DirecTV problem with some access cards?

[dreimiller]

Two days ago my in-laws in Flordia suddenly lost all of their DirecTV channels except for channel 100. DirecTV has been unable to resolve the problem so they are sending them a new access card. They also gave them Starz for free for 3 months to make up for the loss of service. My in-laws said the CSR told them they weren't the only ones to have this problem. Has anyone here experienced a similar problem recently?

My in-laws have been DirecTV customers for 5 years and, if I remember correctly from my last visit their a couple of years ago, they have an RCA receiver that could use those special interactive channels (an ESPN sports news channel, a Weather Channel that let you enter your zip code to get your local weather, and I think the other was a CNN news channel).

I'm just curious, if this turns out to be not just a problem with their equipment, what might have triggered the problem.

 

[shappyss]

it seem that directv had some computer problems the past week. they had problems activating new recievers, that might be part of the same problem

 

[jdspencer]

A technician at DirecTV could have accidently sent the disable card code. ?
Did they have a power problem?

 

[Neutron]

No, Directv is having issues with some 1000+ access cards, especially if someone tried to activate them within the last few days, like me. I'm now waiting up to 72 hours to get my card reprogrammed from their IT department in their computer.

See the Directv Issues? thread for more details.

 

[Alan Gordon]

A technician at DirecTV could have accidently sent the disable card code. ?
Did they have a power problem?

I got home today, turned on my DirecTIVO and was surprised that it said that my DVR service has been "disabled" or something, and then I checked the other DirecTIVO and it was the same. Tried my Hughes HTL-HD receiver, and it was cut off too, asking me to call Ext. 721. I called DirecTV fearing my CBS and ABC DNS would be cut off, but thankfully I got everything back just like it was.

~Alan

 

[Elf]

We actually had two very harrowing days when we could not connect to our CAMC office (and during most of those two days, our billing system had crashed also). There are still issues, and while we're "officially" up and running, there are still problems with some cards and some accounts . . . with the problems being as frustrating to the CSR's as it is to the users.

I know this doesn't help your parents' account any, but it happened to a lot of folks.

(Incidentally, the type of receiver isn't the issue.)

--Elf

 

[h0m3rs1mps0n]

D*'s system crashed sometime on 1/6/05 early early in the morning (before 4am CST). It was not brought back online until 1/8/05 around 10am or so CST.

Since the system crashed, they had no other option but to use the last save file of the entire database around 1/5/05 12:00pm CST.

The accounts that were attempted to be activated between 1/5/05 12:01pm CST through 1/8/05 10am CST were actually activated at points when the system was briefly up. However when they did the system rollback, this caused the accounts to be 'missing'.

Basically each and every single one of these accounts are corrupted. There is no current ETR on when these cards will be fixed (if at all) and most likely all affected customers will be sent new access cards.

So if you were actually activated and working at one point in this period, then it stopped working, you may be in for a long wait - the database is not allowing anyone to deactivate the cards or activate other cards on these accounts.

Its a major mess and causing me mucho headaches =(

 

[Neutron]

First off, I work in IT. I'm trying to figure out who the brilliant one was in IT who decided to upgrade a major system without testing it first.

 

[Alan Gordon]

Basically each and every single one of these accounts are corrupted. There is no current ETR on when these cards will be fixed (if at all) and most likely all affected customers will be sent new access cards.

I'm a former Pegasus subscriber, and while my problems are different than what others were, it certainly is similar, yet I was able to call and get my receivers turned back on. I'm just curious as to what the difference is?!

~Alan

 

[dreimiller]

I finally got my in-laws to tell me that when they came up north for the holidays they de-activated their DirecTV for two weeks and they happen to pick Jan. 6th to re-activate. Looks like that's how they got stuck in this mess. My wife told me that the latest word from my in-laws is that they don't expect to have their service back until Monday, Jan. 17.

 

[truckracer]

one of my good friends is an IT major. He works for a large corporation. They were in the middle of doing a company wide operating system upgrade. even after testing on dummy servers with memory and cpu intensive tests in which it all passed with no bugs or problems, when this new OP system was dumped onto the company's servers all heck broke loose and the entire system crashed. OUCH!! this sometimes can't be helped S**T happens!

 

[alta]

I'm an idiot. I read these boards and knew that D* was having computer problems. So what did I go out and do? I upgraded a receiver. I took the old one apart. Hooked up the new one. Got channel 100 perfectly, set up by NSTC channels and my basic cable. All working fine. Called D* to have them swap out the ole receiver with the new and got told. We'll call you when its ready to go. Are you kidding me? I've swapped out 3 receivers already and they did it instantly.

So, several hours later, and still no call, or card activation, I call D* and a recording tells me they can't access my account...call in a few hours. So I call the new account area and ask what's the problem. Big problem. Maybe they'll get to me on Monday.

Like I said, its my fault. This board warned me.

 

[Angerphile]

Well, FYI... The system that DTV uses to activate/add/do whatever to accounts went down for a lot of the day today. There was however a 10 minute window where things worked. (Quickly disappeared)

Anyhow, keep trying to call 800-692-9251 ... and when/if the hold time is decent... I'm sure the system is back up.

~