Banging head against the wall..

[Rye]

I'm a return Direct TV customer, still under my new one yr contact, after a disastrous two years with DISH Network. Prior to DISH, I had a spotless account at this residence for 5 yrs with Direct TV, and still maintained a perfect payment, continuous Direct TV account for 15 years in another state.

I need to ad a basic Direct TV receiver to a spare room, for a bed ridden invalid whom I'll be caring for, for ONE MONTH. I'm told that I must purchase a new receiver, pay a $50. fee for questionable payment history (because the account I'm adding to is less than a year old,) plus installation (even 'tho the cabling is still in place from prior to my fiasco with Dish, which never had a receiver in that room.)

To make a long story short, it will cost me $169. to get this done. I can buy a used receiver with good numbers for $20. less on eBay, but must pay $20 - $25 for a new access card. If I weren't 75 yrs old with physical disability, I would go ahead and plug in the used receiver, then get the ladder out and try to hook it up to the DirecTV dish, but, sadly, I'm not able to do that. I just can't afford the $169.

ANY suggestions?
THANX

[charper1]

1. Welcome
2. It's simply the cost of doing business; companies are not in the market to give things away. Doing so ends up costing everyone more in the long run.
3. Find a local / a handyman, who can help you do it and get the used receiver.
4. Pay for the new access card and ask to have the amount credited back after its activated; it has worked for me numerous times.
5. Not much can be said about you payment history as that is all between you and DirecTV
6. I am also interested that if you have been with DirecTV all those years listed added up you should have you ever had them turned off; as they have been in business since late summer 1994

[Rye]

Bought the receiver on eBay. Now have to phone for access card.. should I ask to have it rebated when I order it?

THANX!

[charper1]

Yes, I would calmly and politely express your customer status and displeasure with the fee (remembering this is for a card and a FedEx to you). Request that the fee be credited back to you upon your activation. Discuss the timeline for said activation (I think its 7 - 14 days). Get that conversation FULLY documented. If you don't get what you want either ask for a supervisor, or politely decline and call again.

[Rye]

THANK you. Am awaiting the arrival of the card, will try to hook up the used receiver unit to existing coax/dish. I have a neighbor
who will help, but he can only do it at night. We'll be a formidable pair.

A couple of the DirecTV contact people were knowledgeable, and helpful. Two were offshore, kept reassuring me that I was
being charged a "small" fee of $50 because my account payment record was so good ???? One, from the US, you could almost hear her
gum snapping as she wouldn't listen, switched me to someone who could "help," and dropped the call. One gave me his badge
number, sympathized with my whole day's waste of time trying to get someone to understand my dilemma. When I ordered the access
card, I asked about a rebate for the purchase, another brick wall. Maybe after installation, at activation time, I can burn up another
7 hrs of time trying for the refund.

Please, keep your fingers crossed that I can get TV to this room by this weekend! The bedridden relative arrives, and I will be in
deep trouble if there is no TV.