Leaving DirecTV after 7 years. Will not pay for equipment I can't own.

[Neutron]

I don't see a relavance in owning either satellite or cable boxes, with the exception of a Tivo. Think of it this way; when something happens to a leased box the provider will have to take care of it. If you own it, you're on your own.

 

[Rey]

I don't see a relavance in owning either satellite or cable boxes, with the exception of a Tivo. Think of it this way; when something happens to a leased box the provider will have to take care of it. If you own it, you're on your own.

i agree. only did that once because that HR20 was way less than anything else i was going to get. only leases after that.

 

[boba]

Hi, folks.

I am leaving DirecTV after 7 years of loyal patronage. I regretfully made this decision after purchasing an HDTV for my guest bedroom and then calling DirecTV to have them switch out the 7-year-old standard receiver for a standard HD receiver. I simply will not pay for equipment I can't own. I can't verbalize exactly why, but I also can't swallow being forced into a two-year contract extension for the privilege of securing the equipment I need to utilize their service. I would prefer to pay more for the equipment on the open market. I know you can buy the equipment on services like Ebay, but I am told that DirecTV will still code the activation as a lease and lock you into another two-year term. This is just outrageous. When I had cable, they simply gave me the equipment (it had to be returned upon termination of the service).

This company is seriously into profiteering lately. Apparently, they believe there should be no cost to doing business. They want to pass all costs onto the customer. They also offer better deals to new customers than they do to long standing customers.

Factor in their deceptive advertising, legal actions taken by all US State Attornies General, and a lawsuit (ultimately dropped) by Comcast, and DirecTV is no longer a company I want to support, even with their superior technology and programming.


What do you all think? It's really not an issue until you need updated equipment.

He has onr STUPID POST but got 3 pages of replies. Did he get what he wanted?

 

[wildbill129]

He has onr STUPID POST but got 3 pages of replies. Did he get what he wanted?

Exactly..........

 

[Kevinw]

He has onr STUPID POST but got 3 pages of replies. Did he get what he wanted?

Help keeps peoples post counts up LOL

 

[yaz96]

I'm not sure who your local provider is but I know the comcast office here and bright house networks here both charge for an upgrade and then you still pay a lease fee. Comcast sometimes require a 24 month agreement as well (from what comcast employees have told me) as far local cable companies prices they could be good or better but it seems like anymore if you want more then 3 lines hooked up it's going to cost you. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you because everybody has their opinion but I can say I understand how you feel.

This is wrong. Comcast does not charge for an equipment upgrade. And there are very few 24 month contracts. You can CHOOSE to get into one, if you'd like, and they usually save you money over non contract deals.

 

[Bruce]

I'm not sure who your local provider is but I know the comcast office here and bright house networks here both charge for an upgrade and then you still pay a lease fee. Comcast sometimes require a 24 month agreement as well (from what comcast employees have told me) as far local cable companies prices they could be good or better but it seems like anymore if you want more then 3 lines hooked up it's going to cost you. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you because everybody has their opinion but I can say I understand how you feel.

Comcast does not charge for a equipment upgrade if you go to their office and pick up( trade in your old), they will sometimes charge if they have to bring it to you but that is only to pay for the install, there is a lease fee but everyone has those.

The only time you have a two year contract if you take their $300 visa cash card when you sign up with them, you can elect to not take the card and avoid the contract.

 

[Hutch1814]

Comcast does not charge for a equipment upgrade if you go to their office and pick up( trade in your old), they will sometimes charge if they have to bring it to you but that is only to pay for the install, there is a lease fee but everyone has those.

The only time you have a two year contract if you take their $300 visa cash card when you sign up with them, you can elect to not take the card and avoid the contract.

Andthis is why I said "from what comcast employees have told me" I don't work for them nor have I ever had their service so I got by what I've been told. Bright house does require payment up front for a lot of things. I use their Internet (which I can't complain about at all) and they wanted me to pay for a new drop from the pole. I threw a fit and told them I refused to pay and I'll go else where. Needless to say I didn't pay and they replaced the drop

 

[mrsaxde]

I think owning a piece opf equipment this day and age with technology changing as fast as it does would be a very BAD idea.

I use to OWN all my equipment, not anymore and I'm very glad about it.

IF I spent $4-500 on a recvr and it went bad, I'M OUT that money.
Leasing, if that box goes out, I call D* and they send me another one.

I didn't like the idea when it first started in '06, but I really like the idea now.

Fwiw, you CAN buy them, they are just very expensive ...

Back in the day when the HR20's first came out they were listed around $ 850.

I'm inclined to agree with this. A few years ago I had Primestar. When DirecTV bought them out, I bought a DirecTV system off ebay. I was pretty happy with it, but then I got an HD ready tv, and here I was with an SD receiver that belonged to me. Not to mention that if something went wrong with it, getting it repaired or replaced would have been my responsibility.

 

[Jimbo]

Andthis is why I said "from what comcast employees have told me" I don't work for them nor have I ever had their service so I got by what I've been told. Bright house does require payment up front for a lot of things. I use their Internet (which I can't complain about at all) and they wanted me to pay for a new drop from the pole. I threw a fit and told them I refused to pay and I'll go else where. Needless to say I didn't pay and they replaced the drop

They wanted you to pay for what is considered THIER side of the service to be replaced ?
Nice....

