# A former customer interested in returning...



## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

I am a former customer of DTV and canceled in January of 2010. I am considering switching back but refuse to pay for any equipment considering I will still be paying a lease fee each month and have to get the protection plan to cover it.

All I simply want is the same offer they give to new customers: HD-DVR and 2 HD receivers for free and whole home DVR at $10 month and HD service for free with auto pay.

I called up and spoke to a rep this morning who offered the HD DVR and 1 HD receiver for free and stated I'd have to pay $99 for the second HD receiver. I told her this is unacceptable and asked her to speak to her supervisor. She put me on hold for about 10 minutes and we got "disconnected". I immediately called back and got her again. I told her we just spoke and she sounded shocked that I ended up getting her again.

After I called back, the deal suddenly changed to just the HD DVR for free and I'd have to pay for the two additional HD receivers. I refuse to switch back with this. I also would not qualify for the "refer a friend" since I'm a current customer.

I am baffled that here I am with a credit card in hand, a 800+ credit score and perfect billing history with DirecTV and they can't simply offer me the same offer they give to their new customers with a two year agreement? :nono2:

UPDATE 11/8/11:

Well, this was very short lived. First, the installer DID have the new equipment which I was pleased to hear. He didn't, however, have the wireless Cinema Kit which I was promised at the time of the sale. Explained he only had the wired one and I would have to put another outlet near my router to connect it with a wired connection for $49.95. This, however, was not my main concern.

As mentioned previously, my sales representative signed me up as a different person (in DirecTV's system anyway). They shortened my first name and used my cell phone number as my home phone number. As you know, this makes the system think that I'm a new person (with the same name) living in the house. While someone from Ellen Filipiak's office said that they would honor it since the order was already placed, I'm concerned that this is going to end up haunting me in the future with DirecTV thinking I did this myself.

I had a lot of red flags come up during this time and I think I made the right choice. When my official "two years" are up in January I may consider switching back but I'm just not interested at this time.


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## DirectMan (Jul 15, 2007)

Wait two or three months till Jan 2012 then it will be 2 years since cancellation and they should consider you a new customer and offer you the new customer deal including a discount on the first years monthly charges and the equipment offer. They should already be sending you "we want you back" offers by mail have you not received them?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

DirectMan said:


> Wait two or three months till Jan 2012 then it will be 2 years since cancellation and they should consider you a new customer and offer you the new customer deal including a discount on the first years monthly charges and the equipment offer. They should already be sending you "we want you back" offers by mail have you not received them?


I've received so many "we want you back" offers. I normally throw them away and I thought I saved the last one but can't seem to find it. 

I am ready to order service today, but after paying $200 for the last receiver knowing I could have probably got it for free or a lot less, I refuse to pay for equipment this time.


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## bixler (Oct 14, 2008)

debell said:


> I am a former customer of DTV and canceled in January of 2010. I am considering switching back but refuse to pay for any equipment considering I will still be paying a lease fee each month and *have to get the protection plan to cover it.*


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

bixler said:


>


I am under the impression that if anything happens to this receiver that I am leasing, I need the protection plan to cover it for free replacements and repairs.


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## bixler (Oct 14, 2008)

debell said:


> I am under the impression that if anything happens to this receiver that I am leasing, I need the protection plan to cover it for free replacements and repairs.


That is incorrect. If you are leasing it and you need a replacement or repairs due to its failure it will be replaced for free AND will not start a new 24 month contract over. If you don't have the protection plan, you MAY have to pay a $20 shipping fee for the new receiver but you MAY also be able to get that waived via a CSR.


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## Kevin F (May 9, 2010)

"debell" said:


> I am under the impression that if anything happens to this receiver that I am leasing, I need the protection plan to cover it for free replacements and repairs.


Not true. DirecTV will replace leased receivers for free but you may have to cover the cost of shipping if they need to be sent back.

Kevin


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## bixler (Oct 14, 2008)

I would try a few more times today and just keep asking the different CSRs for the boxes you want for free. Just come right out and say you want the new customer offer and you are ready to order today. Let them know if you can't get it you are ordering Dish Network today. Sooner or later you'll get a CSR that will give you the new offer. CSR roulette....


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

debell,

When I was looking at returning to D*, I ran into the same problems you have. Get an offer from their rep and then they changed it after I accepted the offer. I had said to hell with it and was going to just stay with Dish. But it was irritating since I was getting all those 'come back' letters and emails from them. I thought I had been gone for 2 years, but like you, I really was short of it.

So I emailed to : [email protected]

Got a call back a bit later or the next day and got it resolved. How much you can get for free or if you can, should be solvable with a call from her office.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

bixler said:


> I would try a few more times today and just keep asking the different CSRs for the boxes you want for free. Just come right out and say you want the new customer offer and you are ready to order today. Let them know if you can't get it you are ordering Dish Network today. Sooner or later you'll get a CSR that will give you the new offer. CSR roulette....


Unfortunately when you are not quite away 2 years, the offers often are not all that good. And at least he and I both got the same runaround with offers made and reneged on.

Took an email to Ellen Filipiak's office to get it straightened out.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

bixler said:


> That is incorrect. If you are leasing it and you need a replacement or repairs due to its failure it will be replaced for free AND will not start a new 24 month contract over. If you don't have the protection plan, you MAY have to pay a $20 shipping fee for the new receiver but you MAY also be able to get that waived via a CSR.





Kevin F said:


> Not true. DirecTV will replace leased receivers for free but you may have to cover the cost of shipping if they need to be sent back.
> 
> Kevin


What is the purpose of the protection plan? If my receivers were hit by lightning would I be covered without the protection plan?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

lparsons21 said:


> debell,
> 
> When I was looking at returning to D*, I ran into the same problems you have. Get an offer from their rep and then they changed it after I accepted the offer. I had said to hell with it and was going to just stay with Dish. But it was irritating since I was getting all those 'come back' letters and emails from them. I thought I had been gone for 2 years, but like you, I really was short of it.
> 
> ...


Thank you for this information! I'm going to try a couple more times today and then I'm going to e-mail her office.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Well, I just tried another call and got the same run around. I'm so confused as to why DirecTV would not offer the same offer new customers get to me to get me BACK on a 2 year contract with their service. I had a perfect account history with them, I would think that I am the ideal customer they would want. No hassles, they know they'll get paid every month and they don't have to put anything out.

I sent an e-mail to: [email protected]

I sure hope they can work something out because I'm getting very discouraged with all of this and being reminded as to why I left DirecTV in the first place (they treat new customers better than current/former customers, at times).


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

debell said:


> What is the purpose of the protection plan? If my receivers were hit by lightning would I be covered without the protection plan?


While leased receivers are always replace at no charge (except for shipping) the protection plan covers everything else - the dish, wiring, multiswitches, and service calls.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

longrider said:


> While leased receivers are always replace at no charge (except for shipping) the protection plan covers everything else - the dish, wiring, multiswitches, and service calls.


I know it's tough to say either way, but do you think it's worth it?


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

debell said:


> I know it's tough to say either way, but do you think it's worth it?


I would look at two things. First, are you comfortable with swapping out a receiver yourself? Second, if something else fails such as the dish, are you ok with paying out $50 - $150 with no notice? If you can say yes to both then I would skip the plan. For 99% of people a protection plan over the long term will always cost more than paying for repairs as needed, this is true for anything not just satellite TV. However there is the peace of mind in knowing all you will ever pay is the monthly fee. That is what you have to decide


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

debell said:


> Well, I just tried another call and got the same run around. I'm so confused as to why DirecTV would not offer the same offer new customers get to me to get me BACK on a 2 year contract with their service. I had a perfect account history with them, I would think that I am the ideal customer they would want. No hassles, they know they'll get paid every month and they don't have to put anything out.
> 
> I sent an e-mail to: [email protected]
> 
> I sure hope they can work something out because I'm getting very discouraged with all of this and being reminded as to why I left DirecTV in the first place (they treat new customers better than current/former customers, at times).


Why are you so confused? They have to draw the line somewhere and it appears, by what I read, that it's 24 months before you can be considered a new customer. It's very likely that the two year requirement has to do with preventing people from switching to another provider, and then try to come back again after a short time just to get the promotions that are happening at that time.

New customers are new blood, that have in many cases, been with a provider for many years. They have to give them something worthwhile for them to change. In my case, I had been with TW for many many years. TW also has more basic and local HD channels than D*. So their offer had to be something 
big enough for me to want to switch.

Why would I want to pay for equipment to switch to D*, when I didn't have to pay for equipment with TW. I also didn't have to have additional boxes for my analog tv's. But then we got another HD tv and wanted a DVR. If I wanted DVR on another TV, I would have to pay extra. Then I also wanted a price break.

So what got me to change? Free equipment, free installation, Whole home DVR, and the most important, a price break for a year. A price break for a year would have been defeating the purpose if I would have had to pay for equipment and installation up front. When my 2nd year begins, my cost will be about the same as what TW was.

Sunday Ticket and Premiums for three months were just iceing on the cake, which I'll cancel when they run out. I didn't have premiums with TW either, because I've got Netflix streaming with my Blue Ray player.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"debell" said:


> I know it's tough to say either way, but do you think it's worth it?


It's most worth it if you have owned DVRs. Otherwise, it's a bit debatable. I have one box marked as owned, though it's not a DVR, and the hard drive seems to me the most likely component to fail.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

n3vino said:


> Why are you so confused? They have to draw the line somewhere and it appears, by what I read, that it's 24 months before you can be considered a new customer. It's very likely that the two year requirement has to do with preventing people from switching to another provider, and then try to come back again after a short time just to get the promotions that are happening at that time.
> 
> New customers are new blood, that have in many cases, been with a provider for many years. They have to give them something worthwhile for them to change. In my case, I had been with TW for many many years. TW also has more basic and local HD channels than D*. So their offer had to be something
> big enough for me to want to switch.
> ...


I understand the reasoning behind having to draw the line somewhere, but what I don't understand is the big hold up for us is the equipment cost. In the end, if I decided I wanted to sign up and then leave and then sign up and then leave again, DTV is losing nothing as I'm sending these receivers back to them each time.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

longrider said:


> I would look at two things. First, are you comfortable with swapping out a receiver yourself? Second, if something else fails such as the dish, are you ok with paying out $50 - $150 with no notice? If you can say yes to both then I would skip the plan. For 99% of people a protection plan over the long term will always cost more than paying for repairs as needed, this is true for anything not just satellite TV. However there is the peace of mind in knowing all you will ever pay is the monthly fee. That is what you have to decide


I have no problem replacing a receiver myself. I would probably prefer to have a technician come out for any work on the receiver itself, although I'm sure I could figure it out if need be.



dpeters11 said:


> It's most worth it if you have owned DVRs. Otherwise, it's a bit debatable. I have one box marked as owned, though it's not a DVR, and the hard drive seems to me the most likely component to fail.


I could see that. I didn't realize that DTV covers the receivers if you're leasing them. I guess my concern is them getting hit by lightning or something similar to this.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"debell" said:


> I have no problem replacing a receiver myself. I would probably prefer to have a technician come out for any work on the receiver itself, although I'm sure I could figure it out if need be.
> 
> I could see that. I didn't realize that DTV covers the receivers if you're leasing them. I guess my concern is them getting hit by lightning or something similar to this.


I have a StrikeStop, then my DVRs are on a UPS.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Speaking to all of the customer service reps I've spoken with today have reminded me why I switched away from DirecTV. This is driving me crazy.

I've come across 3 very rude representatives. It's amazing how when you WANT to give a company money they refuse to listen or even be respectful.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

debell said:


> Speaking to all of the customer service reps I've spoken with today have reminded me why I switched away from DirecTV. This is driving me crazy.
> 
> I've come across 3 very rude representatives. It's amazing how when you WANT to give a company money they refuse to listen or even be respectful.


In over four years time I have run across a couple of clueless DirecTV CSR's, but never a rude one. I try to be nice on the phone, even when they ask me to reset my receiver after I have already done that.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

debell said:


> Speaking to all of the customer service reps I've spoken with today have reminded me why I switched away from DirecTV. This is driving me crazy.
> 
> I've come across 3 very rude representatives. It's amazing how when you WANT to give a company money they refuse to listen or even be respectful.


The reason you are running into head aches is because you think you are entitled to things that go against business rules and processes.
Just because you think its unacceptable doesnt mean DTV should bend to your will and give you something you probably shouldnt get.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Inkosaurus said:


> The reason you are running into head aches is because you think you are entitled to things that go against business rules and processes.
> Just because you think its unacceptable doesnt mean DTV should bend to your will and give you something you probably shouldnt get.


That's what I assumed was happening. Demanding all free HD receivers seems like a bit much.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

Inkosaurus said:


> The reason you are running into head aches is because you think you are entitled to things that go against business rules and processes.
> Just because you think its unacceptable doesnt mean DTV should bend to your will and give you something you probably shouldnt get.


This.

I get so tired of people getting bent because a company wont give them the farm. I have no problem with anyone asking, but if the answer is no it's no.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> The reason you are running into head aches is because you think you are entitled to things that go against business rules and processes.
> Just because you think its unacceptable doesnt mean DTV should bend to your will and give you something you probably shouldnt get.


It's one thing to politely say that I don't qualify for a particular deal. It's another thing to be rude and completely disregard anything that's listed on the account.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Regardless, Laila called me in regards to my e-mail and I was able to get my account all setup. I have an installation scheduled for Tuesday, November 8th for everything that I had asked for.

I spoke with someone in direct sales prior to speaking to her and apparently he worked around the system by using my cell phone # as my primary number. She stated that he wasn't supposed to do this but since the order was already placed she said they would honor it.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

debell said:


> Regardless, Laila called me in regards to my e-mail and I was able to get my account all setup. I have an installation scheduled for Tuesday, November 8th for everything that I had asked for.
> 
> I spoke with someone in direct sales prior to speaking to her and apparently he worked around the system by using my cell phone # as my primary number. She stated that he wasn't supposed to do this but since the order was already placed she said they would honor it.


lol, good luck with the fraud department.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> lol, good luck with the fraud department.


