Why would I need a protection plan?

[FullyFamous]

I see protection plans offered, but I'm wondering why I would need it? If I'm leasing the equipment, should the owner of the equipment replace/repair it if it's even needed? Does the equipment crap-out very often?

 

[bbixler]

It's more useful for cable, dish, and switch problems.

Yes, if you are leasing a receiver Direct TV will replace it for free if there is a failure but without the Protection Plan you will need to pay the $19.95 shipping/handling cost.

 

[PMKS]

It's more useful for cable, dish, and switch problems.

Ditto,
I've had the protection plan for years, and been a customer since the early 90's. The protection plan has replaced bad wiring twice, replaced a bad LNB, and replaced 2 receivers before they had the "lease" program.

 

[goober22]

If you're handy with cable/sat, then it's not really needed. I don't have it.

Yes the boxes are leased and will be replaced if needed but without the plan, you pay $19.95 for shipping. Also you would pay for dish, switch, wire replacement/troubleshooting. You pay for tech visits ($59 on average) as well.

With the plane, it's all covered. It comes out to $72 a year - that's more than 1 tech visit a year. If you are able to align the dish if needed, troubleshoot issues with switches/wires if needed AND don't think you need more than 1 tech visit a year, then it may be a waste.

While issues can happen, it is pretty dependable. I have had all the equipment you see in my sig for 2-3/4 years and have had no issues at all. You can add it at any time but I believe you have to wait about 30 days before it kicks in. So you have an issue that could wait...

 

[BigStein]

At $6 a month I don't see the plan as a worthwhile investment, unless you live in an older home where you question the wiring. I have been a customer for a couple years and have never had a problem. But then again, I am never a big fan of protection plans....

 

[bbixler]

I've also heard that you can usually get the CSR to waive 1 tech visit fee (~$50) per year if you do not have the plan. This could be YMMV and might not be the case 100% of the time.

 

[scoop8]

I've also heard that you can usually get the CSR to waive 1 tech visit fee (~$50) per year if you do not have the plan. This could be YMMV and might not be the case 100% of the time.

I don't have the Prot Plan and recently had a tech call to remount and realign my SL5 after a roof shingle replacement. He waived the svc charge.

 

[FullyFamous]

Sounds good. Thanks.

 

[jdspencer]

I've been a long time subscriber to DirecTV (14 years) and have not had the protection plan since they started it. Maybe, I've been lucky, but I have not had any reason to need it, if I had it.

Does the protection plan even cover a dish relocation? I paid the $50 for mine to be moved recently. If the PP had covered it, it still isn't worth it. Put the $6/month in an account and use it for whatever might happen.

 

[cfb]

I've had the PP for a year and had an LNB replaced for free, so I think I'm about even.

I dont think the big benefit is in whether anything will break and how much it'd cost you to replace a part on its own. I think the big benefit is that if anything goes wrong, you make a phone call and its directvs problem to fix. Without the PP, I find that many people get into situations where directv says its the wiring or lnb but not the receiver and wants $$ to send someone out when you just KNOW its the receiver, or they want to replace a receiver when you think it might be something in the rest of the system causing the problem.

I also have a different number to call for my PP tech support calls than the regular number. I've called the regular number a few times and wasnt thrilled with the level of competency. The two PP calls I made got me to people who seemed to know something.

 

[stonecold]

Long time customers are often qualified for a free service call but again not everyone qualified for that promo.

 

[freckldgrl]

Does the protection plan even cover a dish relocation? I paid the $50 for mine to be moved recently. If the PP had covered it, it still isn't worth it. Put the $6/month in an account and use it for whatever might happen.

PP only covers technical problems so a dish relocation would not be covered. Now technically, if the dish is already relocated but not aligned then that would become a technical problem if worded correctly

 

[BigStein]

Unfortunately, for me, making it DTV's problem only makes it even more of my problem. I have a hard to get at dish and have had 3 DTV techs that could not get to it (one of whom ended up in the hospital). Their solution? Send another tech (even after I have called and explained the situation in detail). I would much rather take my chances, get a guy out here I know can solve my problem (the guy who did my install, private contractor) and then haggle with DTV to cover the out of pocket expense with programming discounts. As I said before, I have had no unexpected problems so far (I think due in part to a rock solid install by my guy) but they have twice been excellent about covering my costs (at install and when I upgraded to SWM and whole house DVR this week).

The service plan, I think, would only result in long outages should I ever have problems with the dish. Not worth the risk or the money. But as I say, that is just my situation, and everyone is different.

 

[scoop8]

I've been a long time subscriber to DirecTV (14 years) and have not had the protection plan since they started it. Maybe, I've been lucky, but I have not had any reason to need it, if I had it.

Does the protection plan even cover a dish relocation? I paid the $50 for mine to be moved recently. If the PP had covered it, it still isn't worth it. Put the $6/month in an account and use it for whatever might happen.

When I scheduled my dish relocation the CSR said that this wasn't covered under the plan. I asked although I've never had the plan, was curious.

 

[cave1376]

I have had D* sence 98, loyal customer 03. I have never had the protection program. I have had them out to my house twice. The first time was in 04. I had the 18" dish changed to a phase III. The second time was in 06. I up graded the RCA rcvr to a D* r15 dvr. I was not charged for the dish swap or dvr up grade.

I believe that if you have a more complex setup (mrv, vod, swm) it would be good to have the pp. The more complex the setup, the more likely a problem is to show up in the future.

Also if you have a HR24 or H24, it would be good to have pp. Newer rcvrs tend to have problems that do not show up during testing. I am not saying HR24, H24 will give problems, it is the technology in the rcvrs, mrv, swm, that has not yet been proven to be reliable.