Monthly Fee per Receiver?

[footballcoach]

DirecTV is charging me $4.99/month for each receiver I own. These are receivers that I have already bought and paid for quite some time ago. I have five receivers. One of which is a Tivo, but the others are all old model Hughes sats.

My question: Is there any way I can get DTV to drop those monthly fee charges? It seems ridiculous to me that I am paying for a Total Choice package and then I also have to pay $25 in receiver fees each month for equipment I already bought and paid for.

If not, is there a way to get them to reduce the monthly fee per receiver?

Thanks,

FC

 

[ShadowEKU]

DirecTV is charging me $4.99/month for each receiver I own. These are receivers that I have already bought and paid for quite some time ago. I have five receivers. One of which is a Tivo, but the others are all old model Hughes sats.

My question: Is there any way I can get DTV to drop those monthly fee charges? It seems ridiculous to me that I am paying for a Total Choice package and then I also have to pay $25 in receiver fees each month for equipment I already bought and paid for.

If not, is there a way to get them to reduce the monthly fee per receiver?

Thanks,

FC

The Mirror Fee is unavoidable because of the operating cost per receiver.

Reduction would be pretty easy if you live by yourself or with only a few folks in the house... use one receiver for multiple tvs via RF extenders and Coax.

Also the reason Directv receivers are not insanely expensive is the subsidized cost. They dont make their money back on them for several years.

Welcome to SatelliteGuys

 

[footballcoach]

Thanks for the explanation. So do some of these "operating costs" then go back to the original manufacturer of the receiver? Is that how it works? I bought my Hughes from Best Buy about 5 years ago.

Also, right now I am only using 2 out of the 5 receivers. Is it possible to cancel service on the other three until I need to use them? I don't even have 3 of them hooked up. We moved recently and have a lot of other things to do first (finishing basement, etc).

Thanks!

 

[damaged]

The charge is for you to have the ability to watch different programming on seperate receivers without having to pay for TCP for every single receiver, it has nothing to do with whom you bought the hardware. It is purley a programming charge.

 

[charper1]

You have had a DirecTV account for 5 years and just now noticed the $5 each? You should be able to suspend the unused receivers.

 

[footballcoach]

You have had a DirecTV account for 5 years and just now noticed the $5 each? You should be able to suspend the unused receivers.

Of course not. I never said I just noticed it. I asked if there was a way to reduce the per receiver charge since we have 5 now in the household and since I am not currently using 3 of them I am looking for ways to reduce monthly bills. New home = more costs. Thus the reason for my question.

 

[charper1]

OK, I was just wondering being 5 years down the road. I have always said and emailed DirecTV that $2.49 for receivers #2 & #3 seems fair but #4 and up (for residential customers) should be FREE!

 

[footballcoach]

OK, I was just wondering being 5 years down the road. I have always said and emailed DirecTV that $2.49 for receivers #2 & #3 seems fair but #4 and up (for residential customers) should be FREE!

That's exactly why I was asking...I feel the same way. I don't mind paying $2 or so for maybe the 2nd and 3rd receiver. Beyond that they are making enough money to make the others free. I agree. I am of the opinion that $25 is a lot for receiver fees and I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way.

 

[charper1]

yup, but at least they are consistent because it has been like that from the beginning.

 

[Newshawk]

Thanks for the explanation. So do some of these "operating costs" then go back to the original manufacturer of the receiver?

No, they don't because the $5 is for the programming on your additional receiver(s). The money goes to the cable nets. That's why the charge is only on the additional receivers.

I bought my Hughes from Best Buy about 5 years ago.

D* WAS Hughes, until News Corp. took control. Now the receiver part of Hughes is owned by Thompson (the RCA people.)

Also, right now I am only using 2 out of the 5 receivers. Is it possible to cancel service on the other three until I need to use them? I don't even have 3 of them hooked up. We moved recently and have a lot of other things to do first (finishing basement, etc).

Thanks!

Certainly you can. Call D* and ask them to disconnect the unused receivers. You'll save about $15 a month.

 

[kcobra]

DTV is not going to give up the cash cow they have from the $5 per extra reciever charge. No way around it. You just have to factor the cost in to determine if your DTV subscription is worth it.

 

[boba]

Of course CABLE companies charge $5-10 for additional receivers on their DIGITAL systems. If you go back to the original mirroring fee when Directv started I think you will find it was $2 but that may have been DISH Network, that was a long time ago in this young industry.