I didn't ask him to do this. The sales guy apparently wanted to make this sale work so he worked around the system, according to Laila. She stated he should not have done this but since he did they would honor it.

I don't understand how this would come back on me.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

debell said:


> I didn't ask him to do this. The sales guy apparently wanted to make this sale work so he worked around the system, according to Laila. She stated he should not have done this but since he did they would honor it.
> 
> I don't understand how this would come back on me.


What the Agent did was just trick the system to think thats not you, fraud department still has plenty of other means to figure this out though. And just because one person says it will be honored doesnt mean someone above them, or heck anyone else WILL honor it.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

billsharpe said:


> In over four years time I have run across a couple of clueless DirecTV CSR's, but never a rude one. I try to be nice on the phone, even when they ask me to reset my receiver after I have already done that.


+1, except I've been dealing with DirecTV for over 13 years. Never a rude CSR.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> What the Agent did was just trick the system to think thats not you, fraud department still has plenty of other means to figure this out though. And just because one person says it will be honored doesnt mean someone above them, or heck anyone else WILL honor it.


I realize what the agent did. I didn't realize he did this and I explained to him my situation. He told he that this was the offer he could give me so I went with it. At the very worst, they'll cancel my new order. That's fine with me. You're making it sound like they'll come after me as if I'm the one who tricked the system?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> +1, except I've been dealing with DirecTV for over 13 years. Never a rude CSR.





Xsabresx said:


> This.
> 
> I get so tired of people getting bent because a company wont give them the farm. I have no problem with anyone asking, but if the answer is no it's no.





trh said:


> +1, except I've been dealing with DirecTV for over 13 years. Never a rude CSR.





Xsabresx said:


> This.
> 
> I get so tired of people getting bent because a company wont give them the farm. I have no problem with anyone asking, but if the answer is no it's no.





billsharpe said:


> In over four years time I have run across a couple of clueless DirecTV CSR's, but never a rude one. I try to be nice on the phone, even when they ask me to reset my receiver after I have already done that.





Inkosaurus said:


> The reason you are running into head aches is because you think you are entitled to things that go against business rules and processes.
> Just because you think its unacceptable doesnt mean DTV should bend to your will and give you something you probably shouldnt get.





sigma1914 said:


> That's what I assumed was happening. Demanding all free HD receivers seems like a bit much.


Let me clarify something here: I was a DTV customer for 3 years from 2007-2010. I was very pleased with their customer service reps and didn't come across any rude representatives. Today, however, was a different story. I spoke with about 5 different people today and 3 of them were very helpful and pleasant and two were very rude.

I am always calm when speaking to a representative, I understand their limitations and never do I get rude with them. One of the reps was rude to me before I even explained what I was looking for. I told her I spoke with someone else and was transferred over to her and she didn't even let me finish before she said "If you didn't lock in your order I can't pull it up." I asked her if there were any notations on my account from the last rep that I spoke with and she just answered a very condescending "no".

Overall, I don't feel that DTV is a bad company by any stretch of the imagination. Their CS department is great and I always felt this way. The fact that my e-mail was responded to with someone from the customer advocacy department almost immediately was a clear sign of this.

I hope that this order will be honored and that I will be able to get my DTV service, but if the fraud department doesn't allow it I will be fine with that too. I will not pursue it any more and will simply be happy with what I have.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

debell said:


> I realize what the agent did. I didn't realize he did this and I explained to him my situation. He told he that this was the offer he could give me so I went with it. At the very worst, they'll cancel my new order. That's fine with me. You're making it sound like they'll come after me as if I'm the one who tricked the system?


No actually i only meant to imply you run the risk of the Work order being closed lol.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> No actually i only meant to imply you run the risk of the Work order being closed lol.


I see. Well, like I said I hope that it will go through as I am looking forward to switching back to DTV but if it doesn't go through then I won't be concerned.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Can anyone tell me if new installations include the latest HD DVR (HR24) and HD receivers (H24)?


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

Its actually random.
You could* get a HR24, but you could just as easily get another model.
edit:
The best way to get a guarantee of getting a HR24 is to get set up through a retailer who has them on stock.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> Its actually random.
> You could* get a HR24, but you could just as easily get another model.
> edit:
> The best way to get a guarantee of getting a HR24 is to get set up through a retailer who has them on stock.


Thank you for the reply. The rep on the phone stated that I would receive the latest receiver that's offered (HR24). Are you sure this is the case? I do recall having the HR22 the last time and it was extremely slow.


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## Kevin F (May 9, 2010)

"debell" said:


> Can anyone tell me if new installations include the latest HD DVR (HR24) and HD receivers (H24)?


Generally you will get what's on the installer struck that day. You can call the local installing company and ask them what they have in the warehouse though. But most times lately it will be a H(R)24 or a H25.

Kevin


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Kevin F said:


> Generally you will get what's on the installer struck that day. You can call the local installing company and ask them what they have in the warehouse though. But most times lately it will be a H(R)24 or a H25.
> 
> Kevin


Thank you for the quick reply. If the installers already have it in their warehouse, why did I just pay a $30 shipping/handling fee?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

I want to thank everyone on this board for replying to my thread. I really am impressed with how great this community is. As you can see, I joined today since I was considering DTV service again. It's nice to have a forum like this that is so active with DTV customers (all of which seem to be very happy).


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## Kevin F (May 9, 2010)

"debell" said:


> Thank you for the quick reply. If the installers already have it in their warehouse, why did I just pay a $30 shipping/handling fee?


No idea. Just started reading this tread an hour ago but I'll take a look.



"debell" said:


> I want to thank everyone on this board for replying to my thread. I really am impressed with how great this community is. As you can see, I joined today since I was considering DTV service again. It's nice to have a forum like this that is so active with DTV customers (all of which seem to be very happy).


This community here at DBSTalk is great an truly unique. We are glad to have you on board and don't be afraid to ask any questions.

Kevin


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

debell said:


> Regardless, Laila called me in regards to my e-mail and I was able to get my account all setup. I have an installation scheduled for Tuesday, November 8th for everything that I had asked for.
> 
> I spoke with someone in direct sales prior to speaking to her and apparently he worked around the system by using my cell phone # as my primary number. She stated that he wasn't supposed to do this but since the order was already placed she said they would honor it.





debell said:


> I didn't ask him to do this. The sales guy apparently wanted to make this sale work so he worked around the system, according to Laila. She stated he should not have done this but since he did they would honor it.
> 
> I don't understand how this would come back on me.


 Just a curious question for anyone.

Doesn't there have to be a connection to a land line for at least 24 hours to consider the work order complete? When I first got connected, the installer said I needed to be connected for 48 hours. When I switched from an SD receiver to an H25 to weeks later, the installer said I had to be connected 24 hours.

Anyone know what that's about?


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## dualsub2006 (Aug 29, 2007)

"n3vino" said:


> Just a curious question for anyone.
> 
> Doesn't there have to be a connection to a land line for at least 24 hours to consider the work order complete? When I first got connected, the installer said I needed to be connected for 48 hours.


That can't be true. I've been a customer since 2005 and haven't had a land line connected to any of my receivers. Ever.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

dualsub2006 said:


> That can't be true. I've been a customer since 2005 and haven't had a land line connected to any of my receivers. Ever.


 I got connected a month ago. Both installers had me run a cable from one of my landline connections to one of the receivers for a couple of days, but they are not connected now. They said it was for some sort of update. My question was, does anyone know why they had me do that?


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## hombresoto (Sep 10, 2006)

If there is home phone service the tech will get a huge rationing of sh$t if the boxes don't call back initially. Thats the reason for the temporary phone connection.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

Yup.
Techs even do it on the Dish network side telling custs there would be a 5$ fee if they dont, even though that fee was done away with years ago.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"debell" said:


> Thank you for the reply. The rep on the phone stated that I would receive the latest receiver that's offered (HR24). Are you sure this is the case? I do recall having the HR22 the last time and it was extremely slow.


Guide speed on the hr22 will increase dramatically (among others)


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Kevin F said:


> Generally you will get what's on the installer struck that day. You can call the local installing company and ask them what they have in the warehouse though. But most times lately it will be a H(R)24 or a H25.
> 
> Kevin


How do I find out who the local installing company is?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

dpeters11 said:


> Guide speed on the hr22 will increase dramatically (among others)


Is this due to the HD guide that's going to be or has been released? I did read about that a few weeks ago and it looks great!

I realize that the older boxes would be improved, my main concern is that if I'm signing up for service at this time I'd like to get whatever their newest box is since I'll be stuck with it for quite some time.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

debell said:


> How do I find out who the local installing company is?


You could call and ask or someone around where you live that is on here might know. With that said they will not have a way for you to contact them.



debell said:


> Is this due to the HD guide that's going to be or has been released? I did read about that a few weeks ago and it looks great!
> 
> I realize that the older boxes would be improved, my main concern is that if I'm signing up for service at this time I'd like to get whatever their newest box is since I'll be stuck with it for quite some time.


DIRECTV doesn't care about the model number so they're not going to do anything special to get you a specific model number. If you get some lip service about they'll notate the order or whatever it still won't matter because ultimately you get what the warehouse gives the tech.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

@debell:

The concerns you have with how D* customer NO service reps conduct themselves should be telling you something.....STAY AWAY!

It is not if you are going to get stung but when!

I just ended my contract with them and put my account on suspension for a few months...My account was in good standing and no balance was due. I called to cancel my service because I no longer felt that the value for the money was there.

I was connected with a D* Customer No Service Rep...in "retention dept"

Here is the link to my experience. It was without a doubt the absolute worst experience I have ever had with any CSR in any business I have ever dealth with

Click here to read!

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=197829&highlight=worst+customer+service


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

dubber deux said:


> @debell:
> 
> The concerns you have with how D* customer NO service reps conduct themselves should be telling you something.....STAY AWAY!
> 
> ...


Wow, very interesting. I wouldn't say that the rep was as bad as the one you dealt with, but I was just a little shocked with the rude response. I haven't ever experienced this with Brighthouse Networks.

I realize that customer service is very difficult and you just can't control every customer service representative 24/7.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Shades228 said:


> You could call and ask or someone around where you live that is on here might know. With that said they will not have a way for you to contact them.
> 
> DIRECTV doesn't care about the model number so they're not going to do anything special to get you a specific model number. If you get some lip service about they'll notate the order or whatever it still won't matter because ultimately you get what the warehouse gives the tech.


I didn't get any lip service, I was just simply told that I would get the latest receiver but I wouldn't be surprised if I was just told this to get me off the phone.

I probably shouldn't even care what receiver I get. I do plan on getting the protection plan so if I do have any issues at all, at least I know I'll be covered with getting a new one.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

debell said:


> Wow, very interesting. I wouldn't say that the rep was as bad as the one you dealt with, but I was just a little shocked with the rude response. .
> 
> I realize that customer service is very difficult and you just can't control every customer service representative 24/7.


Except this person I spoke to worked for "customer retention" and was not just the 1st tier group. You would think that they would use a better quality of retention reps.

Like I said this person was abusive, threatening, and outrageous. But he knew what he was doing all the time I believe.

Luckily for me I am no pushover for bullies but a lot of little old ladies probably are. This was so bad I sent the CEO Mr Michael White a RRR snail mail directly to their HQ in El Segundo, CA.


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## west99999 (May 12, 2007)

debell said:


> they know they'll get paid every month and they don't have to put anything out.
> 
> I sure hope they can work something out because I'm getting very discouraged with all of this and being reminded as to why I left DirecTV in the first place (they treat new customers better than current/former customers, at times).


You paying your bill should be a given they expect that from everyone. You have already left them once after how long? it takes them up to 2 years before they start making profit off of new customers especially when they give away all the new stuff like you are wanting. If you want service from them and certain equipment that is not usually free then pay up if not go elsewhere.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

debell said:


> In the end, if I decided I wanted to sign up and then leave and then sign up and then leave again, DTV is losing nothing as I'm sending these receivers back to them each time.


Yes, they lose nothing since their policy is to return those working units back out to another customer.



debell said:


> ...my main concern is that if I'm signing up for service at this time I'd like to get whatever their newest box is since I'll be stuck with it for quite some time.


And what is DirecTV supposed to do with all the working receivers that are returned by customers when they cancel? You can't have it both ways - you want to be able to cancel and return their equipment yet you want new receivers when you return later.

You'll probably get new equipment from your local installer, but don't get upset if you don't.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

trh said:


> Yes, they lose nothing since their policy is to return those working units back out to another customer.
> 
> And what is DirecTV supposed to do with all the working receivers that are returned by customers when they cancel? You can't have it both ways - you want to be able to cancel and return their equipment yet you want new receivers when you return later.
> 
> You'll probably get new equipment from your local installer, but don't get upset if you don't.


I really don't see why people are against receiving used equipment. AS LONG AS IT IS CLEAN , AND IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER. Remember this helps keep prices down for the customer.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

west99999 said:


> You paying your bill should be a given they expect that from everyone. You have already left them once after how long? it takes them up to 2 years before they start making profit off of new customers especially when they give away all the new stuff like you are wanting. If you want service from them and certain equipment that is not usually free then pay up if not go elsewhere.


It takes far longer then 2 years for them to make that money back and have a cust become profitable.
Contracts arent as long as it takes for a customer to pay off there SAC/CoA, if they were no one would sign up for services.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Inkosaurus said:


> It takes far longer then 2 years for them to make that money back and have a cust become profitable.
> Contracts arent as long as it takes for a customer to pay off there SAC/CoA, if they were no one would sign up for services.


This is incorrect.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

dubber deux said:


> I really don't see why people are against receiving used equipment. AS LONG AS IT IS CLEAN , AND IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER. Remember this helps keep prices down for the customer.


