Information everyone must know about the Lease Program:

[vurbano]

but vurbano, most of the people b*tching already have directv, nothing changed for them. why are they complaining?? because they MAY want to change? and want it the old way? no one is putting a gun to their skull and making them continue service or get an upgrade, correct.

and i have my suspicions some on here went out and got the eq, just for the tort rights.

I think we are complaining because we think D* will screw us on the upgrades just like the new subs. We had high hopes with all of the propoganda leading up to this but now its looking like we may have to leave. Id really like D* to get better and not worse so I dont have to leave but it will be a cold day in hell when I pay 500 bucks for the right to lease something. Thats absurd.

 

[dragon002]

I think we are complaining because we think D* will screw us on the upgrades just like the new subs. We had high hopes with all of the propoganda leading up to this but now its looking like we may have to leave. Id really like D* to get better and not worse so I dont have to leave but it will be a cold day in hell when I pay 500 bucks for the right to lease something. Thats absurd.

vurbano,

you DO like directv and dont want to leave........................FINALLY GOT IT OUT OF HIM :clap :clap :clap :clap

vurbano, you will be grandfathered in once the true mpeg4 rollover happens, believe me you will!

 

[herdfan]

If I had to guess I would say with the BB issue it would be BB 80% at fault and DirecTV 20% at fault if the customer never was told about a lease "and" never signed a lease contract in the store. Once BB gets sued a few times at 80% fault they will do something about it.

It surely won't be train their sales team.

I see D*'s relationship with it's two biggest retailers (BB & CC) going south with this deal. How far south is up to D*.

 

[herdfan]

correct, 8 days so why the complaints to the AGs??

Because I as a customer don't like it.

but vurbano, most of the people b*tching already have directv, nothing changed for them. why are they complaining??

Because as a customer, I like being able to walk into a BB or CC and buying what I want. If the buying price is higher, fine I can live with that. What I don't want is to have to get my equipment from D*. If I want a new receiver, I want it today, not when D* get's around to sending it to me. And then there is the issue of new vs. refurbished. If I buy a receiver in a store, it had better be new, I have no control over what D* sends me.

Enough reasons? Been with them since 1994 and this pi**es me off more than anything they have done in the past.

 

[dragon002]

but herd, you have not been affected by it yet. you have no legal standing.

 

[moonman]

but herd, you have not been affected by it yet. you have no legal standing.

-------------------
Of course he does.........By not giving him a option to opt-out of a change in what
he considers unfair changes to his subscriptions to D*.

 

[herdfan]

but herd, you have not been affected by it yet. you have no legal standing.

Sure I do. D* unilaterally modified the Customer Agreement. That gives me standing even though it has materially affect me yet, it has the potential to do so.

An example, my CC company illegally raises their late fee to $250, which is excess of state law. I always pay my bill on time, so it hasn't affected me. But since it has the potential to affect me, I would have standing to sue.

 

[dragon002]

they are NOT changing his subscriptions to directv, nothing has changed for him at all. NOW if he wants to change his eq, he must agree to the new terms. and he has the option to agree, say no, switch providers...etc. but he still has the option to do nothing and nothing will change. he has no legal standing in this dispute.

 

[dragon002]

Sure I do. D* unilaterally modified the Customer Agreement. That gives me standing even though it has materially affect me yet, it has the potential to do so.

An example, my CC company illegally raises their late fee to $250, which is excess of state law. I always pay my bill on time, so it hasn't affected me. But since it has the potential to affect me, I would have standing to sue.

so by your thinking , stevie wonder COULD get in a car and drive on the interstate highway system, i own a truck and a car. he probably owns dozens, hell he has $$$$$. so you are telling me i could sue , ford , gm, toyota , the feds etc ..... because of what might happen, IF he drives AND could POSSIBLY hit ME???

 

[lou_do]

I think we are complaining because we think D* will screw us on the upgrades just like the new subs. We had high hopes with all of the propoganda leading up to this but now its looking like we may have to leave. Id really like D* to get better and not worse so I dont have to leave but it will be a cold day in hell when I pay 500 bucks for the right to lease something. Thats absurd.

What do you suggest? We take the crappy PQ cable, that doesn't offer the programing we want, or maybe switch to E*, and pay their lease fees for a HD-DVR and and pay E*s cancellation fees if we leave. Kind of sounds like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

My answer to the upgrade. I currently have 2 HD units. If I were to decide to go to a HD-DVR, I would call E* and get the cost to switch over to their service with a HD-DVR. Then call D* and say I am a HD customer and I want to upgrade to a HD-DVR, E* can do it for XYZ dollars, what is your price. If you are worried about price, low bidder wins.

Sorry if I disagree with you, but with all the money I have had spent, over the years, for my original SD boxes, then buying HD receivers and having to buy new ones when they died. I welcome the lease plan. If we had it from the start my D* system, over the years, would have cost me over $1000 less than it has. All I have to show for it is a closet full of outdated and broken receivers, that have no current value.

I do agree, that the HD-DVR lease fee should be less, but don't see any problem with the rest of the plan. I am sure once the dust settles the cost of the HD-DVR will drop, or you will again see rebates.

 

[vurbano]

vurbano,

you DO like directv and dont want to leave........................FINALLY GOT IT OUT OF HIM :clap :clap :clap :clap

vurbano, you will be grandfathered in once the true mpeg4 rollover happens, believe me you will!

