# DirecTV Policy: Changing Service Address



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

With help from this forum I learned about spot beams, local channels, what is on the 101 satellite and what is not. I more frequently live near Seattle but am enjoying 6 weeks of RV living in Southern California. DirecTV has allowed me to have a "service address" in my rented RV park space. My automatic seeking antenna has installed itself and the DVR works well. I'm getting San Diego stations.

During the process of learning and two failed attempts to change my service address I spoke with about a half dozen CSRs. One specifically said it was against "policy" to change service addresses for RVs. The rest tried to get it to work. Only the last one was successful! Was he doing me a favor or was he carrying out DirecTV policy?

My question is how to determine what the actual policy is and were is it written. Is it written that I can change service addresses in an RV? Where is it written that I can do it several times a year or not?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

As a matter of policy, spotbeam locals and seasonal sports packages ("continuously connected to a land-based phone line") aren't available to RV customers.

That being said, I think they may be realizing that some people do in fact reside in their coaches and they may be setting them up as conventional residences.


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

harsh said:


> As a matter of policy, spotbeam locals and seasonal sports packages ("continuously connected to a land-based phone line") aren't available to RV customers.
> 
> That being said, I think they may be realizing that some people do in fact reside in their coaches and they may be setting them up as conventional residences.


RV industry experts think there are about a half million RVs owned by people that choose to traavel in them have no other home. There are many more that live in them because they have to.


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Bill, I don't know the official policy, but I'll see if I can get you a good answer for this.


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

harsh said:


> As a matter of policy, spotbeam locals and seasonal sports packages ("continuously connected to a land-based phone line") aren't available to RV customers.
> 
> That being said, I think they may be realizing that some people do in fact reside in their coaches and they may be setting them up as conventional residences.


Your "spot beam locals" link puts the bad news in writing! I was hoping for the opposite. My sense was that I pay for locals and want to watch local news, weather and advertising. So, if I am "living" where other people are watching San Diego channels, I should too.

I have been getting oppinions from many other RV owners on a RV forum. It looks like we are wrong. Thanks.


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Well, they did allow RV'ers to subscribe to the DNS stations from New York and LA, and still may (I havent checked recently). That and a small antenna and you should be able to get the networks both from DirecTv and off air whereever you are. At the time I read it, the only requirement was for you to send a picture to them of the RV with the Dish permanantly mounted, or some such thing. That was pre-HD though, so the policy for HD might be different.

edit: Nevermind, the spotbeam link above explains it. I answered before I saw that.


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> Bill, I don't know the official policy, but I'll see if I can get you a good answer for this.


Thanks Doug.

What they seem to do for many RVers is different that what the stated policy seems to be. I can see where being a CSR could be a challenge!


----------



## cariera (Oct 27, 2006)

I believe the confusion could arise out of the fact that you may have receivers active in your residence in Seattle. If you do in fact have receivers in Seattle they would have to be deactivated (since you are not suppose to have receivers active in two different locations at the same time, RVs being the exception). Now if that is the case and those receivers are leased, they do need to be returned to Directv. A way around this would be to set up 2 separate accounts - 1 for the Seattle based receivers, and 1 for the RV.

Now if the only receivers you have on the account are in the RV, there should be no problem changing the "location" of your account as you move the RV. You are just provinding Directv with the actual location of the receivers and getting the proper channels. Depending on the dish you have you may have problems doing this - If you have the basic 18", you would only get locals from the 101 sat, you would need a multi-sat dish if you were in a 119 sat local area, and if you were in a mpeg local area you would need a ka/ku dish and mpeg 4 receivers. So updating the service address might not necessarily allow you to receive locals from that area. An option then would be DNS for the RV.


----------



## cariera (Oct 27, 2006)

If you need DNS for the RV, here you go:

http://www.directv.com/learn/pdf/DNS_Vehicles_Aff.pdf


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

cariera said:


> I ....... A way around this would be to set up 2 separate accounts - 1 for the Seattle based receivers, and 1 for the RV.


Thanks for the suggestion, but paying double is a very bad idea. I only watch one TV at a time!

The real root of the problem is the addiction to the DVR! I can watch all the locals I want from a simple RV antenna, but I don't have the equipment to record from that source.


----------



## DogLover (Mar 19, 2007)

bsprague said:


> Thanks for the suggestion, but paying double is a very bad idea. I only watch one TV at a time!
> 
> The real root of the problem is the addiction to the DVR! I can watch all the locals I want from a simple RV antenna, but I don't have the equipment to record from that source.


An HD DVR and AM-21 combo would allow you to record locals from antenna. That might be a good solution.


----------



## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

If you have 2 accounts you can suspend the other account while not using up to 4 times a year for a maximum total suspend time of 6 months.

Service address's are only to be changed when you move permanently to another physical address. Since you have a home and mirror to your RV changing the address would be a violation of FCC and DirecTV TOS since you could potentially get other local channels at that residence in a market you don't live in depending on spot beams.