I wouldn't mind a "used" receiver, I just don't want a model that's outdated. There's always updates to these receivers and I'm sure the HR24 is a bit faster than the HR22. I realize that they issue updates that will speed the boxes up as well, but it's just something about when you're a new customer signing up you want to get whatever the best offering is at that time. I realize I'm going to be stuck with this box for some time and I don't want to get stuck with an outdated one.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Do not accept any DVR other than a new HR24 (the older models are junk by comparison) If the installer shows up without an HR24 you'll cancel your order over it but you'd be happy to re-schedule when they have HR24's available. The HR24's are vastly superior to the other DVR's in every way. Hopefully you won't have to deal with it but if you do it's way worth the hassle to get an HR24.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Or better yet, save the installer a trip. They typically call you before they come out to confirm the appointment. When the installer calls, ask him if he has HR24's for your install. If he doesn't, then you have to decide if you can live with the model he has or force the issue. From what I have read, if there's a truck roll, most people that post here end up with the newest model. And if you get what you want, you might want to read this [thread] on tipping.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

debell said:


> Wow, very interesting. I wouldn't say that the rep was as bad as the one you dealt with, but I was just a little shocked with the rude response. I haven't ever experienced this with Brighthouse Networks.
> 
> I realize that customer service is very difficult and you just can't control every customer service representative 24/7.


Just ignore him. He's been running thread to thread trying to get attention for his supposed bad experience. Few here are paying any heed to his claims.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

RACJ2 said:


> Or better yet, save the installer a trip. They typically call you before they come out to confirm the appointment. When the installer calls, ask him if he has HR24's for your install. If he doesn't, then you have to decide if you can live with the model he has or force the issue. From what I have read, if there's a truck roll, most people that post here end up with the newest model.


Agreed. The pre-install call is the best time to discuss the model of DVR.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Do not accept any DVR other than a new HR24 (the older models are junk by comparison) If the installer shows up without an HR24 you'll cancel your order over it but you'd be happy to re-schedule when they have HR24's available. The HR24's are vastly superior to the other DVR's in every way. Hopefully you won't have to deal with it but if you do it's way worth the hassle to get an HR24.


Great, thank you for the information. It sounds like I should expect to get the latest DVR they offer, but I'm still going to ask the installer when he calls. I really hope everything works out well, I have an outlet that is shared between my master bedroom and living room (that the cable co put a splitter on). I'm hoping DTV will be able to work around this and either run another outlet or work off the existing one for both TVs.


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## wallfishman (Dec 31, 2008)

they can ... they will just change that to a swm splitter


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

wallfishman said:


> they can ... they will just change that to a swm splitter


That's great news, I was hoping it wouldn't be a big issue. Since I'm a new install and it'll be SWM, will this allow me to move my boxes to any room that I want them in if I decide I want the DVR in another room?


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

RACJ2 said:


> Or better yet, save the installer a trip. They typically call you before they come out to confirm the appointment. When the installer calls, ask him if he has HR24's for your install. If he doesn't, then you have to decide if you can live with the model he has or force the issue. From what I have read, if there's a truck roll, most people that post here end up with the newest model. And if you get what you want, you might want to read this [thread] on tipping.


I could be wrong, but isnt standard rule of thumb that truck rolls have HR24's and it is only when Directv sends out a replacement that you could get refurbs? At least at this point in the game.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Do not accept any DVR other than a new HR24 (the older models are junk by comparison)


That's simply not true. They're faster, that's all. If someone wants to turn away another model because they have to have the latest and greatest, that is their prerogative but to call the others "junk by comparison", is misleading.

All things considered, my HR23 is slow compared to my HR20, but it isnt like I wait 3 days for anything to heppen. We manage to function perfectly fine with it.

Again, I wont fault someone for having to have the newest model out there (although I disagree with it) but to turn something away "because I heard it is junk" is silly.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

wallfishman said:


> they can ... they will just change that to a swm splitter


That's what they did with mine.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Xsabresx said:


> That's simply not true. They're faster, that's all. If someone wants to turn away another model because they have to have the latest and greatest, that is their prerogative but to call the others "junk by comparison", is misleading.
> 
> All things considered, my HR23 is slow compared to my HR20, but it isnt like I wait 3 days for anything to heppen. We manage to function perfectly fine with it.
> 
> Again, I wont fault someone for having to have the newest model out there (although I disagree with it) but to turn something away "because I heard it is junk" is silly.


Once I went from an HR20 to an HR24 I was shocked at how superior the HR24 is in every way imaginable. It's just a better piece of equipment. Why would anyone pay the same amount of money for an older model DVR with half the storage, more bugs and slower speeds?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

n3vino said:


> That's what they did with mine.


Great, that'll simplify my install tremendously. I think the DTV installer is going to be very pleased with how easy my install will be.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Xsabresx said:


> That's simply not true. They're faster, that's all. If someone wants to turn away another model because they have to have the latest and greatest, that is their prerogative but to call the others "junk by comparison", is misleading.
> 
> All things considered, my HR23 is slow compared to my HR20, but it isnt like I wait 3 days for anything to heppen. We manage to function perfectly fine with it.
> 
> Again, I wont fault someone for having to have the newest model out there (although I disagree with it) but to turn something away "because I heard it is junk" is silly.


Thanks for your input. I believe my last receiver was the HR-22 and it was horridly slow. I couldn't stand it sometimes. I'm sure the new Guide UI makes it much faster, but I guess I would just prefer to have the latest equipment.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Once I went from an HR20 to an HR24 I was shocked at how superior the HR24 is in every way imaginable. It's just a better piece of equipment. Why would anyone pay the same amount of money for an older model DVR with half the storage, more bugs and slower speeds?


Compared to the HR20 it is faster and has more storage yes. Compared to the HR23 it is simply faster. They have the same storage.

As far as bugs? Neither my HR20 nor the HR23 exhibit bugs. As I understand it the HR20 was buggy when it first came out, but that was resolved years ago.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> Thanks for your input. I believe my last receiver was the HR-22 and it was horridly slow. I couldn't stand it sometimes. I'm sure the new Guide UI makes it much faster, but I guess I would just prefer to have the latest equipment.


That's fair.

I never had the HR22. Have an HR20 and HR23 and had an HR21 (before it died and replaced with the HR23). The HR23 is slow but nothing beyond a very minor inconvenience. It still does the job just fine.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Xsabresx said:


> That's fair.
> 
> I never had the HR22. Have an HR20 and HR23 and had an HR21 (before it died and replaced with the HR23). The HR23 is slow but nothing beyond a very minor inconvenience. It still does the job just fine.


I really appreciate you replying to my questions, it is greatly appreciated.

Would you recommend the protection plan? I understand now that the receivers are covered for factory defents and failures but not surges/lightning strikes (?). Since I'm in FL, I feel that the protection plan would probably be a good investment for me to make since we are the lightning capital!

When I had DTV a few years back I had it so I figured it may be a good investment to make again.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

debell said:


> I know it's tough to say either way, but do you think it's worth it?


My Dish is one the roof and since I'm not going there I have a service plan.

If your dish is accessible to you and saving money means more than your time is worth. Are you are willing to gamble that nothing will go wrong that will make you buy parts?

Then do not get it. I believe there is also a install guarantee for several months. Then once that runs out you could get the service plan.


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## r028806 (Mar 12, 2010)

The protection plan covers electrical or mechanical failures of the dish, cables (which you own at installation) receivers and remotes as long as you are willing to troubleshoot on the phone. If you do not (unless physically unable to do so) your protection plan dose not cover anything. The protection plan does cover shipping and handling for free. Also PP customers have 24 hour tech phone support and all calls are directed to CSR's in the USA, not off shore as long as you call 1-800-531-5000.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

r028806 said:


> The protection plan covers electrical or mechanical failures of the dish, cables (which you own at installation) receivers and remotes as long as you are willing to troubleshoot on the phone. If you do not (unless physically unable to do so) your protection plan dose not cover anything. The protection plan does cover shipping and handling for free. Also PP customers have 24 hour tech phone support and all calls are directed to CSR's in the USA, not off shore as long as you call 1-800-531-5000.


I think I feel that the $5.99 a month is worth getting someone in the USA all by itself.

I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting it. Thanks!


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Does the installer call the day before or the day of?


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Depends on the installer. On my last upgrade/install, I received several computer generated calls from DirecTV reminding me of the install, but the local company never called.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

I haven't received any computer generated calls yet. Would it be worth it to cancel the appointment and wait for the HR34 to be released to sign up again?


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

How long you willing to wait? How long before the H34 will be readily available to your local installer? You willing to buy the unit directly from a 3rd party (e.g. SolidSignal.com)?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> How long you willing to wait? How long before the H34 will be readily available to your local installer? You willing to buy the unit directly from a 3rd party (e.g. SolidSignal.com)?


I'm not really in any rush right now. How can I find out how long before my local installer would get it? I don't know who my local installer is. If I did wait, do you think that the H34 would be included in new customer promotions for free or would you have to pay for that receiver given what it can do?


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

debell said:


> I'm not really in any rush right now. How can I find out how long before my local installer would get it? I don't know who my local installer is. If I did wait, do you think that the H34 would be included in new customer promotions for free or would you have to pay for that receiver given what it can do?


I think you can actually just look in the phone book and find them usually says authorized D* installers.

I think what somebody else said here is accurate and I believe it was true because I asked my local installer this question as well. If you can find the installer that will be coming to your home you can simply call them and request the latest DVR that would be available with your program package. My bet is that you WOULD receive your preferred model.

I'm very curious to see what happens with your situation. But dealing with the local installed outlet is the best way to go when looking for receiver specifics.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

dubber deux said:


> I think you can actually just look in the phone book and find them usually says authorized D* installers.
> 
> I think what somebody else said here is accurate and I believe it was true because I asked my local installed this question as well. If you can find the installer that will be coming to your home you can simply call them and request the latest DVR that would be available with your program package.
> 
> I'm very curious to see what happens with your situation. But dealing with the local installed outlet is the best way to go when looking for receiver specifics.


Do you believe there's a chance I would get the H34? I have no clue how to find out who my local installer is. I did a search within 30 miles and came up with about 5-6 different ones in that range.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Don't you have an installed scheduled for this week? That's how you can find out, but I get the sense from installers that post here that they don't really like it when they go to an install and get turned away. They don't get paid unless they complete the install.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> Don't you have an installed scheduled for this week? That's how you can find out, but I get the sense from installers that post here that they don't really like it when they go to an install and get turned away. They don't get paid unless they complete the install.


My install is set for tomorrow morning 

Sorry I have so many questions, I'm antsy about all of this and I'm hoping I made the right decision to switch to DTV. I know a lot of the things I have mentioned seem silly, but I guess I'm just wanting the most "bang for my buck" if you know what I mean.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

@debell:

Call D* and have them bring up your work order, the installer should be listed on the order, and request their local phone number so you can call them. It would be a nice courtesy to the installer if you call them BEFORE the truck rolls out to your home with the receiver you want. Call D* now! and make sure you call the installer first thing in the morning before they roll the trucks out the door.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> I really appreciate you replying to my questions, it is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Would you recommend the protection plan? I understand now that the receivers are covered for factory defents and failures but not surges/lightning strikes (?). Since I'm in FL, I feel that the protection plan would probably be a good investment for me to make since we are the lightning capital!
> 
> When I had DTV a few years back I had it so I figured it may be a good investment to make again.


I think it is worth it. Some will disagree. For me the $6 or $7/mo is worth is and such a small amount that it rarely gets any thought. For me the piece of mind is a small price to pay.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> Does the installer call the day before or the day of?


On my last install I got a call when he was 30 mins out.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

just as an fyi the ONLY way to guarantee a certain model number is to get it through a retail dealer like solid signal...otherwise you get what isd on the truck or in the warehouse....DTV views ALL HDDVR as HDDVR period. And the hr34 is only available in certain markets untill closer to end of the year and the HDGUI dsnt start national rollout for a few days yet and is expected t continue through the new year


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

I called and they gave me the name but couldn't give me anything else. I can't seem to find where they're located, I would assume somewhere near me (within 30-45 min).


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

debell said:


> I called and they gave me the name but couldn't give me anything else. I can't seem to find where they're located, I would assume somewhere near me (within 30-45 min).


You should have asked for the installer direct local phone number have you tried to google them, they have to be listed in google search.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

dubber deux said:


> You should have asked for the installer direct local phone number have you tried to google them, they have to be listed in google search.


I was told they couldn't give me the number. The company is Mastec Advanced Technologies. I'm located in Central Florida in Palm Coast.

The closest one I see is Orlando, which is about an hour away.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

dubber deux said:


> You should have asked for the installer direct local phone number have you tried to google them, they have to be listed in google search.


No they don't and no they aren't. Companies that don't want certain places to be contacted or located will do things that stop that. Now that's not to say it's as secretive as Netflix but overall they don't publish phone numbers for their local offices of installers.

Installers are there to do installations they're not there to answer the phone and try to customize equipment to work orders when people call. DIRECTV doesn't care about model numbers and that is true all the way to the local office. The work orders use generic line items to indicate a type of receiver only the technician inputs the model once he activates it.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Shades228 said:


> No they don't and no they aren't. Companies that don't want certain places to be contacted or located will do things that stop that. Now that's not to say it's as secretive as Netflix but overall they don't publish phone numbers for their local offices of installers.
> 
> Installers are there to do installations they're not there to answer the phone and try to customize equipment to work orders when people call. DIRECTV doesn't care about model numbers and that is true all the way to the local office. The work orders use generic line items to indicate a type of receiver only the technician inputs the model once he activates it.


Well, I was trying to save a guy a trip but I guess I'll just have to turn them away if I get an outdated box.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

debell said:


> In the end, if I decided I wanted to sign up and then leave and then sign up and then leave again, DTV is losing nothing as I'm sending these receivers back to them each time.





debell said:


> Well, I was trying to save a guy a trip but I guess I'll just have to turn them away if I get an outdated box.


I can't follow your thought process. First you say DirecTV isn't losing anything because when you cancelled your account you returned your equipment. So you understand DirecTV is going to send those (working) units back out to customers. But yet you're going to turn them away if you "get an outdated box."


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

shades is correct you wont get a local office number.......


