Used H20 from Ebay - activation

[wongloo]

Has anyone bought a used H20 from Ebay? I want to get an H20 and I would normally get it from DTV, but I don't want to be stuck with the 2 year commitment. If I get a used one from Ebay, would I be able to activate it by getting a new card from DTV, and NOT have the 2 year commitment?

I've been a customer of DTV for over 10 years, and I've been happy with them for the most part until recently where I felt their customer service has really gone down. So although I'll probably stick with them, I want to have the option of leaving and don't want a 2 year commitment.

 

[jtwex]

Has anyone bought a used H20 from Ebay? I want to get an H20 and I would normally get it from DTV, but I don't want to be stuck with the 2 year commitment. If I get a used one from Ebay, would I be able to activate it by getting a new card from DTV, and NOT have the 2 year commitment?

I've been a customer of DTV for over 10 years, and I've been happy with them for the most part until recently where I felt their customer service has really gone down. So although I'll probably stick with them, I want to have the option of leaving and don't want a 2 year commitment.

Get the serial number & call DirecTV & make sure the box is owned & not leased; also check that they're no outstanding bills due for that receiver before purchasing it. Some off the first H20's were owned, but I believe most were leased. If you have an existing account, they will send you a new card, activate the box & in theory not place another two-yr commitment on your account. I say this because I've seen a few respected posters have to fight tooth & nail not to get the commitment added for owned equipment. If you were a new customer, you couldn't do it without a 2-yr guarantee if they did it at all.

 

[iceturkee]

they will send you a new car for twenty bucks!

 

[randyk47]

I went and looked at the present auctions on eBay for H20's. I noticed at least one where the seller posted the RID and assuming it's the correct number you could check it out with DirecTV. Some of the others really don't give the buyer much information and I'd be very, very reluctant to buy from these folks. It is true that some of the very early H20's were sold/bought as owned receivers as I happen to be one of the folks who got one but, as posted above, I don't think there are many. You could be buying an expensive doorstop.

 

[tds4182]

I went and looked at the present auctions on eBay for H20's. I noticed at least one where the seller posted the RID and assuming it's the correct number you could check it out with DirecTV. Some of the others really don't give the buyer much information and I'd be very, very reluctant to buy from these folks. It is true that some of the very early H20's were sold/bought as owned receivers as I happen to be one of the folks who got one but, as posted above, I don't think there are many. You could be buying an expensive doorstop.

1. Make sure the units you are considering buying on EBay are actually owned and not leased units. A suprising amount of people think that just because they purchased the unit from BB, CC or wherever they "own" the unit. In D*'s opinion most recently obtained units are "leased" not "owned".

2. Get the serial # of the unit and the access card # and call D* and see if anything is owed on the unit--PPVs, unpaid balances, etc.

If #1 and #2 check out OK, you'll be able to activate the units without too much problem. D* may require that you purchase a new access card ($20/receiver). Then again, they might not, you're just playing CSR roulette when you call in.

Make sure that you get transferred to the access card department when you activate the units and make SURE that department understands the unit are owned, not leased, before you end your activation call.

Otherwise you'll start a new 2 year committment.

Good luck!

 

[wongloo]

Thanks for the input, everyone. Looks like it's kind of risky to go the ebay route.

What if I want to upgrade an existing SD receiver to an HD receiver. My subscription includes this SD receiver and has for the last almost 10 years! If I want to upgrade to an HD receiver, would DTV force a 2 year commitment for that - even though I've had a subscription for the receiver for so many years already?

It used to be (before MPEG4) that you could buy the HD receivers - I have a few old LG MPEG2 receivers that I bought. Doesn't anything like that exist anymore? Or has DTV monopolized all of that with their leasing program?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jtwex]

The only one offered for sale is the Pro model which is around $600. If you can find an H20 (that was previously purchased & owned) you could try to purchase it off ebay & avoid any new contract extension. You would need to get the receiver serial number from the seller & verify the information with DTV that the unit is indeed "owned" & would be OK to purchase. Even in these cases, I've seen poor CSR's try to slap a new two year commitment to these receivers. If you make it this far, you just have to be adamant about "owning" the unit & no new commitment applies to you. I don't have any trouble with the commitments as I'm a happy sub; they were introduced to keep subs from jumping ship every year for the latest deal. If you plan on staying with them over the long-term it's best to avoid all this BS & let them provide free new equipment for your enjoyment.