 

[Hutch1814]

Yup! I refused, told them it wasn't my fault squirrels and everything else had chewed the lines up and if it was my choice I would bury the line. Then they wanted to tack on more "fees" when they heard me say that. Either way I thought it was unheard of for somebody to have to pay for a new drop

 

[Jimbo]

Yup! I refused, told them it wasn't my fault squirrels and everything else had chewed the lines up and if it was my choice I would bury the line. Then they wanted to tack on more "fees" when they heard me say that. Either way I thought it was unheard of for somebody to have to pay for a new drop

Normally, anything on thier side of the Demarc is thier responsibility.

Thats not the case for everyone, like Gas Co. and Edison, thiers is a bit different, but for the Phone and Cable TV I think they all are the same. Or SHOULD be.

 

[TheTechGuru]

I think owning a piece opf equipment this day and age with technology changing as fast as it does would be a very BAD idea.

I use to OWN all my equipment, not anymore and I'm very glad about it.

IF I spent $4-500 on a recvr and it went bad, I'M OUT that money.
Leasing, if that box goes out, I call D* and they send me another one.

I didn't like the idea when it first started in '06, but I really like the idea now.

Fwiw, you CAN buy them, they are just very expensive ...

Back in the day when the HR20's first came out they were listed around $ 850.

Hey, that price sounds familiar, oh yeah, that was about how much a 4DTV receiver was at their time of prime use.

Think of this, if one had bought outright a Hughes MPEG2 only HD receiver for say $500 and started enjoying the few Ku HD channels D* had at the time, then D* switches to MPEG4 on Ka band and you would have to buy outright a new MPEG4 Ka receiver for another $500.

With leasing, if the technology changes, you get swapped out for free.

I personally don't have a problem with the down payment and leasing, just the not having a no-contract option.

Funny how cell phone companies caved into non-contract services and satellite TV companies still have not.

Why can't they sell do it yourself install kits, and prepaid service refill cards (like a gophone refill card) and of course charge more even though they would not really need to charge more, because they would be saving money by not providing a free dish, lnbf, and installation services.

 

[raoul5788]

Odd how cell phone companies caved into non-contract services before satellite TV companies.

Way more people have cell phones than satellite service. There is power in numbers!

 

[cave1376]

I think it is better to lease than to own D* receivers. When I originally got D*, back in 98, I purchased a receiver and dish from wally world for $300. That dish is long gone and the receiver is in the garage not being used.

Over the years, I've upgraded several times. Added a dvr, added receivers, upgraded dish, added hd....... The first and second receivers were sd only. Neither were a dvr, didn't have vod capabilities, and were not mrv compatible. Things that are now common most of D* current receivers.

If I had to buy a receiver because my current receiver didn't have the latest technology, I would have spent over $2000 just for receivers alone! I would have a total of 7 receivers, 4 in use and the other 3 are collecting dust because I wouldn't have any use for them. That is excessive and if I did have to buy my receivers, I would of dumped D* a long time ago.

 

[peano]

Don't you still pay D* $200 for the pleasure of leasing an HDPVR? And you may get a beat up refurb HR21 for that $200.

 

[iceturkee]

actually, after 6 years with dtv, i am enjoying my cable company!

 

[Jimbo]

Hey, that price sounds familiar, oh yeah, that was about how much a 4DTV receiver was at their time of prime use.

Think of this, if one had bought outright a Hughes MPEG2 only HD receiver for say $500 and started enjoying the few Ku HD channels D* had at the time, then D* switches to MPEG4 on Ka band and you would have to buy outright a new MPEG4 Ka receiver for another $500.

With leasing, if the technology changes, you get swapped out for free.

I personally don't have a problem with the down payment and leasing, just the not having a no-contract option.

Funny how cell phone companies caved into non-contract services and satellite TV companies still have not.

Why can't they sell do it yourself install kits, and prepaid service refill cards (like a gophone refill card) and of course charge more even though they would not really need to charge more, because they would be saving money by not providing a free dish, lnbf, and installation services.

There are 2 Sat companies and what 20 cell phone cmpanies ?
The Sat companies don't need to go that route to entice customers, cell phone did.

D* is actually Saving money by doing it the way they are, they send out 1 truck, in most cases and have the sub set up correctly ...
They use to allow the DIY set ups, and you still can, but you need to buy online, with D* settng everything up, they don't roll a truck every time someone can't get the dish fine tuned,
Or a different prt need to be replaced .

With the way they are going now, there more and more variable parts to go wrong. Back in the day, you had a dish, coax, ground block and recvr, that's it.

Sent from my Samsung Epic using SatelliteGuys

 

[Jimbo]

Don't you still pay D* $200 for the pleasure of leasing an HDPVR? And you may get a beat up refurb HR21 for that $200.

Why do you not have a HR24 instead ?
I have no problem paying the upfront cost, provided its reasonable, I would much rather pay upfront that monthly for the next 20 years.

Sent from my Samsung Epic using SatelliteGuys

 

[Rey]

truth is whether you lease or own you will always pay a fee. lease fee or mirroring fee.......