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> I can't follow your thought process. First you say DirecTV isn't losing anything because when you cancelled your account you returned your equipment. So you understand DirecTV is going to send those (working) units back out to customers. But yet you're going to turn them away if you "get an outdated box."


As a new install, I refuse to take a box that was released 3 years ago and is extremely slow. The boxes that I sent back could easily be used as replacements for the millions that are still out there. As a new customer, I feel I deserve the latest technology that DirecTV has to offer. Why is this so hard to understand?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> As a new install, I refuse to take a box that was released 3 years ago and is extremely slow. The boxes that I sent back could easily be used as replacements for the millions that are still out there. As a new customer, I feel I deserve the latest technology that DirecTV has to offer. Why is this so hard to understand?


That seems a bit hypocritical, IMO. Your used equipment is good enough for others, but you're too good for used equipment?

Did you have to pay for any boxes with this new order?


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

debell said:


> As a new install, I refuse to take a box that was released 3 years ago and is extremely slow. The boxes that I sent back could easily be used as replacements for the millions that are still out there. As a new customer, I feel I deserve the latest technology that DirecTV has to offer. Why is this so hard to understand?


So you want the old/used equipment to go to existing customers and the new equipment to go to new customers? But isn't that the reason you left DirecTV in the first place?



debell said:


> I sure hope they can work something out because I'm getting very discouraged with all of this and being reminded as to why I left DirecTV in the first place (they treat new customers better than current/former customers, at times).


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> That seems a bit hypocritical, IMO. Your used equipment is good enough for others, but you're too good for used equipment?
> 
> Did you have to pay for any boxes with this new order?


If someone already has the box, what is the problem with replacing them with the same unit?

I never said I was too good for the boxes but given that this is my initial install and I do have the option to refuse an older box, I will exercise that right.

I love how some of you speak like DirecTV is actually looking out for you. They are about profit plain and simple. Why is it that some of you like to portray me as this inconsiderate customer simply because I want new technology for the money I spend and the contract I'm about to sign.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> So you want the old/used equipment to go to existing customers and the new equipment to go to new customers? But isn't that the reason you left DirecTV in the first place?


Yes, I did leave due to the offers that are given to new customers but limited offers for existing customers. I also left for other reasons which I don't need to explain here.

I am going to request the equipment that I want, period. I don't care if it's used, but I do want the newest receiver that's offered. The fact that DTV charges for these receivers makes it more of a reason to be firm in what I want.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

If I'm reading this thread correctly, you're not a "new" customer. You left DirecTV in Jan 2010. They normally wait 2 years before you can qualify again for that. And as others have posted, DirecTV considers all their HD DVRs as the same. If my HR24 goes out today and I order a replacement, I could get an HR21. Or if my HR21 goes out, I could get an HR24. Luck of the draw. But at most I'll only have to pay $20 for shipping. But the business model they have is to reuse working equipment -- no guarantee you'll get the newest unless you go to a third party vendor.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

You can make all the requests you want, but don't be upset if they don't want to play your game of self entitlement and deny you service.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

wow....talk about a sense of entitlement


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> You can make all the requests you want, but don't be upset if they don't want to play your game of self entitlement and deny you service.


Oh I see, they will deny me service? You really are brainwashed by this company, it's actually very comical. When you sign up for service from any company, you almost always get the latest software/hardware. On top of that; when you are forced to PAY for the equipment with an up front fee and a monthly fee, you better believe you will have a bit of entitlement in getting the best they have to offer.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

but if im understanding your posts you escalated this issue just to get recognized as a new customer which they did ...so you got what you wnated....but now youve got a bee n your bonnet about demandeing what type of equipment you receive??? ....when is enough enough


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> If I'm reading this thread correctly, you're not a "new" customer. You left DirecTV in Jan 2010. They normally wait 2 years before you can qualify again for that. And as others have posted, DirecTV considers all their HD DVRs as the same. If my HR24 goes out today and I order a replacement, I could get an HR21. Or if my HR21 goes out, I could get an HR24. Luck of the draw. But at most I'll only have to pay $20 for shipping. But the business model they have is to reuse working equipment -- no guarantee you'll get the newest unless you go to a third party vendor.


So it's my fault that the sales rep decided to buck the system and get me signed up? I realize I shouldn't have been allowed to sign up but I would have been fine if they said to continue to wait. In fact, I was hoping that was the case as I just would have taken it as a sign that it was time to find an alternative.

If I'm unable to get the equipment I'd like this time I will simply cancel and sign up through a retailer come January.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> Oh I see, they will deny me service? You really are brainwashed by this company, it's actually very comical. When you sign up for service from any company, you almost always get the latest software/hardware. On top of that; when you are forced to PAY for the equipment with an up front fee and a monthly fee, you better believe you will have a bit of entitlement in getting the best they have to offer.


No brainwashing here. I'm going by what installers have said around here. It doesn't matter one iota what you think you deserve...DirecTV views it their own way. You can stomp your feet and cry, but it won't change their policy.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> If I'm reading this thread correctly, you're not a "new" customer. You left DirecTV in Jan 2010. They normally wait 2 years before you can qualify again for that. And as others have posted, DirecTV considers all their HD DVRs as the same. If my HR24 goes out today and I order a replacement, I could get an HR21. Or if my HR21 goes out, I could get an HR24. Luck of the draw. But at most I'll only have to pay $20 for shipping. But the business model they have is to reuse working equipment -- no guarantee you'll get the newest unless you go to a third party vendor.





wahooq said:


> but if im understanding your posts you escalated this issue just to get recognized as a new customer which they did ...so you got what you wnated....but now youve got a bee n your bonnet about demandeing what type of equipment you receive??? ....when is enough enough


Why is it that some of you will defend DTV until you're blue in the face?

Yes, I did escalate it and they didn't do anything for me. I was signed up because a sales rep didn't follow company policy, not because DTV wanted me back. So because they allowed me to sign up I'm supposed to be puppet and take whatever is given to me?

If I did that throughout my life I wouldn't be where I'm at. Don't settle for whatever is offered to you. I will fight for what I believe in. If I was denied service again I would have simply stopped pursuing and called it a day.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> No brainwashing here. I'm going by what installers have said around here. It doesn't matter one iota what you think you deserve...DirecTV views it their own way. You can stomp your feet and cry, but it won't change their policy.


I'm not asking them to change their policy nor am I stomping my feet and crying. As the customer, particularly one who is not under contract puts me in control. I do not need this service so I have no problem calling off the install. I will look out for myself first, before anything else. I do not owe DTV anything.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

funny thing is that you can demand all day long and you will still get whatever equipment they have...


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

wahooq said:


> funny thing is that you can demand all day long and you will still get whatever equipment they have...


No, the funny thing is that if I don't get new equipment as a new customer. That will mean that I get no equipment which is perfectly fine with me.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

ummmm yeah but your technically NOT a new customer...hahaha


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

I'm not defending DirecTV; I'm trying to understand some of your posts.

I don't blame you for trying to get the "best" that is available. We all do. But DirecTV's policies don't always allow for that.

I think DirecTV's inventory control is a travesty -- they should be able to tell you up front exactly what the local installer has in stock, and if they don't have what you want, when they are scheduled for a shipment. And they should be able to "reserve" a specific receiver for you when you place an order. 

From previous posts here, you're most likely going to get HR24/H25s for your install. It seems mostly new equipment is going out to the installers and DirecTV sends the used equipment out for replacements/upgrades/additions for those that don't need an installer. Good luck on your install tomorrow.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

wahooq said:


> ummmm yeah but your technically NOT a new customer...hahaha


I will be in two months.. And according I my order I am  I have a new account number and everything


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> I'm not defending DirecTV; I'm trying to understand some of your posts.
> 
> I don't blame you for trying to get the "best" that is available. We all do. But DirecTV's policies don't always allow for that.
> 
> ...


I understand DTV policies. Since I'm a new install tomorrow and have not agreed to a contract yet, I have the ability to somewhat control what I get.

I realize I may sound like I have a sense of entitlement and if that's what you guys think that's fine with me. I don't view it as entitlement, I view it as the fact that I love technology and I do like DTV quite a bit (hence the reason I'm switching back). However, after my experience with my previous experience with DTV, I don't want to be stuck with a slow receiver again. All that I have read shows the HR-24 and H-25 is a fast box. Since I'm in the position to get these boxes, I'm going to do whatever I can to ensure that I get them.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

no they made you eligible for winback promotions as opposed to reconnects.....you still wont have the status of a "new" customer....hope you get what you want ...watching the histrionics have been amusing however


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

debell said:


> I understand DTV policies. Since I'm a new install tomorrow and have not agreed to a contract yet, I have the ability to somewhat control what I get.


You have *total *control over what you get. www.solidsignal.com sells DirecTV receivers for the same price as DirecTV ($199 for the HR24 and $99 for the H25). I'm guessing you're getting some of your equipment (if not all) free from DirecTV?


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

wahooq said:


> no they made you eligible for winback promotions as opposed to reconnects.....you still wont have the status of a "new" customer....hope you get what you want ...watching the histrionics have been amusing however


lol, "they" didn't do anything. The sales rep wanted the sale so he changed my name from Joseph to Joe. He also used my cell as my primary number instead of my home number. I received a phone call from Ellen's office the same day and she explained this is what he did and he went against company policy.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> You have *total *control over what you get. www.solidsignal.com sells DirecTV receivers for the same price as DirecTV ($199 for the HR24 and $99 for the H25). I'm guessing you're getting some of your equipment (if not all) free from DirecTV?


I'm actually getting it for free.

If directv offers at same price what advantage is there to ordering from SolidSignal?


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

debell said:


> I'm actually getting it for free.
> 
> If directv offers at same price what advantage is there to ordering from SolidSignal?


Three differences that I can think of: (1) DirecTV does installs (sometimes there is a charge); SolidSignal just sends you the equipment. (2) You get the exact equipment you want with SolidSignal. (3) Sometimes you can get your equipment free from DirecTV. Never going to happen with SolidSignal, BUT in the past, some people have bought equipment from 3rd party vendors and got DirecTV to give them a credit in the same amount.



debell said:


> On top of that; when you are forced to PAY for the equipment with an up front fee and a monthly fee, you better believe you will have a bit of entitlement in getting the best they have to offer.


So you're getting this all free, but you're going to refuse install if it isn't the newest?


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Solid Signal is a dealer, and I believe you can get a free install scheduled through DirecTv from them, although you have to pay for the equipment. Not sure if the dish is included free or not. Might be worth calling them and asking what their deals are.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

debell said:


> No, the funny thing is that if I don't get new equipment as a new customer. That will mean that I get no equipment which is perfectly fine with me.


The reason that this mentality irritates people is that your tech who has now wasted his time and money is the one you're ulitmately taking it out on. Tech's get paid by the job not the hour so when they waste time with customers who think they are entitled to something they're not it's taking money from their mouth. Now do you have to care about that? Nope but don't expect people here to like the fact that it's what you're saying. So that's why most people don't like the attitude of that.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

trh said:


> Three differences that I can think of: (1) DirecTV does installs (sometimes there is a charge); SolidSignal just sends you the equipment. (2) You get the exact equipment you want with SolidSignal. (3) Sometimes you can get your equipment free from DirecTV. Never going to happen with SolidSignal, BUT in the past, some people have bought equipment from 3rd party vendors and got DirecTV to give them a credit in the same amount.
> 
> So you're getting this all free, but you're going to refuse install if it isn't the newest?


Thank you for the explanation of SolidSignal. That sheds some light on that.

Yes, I am getting it for free and yes I do expect the newest equipment. I may be getting it for "free" but I am signing a 2 year commitment to DirecTV. I love how you explain it as "getting it for free" yet if I was paying $199 for the HD DVR and $99 for each receiver, I'd be forking over $400 for used equipment that I don't even own? There is a lot of things wrong with this picture.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Shades228 said:


> The reason that this mentality irritates people is that your tech who has now wasted his time and money is the one you're ulitmately taking it out on. Tech's get paid by the job not the hour so when they waste time with customers who think they are entitled to something they're not it's taking money from their mouth. Now do you have to care about that? Nope but don't expect people here to like the fact that it's what you're saying. So that's why most people don't like the attitude of that.


Well, if the tech (or his company) calls me ahead of time like I was informed by the sales rep they would do, I will save them a trip by asking them if they have any new boxes on their truck. If they don't, then I will politely so don't bother making a trip since I won't be accepting service.

Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of having to "prove myself" to you guys on here. I understand that DBS Talk is a lot of DirecTV followers who worship the company, but as a consumer I'm going to look out for myself. DirecTV requires a 2 year commitment therefore I will make sure I get the best possible equipment for my money. One of the main reasons I am even switching back to DirecTV is because I read of the improvements of the HR-24 in speed with the guide. If I end up getting the same box I had or something similar, I will refuse service because it was extremely frustrating to deal with those boxes. The guide was jumpy, and it sometimes took anywhere from 4-6 seconds for the guide to come, which would cause me to press it again and then it would open and close. Sure, minor problem I know, but it was still a pain in the ass. I like a lot of things about DirecTV. I realize they offer the best picture quality and have great HD-DVRs, but I do not agree with them charging you a monthly lease fee AND a fee for the receiver up front and you don't even get to keep the receiver. That is a plain rip off, plain and simple.


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

debell said:


> Well, if the tech (or his company) calls me ahead of time like I was informed by the sales rep they would do, I will save them a trip by asking them if they have any new boxes on their truck. If they don't, then I will politely so don't bother making a trip since I won't be accepting service.
> 
> Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of having to "prove myself" to you guys on here. I understand that DBS Talk is a lot of DirecTV followers who worship the company, but as a consumer I'm going to look out for myself. DirecTV requires a 2 year commitment therefore I will make sure I get the best possible equipment for my money. One of the main reasons I am even switching back to DirecTV is because I read of the improvements of the HR-24 in speed with the guide. If I end up getting the same box I had or something similar, I will refuse service because it was extremely frustrating to deal with those boxes. The guide was jumpy, and it sometimes took anywhere from 4-6 seconds for the guide to come, which would cause me to press it again and then it would open and close. Sure, minor problem I know, but it was still a pain in the ass. I like a lot of things about DirecTV. I realize they offer the best picture quality and have great HD-DVRs, but I do not agree with them charging you a monthly lease fee AND a fee for the receiver up front and you don't even get to keep the receiver. That is a plain rip off, plain and simple.


