I'm just curious what the possible logic is behind having to pay a hardware protection plan on equipment you are leasing and don't even own. To get this straight, if I am leasing a reciever from Direct TV and don't have the hardware protection plan, what happens if the reciever I am leasing ends up to be defective?? If I don't have the plan I am responsible for replacing the equipment?? And at what cost??
Logic behind hardware protection program
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Actually, I called DirecTv about the same "what if" scenario, they say my equipment is out of warranty in 90 days. W/O protection plan the obvious, if something breaks; I pay for it and the service call, if needed.
One may consider canceling service but there will be an unpleasant disconnect fee if within the 24 month contract.
Getting back to your question, if a DVR were to break, in most cases a new lease including upgrade cost and extension of contract would apply if outside of 90 day warranty and no protection plan. As was explained to me, not all cases are the same, they deal individually depending on account status.
As I understand it, if a DVR under protection plan were to break, it would be replaced with refurbished unit at no cost and no extension of contract. Also covers the cost of repairs and alignments. I also believe that the shipping costs can be avoided with protection plan.
Did I get it all correctly? That said, I'm still considering protection plan and would like to hear personal pros and cons with or without it. And what is the monthly cost of protection plan.
One may consider canceling service but there will be an unpleasant disconnect fee if within the 24 month contract.
Getting back to your question, if a DVR were to break, in most cases a new lease including upgrade cost and extension of contract would apply if outside of 90 day warranty and no protection plan. As was explained to me, not all cases are the same, they deal individually depending on account status.
As I understand it, if a DVR under protection plan were to break, it would be replaced with refurbished unit at no cost and no extension of contract. Also covers the cost of repairs and alignments. I also believe that the shipping costs can be avoided with protection plan.
Did I get it all correctly? That said, I'm still considering protection plan and would like to hear personal pros and cons with or without it. And what is the monthly cost of protection plan.
Yes, you are correct, Personally, I have it, I've used it a few times over the years, comes in handy if you need a tech out to troubleshoot something intermittant, if they don't get it fixed the first time they don't charge for the succeeding trips either.
Not everything gets fixed the first time around...
Armchair has it right from what I can tell.
I had it, but cancelled. It simply was not worth it for me, but I can see how it would be of use to some.
I had it, but cancelled. It simply was not worth it for me, but I can see how it would be of use to some.
It is definately worth it if you live in the northeast where you get bad winter storms or anywhere in the suburbs where you get tree growth. Ive used it two times in the last 4months. Once because the Optical port on my DVR was no longer working. They sent me a brand new HR-22 replacing my refurbished HR-20. Again for a dish aligment. The tech even gave me a direct line local number to call if theres ever a problem. He said if theres someone in the area you could even get same day help. For me its been worth it. Maybe for others if they live in mild climate areas or places with little to no trees its probably a waste of money.
I have it. I've only had DirecTV for 8 months now and have already had to use it once to get realigned. I started losing signal with the slightest amount of rain. I had to get the dish realigned, some of the fittings were loose, and the tech added a support to help hold the dish a bit more steady.
I live in a very windy so it is worth it for me. The service call would have been way more than than what I have paid in fees so far.
I live in a very windy so it is worth it for me. The service call would have been way more than than what I have paid in fees so far.
I have it, because it includes issues with the lnb, dish, and wiring along with the receiver.
Anything gets glitchy, I call them and they fix it. Already had a bad LNB and a multiswitch with a bad port on it replaced and I thought some of the problems I was having were due to a bad receiver...
Seems worth the money. If you asked me 5-6 years ago when they were using mpeg 2 receivers and had the old 18" dual lnb dish, I wouldnt have bought it. That technology was pretty solid and you rarely got a bad lnb or switch, and even the receivers rarely had issues.
These days with the mpeg4 gear, slimline dish, more complex equipment and the quirkiness of the dvr's...I bought it.
Anything gets glitchy, I call them and they fix it. Already had a bad LNB and a multiswitch with a bad port on it replaced and I thought some of the problems I was having were due to a bad receiver...
Seems worth the money. If you asked me 5-6 years ago when they were using mpeg 2 receivers and had the old 18" dual lnb dish, I wouldnt have bought it. That technology was pretty solid and you rarely got a bad lnb or switch, and even the receivers rarely had issues.
These days with the mpeg4 gear, slimline dish, more complex equipment and the quirkiness of the dvr's...I bought it.
It just seems a little crazy that I need to spend money to fix a defective reciever when I am leasing it. I can understand for house calls and things associated with the dish, etc... And if you don't have the protection plan and your receiver is defective, you have to pay to fix it and you have start on a new contract cycle in order to get the new receiver?? That's cold
I've been with Dish & DirecTv as a subscriber and they've changed their approach to this in a competitive way.
It would seem that from end of warranty until contract date, it would be wise to have protection plan to avoid potential costly breakdowns. Along the way, personal experience would dictate whether or not to keep it or go another direction. With included coverage on all equipment, including electrical surge damage, alignments and free shipping it almost seems like an invitation for club membership with the only con being the dues which isn't unreasonable.
Sure, it seems the leased unit should not fall into this category but the lease is not a penalty when considering that lease fee is same as additional receiver fee but not an additional fee but a substitute at same monthly rate. The lease terms give the subscriber a new unit at a discount when compared to purchasing the same unit at cost but still paying same rate to have it on account. Oh, I forgot, the first lease on account is credited; therefore, the actual cost of protection plan is 99 cents/month.
Sorry, I think I missed your question here. The breakdown cost if out of warranty and no protection plan would be upgrade cost plus the 24 month commitment. (At what cost?...Basically a new lease with renewed terms).
As I understand it, a protection plan replacement could be new or refurbished but would restart a 24 month commitment plus there would be no additional lease fee. (I think I repeated myself from a previous post).
I actually called DirecTv about this and they do allow some exception but it is not published and limited to what CSR's are currently allowed to do and also the status of the individual's account along with their circumstances.
I can actually vouch for this. The HDMI output on my H20 wasn't working. I called D***** and was told they would send out a tech to check it out..... at no cost. I don't have the protection plan. The receiver was replaced but a service charge appeared on the next bill. So I called. Without hesitation the CSR said she would credit my bill the HD access charge for 6 months as an offset. Actually worked out a few more dollars than the actual service charge.
I'm a 10 yr customer so I believe decisions are based on individual circumstances.
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