.

So depending on some variables that are not known, but say you have a an 18 month contract, 6 months from now you decide you don't want it or like it, it would cost you $156 to exit your contract, so if you are a new customer, you spent $156, a touch over half of what you lost on trying to buy a seemingly *hot* reciever, and a touch over what you lost if you upgraded, but then you would have had 6 months of service, which does have some value.

Seems to me your aversion to a contract is unfounded. There is plenty of info to know what your getting before you sign up. Unless you think you ultimately could not afford it in the first place.. Though $300 would pay for a few months or more of service depending on the plan you sign up for. Plus, as noted, you would not avoid the DVR Fee or HD Fee..

Buying a 622 as you hoped to do, eliminates the Lease fee, but do the math, the lease is $6 month, that might be changing to $7, in either event, at $300 to buy, it would take 42 months at $7 a month and 50 months at $6 a month, before you leased long enough to have bought it.. By then, 3-4 years from now, that 622 will be obsolete.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

normang said:


> verendus said:
> 
> 
> > I don't like getting into a contract. I was told that if I owned my own, I can at least get the local HD contents without paying any enabling fee or monthly DVR fee.
> ...


I read that differently. The lease contract requries you to subscribe to minimum programming. He would have been willing to pay a lot for, say someone's 942.  An advantage to owning the HD receiver is being able to record OTA Local HD without a lease or addl rec fee, a DVR fee, or having to subscribe to DISH at all. A royal PITA for recording w/o EPG info. I can't be sure what verendus meant by not paying a monthly DVR fee, but he MIGHT have been planning for just OTA locals. Just subscribing to Locals is a choice with an owned receiver, but that's $5.99 for locals, $6 no minimum package, and $5.99 DVR fee, plus $7 HD Enable if a ViP.


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

Bill.... you know all those options way too well. :scratch:


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

I'm not at all sure it will work for my 90 year old neighbor to get locals OTA, but for him, "terminate early" has a different meaning on a 24 month contract.


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## verendus (Feb 21, 2008)

CABill said:


> I'm not at all sure it will work for my 90 year old neighbor to get locals OTA, but for him, "terminate early" has a different meaning on a 24 month contract.


Well, this sure is a lot more complicated than I thought. And I realized I had a lot of misinformation. I wish Dish Networked made a little more straight forward with all these options. As Bill mentioned, all I really wanted was to watch OTA Local HD channels with occasional recording. Our family watch no more than 3-4 hours of TV/week. We could be perfectly happy with just the local channels and news. I rather watch Planet Earth/Blue Planet or decent movies that are worth my time.

I was told by Dish CSR that if I bought my own DVR, I will not have to get into any contract or pay a separate DVR fee ($5.98). They also told me that after my 6 months of HD trial, I can opt out and just watch the local HD channels I am currently subscribing. What they did not explain to me was the HD enabling fee. Also, I was not aware that some of the DVR units being sold as used actually belong to Dish Network and cannot be transferred or sold.

At this point, I am looking at some antenna options, but in my area OTA channels are very limited to a few UHF. The main networks are still broadcast via VHF and I have very few options for that since my home association is not very fond of big outdoor antennas.

Well, I think I might just stick with my basic package and enjoy the SD quality until better options come around.

Thanks to all for your kind help.


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## nathan909 (Feb 24, 2008)

I think D*TV does the same thing.


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