That wll prove to be the best plan if the installer does not have the equipment you desire.

As far as lease fee's go - Then you won't want to lease a car either -You get all the cost associated with ownership (ie) taxes -fuel-& up keep PLUS not being able to put a lot of miles on it without paying additional fees at turn it time.

Let us know how your install goes -welcome back


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

WestDC said:


> That wll prove to be the best plan if the installer does not have the equipment you desire.
> 
> As far as lease fee's go - Then you won't want to lease a car either -You get all the cost associated with ownership (ie) taxes -fuel-& up keep PLUS not being able to put a lot of miles on it without paying additional fees at turn it time.
> 
> Let us know how your install goes -welcome back


Thank you! I look forward to having DTV service again.

Now, to compare leasing a car (a $15,000+ value) to a DirecTV receiver is a bit of a stretch. I'm leasing a device that is required for service, I'm also paying a monthly lease fee as well as a fee for the services AND a fee up front just to "have" the box in my home?

There is something wrong with this picture. I am required to send the box back if I ever cancel (which I understand) but I don't agree with the fact that customers are charged $200 up front + $6 lease fee each month. Over the course of 24 months, that's a total cost of $344 for an HD-DVR. That is absolutely ridiculous.

With both AT&T U-Verse and the local cable companies, you pay a lease fee but you do not pay for equipment up front. If anything happens to that equipment, you are covered. If you cancel service, you simply return the equipment. I truly believe this is the way it should be handled.


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

debell said:


> Thank you! I look forward to having DTV service again.
> 
> Now, to compare leasing a car (a $15,000+ value) to a DirecTV receiver is a bit of a stretch. I'm leasing a device that is required for service, I'm also paying a monthly lease fee as well as a fee for the services AND a fee up front just to "have" the box in my home?
> 
> ...


To lease a car -you need CASH DOWN same as when you buy it- either trade or Money up front (read any of the fine print) on lease offers (ADS) same as the $199 fee. NOT to argue it is the same but different. The FEE $199 is what they can get for product development and research in offering the product-We all feel that it is way over priced but they do have to pay for offices and equipment in many different states (taxes) and upkeep just to do business and provide employment as well provide service. Don't forget the also pay for the Birds in the sky and to launch.
The cost of doing business is all in their


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Well, this was very short lived. First, the installer DID have the new equipment which I was pleased to hear. He didn't, however, have the wireless Cinema Kit which I was promised at the time of the sale. Explained he only had the wired one and I would have to put another outlet near my router to connect it with a wired connection for $49.95. This was not my main issue, however.

As mentioned previously, my sales representative signed me up as a different person (in DirecTV's system anyway). They shortened my first name and used my cell phone number as my home phone number. As you know, this makes the system think that I'm a new person (with the same name) living in the house. While someone from Ellen Filipiak's office said that they would honor it since the order was already placed, I'm concerned that this is going to end up haunting me in the future with DirecTV thinking I did this myself.

I had a lot of red flags come up during this time and I think I made the right choice. When my official "two years" are up in January I may consider switching back but I'm just not interested at this time.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

WestDC said:


> To lease a car -you need CASH DOWN same as when you buy it- either trade or Money up front (read any of the fine print) on lease offers (ADS) same as the $199 fee. NOT to argue it is the same but different. The FEE $199 is what they can get for product development and research in offering the product-We all feel that it is way over priced but they do have to pay for offices and equipment in many different states (taxes) and upkeep just to do business and provide employment as well provide service. Don't forget the also pay for the Birds in the sky and to launch.
> The cost of doing business is all in their


I'm sorry, but I just don't agree with your concept behind this. I firmly believe that charging $200 for equipment you don't own and still charging a lease fee is a rip off, plain and simple.

The cost of implementing these devices is incorporated in the cost of the service as well as the lease fee so that argument just doesn't fly.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

The lease plan/fees are what they are. You either pay them or not and go with another provider. All providers "have done the numbers" and come up with what works for them, be it more "up front" costs, or higher monthly fees.

BTW: the wireless CCK is a customer self install, so the techs don't have them.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> The lease plan/fees are what they are. You either pay them or not and go with another provider. All providers "have done the numbers" and come up with what works for them, be it more "up front" costs, or higher monthly fees.
> 
> BTW: the wireless CCK is a customer self install, so the techs don't have them.


You're absolutely right, no one is forcing me to go with DirecTV which is why I cancelled the install. The installer was very nice, I spoke with him for some time and I apologized for canceling but he understood completely and agreed with my canceling. He also had me speak to his supervisor who I addressed my concerns with as well. His supervisor informed the the wireless "adapter" was only for business, but he would be able to get it for me if I considered going through with the install.

Perhaps my sales associate should have told me that it was a self install instead of rushing to get my credit card number. This whole situation was a waste of my time and has really steered me further away from DirecTV. I'm very disappointed in this whole situation as I was looking forward to having DTV again.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

The overall training for everyone, from the CSRs through the techs, could/should be better "IMO".
Even this is in error: "His supervisor informed the the wireless "adapter" was only for business", since it's for a customer to install themselves.


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## bobvick1983 (Mar 21, 2007)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Agreed. The pre-install call is the best time to discuss the model of DVR.


I can attest to this. I left a note for the installer on the my account page at DirecTV.com. I forget the way it worked, anyway to make a long story short, when he called the morning of the install before he came, he told me that he had read my note, and made sure that he had two HR24 dvrs and a H25 receiver. He said that if a customer would let him know before hand, what equuipment they wanted, if he had it in the warehouse, he would stock it for that particular install.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

I've watched this thread from the beginning and it shows errors made on the part of quite a few people. Not totally unexpected as even though the majority of interactions with CSRs and sales reps go through fine, there is the human factor and the reality that most of them aren't paid all that well, and you do get what you pay for.

But it is really frustrating because you know that it shouldn't be this difficult to get a sale done and a service/install call made properly, yet it seems that many, even the ones that aren't complained about, have something in there that just wasn't right.

For me it was the lack of the wireless CCK, they offered it, put it on the service order supposedly, but yet when the installer came, no wireless, only wired. In my case it didn't matter, but I did ask about it. Wasn't on the work order he got. And that is what happens more often than it should!

As to the pre-install phone call... Well that didn't happen, or not in any way that would have helped. They called the morning of the install when it was obvious they wouldn't make the install window. That was the first and only time the installer called me. Oddly, I didn't get a followup call from them, nor from Direct.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

lparsons21 said:


> I've watched this thread from the beginning and it shows errors made on the part of quite a few people. Not totally unexpected as even though the majority of interactions with CSRs and sales reps go through fine, there is the human factor and the reality that most of them aren't paid all that well, and you do get what you pay for.
> 
> But it is really frustrating because you know that it shouldn't be this difficult to get a sale done and a service/install call made properly, yet it seems that many, even the ones that aren't complained about, have something in there that just wasn't right.
> 
> ...


It's really quite disappointing. I spoke with the installer for quite some time and he says this is all too common. He's very frustrated with all of it and says that sales calls them a lot of headaches. When he first came in, he was very bland and seemed like he had no personality. Afterwards, I realized he was simply frustrated and we talked for quite some time. He actually admitted he had Dish Network for his TV service :lol:

Nonetheless, I told him about my situation and he highly suggested to be very careful. He said DirecTV has a great fraud department and you have to be very careful with these things.

As for the wireless CCK, I knew it wasn't his fault but I expressed my frustration with sales and all that I went through, which then led to me explaining about the multiple accounts.

I understand DTV is a huge company with lots of CSRs, but I don't believe this should happen. I've been using Brighthouse for several years now (for internet, phone as well as TV) and I always get a rep that is friendly and helpful. For this reason it was very hard for me to consider switching to DTV but I missed their DVRs and NFL Network/RedZone Channel.

I am discouraged beyond belief with all of this as I wasted a half day of work waiting for the installer and ended up getting no service.

I will be sending another e-mail to DTV regarding my displeasure with all of this and will inform them that I don't anticipate switching back to them anytime soon.


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

veryoldschool said:


> The lease plan/fees are what they are. You either pay them or not and go with another provider. All providers "have done the numbers" and come up with what works for them, be it more "up front" costs, or higher monthly fees.
> 
> BTW: the wireless CCK is a customer self install, so the techs don't have them.


After looking a the wireless install manual - That makes sense for it to be a customer installed item (Agree more or better CSR /SALES training needed) The installer would have to set it up(Possible changing the customers wireless connection) ,having additional knowledge of the customer login -That's not going to happen during the"FREE" install 

The Tech training for the wired connection is connect it to rg6 (Close to the customer router/modem) and do not (touch or) connect the cat5 cable to the customers equipment-( that would make D* and the installer liable) for possible additional trouble calls -NOW MY INTERNET IS BROKEN problems.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

WestDC said:


> After looking a the wireless install manual - That makes sense for it to be a customer installed item (Agree more or better CSR /SALES training needed) The installer would have to set it up(Possible changing the customers wireless connection) ,having additional knowledge of the customer login -That's not going to happen during the"FREE" install
> 
> The Tech training for the wired connection is connect it to rg6 (Close to the customer router/modem) and do not (touch or) connect the cat5 cable to the customers equipment-( that would make D* and the installer liable) for possible additional trouble calls -NOW MY INTERNET IS BROKEN problems.


Since making that post, I got a PM from an installer for an HSP, who says they've had them for a couple of months.
Since the wireless CCK can be setup through the receiver's menu, I don't know if the tech does this or whether they hand the remote to the customer. :lol:
The two installers I had 2 weeks ago, for my mover's connection, had never heard of the wireless CCK and only had the BB DECA.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

When my installer came, he also had a wired cinema kit and I would have had to pay for custom wiring. I went through with the install, but I turned down the cinema kit. I really found no need for it since I don't have a need to order pay per view. However, If I ever want to order pay per view, I'll just run a temporary line from a phone connection to the receiver. 

Direct TV does advertise the Cinema KIt as wireless, but in the documention I received on line, it did say that I needed a free port on my router for the Kit. They really need to correct that.

I understand the OP wanting to get the biggest bang for his buck. I'm the same way. However, since I was getting the receiver's for free, I would have taken whatever they had brought in. I call it choosing the lesser of the two evils, if you will. Keep TW for a higher price, or take older equipment and get the promos. Fortunatly, I did get an HR24 and two H25's.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

n3vino said:


> When my installer came, he also had a wired cinema kit and I would have had to pay for custom wiring. I went through with the install, but I turned down the cinema kit. I really found no need for it since I don't have a need to order pay per view. However, If I ever want to order pay per view, I'll just run a temporary line from a phone connection to the receiver.
> 
> I understand the OP wanting to get the biggest bang for his buck. I'm the same way. However, since I was getting the receiver's for free, I would have taken whatever they had brought in. I call it choosing the lesser of the two evils, if you will. Keep TW for a higher price, or take older equipment and get the promos. Fortunatly, I did get an HR24 and two H25's.


The self install wireless CCK is $25 plus shipping [$32 total] off the DirecTV website, and can be used for more than PPV, as there are free OnDemand shows.

This type of connection is how mine is:


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

So thanks to the OP, the installer got screwed...great, way to go....you left for a reason, and you didnt even stay away for 2 years and wanted back, but you wanted it completely on your terms, not on D*'s terms...I saw this fiasco coming from miles away....


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> So thanks to the OP, the installer got screwed...great, way to go....you left for a reason, and you didnt even stay away for 2 years and wanted back, but you wanted it completely on your terms, not on D*'s terms...I saw this fiasco coming from miles away....


While I get and understand your point, it really isn't "the customer's fault" for a crappy installer's pay structure either.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

And I certainly understand the frustration when an installer doesn't show up with all the equipment you requested, because you weren't told that it was a self install, plus being told it was for "businesses only."

When I switched to supported MRV and a tech installed everything, it took three different appointments to get the system connected to the Internet, and the third worked only because the tech was willing to follow my directions. They always came and said they didn't have the Connection Kit, rescheduled. The whole thing almost made me go over the edge.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

CCarncross said:


> So thanks to the OP, the installer got screwed...great, way to go....you left for a reason, and you didnt even stay away for 2 years and wanted back, but you wanted it completely on your terms, not on D*'s terms...I saw this fiasco coming from miles away....


So I was supposed to accept being lied to during the sales process, a sales rep setting me up illegally as another customer and risking the fraud department coming after me just so the installer got paid?

I'm sorry, but I am my number 1 priority, not the installer. I feel bad he didn't get paid, but I am going to look out for myself above everything else.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

right but had you listened to the vast majority of people responding to you on here you could have canceled this prior to the tech coming out, and therefore costing him money....you were informed of the fraud department and possible equipment issues....several times


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

n3vino said:


> When my installer came, he also had a wired cinema kit and I would have had to pay for custom wiring. I went through with the install, but I turned down the cinema kit. I really found no need for it since I don't have a need to order pay per view. However, If I ever want to order pay per view, I'll just run a temporary line from a phone connection to the receiver.
> 
> Direct TV does advertise the Cinema KIt as wireless, but in the documention I received on line, it did say that I needed a free port on my router for the Kit. They really need to correct that.
> 
> I understand the OP wanting to get the biggest bang for his buck. I'm the same way. However, since I was getting the receiver's for free, I would have taken whatever they had brought in. I call it choosing the lesser of the two evils, if you will. Keep TW for a higher price, or take older equipment and get the promos. Fortunatly, I did get an HR24 and two H25's.


I realize I was getting the receivers for free, but again, my issues with DirecTV in the past were slow receivers. I did not want to be stuck in another 2 year contract dealing with a receiver that could not keep up with basic operations.

