# can i cancel directv and restart as a new customer?



## mdgrier (Mar 3, 2011)

directv customer for 2+ years... contract fulfilled, always autopay bill. thinking i'd like to cancel directv and go with hulu plus + Netflix + OTA for locals... this will work for me no problem, saves me $70 per month.... i think this will work, until football season starts.

can i cancel now... then come back as a new customer in a few months (with new customer benefits)? would rather not just suspend, since getting new equipment + promo pricing would be more enticing of course.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I'm not sure how long it takes to be considered a new customer but I think it's longer than a few months. You're probably better off suspending. 

And... :welcome_s to DBSTalk!


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

On comming back in the fall as the "new" customer won't work as it would be too soon. You can be a New customer at the same address only if

1. you use your Wife's name or roommates

If it were me I would down grade to one receiver (if you have more than one) smallest channel package and suspend the account.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

You can try that, but it will more likely blow up in your face...suspend is probably the smarter way to go.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

2 years guys

no suspend or service for 2 years then you can be a new customer, unless you owe money. I ran into someone that couldnt be setup as a new customer because they owed $6!!! WTF! REally? Direct just doesnt let it go do they LOL

Roomate would be best option, absolutley not considered a flip, esp if they are not in your family.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

I was away for about eight years and DirecTV still didn't consider me a new customer. However, after some discussions with a helpful CSR I managed to get the new user price advertised in the newspaper back then.


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## Sackett (May 21, 2007)

I got Directv in October of 2008 and I had never had Directv Satellite before in my life, however when the installer came out and installed everything and then called to get my programming going for the new customer rate, they told him I was an existing customer. What it turned out to be was back in 2000-2001 I was with a DSL company called Telocity and Directv DSL bought them out so I was switched to them. They considered I had been existing customer..... Took several hours on the phone to finally have them agree that this should not count....


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jodean said:


> 2 years guys
> 
> no suspend or service for 2 years then you can be a new customer, unless you owe money. I ran into someone that couldnt be setup as a new customer because they owed $6!!! WTF! REally? Direct just doesnt let it go do they LOL
> 
> Roomate would be best option, absolutley not considered a flip, esp if they are not in your family.


Where DO you get your information? "Absolutely"?? Maybe in your eyes, maybe it gets through the system, but.....

And money owed is money owed, but it $2 bucks or 2 thousand.

Did you at one point say you are or were an employee?


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

I canceled last summer not happy with the audio drop outs on my Onkyo and no solution in sight. About2-3 weeks later I got an offer to return that was nearly as good as a new customer offer. I had no intention of returning and when I did it was much an impluse decision. I felt upgrading my hardware (to HR24) would somehow offset my disappointment with the audio problem. My mistake, it didn't. Someone sent me an email referral. I clicked on the link and signed back up. I don't think I should have been able to do that but I did. A seemingly great deal but with all of the many problems I have had it hasn't been worth it.


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## richall01 (Sep 30, 2007)

You are only a new customer once. When you go to a new store your are a new customer. If you come back in a few weeks or a year later you are not a new customer.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

richall01 said:


> You are only a new customer once. When you go to a new store your are a new customer. If you come back in a few weeks or a year later you are not a new customer.


Maybe, I have signed up for the DirecTV new customer offer 4 times (maybe 5) since 1992.

My dermatologist said I was a new customer when I didn't go back for two years. I was charged a new customer fee instead of a follow up visit.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

You're not a new customer in a few months, but if you are a good customer, they will almost immediately solicit you to come back. And that offer is very similar to what a new customer gets. If you were late with payments and constantly asking for credits, as was mentioned, it may be safer to suspend. That way you won't have all the upfront fees for hardware, if you restart service.


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## jceman (Aug 20, 2007)

RACJ2 said:


> Your not a new customer in a few months, but if you are a good customer, they will almost immediately solicit you to come back. And that offer is very similar to what a new customer gets. If you were late with payments and constantly asking for credits, as was mentioned, it may be safer to suspend. That way you won't have all the upfront fees for hardware, if you restart service.