For it's own account the service address is to remain at the address on the registration of the vehicle. The billing address can be changed to where you are traveling to if you want. DNS is the way to get locals without OTA in this scenario.


----------



## Ext 721 (Feb 26, 2007)

I think the reason for the "policy" is to avoid the following:

The McTraveller family likes to travel.

Each week they travel to a new city, and take in the sights and sounds in their RV

Each week, they want the local channels so they can have local weather, news, and othersuch.

Each week they call to DIRECTV to get their local channels changed

This takes about 10 minutes on an 800 number, total. Cost: $1 to directv
It also takes a friendly CSR 6 minutes, let's say she makes $10 an hour...that's another dollar...not too bad...$104 a year

This goes fine for a few weeks, but then a snag is hit, their round dish can't pick up the local stations. Dirctv tech support assists them in getting their single-lnb automatic dish to a mode where a button push aquires the 119 bird.
This takes another half hour's time, and this guy makes $12. 

Not too bad, we're only up to $113 this year so far.

The McTravellers fall in love with the boonies, and this location has a 72.5 bird for locals. 

After An hour on the phone with tech support and supervisors (let's say we're up $142 at this point) to Mr McT is very upset. They have never before been told so many conflicting things about whether their unit can or can't get the 72.5 (it isn't programmed for it, and needs a firmware update) 
He was told many times before "no problem, we can do that" now he is being told otherwise.

The customer is angry and $142 has been spent on CSR pay and 800# time.
This does not count in other costs, which surely exist.

...Which could have been avoided if someone, in the beginning, had told the McTravellers that they'd need DNS instead of constantly changing local channels.

Yes, they would have been less happy initially, but never would have had the angry, frustrated moment of bewilderment that something they'd done a dozen times before was "so hard" this time. 

Now they are considering seeing if the comeptition might be more helpful!

What we see here is that there is probably some policy to prevent this "local channel hopping" due to cost and difficulty, but CSRs are human, and want to help, and might bend the rules to hake people happy. 

In many cases it makes sense, because someone might have one spot they go to for 3 months a year.

In the McTraveller's case, however, it makes sense to tell them they cannot change locals...right from the start.


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

Well written Ext 721/Not Purchased. Thank you.

I have been the problem you suggest, but to a lesser degree. 

I had the DNS on my account but canceled for cost and the CSR at the time said it was OK to change "Service Address" when I traveled. "Just call.", she said. 

I did cause a problem by not understanding "spot beams" and satelites on a call to a CSR a few weeks ago. 

Learning my lesson, I called again in a new location and I got what I wanted.

I will have to call one more time when I return to my home territory.

I will re apply for the DNS service to be a lesser pain in the neck to the CSRs.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Woe be to the McTravellers when they run into an MPEG4 SD LIL market.

DIRECTV is now recommending full-on mobile Slimline dishes for RV users.

Many travelers are switching to DISH.


----------



## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

harsh said:


> Woe be to the McTravellers when they run into an MPEG4 SD LIL market.
> 
> DIRECTV is now recommending full-on mobile Slimline dishes for RV users.
> 
> *Many travelers are switching to DISH*.


Really?

The only 2 RV'ers I know certainly are not.

Love to see the data you have to substantiate that highlighted declaration.


----------



## raoul5788 (May 14, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Really?
> 
> The only 2 RV'ers I know certainly are not.
> 
> Love to see the data you have to substantiate that highlighted declaration.


I seriously doubt he has any.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Head over to your local RV park (whether it is a small operation or a RV resort) and see what people have on their rigs. The lion's share used to be DIRECTV dishes.


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

harsh said:


> Head over to your local RV park (whether it is a small operation or a RV resort) and see what people have on their rigs. The lion's share used to be DIRECTV dishes.


I'm in one. It is hard to tell by walking around because all the automatics are labled with names like Motosat and Wineguard. Most of the bigger motorhomes have domes that say Kingdome and many are painted to match the coach. However, most that set up a dish on a tripod have direcTV. For SD, Dish is a littler harder to use because some channels are on a second satelite.

Dish does make it easier for the part timer to turn service on and off. As I understand it they have a program aimed at RV owners that allow them to pay for it only when traveling. DirecTV does allow you to turn off service a few (4?) times a year but that gets complicated with leased recievers.


----------



## scr (Feb 5, 2008)

harsh said:


> Head over to your local RV park (whether it is a small operation or a RV resort) and see what people have on their rigs. The lion's share used to be DIRECTV dishes.


I've been fulltime RVing for 12 years. I haven't seen that type of recent change in the dish population in the RV parks I visit, always Federal or State. Some private RV parks have longer term occupancy and therefore that may make a difference.

I did notice a change about 5 years ago when most changed from a DISH 500 to a D* single LMB. That got my attention. Then again I was pretty ticked off at DISH at the time and itching to switch. I also remember that is was a royal pain, at the time, to get a D* system when you lived in a RV.