After the promotional period, my price would actually rise quite a bit with DTV and would end up costing me more than my bundled cost with Brighthouse Networks. I think this may have been a blessing in disguise for me all along. :nono2:


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

wahooq said:


> right but had you listened to the vast majority of people responding to you on here you could have canceled this prior to the tech coming out, and therefore costing him money....you were informed of the fraud department and possible equipment issues....several times


So it's my fault for wanting to believe that a company would be true to their word? On multiple occasions, I was told that I would receive the latest equipment from DTV CSRs and I was also told that I would be allowed to have the account since the CSR already put the order through.

After hearing all of that combined with the fact that the sales rep lied to me, I decided it was in my best interest to not give my money to this company.

I realize that DBS Talk is one big DirecTV fan club, but some of you need to realize that the consumer should look out for the consumer first before anything else.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> So thanks to the OP, the installer got screwed...great, way to go....you left for a reason, and you didnt even stay away for 2 years and wanted back, but you wanted it completely on your terms, not on D*'s terms...I saw this fiasco coming from miles away....


Yep, it is a shame that the installer didn't get paid for the trip, but that is the fault of the D* salesperson who either didn't get the order right (remember the wireless CCK?), or the installer's boss didn't catch the wirelesss CCK, or the installer himself 'cause he didn't read the work order. We don't know. What we do know is that they didn't show up at the OP's door with the right equipment.

And why wouldn't you want to come back on your terms? I certainly came back on mine. It isn't my responsibility, nor the OP's, to agree with the terms that D* might have in place when they are willing to negotiate them anyway. Who better to ensure I get what I want at the price I want to pay than me? D* has a boatload of accountants and other assorted and sundry experts to take care of what D* wants, which may not be what I want at all...

I can then either negotiate with D* which I and the OP did, or walk away. I stuck with it 'cause in my case it just wasn't a big deal about the CCK being wireless as I had a way to connect either way from where it would be. But I can assure you that if I had not had a way to connect via wired then I would have turned down the install too.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

lparsons21 said:


> Yep, it is a shame that the installer didn't get paid for the trip, but that is the fault of the D* salesperson who either didn't get the order right (remember the wireless CCK?), or the installer's boss didn't catch the wirelesss CCK, or the installer himself 'cause he didn't read the work order. We don't know. What we do know is that they didn't show up at the OP's door with the right equipment.


While any one of these may have been at fault, I want to also point out a step you've missed, which is the system that generates the work order, which in my case a couple of weeks back, created a work order that had very little to do with what I actually had [remember this was a mover's connection]. I have SWiM, DECA, etc, yet the work order was for a legacy install. :eek2: The tech didn't have any SWiM on his truck and had to call for help.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

> So it's my fault for wanting to believe that a company would be true to their word? On multiple occasions, I was told that I would receive the latest equipment from DTV CSRs and I was also told that I would be allowed to have the account since the CSR already put the order through.
> 
> After hearing all of that combined with the fact that the sales rep lied to me, I decided it was in my best interest to not give my money to this company.
> 
> I realize that DBS Talk is one big DirecTV fan club, but some of you need to realize that the consumer should look out for the consumer first before anything else


Yes you were told many times that you were being misinformed.....


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

not that im saying that is acceptable of course


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

I gotta agree, we told you several times that the whole work order was jacked up.

The sales agent was willing to do a work around to get a sale that could get him fired.
What makes you think he didnt try sweet talking you into getting off the phone and closing the sell? I know its not your fault, but then again we told you several days before the install that you needed to go through a retailer to get the equipment and accessories you want/need and we even told you you may have to deal with the fraud department.

I know its frustrating to have waited all this time just to have your time and the techs time wasted. And it must suck even more knowing had the sales agent said the CCK was a self install you could have canceled right then and there.
But that does not fore go the fact that we warned you about this a few days ago.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

This also smells of someone who frequently jumps providers because the grass is always greener with some other provider....


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> This also smells of someone who frequently jumps providers because the grass is always greener with some other provider....


I generally look at doing it every 2 years, sometimes I pull the trigger, sometimes I don't. It all depends on if I think it is in MY best interest to do so. It is all business you know. It isn't some kind of love affair or other real personal thing.

Is that the best thing to do? I think so and since the only person I really have to ensure is happy is me, I'm spot on!!


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

lparsons21 said:


> I generally look at doing it every 2 years, sometimes I pull the trigger, sometimes I don't. It all depends on if I think it is in MY best interest to do so. It is all business you know. It isn't some kind of love affair or other real personal thing.
> 
> Is that the best thing to do? I think so and since the only person I really have to ensure is happy is me, I'm spot on!!


Isnt it more expensive in the long run to do the hop though?
Assuming you dont get everything you need free at install atleast...


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Inkosaurus said:


> Isnt it more expensive in the long run to do the hop though?
> Assuming you dont get everything you need free at install atleast...


It can be, that is why I said I don't pull the trigger unless it is in my best interest. This last switch ended up costing me a little because the D* HDDVRs can only record 2 events at once and I was used to being able to do the 4 that the Vip722k would do (2 OTA + 2 SAT). I got 2 HRs for free and thought that with MRV it would be enough, when it turned out not to be, I got another which cost me $200. Because I didn't think it through, it could have ended up costing me that $200, but my son wanted the NFLST package and he paid the upfront cost incurred since I didn't care if we switched or not.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> I gotta agree, we told you several times that the whole work order was jacked up.
> 
> The sales agent was willing to do a work around to get a sale that could get him fired.
> What makes you think he didnt try sweet talking you into getting off the phone and closing the sell? I know its not your fault, but then again we told you several days before the install that you needed to go through a retailer to get the equipment and accessories you want/need and we even told you you may have to deal with the fraud department.
> ...


What exactly did you tell me several times? The main issue was me requesting that I get the latest equipment because (gasp!) I was a new customer setup.

No one said: be prepared for your installer not to have the equipment you were promised (CCK-wireless). I decided that based on that and the fact that I was a little concerned about the second account, I decided not to go through with the order.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

CCarncross said:


> This also smells of someone who frequently jumps providers because the grass is always greener with some other provider....


What exactly is wrong with this? I'm sorry that I don't feel the need to be "loyal" to a company like you do. I am a consumer, it's my hard earned money and quite frankly if I can work the providers against each other without doing anything illegal along the way you better believe I'm going to do this. I decided to return to DTV because I was happy with the picture quality and the content provided by DTV.

I really don't understand some of you fan boys for DTV. It's like they do no wrong in your eyes. I can only think that you have some type of vested interest in the company to care this much about this. It's one thing to make suggestions based on experiences you have had, it's another to continually attack me for knowing what I want (which is very feasible) and not accepting anything less as a new setup.

I don't care if I got the receivers for free - I REFUSE TO PAY FOR A RECEIVER I DO NOT OWN. I will only return to DTV if I'm guaranteed to pay nothing for receivers.

At this point, the only chance that DTV has to get me as a customer again is with the new 5 tuner DVR they're coming out with, and even that is a stretch. While I really do love their DVRs (when they're not lagged) and the content they provide, I have almost looked at this whole situation as a blessing in disguise since I really have had no problems with the cable company and I'm currently on a great promotion with them for another year. I think this was a sign for me to stay put for now, as this all just isn't worth the headaches.

Once again, I want to thank everyone who took the time to provide constructive input in this thread. I realize that it was only a select few who seems to worship everything about DTV and believe they can do no wrong in every situation. I realize that I was probably a bit wrong in trying to push the issue with getting the new customer promotions, but I just couldn't grasp how DTV hands out things left and right, but here I am a paying customer ready to sign up again and I'm simply getting turned away. When the sales guy set me up with service, I honestly thought that maybe he had some leverage on getting me signed back up so I was excited. It wasn't until about a day later when everything started to hit me on what he did and while I was told by multiple people at DTV that they would allow the order to go through, I just didn't feel right about the whole situation.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

lparsons21 said:


> It can be, that is why I said I don't pull the trigger unless it is in my best interest. This last switch ended up costing me a little because the D* HDDVRs can only record 2 events at once and I was used to being able to do the 4 that the Vip722k would do (2 OTA + 2 SAT). I got 2 HRs for free and thought that with MRV it would be enough, when it turned out not to be, I got another which cost me $200. Because I didn't think it through, it could have ended up costing me that $200, but my son wanted the NFLST package and he paid the upfront cost incurred since I didn't care if we switched or not.


I really appreciate all the responses and time you've given me in this thread. I greatly appreciate it.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Inkosaurus said:


> Isnt it more expensive in the long run to do the hop though?
> Assuming you dont get everything you need free at install atleast...


I would never jump providers if it's going to cost me a great deal to do so. I would only consider switching providers to take advantage of offers they have and if I felt their terms were not ridiculous.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

> This was not my main issue, however.
> 
> As mentioned previously, my sales representative signed me up as a different person (in DirecTV's system anyway). They shortened my first name and used my cell phone number as my home phone number. As you know, this makes the system think that I'm a new person (with the same name) living in the house. While someone from Ellen Filipiak's office said that they would honor it since the order was already placed, I'm concerned that this is going to end up haunting me in the future with DirecTV thinking I did this myself.


this is what i was referring to.....based upon this post this was what mostly made up your mind for you........you sure you're not my ex-mother-in-law? sure do like to argue


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

wahooq said:


> this is what i was referring to.....based upon this post this was what mostly made up your mind for you........you sure you're not my ex-mother-in-law? sure do like to argue


Honestly, if he had everything I needed I probably would have gone through with it. The fact that he didn't have the wireless CCK and the fact that I was just expecting something to go wrong with the install considering all the lies I've been told by DTV, it was just the tip of the iceberg. If he had everything that I requested, I would probably have DTV right now.

Since he didn't, I took it as a sign to just call off the install and move on.

Don't all mother-in-laws like to argue? How could you really tell them a part?:lol:


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

> Don't all mother-in-laws like to argue? How could you really tell them a part?


too true.......


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> Honestly, if he had everything I needed I probably would have gone through with it. The fact that he didn't have the wireless CCK and the fact that I was just expecting something to go wrong with the install considering all the lies I've been told by DTV, it was just the tip of the iceberg. If he had everything that I requested, I would probably have DTV right now.
> 
> Since he didn't, I took it as a sign to just call off the install and move on.
> 
> Don't all mother-in-laws like to argue? How could you really tell them a part?:lol:


All that and you said no because you didn't get a wireless connection kit? WOW...


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## wallfishman (Dec 31, 2008)

debell said:


> Well, this was very short lived. First, the installer DID have the new equipment which I was pleased to hear. He didn't, however, have the wireless Cinema Kit which I was promised at the time of the sale. Explained he only had the wired one and I would have to put another outlet near my router to connect it with a wired connection for $49.95. This was not my main issue, however.
> 
> As mentioned previously, my sales representative signed me up as a different person (in DirecTV's system anyway). They shortened my first name and used my cell phone number as my home phone number. As you know, this makes the system think that I'm a new person (with the same name) living in the house. While someone from Ellen Filipiak's office said that they would honor it since the order was already placed, I'm concerned that this is going to end up haunting me in the future with DirecTV thinking I did this myself.
> 
> I had a lot of red flags come up during this time and I think I made the right choice. When my official "two years" are up in January I may consider switching back but I'm just not interested at this time.


I mean this with respect man but WTF were you thinking? First off they bent rules just to get you what you wanted. Then a tech shows up with an HR24 and 2 H25s a 400 dollar value and you down the whole job over a 25 dollar wireless CCK. All you had to do is let them install all the receivers and tell him to put a 2way splitter at your dvr and install the BBDECA right there and you will hook it up yourself later. when he leaves just call up and tell them you were supposed to get a wireless CCK they probably would have mailed you one to make you happy. Not many techs carry them at all and I doubt it was on the order. You just killed a killer deal. I install these everyday and you dont normally see someone get all you were getting everyday for free. You keep saying the 2 year agreement but technically you dont even qualify for that yet. You should call them back and get what you were getting. It was a good deal.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

debell said:


> Honestly, if he had everything I needed I probably would have gone through with it. The fact that he didn't have the wireless CCK and the fact that I was just expecting something to go wrong with the install considering all the lies I've been told by DTV, it was just the tip of the iceberg. If he had everything that I requested, I would probably have DTV right now.
> :


Just curious. What did you expect the wireless CCK to do for you? I didn't get mine either, but I found that I really had no need for it.


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## wallfishman (Dec 31, 2008)

Also I would not even sweat the name and phone number trick they did. Why I wouldnt sweat it is because Im assuming you paid your previous bill in full. The type of scamming they are concerned with is the deadbeats that run up 1000 dollar balances and then try to do something shady. Your name was not flagged your address was not flagged and i doubt anybody would have ever said anything at all theres no reason too if you paid your previous bill and pay you present bill.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

wallfishman said:


> I mean this with respect man but WTF were you thinking? First off they bent rules just to get you what you wanted. Then a tech shows up with an HR24 and 2 H25s a 400 dollar value and you down the whole job over a 25 dollar wireless CCK.


And MRV is $199 plus $50 install, so at full "list", this was a potentially a $650 freebie. I too was shocked when I opened up the forum tonight to see he rejected it because of the CCK.

OP -- did you look at your order online after Sunday? I just read back and I don't see where anyone suggested that. Maybe you could have caught the missing item and had it worked out before the installer showed up. Also (and for future reference only), a quick call to DirecTV after the installer arrived might have resolved this also ("Its not on your order, but we can FEDEX you one today." or even a "You have to pay $25 plus shipping", but considering the other items you were getting for free, it would have been a fantastic deal.).


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

@OP, if its worth anything i dont have a vested interest in DTV , just a former employee whom now works for Dish.
My posts are based on experience rather then bias, because like you i dont care much about whom i get my tv through as long as its at a good rate and it works.

I dont mean to be harsh though this will come off as harsh i would rather speak in truth rather then pat your back.


> Once again, I want to thank everyone who took the time to provide constructive input in this thread.


