[will49]

I just got my second UTV and called DSS to get it activated on my existing account. The guy at DSS said "It's new policy that additional receivers must sign up for their total choice package for at least 12 months. If you cancel before that 12 months, you must pay $12 for each unused month".


This is totally contrary to the info given by minidishes.tv where I got the unit. According to them, you just need to authorize it once and there is no 12 month obligation for existing customers.


I sure didn't like the idea of being forced to stay with DSS for 12 months, especially since I've been their customer for the last 5 years. So I told the guy that I wasn't informed of this rule when I ordered it and I wasn't at all happy. After threatening to ask for his supervisor, he suddenly said he'd waive that requirement.


So if anyone else gets the same story, stand your ground and they will not enforce this bogus policy.


Anyone else encounter this?

 

[utvlvr]

When I activated my second UTV, nothing was mentioned about a service commitment. Maybe that CSR was falling behind in his quota of 12-month commitments. Glad you stood your ground. Some CSR's are great, and some are idiots.

 

[Kevin L]

That's why I never call to do anything that can be done on the web. I've activated all my receivers, except for the first, on the web site. At least the info given on the web site is consistent.

 

[EShapiro]

I ordered my RCA UTV on April 18th from American Satellite, and was told at that time that I had to agree to the one-year commitment. They said that the DirecTv telephone agent would remind me of that when I called to activate the new box.


That's exactly what happened...I called in, and the operator wouldn't activate until I had verbally agreed to the 1 year.


ES

 

[MultiSync69]

I have been a DTV customer for 5 years. I added a second receiver 6 month ago, no problem. Then last month I added a UTV from minidishes.com with no problems. Yesterday I received and installed my second UTV unit from minidishes.com. When I called to activate, the CSR lead me through the whole standard Q&A routine and activated the box. At the end of the call she mumbled a line about you do agree to keep the box activated with total choice for 12 months or pay a fee blaa, blaa. I thought she had me confused with a new customer so I said no you don't understand I am an existing customer I already have Total choice, UTV subscription and HBO etc... I did not realize that she was commiting me to something.


So am I to understand that if I disconnect the unit I received yesterday, I will be penalized? So I can disconnect the other add-on units I previously bought with no penalty, but not the one I hooked up yesterday? That is BS how can they get away with that? I think I'm going to call them back and have them clarify.

 

[EShapiro]

My understanding is that you can disconnect the box tomorrow, as long as you continue your service on at least one box. They only seem to be interested in making sure you remain a subscriber for a year.


ES

 

[Corey140]

Just complain to Customer Rentention if you want to cancel before time. They will probably allow you if your in good standing...

 

[technofiend]

Yup, they said the same thing to me when I activated a second unit 2 or 3 weeks ago.


I'm sure the 12 month thing is more about getting a little extra revenue from people who buy and cancel immediately.

Since DirecTV is probably subsidizing your purchase of that unit, better to lock in a bit of revenue, and of course if you cancel early they probably

just assume you are emulating.

 

[will49]

Quote:

Originally posted by Kevin L That's why I never call to do anything that can be done on the web. I've activated all my receivers, except for the first, on the web site. At least the info given on the web site is consistent.

For some reason the activate over the web funciton was not available for me last time I looked a couple of months ago. It said I had to call 1-800xxxxx to activate additional receivers. It may have been because I was (VERY foolishly) paying a double subscription because when I signed up my original second receiver over a year ago, I told them that I couldn't connect it to the phone line, so they said until I connected it and verified with them I would have to pay for 2 separate subscriptions. I rectified that last month by calling and saying that I had now wired it up and luckily they didn't want to do an online test (listen for the modem clicking on the line).

 

[ripster]

On a similar note, I had a year long subscription to UTV that just expired and they would NOT give me a yearly fee, again. Only month to month at $9.95. What happened to the discounted yearly fee?


Now they got us, it's hose time.....

 

[CSR]

That's interesting. I activated my 2 Sony UTVs over the web in April after getting them from minidishes. When I called to have both of them turned off for a while, the only thing the CSR asked was "Why?" I explained that the one unit died after 12 hours of use and was on its way back to Sony. She never said anything about a new commitment and I haven't been charged for early deactivation. Just my .02.


Sean

 

[raldrich]

Just be vague with your acceptance of their deal. If they say "Do you agree to xxxxx?" Just say something like, "I love my direcTV - I hope to keep it forever" or "It's ok if I upgrade to a larger package in a few months, isn't it?" This way, you haven't agreed to anything - but the CSRs will take it as an acceptance. Then if you cancel, just say, "Show me where I agreed to it - either in writing or from a recorded conversation!" They won't be able to.

 

[will49]

Quote:

Originally posted by CSR That's interesting. I activated my 2 Sony UTVs over the web in April after getting them from minidishes. When I called to have both of them turned off for a while, the only thing the CSR asked was "Why?" I explained that the one unit died after 12 hours of use and was on its way back to Sony. She never said anything about a new commitment and I haven't been charged for early deactivation. Just my .02. Sean

Just out of interest is it not possible to deactivate a mirrored unit via the web?

 

[Corey140]

nope.....

 

[CSR]

Quote:

Originally posted by will49 Just out of interest is it not possible to deactivate a mirrored unit via the web?

No, that's why I said I called to have them both turned off.

 

[SteveWinNJ]

Quote:

Originally posted by ripster On a similar note, I had a year long subscription to UTV that just expired and they would NOT give me a yearly fee, again. Only month to month at $9.95. What happened to the discounted yearly fee? Now they got us, it's hose time.....

I've never seen a yearly discount for UTV. Mine has always been $9.95 month to month. No yearly or Lifetime option that I'm aware of. Anyone else?

 

[utvlvr]

Got my first one last June and has always been $9.95 per month. No discount was ever offered to me.

 

[inkahauts]

directv started requiering 1 year commitments in jan. They were suppose to start last august, but they are slow with everything. They requier it so that they can keep track of access cards and crack down on pirates. Also, they subsidze almost every box sold and they are tired of looseing money by haveing people buy a box and never activateing it(thereby never getting any money from subscriptions), and still paying the retailers and makers.... It was these kinds of dumb money decisions that have cause DTV to loose money and search out the forthcoming merger. I'm sure that if you wanted to end your commitment and offered to send them your access card they would wave the fee( especially if you talk to a supervisor). If you've had dtv for 5 years then your probably not changing anyway, so who cares? my 2 cents....

P.S. This is on all boxes of any kind....

 

[will49]

So it looks like minidishes.tv is the only company out there that only requires you to subscribe the box without a 12 month commitment. I'm going to order my 3rd UTV from them soon and keep it as a backup after activiating. For $54 you can't go too wrong