I don't want to be bothered with a lot of setup stuff when it comes to TV. We may move every day for a while then maybe every two weeks. The quicker/easier the better. We're "roughing it" ...no HD 

If I have to put one of those monster slim line dish things any where near me to get TV, let alone attached to my rig parked under a tree, I'll have to fall back to OTA and a VCR.:eek2:


----------



## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

Shades228 said:


> For it's own account the service address is to remain at the address on the registration of the vehicle.


If Directv's system still uses the service address on their workorders, this is not a good idea at all. Nothing like a customer waiting in an RV park in Florida all day for a service call when the tech is dispatched to their home in Michigan.


----------



## DodgerKing (Apr 28, 2008)

harsh said:


> Head over to your local RV park (whether it is a small operation or a RV resort) and see what people have on their rigs. The lion's share used to be DIRECTV dishes.


And they still are.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

DodgerKing said:


> And they still are.


As bsprague observes, there are a lot of dome antennas. None of those domes are DIRECTV HD capable (although most advertised that they were back when). Most with DIRECTV HD are running dishes on tripods.

To my knowledge, the KVH Tracvision Slimline (named on DIRECTV's "go" web page) and Motosat HD-SL5 are the only automatic DIRECTV HD capable rooftop dishes. You _will_ reconize them as being Slimline dishes on a motorized mount.

I read in the Road Princess blog that the Good Sam Club and the Escapees RV Club, Inc. both recommend DISH Network over DIRECTV. I wasn't able to find information to support this claim.


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

For better or worse, here is the word I got back from DIRECTV:



> The official policy is that RV service should be eligible for DNS service only, which require an RV affidavit. Agents should not be changing addresses on the account to provide local channels as a customer travels.


There is of course a few more tidbits on RV usage here.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Doug Brott said:


> There is of course a few more tidbits on RV usage here.


You might recognize this link from post #2.


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

harsh said:


> You might recognize this link from post #2.


Nope .. I didn't actually ..


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> For better or worse, here is the word I got back from DIRECTV:
> 
> There is of course a few more tidbits on RV usage here.


Thanks for checking Doug.

When I started this thread I was under assumptions that I think were valid 4 or 5 years ago. I didn't keep track of changes that came along with DVRs and HD.

What I think we have here is managerial, bureaucratic and regulatory confusion by both customers and CSRs. What they are supposed to do and what they do don't match.

Your link suggests the RV can be a simple add on to a home account. An earlier link suggests accounts for the home and RV be separate.

Based on both personal experience with friends and posts at a RV board, customers regularly ask for and get service address changes. One guy "moves" his RV three times a year and actually exercises the moving option to get a DirecTV tech to set up his dish in each RV park!

When DirecTV was new it was very simple and appealing for RV use. As technology developed, the customer base grew and regulations followed it became so much more complicated. Logically an RV customer and a CSR see that it is a good idea to record the local news and weather on the DVR in the RV. But regulations and policy have grown to protect advertisers and sports franchises. What we used to do, what we do now, what is technically workable, what is logical and what is legal don't match. And thus, the source for confusion.


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

bsprague said:


> When DirecTV was new it was very simple and appealing for RV use. As technology developed, the customer base grew and regulations followed it became so much more complicated. Logically an RV customer and a CSR see that it is a good idea to record the local news and weather on the DVR in the RV. But regulations and policy have grown to protect advertisers and sports franchises. What we used to do, what we do now, what is technically workable, what is logical and what is legal don't match. And thus, the source for confusion.


I certainly don't disagree with you here .. The problem of course is that the RV base is still small (relatively speaking) and while you guys really are a legitimate exception (in everyone's mind I'd say), there is the nefarious group which has caused things to be more problematic.


----------



## bsprague (Feb 24, 2007)

Update: 

After 6 sunny weeks in the California desert, I regretfully pointed the motorhome north on US 395. San Diego locals were working in Lone Pine but disappeared in Susanville. 

I didn't know what to expect when I called DirecTV on a Sunday afternoon. A nice woman answered after waiting only about a minute.

I asked her to change my service address. She asked if I was moving. I said no and that I was in my RV. She said, "No problem. What address would you like?" I gave her my old Seattle area address. She said, "We have that on file." Within seconds my guide changed to listing the Seattle locals, but I was too far south to actually get the spot beam.

I told her I was confused about DirecTV policy and ask her to clarify. She said for RV customers they change addresses regularly and are happy to do it!

Total time on the phone was under two minutes. 

I stopped for the night north of Roseburg, OR, turned the equipment on and the local programming from Seattle came through.


----------



## rhipps (Apr 7, 2008)

When the wife and I arrived in the Orlando area in our motorhome with a couple of our receivers (D12 and HR20-100) from home back on Jan 1st, I called D* and told them my mailing AND service addresses would be temporarily changed until April. They said "no problem" and immediately gave us the local channels here. They did the same thing last year. The trick, I think, is to tell the truth (which we did) about the address change but do not mention that you are in an RV. Of course, this only works if the locals where you are camped are on satellite 101. Let me add that IMHO, the HR21-100 we have is the best thing around for RVers as you can hook it up to your dish and it will allow you receive and record the "new" OTA digital stations as well as the ones beamed down by D*. Questions?


----------