That's what happened with me last year. I foolishly went back to cable after a lot of the problems I had had were addressed and fixed. They were, but there were so many other things I didn't like, low capacity DVR, inane SD/HD channel mapping, no NFL network, etc. that I came back.

DirecTV offered and I accepted a "Welcome Back" package that was the same rate as the then current new user package; so I got my dish changed over from 5 LNB to SWM-3, got new HR24/H24 combo with MRV and IKC all at no cost simply by accepting their offer - which I received at least once every 3 weeks for the 6 months I was gone.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> Where DO you get your information? "Absolutely"?? Maybe in your eyes, maybe it gets through the system, but.....
> 
> And money owed is money owed, but it $2 bucks or 2 thousand.
> 
> Did you at one point say you are or were an employee?


Yes, that is right, a completly different person can get his/her own service and is a new customer, not im MY eyes, in EVERYONES eyes, maybe yours are hazy or something. There is no "getting through the system" a person can get a new directv account anytime they want if they have never had it before.

And no i am not an employee, i work for myself.

Completly rediculous that directv holds an account for $6 for 8 years later. Let it go man, let it go......

Where do you get YOUR information??????????


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

richall01 said:


> You are only a new customer once. When you go to a new store your are a new customer. If you come back in a few weeks or a year later you are not a new customer.


Ya thats completly wrong. I know people that switch direct to dish every 2 years. They are always new customers and get new customer incentives at that time. Some of these guys have been switching back and forth for over 10 years now.

Infact the guy who owed $6 was a new customer and i setup the new account for him, he had direct 3 yeras prior, he called in to make his payment then asked the csr if it was instantly submitted so his new direct account could be setup, the csr said ya you are all set for a new account. Sure enough, 2 minutes later my office sent me an account number.


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## shadough (Dec 31, 2006)

I always thought you were a 'new' customer only once as well. but after reading this thread, I guess not. I wasn't the greatest Directv customer, allthough my payments went thru my CC. When the CC expired, I racked up some debt w/ them and they shut me off. When I finally 'paid-up', I cancelled since they wouldnt let me have my DNS channels anymore, Yet they continue to send me the "Please come back" offers in the mail every 3 weeks. But the Costco offer (w/ Coscto giftcard) combined w/ a friend referral hasta to be the best offer I've seen: Total choice for $21 for 10months, $10 more for 2 months more, then regular price. plus a $180 to spend at Costco.


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## rbpeirce (Feb 24, 2006)

Two years is the rule, or was the rule.

Name change alone won't do it. DTV keys to the address, not the name.

My son had DTV until he moved. I couldn't start my own subscription unless he moved his. I could continue the existing subscription, but I wanted to restart it through Verizon. He was on cable so we had to "move" him to another address and cancel the service before I could start my own subscription.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

gitarzan said:


> *Maybe, I have signed up for the DirecTV new customer offer 4 times (maybe 5) since 1992.*
> 
> My dermatologist said I was a new customer when I didn't go back for two years. I was charged a new customer fee instead of a follow up visit.


Hey, how did you sign up for DirecTV as a new customer multiple times since 1992 when their service didn't actually start until '94?


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

When I signed back up throuth the refferral website a few weeks later I used the same name address, ssn, etc,phone numer or email may have been different.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

HoTat2 said:


> Hey, how did you sign up for DirecTV as a new customer multiple times since 1992 when their service didn't actually start until '94? [/QUOTE
> 
> Then it was 94. I remember getting mad when a local retailer sold my Sony to someone else just as I went to pick it up and then I had to wait another week. I think it was a model SAT-B1, it had one LNB. I had to pay a DirecTV bill and a USSB bill. I installed it myself. The Sony satellite dish had a small green light that lit up when it was pointed at the satellite. I still have the dish in my garage.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

rbpeirce said:


> Two years is the rule, or was the rule.
> 
> Name change alone won't do it. DTV keys to the address, not the name.


 They key to phone and soc sec # (both). Address is meaningless because multiple people can move in/out of the same place and as for name, there could be 100 "Smith's" who aren't related.

