Which receiver am I getting?

[scottie_h]

Get cable - I'm sure they know everything.

 

[rad]

JINXR, I'd recommend that you just cancel now, if you haven't already. I think things have just soured to the point that you'll never be happy with DirecTV.

 

[Rey]

i agree. to me cable is worst and E is pretty bad right now.

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

So it's just OK if they completely lie (knowingly or unknowingly) to a customer when ordering service AND the customer is supposed to know everything because the Customer Service Representative isn't expected to know their own products and services??????

I've only been on this board for not even a week, but I've noticed that it's the general consensus that this is acceptable. It either makes me think most users on here are actually DTV reps or people are just pushovers. Either way, it's no wonder satellite companies get away with it.

And yes, I am entitled to what they told me I was buying. Otherwise it is blatant fraud. It's not my fault that the CSR's don't know their own product.

I ordered a 500 hr HD DVR. That's what they told me I was getting. In fact, me an the agent talked about this sole topic for over 10 minutes. He assured me that it was 500 hours total and that it was a new receiver (his first time to even sale it). I even had two CSRs tell me that it is 500 hours. If it's not what I end up getting, then they can either make it right or I'll cancel my service. But for someone to think I'm not entitled to what they sold me is asinine.

If that's your biggest complaint about your customers, then it sounds like there is either a breakdown of communication between the subs and DTV, or there is a constant influx of misinformation from the CSRs trying to make a sale.

I agree with you 100% when you say the CSR's should in fact know what they are talking about when they do business with a customer. Totally agree. The sad truth is about half of them don't have a clue. Or they are so new at the job that they still stop and have to find someone who may or may not know either. Being misled either on purpose or by mistake doesn't make it right I agree with that too.

CSR's trying to make a sale... I see this all too often as well. Not just from D* but some of our business "partners" as well. A regional phone company which I won't name is notorious IMO for telling a customer anything just to get the sale and we techs more often than not have to clean up their mess afterward, whether it be an incorrect work order or w/e.

I agree you are entitled to what you ordered. But not an add-on or "extra" to make it close to being right. They didn't "sell" you an external HDD. They sold you a 500hr DVR. That said, and follow this, until you actually sign the paperwork on the day they come to install your service, you are under NO OBLIGATION. Unless you sign off on that invoice stating that what they installed is what you ordered and you're satisfied with having it, you're not under any obligation at all. You could wait til the day the tech comes out, and decide you change your mind, and cancel everything. Tech wouldn't be amused too much but he'd move on. Even if they charged your credit card in advance, if you cancel before it's activated that WILL be refunded to you. If you wait til after it's activated though and decide to cancel they'll nail you with the full term of the contract.

Don't rely too much on phone conversations unless they're being recorded. They won't hold up. Get it in writing. Or get the badge number of the person you speak to.

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

One final thing I should mention, if it's the HR21Pro you are supposed to be getting, it records up to 400hr's of SD programming OR 100hr's of HD. There is no 500hr DVR that D* makes. The harddrive itself holds 500gigs, maybe that was where you got the 500 part from I dunno.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=HR21PRO

 

[GregLee]

So it's just OK if they completely lie (knowingly or unknowingly) to a customer when ordering service AND the customer is supposed to know everything because the Customer Service Representative isn't expected to know their own products and services??????

I've only been on this board for not even a week, but I've noticed that it's the general consensus that this is acceptable. It either makes me think most users on here are actually DTV reps or people are just pushovers.

No, it's just that most of us have a keener sense of human frailty than you seem to. It's complicated stuff. The CSR's are not engineers, and sometimes don't even know as much as we do. I don't expect as much from them as you seem to.

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

LOL preaching to the choir there Greg. Usually if I have to call to rezap a card or w/e, I don't even give them the chance to ask me 50 million questions, hit the red button yada yada.... If it's something I know I can fix by them simply hitting a button I'll tell them, "Look just resend auths and we'll be good to go." LOL Live with that daily.

 

[JINXR]

One final thing I should mention, if it's the HR21Pro you are supposed to be getting, it records up to 400hr's of SD programming OR 100hr's of HD. There is no 500hr DVR that D* makes. The harddrive itself holds 500gigs, maybe that was where you got the 500 part from I dunno.

DIRECTV HR21PRO 500 GB HD DVR PRO Receiver for Ka-Ku Band (HR21PRO) | HR21PRO [DIRECTV] | H21pro HR21pro 500 gb HR21 PRO HR21-PRO HR-21-PRO hr-21pro HR21PRO FO2800 FO2800DTV FO25

We never even discussed hard drive space and I had never heard of the PRO model until well after I went searching for a 400/100 hour HD DVR. He specifically told me it recorded an additional 100 hours of HD, for a total of 500 hours. I even argued with him about it knowing every receiver I've seen is either/or. He assured me that it was a total of 500 hours and even said no other satellite or cable company offers it.

 

[JINXR]

No, it's just that most of us have a keener sense of human frailty than you seem to. It's complicated stuff. The CSR's are not engineers, and sometimes don't even know as much as we do. I don't expect as much from them as you seem to.

Nice jab, but you know what assuming does don't you?

When I ordered Dish 1.5 years ago, they lied to me about pricing. The bill turned out to be $40 more per month than what my local distributor told me when they sold me the service. SO, I learned from that mistake and asked every question and argued with everything he told me to be sure. Every time, he would ask me to hold so that he could "verify that." The phone call literally lasted over an hour because I wanted to make sure I would not get screwed.

 

[scottie_h]

We never even discussed hard drive space and I had never heard of the PRO model until well after I went searching for a 400/100 hour HD DVR. He specifically told me it recorded an additional 100 hours of HD, for a total of 500 hours. I even argued with him about it knowing every receiver I've seen is either/or. He assured me that it was a total of 500 hours and even said no other satellite or cable company offers it.

And as has been stated in this thread over and over, there is a 99.99999999% chance he was wrong.

Many that spend time on these boards do so to learn themselves. Through experience we've learned that the CSR's don't always know what they're talking about. That's a fact - like it or not, good or bad. A couple years ago, they had a promo giving free HD-Tivos. It took me 3 calls to get that offer. The first two told me there was no such deal - did they like to me because they didn't like the sound of my voice? I don't know, and quite frankly didn't care - I simply moved on.

It certainly is not limited to D*. You've never called any other company and gotten two different answers from two different people? If you're looking to buy a TV or camera or speakers or a car, do you walk into a big box store and buy what they recommend? I personally make my decision before I even walk into the store because we've all learned over the last few years that the sales people........ don't know what they're talking about!

It's not a good thing, but it's reality. If you want to insist that they intentionally lied to you, then move on and forget about D*. Go be unhappy with a different provider. If you want to enjoy the most HD available, accept that they were wrong and get the install with what they have to offer. Everyone has given you honest (and likely accurate) feedback on your questions, and you don't like any of the answers. You will not get a 500 hour DVR and they will not pay you to buy an external hard drive. If you can't accept those facts, then move on. It's really as simple as that. I'm not saying that to be mean to you, but there's really nothing else anyone can say, because no one will give you the exact answer you're looking for.

It's "only" TV.............

 

[gondwana321]

Keep in mind that you can also get an external hard drive (1 TB I think goes for about $200-250) and that would increase your recording capacity.

 

[Rey]

ok so just to confirm. when ordering D now all customers are getting the black hr21 right?

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

ok so just to confirm. when ordering D now all customers are getting the black hr21 right?

Usually yeah, that's right. Unless the warehouse gets a load of refurb'd HR20's, which I haven't seen lately. All Hr21's far as I know.

 

[Rey]

thanks for responding