 

[Stargazer]

DirecTv wants to own all the receivers and they classify all receivers purchased as owned for the past several years from what I gather.

 

[Zynergi]

You will be in a 2 year commitment even if you "buy" a receiver... you have been a customer for 10 years so whats the big deal? You will also need a HD Dish and a switch.

 

[tds4182]

You will be in a 2 year commitment even if you "buy" a receiver... you have been a customer for 10 years so whats the big deal? You will also need a HD Dish and a switch.

That's not correct. If you buy a used receiver that D* considers to have been "owned" at the time you bought it and there are no back due charges for PPVs, past due accounts, etc, etc. you can activate that receiver WITHOUT incurring a new 2 year committment.

I've done 2 H20s myself within the past year, no new committment.

You just have to be really careful and know what you're doing.

 

[wrknclass]

you dont want the h20 anyway unless it the h20-100 the h20-600's are in recall and only the one's with out the 2.0 sticker on the bottom due to overheating issues.
So i would stay away from the h20's in the first place. in my opinnion just renew the contract like someone else said you've been a customer for 10 years anyway so whats the big deal. Call and get a reciever from dtv and hope you get the h23 anyway.

 

[randyk47]

Actually they've stopped the H20-600 recall, at least the forced recall. When they started the process is was more or less a mandatory replacement program. There were lots of folks, myself included, who had H20-600's that were performing just fine but made the switch. Apparently they reached enough of us without problems that they finally stopped the aggressive change out and now do it only if the subscriber calls in with a problem. Unfortunately I've now got a perfectly fine H20 doorstop as I owned it so DirecTV doesn't want it back and they won't activate it because it was one of the recalled models.

 

[tds4182]

you dont want the h20 anyway unless it the h20-100 the h20-600's are in recall and only the one's with out the 2.0 sticker on the bottom due to overheating issues.
So i would stay away from the h20's in the first place. in my opinnion just renew the contract like someone else said you've been a customer for 10 years anyway so whats the big deal. Call and get a reciever from dtv and hope you get the h23 anyway.

Not all the H20-600s have the overheating issue. I've had one for app. 2 years now and it doesn't have the overheating issue.

 

[ktk3438]

Not all the H20-600s have the overheating issue. I've had one for app. 2 years now and it doesn't have the overheating issue.

Mine never overheated, it was just a piece of crap, and so were the 3 replacement boxes they sent, each worse then the other.

 

[tds4182]

Mine never overheated, it was just a piece of crap, and so were the 3 replacement boxes they sent, each worse then the other.

Would you care to elaborate about what caused them to be "pieces of crap"?

 

[wongloo]

I still have several 600s also and never heard of this recall. My 600s used to run extremely hot and several were replaced. However, the ones I still have no longer run as hot as they used to.

I confirmed with DTV that if the receiver is owned, there would be no 2 year commitment. The lease is essentially a 2 year lease, and DTV says it takes them 2 years to recover the costs of supplying it at $99. You can buy the receiver from them for $480!! What a bargain.

I don't want the 2 year commitment - after 10 years - because I've watched the fees climb upward and the service decline over the years. While I used to really like them and recommended them to many, over the past couple of years, with the coming of HD, they are rude, they are untruthful, and sometimes they are flat out incompetent. There seems to be somewhat of a dictatorial attidude of being the only player in town. This is particularly true with the tech support. I would like to keep my options open and see what the competition has to offer. For example, until recently, I hadn't heard much about FIOS. Now I do, and I want the flexibiliity of checking it out without waiting 2 years.

 

[raoul5788]

Would you care to elaborate about what caused them to be "pieces of crap"?

I know, pick me, pick me! Seriously, I have had four of them. The first three were the most unstable boxes I have ever had. This was before the ce program. They would freeze constantly, then have to be rebooted just to get a picture. The one I have now is very stable, no issues in over a year.