As for 2 years, even that I doubt. I have seen subscribers who had DirecTV 5 years ago at one location and have long since moved still considered "existing." Have dealt with people who lived in apartments and regularly relocated there was a lot of problems. Some ultimately ended up with mover's connection pricing, some were SOL. The ONLY way to be certain is to use another phone number and SSN (wife, roommate or whatever).


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## MattScahum (Oct 27, 2010)

The definition of a "new customer" is tricky...
1. never had service with us
2. has been a customer in the past and has been gone at least 2 years
3. not gone 2 years but has received some kind of special come back to us promo, which basically equals out to the new customer savings anyways.

per policy, if a customer in a certain address cancels there service then a roommate/relative/friend sets it up at that residence before 2 years then that is TECHNICALLY fraud. can people do it? yes. The system tags phone #'s(as I get alot of customers who have never had service but they use a cell phone # as there primary and the old owner of that number owes us money)
addresses/ssn's/and last names. So the system catches alot of people trying to do that ( I actually had 3 try to do it today and all 3 were dumb enough to tell me that they were putting it in a house that had just cancelled. That is an automatic quality fail on my record so I sent them all to reconnect).


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## E91 (Oct 7, 2008)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I'm not sure how long it takes to be considered a new customer but I think it's longer than a few months. You're probably better off suspending.
> 
> And... :welcome_s to DBSTalk!


I was with DISH for two years, and D* still considered me to have an active account.

I got most of the new customer goodies to come back though.


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## huskerhead (Oct 27, 2002)

Geez I've been a Directv customer at least three different times - and have always received "new customer" promotions. Following the deals works well for any service.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

MattScahum said:


> The definition of a "new customer" is tricky...
> 1. never had service with us
> 2. has been a customer in the past and has been gone at least 2 years
> 3. not gone 2 years but has received some kind of special come back to us promo, which basically equals out to the new customer savings anyways.
> ...


First of all it's NOT fraud, technically or otherwise. Everyone throws around "fraud" and "illegal" without the slightest knowledge of what it actually is. Fraud requires a law to be broken and there is no local, state or Federal law pertaining to signing up for DirecTV as a new customer as long as you aren't stealing someone elses identity. 

Second, how would DirecTV decide if the "other person" signing up is a friend, relative, partner, wife or anything else. Do they check DNA, marriage licenses, Linked-In, Facebook or Friendster? Do they check home sales records? No. If you are a different person with a different phone number and SSN# you are a new customer.

I have dealt with these type of customers for years in my past life and as long as the name, phone number and SSN are different you can be a new customer, this according to DirecTV. Also the 2 years isn't a "rule." Please PM me with where that is stated.

It may not be "morally" right but there is nothing preventing it.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

TBlazer07 said:


> First of all it's NOT fraud, technically or otherwise. Everyone throws around "fraud" and "illegal" without the slightest knowledge of what it actually is. Fraud requires a law to be broken.....
> 
> << Snipped bits out >>
> 
> It may not be "morally" right but there is nothing preventing it.


Some of us were talking morals for starters.

As to fraud, misrepresentation is against the law.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Theres no misrepresentation, a different person is a different person, whats to misrepresent? Nothing......

I have never heard anyone ask if anyone in their family, circle of friends, or roommates had directv prior which would dequalify them as a new customer. A person can get direct anytime they want, it doesnt matter who they live with or who sleeps over at night or if dad moved in for awhile....

the 2 years may not be written, but the account drops off the computer and allows a previous customer to become a new customer, thats how people that switch every two years do it, back and forth from dish to direct and vice versa


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jodean said:


> Theres no misrepresentation, a different person is a different person, whats to misrepresent? Nothing......
> 
> I have never heard anyone ask if anyone in their family, circle of friends, or roommates had directv prior which would dequalify them as a new customer. A person can get direct anytime they want, it doesnt matter who they live with or who sleeps over at night or if dad moved in for awhile....
> 
> the 2 years may not be written, but the account drops off the computer and allows a previous customer to become a new customer, thats how people that switch every two years do it, back and forth from dish to direct and vice versa


OK, so you said upthread you are not an employee, but apparently you are an independent contractor who does some installs for DirecTV, correct?

