Do I REALLY need to lease the receivers???

[stingsplash]

Hi all,

I'm switching from cable tv/internet to DSL and either DirecTV or Dish, but I'm awfully confused.

I used to install DirecTV back in the mid-90's, and back then, you owned the receiver. Now, I'm looking to sign up and all I see are lease offers! Dammit, that's part of the reason I'm switching from cable. (Didn't the FCC pass a law that says you can buy the box outright?? I don't want a monthly fee...)

I've already got a hodge-podge of satellite equipment, bought from yard sales and craigslist....but no receivers. I've been looking at the H20 D* receivers on fleaBay. Some are open-box sales and include new access card....this is ultimately my goal.

My question: How is this typically handled by D*? I read the CSR horrors on here and figured I should ask here before approaching them about it. Basically, I don't want any installer visiting, I'll do everything myself, I just want to buy the receivers and activate them.

Will they force me to buy new access cards, even if the others have never been activated? How about their $29.99 offer for new customers....do I have any shot at getting that if do everything myself...as well as prove I'm switching from cable?

I have a Phase III dish ready to go...all I need are the receivers and subs. What would you guys do? (WWYGD.....LOL)

Thanks

 

[Andrewwski]

Even if you own it, they'll still charge you a monthly access fee.

You could pay the lease fee and get the receivers as a new lease from BB or somewhere...H20 is $99, D11's are $69. Then you wouldn't need an installer.

You can buy receivers from ebay but must have a new leased receiver to start an account.

 

[raoul5788]

Hi all,

I'm switching from cable tv/internet to DSL and either DirecTV or Dish, but I'm awfully confused.

I used to install DirecTV back in the mid-90's, and back then, you owned the receiver. Now, I'm looking to sign up and all I see are lease offers! Dammit, that's part of the reason I'm switching from cable. (Didn't the FCC pass a law that says you can buy the box outright?? I don't want a monthly fee...)

I've already got a hodge-podge of satellite equipment, bought from yard sales and craigslist....but no receivers. I've been looking at the H20 D* receivers on fleaBay. Some are open-box sales and include new access card....this is ultimately my goal.

My question: How is this typically handled by D*? I read the CSR horrors on here and figured I should ask here before approaching them about it. Basically, I don't want any installer visiting, I'll do everything myself, I just want to buy the receivers and activate them.

Will they force me to buy new access cards, even if the others have never been activated? How about their $29.99 offer for new customers....do I have any shot at getting that if do everything myself...as well as prove I'm switching from cable?

I have a Phase III dish ready to go...all I need are the receivers and subs. What would you guys do? (WWYGD.....LOL)

Thanks

Regardless of whether you will be leasing or not, you will be paying a monthly fee for any extra receivers you use. The first one has no fee, but more than one has a $4.99/month charge. If you own the box, it is a mirroring fee, if you lease, it is a leasing fee. You may have to buy a new access card for $20 for each receiver, but that may be credited back to you.

 

[jtn]

You save money by leasing. For example the cost for an HR20 HD DVR leased at CC or BB is 299. If you Buy the same unit from DirecTV to own, it cost's 799. So by leasing you save $500.

Another point to remember is you don't have to worry about changing technology. What if the HR20/21 becomes obsolete? Then your out that $500. You still have to pay the mirror fee as mentioned by others if you own. So it is wise not to own, you save money.

 

[stingsplash]

You save money by leasing. For example the cost for an HR20 HD DVR leased at CC or BB is 299. If you Buy the same unit from DirecTV to own, it cost's 799. So by leasing you save $500.

Another point to remember is you don't have to worry about changing technology. What if the HR20/21 becomes obsolete? Then your out that $500. You still have to pay the mirror fee as mentioned by others if you own. So it is wise not to own, you save money.

That sounds just like what the cable companies told the FCC

According to the Circuit City site, the H20 has a $99 lease upgrade fee, though, and then 4.99/month after that. The 2nd receiver for 4.99 makes sense, as that is the same as it was back 8-10 years ago.

Ok, so if I resign to the fact that I have to lease, can I go to CC or BB tonight, pay about 169.00 (1 H20 and 1 SD receiver) and walk out with 2 receivers to hook up this weekend?