No, I have a lot of money and time invested in D* equipment and in extracting video from my HR10-250. I was thinking about buying another one since I have another pair of 250 gig drives ready to go, but with their new policy no way. And I suspect that eventually they will make it impossible for anyone else to activate an HDtivo that I sell. Existing customers with HDtivo's could really get screwed in this deal if they do not have the option of selling their units and are forced into a Bullsh!t lease where we do not own the equipment. If D* adopt a policy of not activating used recievers or HDtivos then that will also devalue our equipment and dry up the ebay market. SO far EVERYTHING they have done is ANTI consumer IMO. Thats what really pisses me off from this company that "loves me"

 

[dragon002]

nice post, lou

 

[vurbano]

What do you suggest? We take the crappy PQ cable, that doesn't offer the programing we want, or maybe switch to E*, and pay their lease fees for a HD-DVR and and pay E*s cancellation fees if we leave. Kind of sounds like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

I dont know of any cable company or any sat company with a worse HD PQ than D* at this time so I wouldnt knock cable PQ.AS for E* the upfront HDDVR fee is almost 300 dollars cheaper and I believe their are no fees if you return the equipment.

I do agree, that the HD-DVR lease fee should be less, but don't see any problem with the rest of the plan. I am sure once the dust settles the cost of the HD-DVR will drop, or you will again see rebates.

And there is the problem. A lower cost? A rebate? On a lease? those terms imply ownership. You cant own it anymore.

 

[vurbano]

nice post, lou

Are you nuts? its wrong all over the place.

 

[lou_do]

AS for E* the upfront HDDVR fee is almost 300 dollars cheaper and I believe their are no fees if you return the equipment.

E* has a cancellation fee of $240.00, prorated at $13.33 a month. You have it IF you take the 18 month commitment, which allows you to get up and running for a lower up front cost. It is $60.00 less than D* but they do have one. I know people that have been under commitment and have dropped their service, from both companies, and have never been charged a cancellation fee by either one. I think they only have it in there to use against customer, who is being a pain.

 

[newsposter]

I think that is also illegal. Either you have a prorated cancellation fee or you dont. To charge some a fee and not others is clear discrimination. A contract must treat everyone the same. Its hard to believe that D* after all these years doesnt know how to do business?

on topic but in a different way: banks have been known to waive certain fees if you scream at their tellers etc. While the rest of us pay, the squeeky wheel gets the grease. I know some banks have been called on it and make to equalize the other customers but i dont want to bore you with all the details. The point is that they can waive anything at anytime. What they can't do is add new things to the contract.

 

[vurbano]

E* has a cancellation fee of $240.00, prorated at $13.33 a month. You have it IF you take the 18 month commitment, which allows you to get up and running for a lower up front cost. It is $60.00 less than D* but they do have one. I know people that have been under commitment and have dropped their service, from both companies, and have never been charged a cancellation fee by either one. I think they only have it in there to use against customer, who is being a pain.

"IF"? So you still have the option to own with E* and not with D*. Id say that would make E* the more attractive option.

I cancelled D* once and had to pay termination fees, but then Im a nice customer, easy to get along with

I thought I heard BFG or someone say that if you sent in the Dish equipment that they didnt charge you cancellation fees. D*'s written policy is that even if you return equipment you still owe program termination fees. Not sure about what the E* contract says as Ive never read it.

 

[vurbano]

on topic but in a different way: banks have been known to waive certain fees if you scream at their tellers etc. While the rest of us pay, the squeeky wheel gets the grease. I know some banks have been called on it and make to equalize the other customers but i dont want to bore you with all the details. The point is that they can waive anything at anytime. What they can't do is add new things to the contract.

That would end quickly if the other customers put lawyers on that banks a$$. But in reality those fees are probably not substantial enough to go after. Apples and Oranges. Banks also have different categories of accounts depending on the amounts you lkeep in them which qualify some accounts for reduced or no fee status. But that is usually a written policy and those accounts are given different names.

 

[scotsmanron]

Well here is what I got when I bitched about the high DVR and the lease:

Dear Mr.,

Thanks for writing. I understand your concerns about the up front costs for leasing an HD DVR. While we can't offer an HD DVR at no cost, we are offering it at the most competitive price we can right now.

We're doing our best to keep equipment costs down, and we regularly lower the price of products. For example, the cost of HD DVR has dropped significantly from the introductory price of $999. We expect that as time goes on, the price of advanced equipment will continue to decrease. Also, with new technologies like MPEG 4, we will be able to add more and more features to receivers in the near future at very competitive prices.

Thanks again for writing and stay tuned to DIRECTV.com for the latest news about equipment from DIRECTV.

Sincerely,

Billy
DIRECTV Customer Service

 

[vurbano]

Well here is what I got when I bitched about the high DVR and the lease:

Dear Mr.,

Thanks for writing. I understand your concerns about the up front costs for leasing an HD DVR. While we can't offer an HD DVR at no cost, we are offering it at the most competitive price we can right now.

We're doing our best to keep equipment costs down, and we regularly lower the price of products. For example, the cost of HD DVR has dropped significantly from the introductory price of $999. We expect that as time goes on, the price of advanced equipment will continue to decrease. Also, with new technologies like MPEG 4, we will be able to add more and more features to receivers in the near future at very competitive prices.

Thanks again for writing and stay tuned to DIRECTV.com for the latest news about equipment from DIRECTV.

Sincerely,

Billy
DIRECTV Customer Service

Since when are they offering anything? Its a freakin lease!! They will make money hand over fist when people cancel the way they have it setup now. Its disgusting.