And you think it's fine to game the system?


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

When I sign up for satellite or phone service with a 2 year contract I have an expectation that from the beginnning that in 2 years my service is over and then other companies can compete for my business. Whoever can best earn my business that is where I will go. I do the same as any well ran business would do.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> And you think it's fine to game the system?


There is no "gaming" the system. You just dont get it.

I suppose if you have a coupon that says 1 per customer, you dont think your wife or someone else with you can also use their coupon??? WTF that isnt gaming, just some people "using" a coupon.....


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jodean said:


> There is no "gaming" the system. You just dont get it.
> 
> I suppose if you have a coupon that says 1 per customer, you dont think your wife or someone else with you can also use their coupon??? WTF that isnt gaming, just some people "using" a coupon.....


No; this is not about coupons at a restaurant. Obviously as far as "getting it" you don't see my point, and I disagree with yours. [Don't and can't both take apostrophes]

So, you don't mind at all when one of your installs is counter to at least the spirit of what's a new customer?


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Maybe we wouldn't all want new customer discounts if the price didn't keep increasing from the artificial churn this creates. It's not free for D* to start up a new customer you know.

People gripe and complain about how costs are going up even though we don't get anything new. This is partly the reason.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

matt said:


> Maybe we wouldn't all want new customer discounts if the price didn't keep increasing from the artificial churn this creates. It's not free for D* to start up a new customer you know.
> 
> People gripe and complain about how costs are going up even though we don't get anything new. This is partly the reason.


Well, "we all" doesn't apply here. Of course getting what we want cheaper is fine and I'd subscribe to "all", but not bending rules, much less out right lying or cheating, is not espoused by that many.

Even if prices stayed level, there'd still be a small group that'd try to cheat their way into a "better deal".


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

I'd like to see a show of hands of members here who would turn down a large credit on their bill like new customers get if they were legitimately offered it by D*. I wasn't in any way implying that we all want to sign up as new customers to work the system, I just meant that we all would love some bill credits.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

oh now theres a spirit???? what in the hell?

If a person has never used their "new customer" coupon yet, they can use it at any time, has nothing to do with morals or spirits or any other of your nonsense.

So all these people that switch back and forth every two years....i suppose you think thats wrong as well? Which rules exaclty did they bend?? I dont see anything your saying is concrete.

And no im putting in ' ' ' for ya, i think you can figure it out, this isnt spelling class


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

matt said:


> I'd like to see a show of hands of members here who would turn down a large credit on their bill like new customers get if they were legitimately offered it by D*. I wasn't in any way implying that we all want to sign up as new customers to work the system, I just meant that we all would love some bill credits.


_*/Hand raised high/!*_ Sure, and I wasn't implying you might be in that "work it" camp.

Free soccer is upon us! Manana, that is.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jodean said:


> oh now theres a spirit???? what in the hell?
> 
> If a person has never used their "new customer" coupon yet, they can use it at any time, has nothing to do with morals or spirits or any other of your nonsense.
> 
> ...


Whatever. We'll just not see eye to eye, so I am leaving this conversations.

It's simply good communication-as well as a courtesy to others- to use standard English, complete with caps, punctuation and proper speling.
Have a nice day!


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> Whatever. We'll just not see eye to eye, so I am leaving this conversations.
> 
> It's simply good communication-as well as a courtesy to others- to use standard English, complete with caps, punctuation and proper speling.
> Have a nice day!


have a good one


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Laxguy said:


> Where DO you get your information? "Absolutely"?? Maybe in your eyes, maybe it gets through the system, but.....
> 
> And money owed is money owed, but it $2 bucks or 2 thousand.
> 
> Did you at one point say you are or were an employee?