Constructive input isnt all high fives and people telling you you did great, some people learn more from being told about there faults then being told they did great when they didnt. </semantics>

From the get go you had the impression that you were entitled to offers that broke business rules and processes for D* and for that matter most other tv companies as well. Completely foregoing the fact that D* and other companies dont owe a customer anything aside from streaming down signal and providing them a bill each month.
You are customer number 21million to them, and just like every other customer you get treated the same way. Your expectation that because you are willing to ditch your other TV provider to go with them does not entitle you to the best they have to offer.

Despite all this, you still got it.
And yet you turn it down. Why? Principle? Maybe..
You got treated by the company unlike any other customer, D* could have said screw you you get what ever is available and could have asked you to deal with it or cancel.

In this whole situation the one time D* treated you like every other customer was when they failed to provide you with a CCK, and because they treated you like a normal customer you decided to just cancel it.
Ridiculous.

Were not all fan boys, and of course some of us are biased. You say your looking out for yourself. Your acting like you got cheated, and honestly the only time you got cheated was when you cheated yourself out of a situation where in you could have been unique and received equipment that under any other circumstance you would not have received.

Good job.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> All that and you said no because you didn't get a wireless connection kit? WOW...


Yes, I did (among other things).



wallfishman said:


> I mean this with respect man but WTF were you thinking? First off they bent rules just to get you what you wanted. Then a tech shows up with an HR24 and 2 H25s a 400 dollar value and you down the whole job over a 25 dollar wireless CCK. All you had to do is let them install all the receivers and tell him to put a 2way splitter at your dvr and install the BBDECA right there and you will hook it up yourself later. when he leaves just call up and tell them you were supposed to get a wireless CCK they probably would have mailed you one to make you happy. Not many techs carry them at all and I doubt it was on the order. You just killed a killer deal. I install these everyday and you dont normally see someone get all you were getting everyday for free. You keep saying the 2 year agreement but technically you dont even qualify for that yet. You should call them back and get what you were getting. It was a good deal.


I guess I don't look at this the same as you do. First of all, I got the same deal a new customer did (big deal!). DTV gives away stuff all the time, this is nothing new. I don't look at this as a "$400 value".. I look at this as the way it should be since I shouldn't be paying for equipment that I don't own.

The wireless CCK was the icing on the cake, I was already a bit on edge with this whole ordeal. The more I thought about it, the more I was feeling like this was a mistake since I just don't know if the fraud department was going to come after me thinking I purposely gave this information to look like a new customer.



n3vino said:


> Just curious. What did you expect the wireless CCK to do for you? I didn't get mine either, but I found that I really had no need for it.


I realize what the wireless CCK does. I understand it's to allow all my receivers to get movies on demand, access to youtube and twitter (among possibly others) . This was big for me as my girlfriend loves movies on demand (and I love free ones!).



wallfishman said:


> Also I would not even sweat the name and phone number trick they did. Why I wouldnt sweat it is because Im assuming you paid your previous bill in full. The type of scamming they are concerned with is the deadbeats that run up 1000 dollar balances and then try to do something shady. Your name was not flagged your address was not flagged and i doubt anybody would have ever said anything at all theres no reason too if you paid your previous bill and pay you present bill.


I understand what you're saying but it's really not a chance I'm willing to take. DTV has lied to me on multiple occasions and although I was told I would be an exception, I just don't know that to be true. Then, if I did get contacted, I was supposed to say "Leila in the Customer Advocacy Dept" told me it was okay. I just didn't feel comfortable with that the more I thought about it.



trh said:


> And MRV is $199 plus $50 install, so at full "list", this was a potentially a $650 freebie. I too was shocked when I opened up the forum tonight to see he rejected it because of the CCK.
> 
> OP -- did you look at your order online after Sunday? I just read back and I don't see where anyone suggested that. Maybe you could have caught the missing item and had it worked out before the installer showed up. Also (and for future reference only), a quick call to DirecTV after the installer arrived might have resolved this also ("Its not on your order, but we can FEDEX you one today." or even a "You have to pay $25 plus shipping", but considering the other items you were getting for free, it would have been a fantastic deal.).


I did look at the order online and it said wireless CCK listed on there. It's really quite clear that I was lied too, I don't know why some of you feel the need to try and "prove me wrong" or something.

A $650 freebie? I don't think so. I'm signing a 2 year contract and I was simply getting their new customer offer, that's it. You guys act like I was under contract and decided I want all of these things and DirecTV just bent over and gave it to me. Sure, they gave it to me 2 months before my 2 years of being gone from DTV, but that's it. The ONLY reason they did this was because the sales rep doesn't care about his job, NOT because DTV wanted to be nice and give me all of these things. So please, stop acting (once again) like DTV is our savior and they can do nothing wrong. They messed up here, not me.



Inkosaurus said:


> @OP, if its worth anything i dont have a vested interest in DTV , just a former employee whom now works for Dish.
> My posts are based on experience rather then bias, because like you i dont care much about whom i get my tv through as long as its at a good rate and it works.
> 
> I dont mean to be harsh though this will come off as harsh i would rather speak in truth rather then pat your back.
> ...


So let me get this straight - you are now going to tell me why I turned it down? I know why I turned it down. It just didn't feel right, end of story.

I qualify for new customer promotions in two months, by then the HR34 receiver should be (hopefully) released so if I'm feeling like giving DTV another try then I might do it. I don't feel bad about this at all.

In fact, the installer could care less. He sat in my driveway and talked to me for 45 min about the bull**** DTV pulls on him. He also talked about how he has Dish Network and could careless for DTV's service and schemes on new equipment, protection plans, leased receivers, etc. :lol:


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> I qualify for new customer promotions in two months,


After all of this, it wouldn't surprise me if this address got flagged and future "offers" won't be as favorable.
You did what you did, for reasons that were important to you. There's no problems with that.
I just tend to think you also left a messy trail that might come back to bite you later.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> After all of this, it wouldn't surprise me if this address got flagged and future "offers" won't be as favorable.
> You did what you did, for reasons that were important to you. There's no problems with that.
> I just tend to think you also left a messy trail that might come back to bite you later.


Please explain to me what messy trail I left? By denying an install because I have morals, that's leaving a messy trail?

I'm sorry, but that is a very idiotic statement to make.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

debell said:


> Please explain to me what messy trail I left? By denying an install *because I have morals*, that's leaving a messy trail?
> 
> I'm sorry, but that is a very idiotic statement to make.


Are you saying that those of us who are less difficult to deal with and are willing to pay for what we get are less morally pure than you?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> Please explain to me what messy trail I left?


You have notes added to this going all the way up to the office of the VP of customer service. They did seem to bend over backwards to accommodate you, and then at the very last minute, you bailed.
Now the next time a CSR pulls up this account/address and reads the notes, they may simply say "screw it", this is more trouble than it's worth, and move on to the next caller as quickly as they can.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Are you saying that those of us who are less difficult to deal with and are willing to pay for what we get are less morally pure than you?


Whoa now, don't jump to conclusions.

I'm saying that I didn't feel right signing up for service under a "different name" just to get the equipment for free. Although I didn't ask for it to be done, the fact that I knew that the representative did this it really just made me uneasy the more I thought about it.

As for the "those who are less difficult" comment, I'm sorry that I don't just allow corporations to decide how much I'm going to pay without any questioning whatsoever. Perhaps you have money to burn but if I find that there are deals out there for me to take advantage of, you better believe I will.

Please don't jump to conclusions.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> Please explain to me what messy trail I left? By denying an install because I have morals, that's leaving a messy trail?
> 
> I'm sorry, but that is a very idiotic statement to make.





SPACEMAKER said:


> Are you saying that those of us who are less difficult to deal with and are willing to pay for what we get are less morally pure than you?


Let's not go down this path. Personal attacking will get this thread closed fast.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> You have notes added to this going all the way up to the office of the VP of customer service. They did seem to bend over backwards to accommodate you, and then at the very last minute, you bailed.
> Now the next time a CSR pulls up this account/address and reads the notes, they may simply say "screw it", this is more trouble than it's worth, and move on to the next caller as quickly as they can.


They bent over backwards to accomodate me? Holy ****! Take your head out of their ass already.

They didn't do anything to accommodate me. The sales rep wanted a quick sale so he pressured me the entire time and broke company policy by creating a second account in my name! Sure, they said they would honor it but that's about all they did. :nono:


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> Let's not go down this path. Personal attacking will get this thread closed fast.


You guys really are unbelievable. The way you manipulate what I say is unreal. I did not personally attack anyone. My comment was made in reference to the fact that the ONLY reason I got what I got was because the CSR simply created a second account in my name. I am in no way saying that I'm more "morally pure" than anyone on here.

:nono2:


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> I'm saying that I didn't feel right signing up for service under a "different name" just to get the equipment for free. Although I didn't ask for it to be done, the fact that I knew that the representative did this it really just made me uneasy the more I thought about it.


"But" the more you thought about it, only came to a conclusion when the installer was there and didn't have a $25 CCK.
You seemed to be going along with it until the eleventh hour. Hummmm


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> I am in no way saying that I'm more "morally pure" than anyone on here.
> 
> :nono2:


You seemed to have missed the point. I quoted two posts. One by you and the reply to it that was headed the wrong way.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> "But" the more you thought about it, only came to a conclusion when the installer was there and didn't have a $25 CCK.
> You seemed to be going along with it until the eleventh hour. Hummmm


So have you never a moment where it just took something unrelated to make you feel that what you were doing just wasn't worth the hassle? Sure, I was going a long with it, but when I was informed that a piece of equipment that I was promised by the sales rep was not there, it did upset me. I don't care if it's a $25 piece of equipment, I had no idea how much it would cost. All I knew is that it wasn't there and I was promised it.

This combined with everything else prompted me to cancel. What is so hard about this to understand? Regardless of what you may think, DTV does mess up and do things wrong.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> You seemed to have missed the point. I quoted two posts. One by you and the reply to it that was headed the wrong way.


You seemed to have missed the point that you also quoted me, which insinuates that you're saying it to both of us.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Why not just let this thread die off? You didn't get service. End of story. What else can be gained by re-hashing and arguing? Those that disagree should just leave it at that because no one is going to change anyone else's mind.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Why not just let this thread die off? You didn't get service. End of story. What else can be gained by re-hashing and arguing? Those that disagree should just leave it at that because no one is going to change anyone else's mind.


I agree. Time to put a amen to it.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> Regardless of what you may think, DTV does mess up and do things wrong.


Sure they do, and I doubt very much they're any different than any other large corporation. Recently I was charged $45 for a phone call that should have been $3.60. It took a couple of calls and a bit of escalation to get it resolved.
I'm not going to review 180+ posts in the thread as I really don't give a damn, but:

You have had DirecTV before, so you should have had some idea of how they are.
You called to work out a deal and wanted to "game the system". It seems you knew this and if not, then had many clues along the way.
When they didn't give you 100% of what you figured you should have, you "had second thoughts", and bailed.
Now you just figure you can reset the clock and go through this all over again next time.
While you may be able to, you may also find that the notes on the account may come back and bite you in the rear.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Why not just let this thread die off? You didn't get service. End of story. What else can be gained by re-hashing and arguing? Those that disagree should just leave it at that because no one is going to change anyone else's mind.


I'm completely for this but the DTV soldiers started marching in telling me how wrong I was in every way for simply denying service.

I've heard that I've wasted installer time, I expected too much, I made a big deal out of wireless CCK, etc

I have my opinion on the service and so does everyone else here. I was simply sharing my story and even said that I would most likely sign back up in January when my two years have been completed. Overall, I like DirecTV but there are certain things I don't agree with. It seems if you disagree with DTV on this forum, you get attacked by people left and right because of your opinion.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> Sure they do, and I doubt very much they're any different than any other large corporation. Recently I was charged $45 for a phone call that should have been $3.60. It took a couple of calls and a bit of escalation to get it resolved.
> I'm not going to review 180+ posts in the thread as I really don't give a damn, but:
> 
> You have had DirecTV before, so you should have had some idea of how they are.
> ...


Okay listen. I'm going to say this once more because I don't appreciate you stating that I was trying to "game the system" aka commit fraud.

I NEVER ONCE EXPECTED TO GAME THE SYSTEM. I have had multiple people tell me to just have my girlfriend sign up as a new customer and I REFUSED to do this. I do not believe in that at all.

I think it's time that you start reading what you're posting because you clearly are making no sense. Are people not allowed to change their mind about service? Do I not have the right to turn the installer away because I just didn't feel right about the whole situation. Before I canceled, I spoke to him about the situation and he clearly said to be careful because they have a great fraud department. That, along with being lied too, really set the tone for me to just cancel the install. I realize others on here were saying that I could get flagged by the fraud department but once again I WAS TOLD BY ELLEN FILIPIAKS OFFICE that they would let it slide. While they most likely would have, I just didn't feel like dealing with this headache a month or two from now when the fraud department decides that I wasn't told that and that I would have to pay for equipment, adjust monthly costs or whatever else could happen.

Why is this concept so hard for you to grasp? I was not trying to game the system, I was simply being a customer who was persistent on trying to get the best deal possible (simply the same deal that new customers get). People on this board speak about calling DTV all the time and getting monthly credits, sunday ticket for free, premium channels for free, etc. There is no difference in me trying to get the most for my money when signing up. I did nothing illegal nor did I plan on it.

I ask that you please stop with the personal attack stating that I tried to "game the system". I don't appreciate it and will not tolerate it.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> I'm completely for this but the DTV soldiers started marching in telling me how wrong I was in every way for simply denying service.
> 
> I've heard that I've wasted installer time, I expected too much, I made a big deal out of wireless CCK, etc
> 
> I have my opinion on the service and so does everyone else here. I was simply sharing my story and even said that I would most likely sign back up in January when my two years have been completed. Overall, I like DirecTV but there are certain things I don't agree with. It seems if you disagree with DTV on this forum, you get attacked by people left and right because of your opinion.


Here's a silly thought...If you can't accept criticism and other opinions, then don't post your story on a public message board.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> Here's a silly thought...If you can't accept criticism and other opinions, then don't post your story on a public message board.