But, if I were to order new service thru D*TV.com and have their techs come set it up, I wouldn't have to pay those "lease upgrade fees"? Is that the only difference (outside of "professional" installation)?

Thanks

 

[jtn]

That sounds just like what the cable companies told the FCC

According to the Circuit City site, the H20 has a $99 lease upgrade fee, though, and then 4.99/month after that. The 2nd receiver for 4.99 makes sense, as that is the same as it was back 8-10 years ago.

Ok, so if I resign to the fact that I have to lease, can I go to CC or BB tonight, pay about 169.00 (1 H20 and 1 SD receiver) and walk out with 2 receivers to hook up this weekend?

But, if I were to order new service thru D*TV.com and have their techs come set it up, I wouldn't have to pay those "lease upgrade fees"? Is that the only difference (outside of "professional" installation)?

Thanks

If you really want my honest feelings, you shouldn't have to pay for anything, no receiver costs, nothing, if they want your money, let them haggle with the manufacturers, and they are making record profits! So I don't feel any sympathy towards DirecTV.

When a company gets so large, they don't care about customer service or what people say on these forums. Wake up. You are just going to pay what the shareholders want in returns.

Go ahead and do what you want to do. I don't care. No more bottom kissing here, it will not get you ahead in life or anything with DirecTV.

 

[Andrewwski]

That sounds just like what the cable companies told the FCC

According to the Circuit City site, the H20 has a $99 lease upgrade fee, though, and then 4.99/month after that. The 2nd receiver for 4.99 makes sense, as that is the same as it was back 8-10 years ago.

Ok, so if I resign to the fact that I have to lease, can I go to CC or BB tonight, pay about 169.00 (1 H20 and 1 SD receiver) and walk out with 2 receivers to hook up this weekend?

But, if I were to order new service thru D*TV.com and have their techs come set it up, I wouldn't have to pay those "lease upgrade fees"? Is that the only difference (outside of "professional" installation)?

Thanks

Correct.

 

[jtn]

Correct.

With cable there is no $99 or $299 lease fee upfront, you simply call the cable company and they deliver the device to you, and charge you a lease fee of $3.99 on average. So if the technology changes you can simply exchange it. Unless you have money to burn and it is no issue.

 

[jtn]

That sounds just like what the cable companies told the FCC

According to the Circuit City site, the H20 has a $99 lease upgrade fee, though, and then 4.99/month after that. The 2nd receiver for 4.99 makes sense, as that is the same as it was back 8-10 years ago.

Ok, so if I resign to the fact that I have to lease, can I go to CC or BB tonight, pay about 169.00 (1 H20 and 1 SD receiver) and walk out with 2 receivers to hook up this weekend?

But, if I were to order new service thru D*TV.com and have their techs come set it up, I wouldn't have to pay those "lease upgrade fees"? Is that the only difference (outside of "professional" installation)?

Thanks

Are you brain dead, cable companies don't ask you to go to CC or BB to buy anything for service.

 

[Andrewwski]

You're not even reading what I'm saying. I don't care if there's a lease fee or not with cable.

He wanted to know if it would work. I told him it would.

I'm not here to argue about D*'s policy, I'm just saying what you can and cannot do.

 

[Bob Nielsen]

That sounds just like what the cable companies told the FCC

According to the Circuit City site, the H20 has a $99 lease upgrade fee, though, and then 4.99/month after that. The 2nd receiver for 4.99 makes sense, as that is the same as it was back 8-10 years ago.

Ok, so if I resign to the fact that I have to lease, can I go to CC or BB tonight, pay about 169.00 (1 H20 and 1 SD receiver) and walk out with 2 receivers to hook up this weekend?

But, if I were to order new service thru D*TV.com and have their techs come set it up, I wouldn't have to pay those "lease upgrade fees"? Is that the only difference (outside of "professional" installation)?

Thanks

You pay a "lease upgrade" fee no matter whey you get it. Sometimes it will be less (or even free) going through Directv, however. I read in another thread that retailers are now only carrying units for existing customers to upgrade.