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

I think the new customer offers are running a bit out of control. DirecTV should at least put a stop to the same person signing back up as a new customer like I did. Had I been a 12 yr loyal customer I too would find the practice troublesome.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Laxguy said:


> Some of us were talking morals for starters.
> 
> As to fraud, misrepresentation is against the law.


 You are absolutely correct so please advise me what is being misrepresented when (as an example) one's wife signs up as a new subscriber when (as an example) her husband was one previously? Or a different roommate? Or someone who moves into your house for 6 months? Or someone who rents a bedroom in your house? Or someone who moves into a rental condo you were in previously?

A NEW SUBSCRIBER is one who has never been a subscriber in the past. Subscribers are people, not buildings or homes because if that was the case no one else who moves into the house could ever be a "new subscriber." There is nothing that states "only one subscriber is allowed per household."

There is absolutely nothing being misrepresented, or illegal, unless THE SAME PERSON uses a stolen ID without permission. DirecTV may not like it, but there is nothing they can do. In fact, I have heard CSR's on conference calls actually suggest (in a roundabout sort of way) having someone else sign up if the caller had been a previous sub at another location numerous years ago and the system wouldn't allow them to set them up as a new sub.

And frankly, it's not even "immoral," it's just using the system. No different from calling in and trying to get free stuff.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Laxguy said:


> Whatever. We'll just not see eye to eye, so I am leaving this *conversations*.
> 
> It's simply good communication-as well as a courtesy to others- to use standard English, complete with caps, punctuation and proper *speling.*
> Have a nice day!


If you want to get picky, in the "spirit" of this conversation: You're "leaving this conversation" not "conversationS" and spelling has two "l's."


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

TBlazer07 said:


> If you want to get picky, in the "spirit" of this conversation: You're "leaving this conversation" not "conversationS" and spelling has two "l's."


Er, you wouldn't possibly concede that I mis-spelled "spelling" on purpose, would you? [I have a ten year track record of doing so on usenet, fwiw].

The extra "s" is indeed a typo I failed to catch.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

TBlazer07 said:


> You are absolutely correct so please advise me what is being misrepresented when (as an example) one's wife signs up as a new subscriber when (as an example) her husband was one previously?
> 
> << Snipped bits out >>
> 
> And frankly, it's not even "immoral," it's just using the system. No different from calling in and trying to get free stuff.


I realize now I cannot explain the differences to you, though I suspect they are apparent to the majority. Maybe even the 'vast' one.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Laxguy said:


> Er, you wouldn't possibly concede that I mis-spelled "spelling" on purpose, would you? [I have a ten year track record of doing so on usenet, fwiw].
> 
> The extra "s" is indeed a typo I failed to catch.


I guess even G-d can make a mistake. This isn't usenet. I've been on usenet even before Mr. Gore invented it but I just never saw your "on purposes" there. Must have missed them. If you can dish out (no pun intended) the criticism you need to be able to accept it as well



Laxguy said:


> I realize now I cannot explain the differences to you, though I suspect they are apparent to the majority. Maybe even the 'vast' one.


 You should have realized that when you first started. Yea, I guess I'm just too ignorant to understand your infallible logic. :lol:


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

TBlazer07 said:


> I guess even G-d can make a mistake. This isn't usenet. I've been on usenet even before Mr. Gore invented it but I just never saw your "on purposes" there. Must have missed them. If you can dish out (no pun intended) the criticism you need to be able to accept it as well.


I have little problem with criticism. I just push back at slap shots.

Also note there's a difference between typos, which we all-almost all of us- make, and wanton disregard for the English language. Sometimes it's ignorance at play, and I never comment on that alone.

Oh, irony, where art thou??


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I'm with TBlazer in that I can't tell you if it's fraud, but I can tell you it's probably misrepresentation or bad faith. I think that's what people really mean when they say fraud.


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## MattScahum (Oct 27, 2010)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I'm with TBlazer in that I can't tell you if it's fraud, but I can tell you it's probably misrepresentation or bad faith. I think that's what people really mean when they say fraud.


that is the general meaning we use for that. obviously it doesn't equal fraud in the sense of setting something up under another name falsely which is what our fraud dept is for. basically the reason it is frowned upon is to avoid the cost that is incurred setting up a new customer when technically they should be an existing. 2 scenarios here.