I can accept criticism, and have done so many times. I've admitted where I may have faulted on multiple occasions, but I will not accept being accused of doing something that I did not do (game the system).

It seems the DTV folks on this board can't accept anyone coming in stating something negative about their precious satellite provider.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> Thank you! I look forward to having DTV service again.
> 
> Now, to compare leasing a car (a $15,000+ value) to a DirecTV receiver is a bit of a stretch. I'm leasing a device that is required for service, I'm also paying a monthly lease fee as well as a fee for the services AND a fee up front just to "have" the box in my home?
> 
> ...


The only issue I have with this is that it is misleading.

Time Warner charges $17/mo for an HD DVR . Over the course of 24mos that is $408
Uverse charges $15/mo for an HD DVR. Over the course of 24 months that is $360

So while I would prefer not to lay out $199 for an HD DVR, it is still cheaper than the alternatives.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> Okay listen. I'm going to say this once more because I don't appreciate you stating that I was trying to "game the system" aka commit fraud.
> 
> I NEVER ONCE EXPECTED TO GAME THE SYSTEM. I have had multiple people tell me to just have my girlfriend sign up as a new customer and I REFUSED to do this. I do not believe in that at all.
> 
> ...


Game the system isn't committing fraud. It's doing exactly what you did...demanded and expected things you aren't entitled to. You demanded free and new receivers when the policy is not that way...took it up the chain of command...that's trying to game the system.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> I can accept criticism


Doesn't seem like it this morning. I quoted you and a reply, yet you think my post was completely directed at you, when it wasn't anything more than a reference to the other post.
You over reacted to "gaming the system" and took it as something illegal instead of merely working the system to your advantage, which was what you were trying to do by getting a new customer's deal before meeting the requirements.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Xsabresx said:


> The only issue I have with this is that it is misleading.
> 
> Time Warner charges $17/mo for an HD DVR . Over the course of 24mos that is $408
> Uverse charges $15/mo for an HD DVR. Over the course of 24 months that is $360
> ...


$17/mo is the lease fee of the box + the DVR service.

DirecTV charges $6 a month for the box plus $10 for DVR service + an upfront cost

I don't understand your logic


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> Game the system isn't committing fraud. It's doing exactly what you did...demanded and expected things you aren't entitled to. You demanded free and new receivers when the policy is not that way...took it up the chain of command...that's trying to game the system.


That's not gaming the system. They didn't offer me what I wanted because it was against policy. That's called doing whatever you can to get the best deal possible. In fact, when Ellen Filipiak's office called me back, she was only calling to tell me that there is nothing she can do and that I'd have to wait until January for the 2 years to pass.

Once again, the only reason this happened is because a sales rep BROKE COMPANY POLICY not because I "GAMED THE SYSTEM".


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> Doesn't seem like it this morning. I quoted you and a reply, yet you think my post was completely directed at you, when it wasn't anything more than a reference to the other post.
> You over reacted to "gaming the system" and took it as something illegal instead of merely working the system to your advantage, which was what you were trying to do by getting a new customer's deal before meeting the requirements.


Wow, you're unbelievable. I didn't say that the post was "completely directed at me". I simply stated that it was directed at me AS WELL because I was quoted.

Why is "gaming the system" (your definition, anyway) so bad in your eyes? Is it wrong for me to do whatever I can to get the best deal? In the end, I wouldn't have gotten it anyway but I will do whatever I can no matter what company I'm dealing with to get the best deal. They wouldn't offer it if they weren't making any money on it.

I don't think it was absurd for me to simply ask for a new customer deal that I would qualify for in less than two months. If you want to call that "gaming the system", so be it.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> $17/mo is the lease fee of the box + the DVR service.
> 
> DirecTV charges $6 a month for the box plus $10 for DVR service + an upfront cost
> 
> I don't understand your logic


Huh? They charge $10 for HD access which is waived with autopay. $6/mo is all you pay for each receiver.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Time to shut this down before someone gets banned. If I were the OP I'd just walk away and get on with my life.


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## MarkG21 (Jan 4, 2010)

debell said:


> $17/mo is the lease fee of the box + the DVR service.
> 
> DirecTV charges $6 a month for the box plus $10 for DVR service + an upfront cost
> 
> I don't understand your logic


Where I live (Comcast), Your paying an HD fee per box, DVR fee per box, and an additional outlet if applicable.

$10 for HD, $10 for DVR, $9 for AO

So if you have more than one cable box, your paying $29 for DVR service on a DVR that has not been updated since 2003.

I don't know where your getting $10/month for DVR service for DirecTV. It's $7 a month PER account. HD fee can easily be waived. $6 a month for the lease fee for more than one box.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Xsabresx said:


> Huh? They charge $10 for HD access which is waived with autopay. $6/mo is all you pay for each receiver.


I'm not talking about HD access, I'm talking about Whole Home DVR or DVR service. DTV charges $20 for Whole Home DVR service (or $10 for new customers) per month. You can't just ignore that fee when comparing the different services.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Time to shut this down before someone gets banned. If I were the OP I'd just walk away and get on with my life.


Why would anyone get banned? Are you not allowed to have an opinion that is against DTV on this forum? We are simply having a discussion. As long as no one personally attacks eachother, we will be fine. Calm down.

If you don't care to participate anymore, simply stop posting.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

debell said:


> I'm not talking about HD access, I'm talking about Whole Home DVR or DVR service. DTV charges $20 for Whole Home DVR service (or $10 for new customers) per month. You can't just ignore that fee when comparing the different services.


Whole Home [aka MRV] is $3/month & $7/account for DVR service.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> I'm not talking about HD access, I'm talking about Whole Home DVR or DVR service. DTV charges $20 for Whole Home DVR service (or $10 for new customers) per month. You can't just ignore that fee when comparing the different services.


They charge $3 for WHDVR service. I just reviewed my bill before my last post. And I dont know about anyone else but my bill says:

10/19 11/18 DIRECTV DVR Service $7.00/mo Incl Base Pkg 0.00	
10/19 11/18 DIRECTV Whole-Home DVR Service Monthly 3.00

So I am not ignoring anything. If I didnt want to pay $3/mo I would drop the WHDVR service.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

debell said:


> Why would anyone get banned? Are you not allowed to have an opinion that is against DTV on this forum? We are simply having a discussion. As long as no one personally attacks eachother, we will be fine. Calm down.
> 
> If you don't care to participate anymore, simply stop posting.


:lol: You are the only one freaking out. What's left to discuss? You chose to not be D* subscriber. Quite frankly, you probably did D* a favor as I can imagine you'd be one of those high maintenance customers who drains resources and wastes people's time.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

MarkG21 said:


> Where I live (Comcast), Your paying an HD fee per box, DVR fee per box, and an additional outlet if applicable.
> 
> $10 for HD, $10 for DVR, $9 for AO
> 
> ...


$10/month for whole home DVR service, $7/month for DVR service. I'm sorry, I mixed it up.

I don't have Comcast so I can't compare but you pay $9 a month for an additional outlet? If I was paying that then you better believe I would not have them for service.

With Brighthouse, I actually pay the following right now:

$150 a month including taxes for 2 HD DVRs, 1 HD receiver, RoadRunner Turbo (20/2 service) and unlimited phone service. This price is good for 2 years.

The charge for each additional HD DVR with BHN is $9.95/mo. I realize each company is different but that's what I pay right now.

I also did not need a second outlet for any of the DVRs in the house, they all work off of one line.


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## MarkG21 (Jan 4, 2010)

debell said:


> Wow, you're unbelievable. I didn't say that the post was "completely directed at me". I simply stated that it was directed at me AS WELL because I was quoted.
> 
> Why is "gaming the system" (your definition, anyway) so bad in your eyes? Is it wrong for me to do whatever I can to get the best deal? In the end, I wouldn't have gotten it anyway but I will do whatever I can no matter what company I'm dealing with to get the best deal. They wouldn't offer it if they weren't making any money on it.
> 
> I don't think it was absurd for me to simply ask for a new customer deal that I would qualify for in less than two months. If you want to call that "gaming the system", so be it.


I don't think anyone is saying your wrong for trying to get the best deal possible. We all want to get the best deal we can get. It's the way you went about it to get what you wanted.

Also, IMO, you get what you pay for. If your getting equipment free, you should never expect the newest equipment. It's great if you do. I wouldn't ***** if I didnt. If you want to guarantee yourself the latest equip, you gotta pay for it. That is what I do and have no problem.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

SPACEMAKER said:


> :lol: You are the only one freaking out. What's left to discuss? You chose to not be D* subscriber. Quite frankly, you probably did D* a favor as I can imagine you'd be one of those high maintenance customers who drains resources and wastes people's time.


I'm freaking out because I disagree with some of the posts on here? :sure:

Oh yes, I'd be a high maintenance customer. I had service with DTV for 3 years and didn't have one service call or call to customer service at all for that matter. It's TV service, its' not brain surgery. I will, however, make sure I get the best deal I can get when signing up. If this is high maintenance in your world, great! :lol:


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

MarkG21 said:


> I don't think anyone is saying your wrong for trying to get the best deal possible. We all want to get the best deal we can. It's the way you went about it to get what you wanted.
> 
> Also, IMO, you get what you pay for. If your getting equipment free, you should never expect the newest equipment. It's great if you do. I wouldn't ***** if I didnt. If you want to guarantee yourself the latest equip, you gotta pay for it. That is what I do and have no problem.


Actually, many on here have been saying I'm wrong for trying to get the best deal possible. I've been told I had a sense of entitlement, gaming the system, committing fraud, and wasting peoples time.

I spoke with a few CSRs who all gave me conflicting information therefore I pursued it further because it didn't sound like anyone was on the same page. I sent an e-mail to Ellen Filipiak, as someone on this board recommended me too.

I guess we disagree on the equipment thing. I will not be a puppet who settles for whatever is given to him, even if I do get it for free. I don't know anyone who would just simply settle for older, slower, outdated equipment. If I am signing up for service which requires me to sign a contract, you better believe I'm going to request and not settle for anything less than the best that company has to offer since I'm stuck with it. If I get an older receiver, by the end of my two year contract I would be dealing with an even more outdated box. No thank you.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

At this point in time, I think we're just feeding a drama queen.
"The deal" didn't go down, and the point now is?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> At this point in time, I think we're just feeding a drama queen.
> "The deal" didn't go down, and the point now is?


I think you're right. They have another thread here: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r26520910-DIRECTV-Which-HD-DVR-should-I-expect-to-get-


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

debell said:


> I guess we disagree on the equipment thing. I will not be a puppet who settles for whatever is given to him, even if I do get it for free. I don't know anyone who would just simply settle for older, slower, outdated equipment. If I am signing up for service which requires me to sign a contract, you better believe I'm going to request and not settle for anything less than the best that company has to offer since I'm stuck with it. If I get an older receiver, by the end of my two year contract I would be dealing with an even more outdated box. No thank you.


I have to say I take offense to being called a puppet. I have never had a problem accepting what they sent me and have loved every minute of my service. I have also never felt like I was "stuck" with anything. I happily send them $160 every month because that is what I choose to do. You chose not to and that is your prerogative, but dont fault anyone for making a choice that isnt yours.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

veryoldschool said:


> At this point in time, I think we're just feeding a drama queen.
> "The deal" didn't go down, and the point now is?


You tell me the point, you seem to be the one that continues to post. You're like the little boy who tells everyone to stop but doesn't stop until everyone else does first. :lol:


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> I think you're right. They have another thread here: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r26520910-DIRECTV-Which-HD-DVR-should-I-expect-to-get-


Yes, except notice that I didn't have any issues with one person on that thread. Why? Because everyone acted like adults and understood where I was coming from but also explained where DTV was coming from. There was no name calling, "gaming the system", etc. This is largely in part due to the fact that dslreports consists of people who love technology and not fanboys of DirecTV (like some in this thread clearly are).


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

Xsabresx said:


> I have to say I take offense to being called a puppet. I have never had a problem accepting what they sent me and have loved every minute of my service. I have also never felt like I was "stuck" with anything. I happily send them $160 every month because that is what I choose to do. You chose not to and that is your prerogative, but dont fault anyone for making a choice that isnt yours.


I don't fault anyone for their decisions. I never have. I have been under attack by many people on here for simply trying to "fight" for a better deal with DTV. Again, I did nothing illegal.

Then, on top of everything, when I decided to back out of the deal I was attacked every which way saying I wasted the installers time, I wasted CSRs time at DTV, etc etc. What about my time that was wasted and the fact that I was lied too?

If you are happy with your service then that is great! I was happy with DTV as well. No company is perfect and there are going to be things that I disagree with (and many others do) with a lot of companies. It's just the business world. Not every policy will please everyone. I have the right to simply not like the deal I was given or fight for something else. If I went up the ladder, then that's what I did. That is what they were there for. The higher up I went, the more clear things were made for me.

If the CSRs (most of which are in another country) were trained a bit better, perhaps I could have gotten a more consistent response from everyone earlier on.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> ... As long as no one personally attacks eachother, we will be fine. Calm down.
> 
> ...


And now you have done that. 


debell said:


> You tell me the point, you seem to be the one that continues to post. You're like the little boy who tells everyone to stop but doesn't stop until everyone else does first. :lol:





debell said:


> Yes, except notice that I didn't have any issues with one person on that thread. Why? Because everyone acted like adults and understood where I was coming from but also explained where DTV was coming from. There was no name calling, "gaming the system", etc.


People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> And now you have done that.
> 
> People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.


:sure: Whatever you say boss!


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> ...
> 
> If the CSRs (most of which are in another country) were trained a bit better, perhaps I could have gotten a more consistent response from everyone earlier on.


No, they're not.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

debell said:


> :sure: Whatever you say boss!


Boss? :lol: There you go again with not practicing what you preach. I'm done.


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## debell (Nov 6, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> Boss? :lol: There you go again with not practicing what you preach. I'm done.


It was a joke, I really don't think you're the boss! :lol:


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I'm sorry to say the time has come to close this thread. My apologies to those who tried to keep in on the rails.


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