There is no $4.99 monthly lease fee on the first receiver, just the additional ones (plus the per-account HD and DVR fees).

 

[cariera]

Make sure that when you walk out of CC or BB with those receivers, you have a 5LNB dish waiting at home for you. The new HD is hard to view without it.

 

[manhole]

Why not just order the receivers you want directly from DirecTV? They will give you the first H20 for free, along with a free D12. They will also install a brand new dish for you at no cost. You will NOT pay the $4.99 lease fee on the first receiver (H20), but you will pay the $4.99 lease fee on the 2nd receiver (D12). I don't understand why you would go to Circuit City and pay for these receivers and the dish when you can get it all for free directly from DirecTV (Good TV. Better TV. DIRECTV.).

-Manhole

 

[Andrewwski]

Because he wants to do it himself with no installer.

Although most installers don't give me problems if I ask to do everything while they watch (or don't watch, for that matter). It's less work for them, so they seem to like it.

 

[iwc5893]

Why not just order the receivers you want directly from DirecTV? They will give you the first H20 for free, along with a free D12. They will also install a brand new dish for you at no cost. You will NOT pay the $4.99 lease fee on the first receiver (H20), but you will pay the $4.99 lease fee on the 2nd receiver (D12). I don't understand why you would go to Circuit City and pay for these receivers and the dish when you can get it all for free directly from DirecTV (Good TV. Better TV. DIRECTV.).

-Manhole

I would like to point out that there is no promise of what model of receivers you will get when the installer shows up. You will get what he has on his truck, and D* can't ensure that you get a specific model (H20/H21, D11/D12, HR20/HR21 etc...)

 

[themilkman]

You pay a "lease upgrade" fee no matter whey you get it. Sometimes it will be less (or even free) going through Directv, however. I read in another thread that retailers are now only carrying units for existing customers to upgrade.

There is no $4.99 monthly lease fee on the first receiver, just the additional ones (plus the per-account HD and DVR fees).

I looked into that and its total BS, retailers only get money from Dtv for NEW sub's the receives they have can be lease to anyone but they wont get anything out of selling to existing customers. As far as DVT is concerned they are there to bring in new subs not sustain old ones.

 

[iceturkee]

With cable there is no $99 or $299 lease fee upfront, you simply call the cable company and they deliver the device to you, and charge you a lease fee of $3.99 on average. So if the technology changes you can simply exchange it. Unless you have money to burn and it is no issue.

actually, most cable companies will charge you anywhere between 15 and twenty-five dollars a month to ``lease'' their box. first, you have to pay the monthly cost for a digital box. then, you have to pay either an SD DVR box fee or HD DVR box feel. over the course, of a directv two-year lease, you pay the cable company more money.

 

[davesrave]

actually, most cable companies will charge you anywhere between 15 and twenty-five dollars a month to ``lease'' their box. first, you have to pay the monthly cost for a digital box. then, you have to pay either an SD DVR box fee or HD DVR box feel. over the course, of a directv two-year lease, you pay the cable company more money.

I agree with you, although I don't have any empirical evidence. I have friends who have Charter, Cox, and Comcast cable. They all pay more than I do per month for less programming and fewer boxes as far as I can tell. When they bundle Internet and phone, they do get discounts, however the ads are deceiving. They get big discounts for twelve months on the basic package, but when they order HD, DVR, sports packages and movie channels, the prices they pay are much more than what D*TV charges. After two years of this, I think they are paying more for TV than I do, even after factoring in up front D*TV box fees.

 

[jtn]

actually, most cable companies will charge you anywhere between 15 and twenty-five dollars a month to ``lease'' their box. first, you have to pay the monthly cost for a digital box. then, you have to pay either an SD DVR box fee or HD DVR box feel. over the course, of a directv two-year lease, you pay the cable company more money.

Sorry you MIGHT, but I DON'T think so.

 

[harshness]

Sorry you MIGHT, but I DON'T think so.

Perhaps DIRECTV is a bad example. The other company will charge you about $200 for two HD DVRs which will save you about $10-14/month. Over the course of 7-10 months, you will have made up the difference.

At DIRECTV it takes a quite a few months more, but you will save.