1.
Husband and wife have service in husbands name. they leave and go to dish network/comcast/etc and decide after a year to come back to us. they left no balance/returned equipment/are square with Directv. when they come back they decide instead of the husband doing it the wife will do it.

2.
same situation except husband's old account has not been cleared from the system even though the balance was paid in full and it shows $0. setting the wife up instead of resolving the issue through the correct transfers to applicable depts is the path taken to resolve..

scenario 1 is absolutely 100% fine in quality/Directv's eyes. couples/relatives/roommates/whatever can choose who's name to put it under at any time in this case. scenario 2 is considered fraudulant sales behavior and I have personally seen 3 people in my building fired for this. it has to be rectified in the system so that the choice can be made. the reason that is the case is because it will pull the account based on phone #/address/name/ssn # and I have seen all of them stop me from setting up an account. once it shows up if another person volunteers to put everything in their name/credit card included/ then I can attempt it, but alot of times the contact info and setup address dont change which still stops it. we have to change that info to get it to go through thus manipulating the system and committing fraud. has to be addressed through customer service before setup can be complete...
so once again, can you do that? yes. does it work? sometimes..


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

MattScahum said:


> we have to change that info to get it to go through thus manipulating the system and committing fraud. has to be addressed through customer service before setup can be complete...
> so once again, can you do that? yes. does it work? sometimes..


 First of all, you're talking about the EMPLOYEE, we're talking about the CUSTOMER.

The discussion is about the cust and not the rep. There is no theft or misrepresentation if another person in the household signs up for a legitimate account and pays for it. If the rep SUGGESTED IT I'd fire them as well for violation of company policy. The customer has done nothing wrong.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

Why did this turn into a discussion about what fraud is? All the OP asked was can he cancel service later and if he decides to come back will he be considered a new customer for the purpose of getting the new customer promotion. He didn't say he would lie to come back just to get the new customer promotion. When he tries to come back the system or the csr can tell him what he qualifies for and he can then make the decision.

My sense is that DirecTV routinely allows prior customers to come back with the new customer promotion. Especially the 'new customer' status gets blurred when you have had service through a phone company or now getting service through a phone company. If a phone company door to door salesperson comes by on a Saturday afternoon wanting to sell me a bundle package I really doubt they care about any prior history with DirecTV. I bet getting DirecTV through a resller like Best Buy or DirectStar doesn't care especially if buying a new TV to get a package deal. I've seen it work.


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## MattScahum (Oct 27, 2010)

TBlazer07 said:


> First of all, you're talking about the EMPLOYEE, we're talking about the CUSTOMER.
> 
> The discussion is about the cust and not the rep. There is no theft or misrepresentation if another person in the household signs up for a legitimate account and pays for it. If the rep SUGGESTED IT I'd fire them as well for violation of company policy. The customer has done nothing wrong.


In this case it becomes 1 in the same. also, if you read my post I did say if someone volunteers the info we can try to do it, however if the core information doesn't change then regardless of what you do or who does it nothing different will happen. I've seen people be allowed new customer promos that have been gone for less than 2 months. I've seen people gone 10 years not be allowed new customer promos. It is based on the system. Nothing more nothing less


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

gitarzan said:


> If a phone company door to door salesperson comes by on a Saturday afternoon wanting to sell me a bundle package I really doubt they care about any prior history with DirecTV. I bet getting DirecTV through a resller like Best Buy or DirectStar doesn't care especially if buying a new TV to get a package deal. I've seen it work.


The door-to-door reseller, or Best Buy certainly may not care because they want their spiff but when the installer gets there and the sub attempts to get activated it will be rejected if they use the same phone number as was on their original account and you'll have another "DirecTV lied to me" thread.

The gimmick these door-to-door/telco sellers use is exactly what we have been discussing here. They will tell the "new sub" to use a spouses/roomies name and a different phone number.  THAT was called "fraud" by some wannabe lawyers here which is what prompted the "is it fraud/illegal" discussion. Many of those type of sales work but a lot get canceled unless the phone number/SSN/Name is different.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

TBlazer07 said:


> The door-to-door reseller, or Best Buy certainly may not care because they want their spiff but when the installer gets there and the sub attempts to get activated it will be rejected if they use the same phone number as was on their original account and you'll have another "DirecTV lied to me" thread.
> 
> The gimmick these door-to-door/telco sellers use is exactly what we have been discussing here. They will tell the "new sub" to use a spouses/roomies name and a different phone number.  THAT was called "fraud" by some wannabe lawyers here which is what prompted the "is it fraud/illegal" discussion. Many of those type of sales work but a lot get canceled unless the phone number/SSN/Name is different.


LIke I said, I sgned up in 2008 with the AAA offer of $10/month for 20 months on top of the natiional offer. This was after being a DirecTV customer on 3-4 previous occassions. In 2010 I responded to an email referral offer and I am now getting $29 off first 12 months, $14 off months 13-24, the referral credit for ten months and new hardware. In all signups I have used my name, social security number, and current email/phone. I didn't misrepresent anything. When I signed up in 2010 it is at the same residence as when I signed up in 2008 and a few years before that. Had I been turned down at the time of ordering due to previous status I would have understood. Had they tried to tell me that during the installation well you are correct that it would have prompted another discussion here.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

gitarzan said:


> LIke I said, I sgned up in 2008 with the AAA offer of $10/month for 20 months on top of the natiional offer. This was after being a DirecTV customer on 3-4 previous occassions. In 2010 I responded to an email referral offer and I am now getting $29 off first 12 months, $14 off months 13-24, the referral credit for ten months and new hardware. In all signups I have used my name, social security number, and current email/phone. I didn't misrepresent anything. When I signed up in 2010 it is at the same residence as when I signed up in 2008 and a few years before that. Had I been turned down at the time of ordering due to previous status I would have understood. Had they tried to tell me that during the installation well you are correct that it would have prompted another discussion here.


 You're one lucky guy/gal!


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

TBlazer07 said:


> You're one lucky guy/gal!


Not lucky, it has not been woth all of the problems I have had.

After I signed up last June I helpd my 77 yr old father sign back up last August. I had my brother send him an email referral and I helped him sign back up. He last had DirecTv service from 2006-2008 and in 2008 he became a Dish customer. Like me he did not have any problems signing back up with DirecTV and got the full new customer promotion like I did. The only problem he has had is when DirecTv added NFL Sunday ticket to his account without his knowledge. I helped him get that problem corrected.


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## StangGT909 (Mar 9, 2007)

Pretty cut and dry to me.

If you cancel, and your husband, wife, , etc. sign up under their name, they are a new customer. Despite being married, in my opinion you're still your own person and if your spouse has never had directv in their name / SS #, they are indeed a new customer. 

If I have a ATT iphone in the middle of a contract and my wife walks into the store, never having ATT service, they aren't going to say sorry Mrs. Smith, you are not a new customer because your husband has service and you are not eligible for a phone with a promotion. It's a different social.

The problem comes after your wife's contract is up and you have to figure out how to get your dog a social security number.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

StangGT909 said:


> Pretty cut and dry to me.
> 
> If you cancel, and your husband, wife, , etc. sign up under their name, they are a new customer. Despite being married, in my opinion you're still your own person and if your spouse has never had directv in their name / SS #, they are indeed a new customer.
> 
> If I have a ATT iphone in the middle of a contract and my wife walks into the store, never having ATT service, they aren't going to say sorry Mrs. Smith, you are not a new customer because your husband has service and you are not eligible for a phone with a promotion. It's a different social.


Additional phone service, with additional fees, isn't parallel to switching customer names with a satellite service. Not only are the installation and hardware issues completely different, but in one case you're adding revenues and in the other, diminishing.

It's not at all cut and dried.


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