All the relevant posts on this were over 90 days so I couldn't reply....

I'm looking at getting Directv service at the house and switching from TimeWarner RR to AT&T DSL.

Some questions I had were:

- If you purchase equipment from eBay do you have to pay the $4.99 lease fee
- Is there any benefit to purchasing the equipment from eBay?
- Do you own the equipment if you purchase from Directv?
- Do you have to have the equipment near a phone line? (I have no phone service or outlet)



Attempting to get the best bang for my buck, so any help is appreciated.

Offers that I plan on using are:
- $18 / month credit after 12 months service
- $10 / month credit for AAA membership
- $20 / month credit for AT&T DSL and Directv customers
(Probably will find out I can't get any of them combined)

Granted, I've not called Directv yet as I'm still exploring options, but any experiences would be appreciated.

3/31/2008 2:40:19 PM

you own the equipment usually, but there are some cases where you dont. If you are getting it for your home, make sure you get the new type of sattelite, so be careful on ebay. For the DVR, you need two lines coming in, one for the channel you are recording, and one for the one you are watching currently, unless you just plan on recording stuff while you are out.


go here for all answers http://www.dbstalk.com/

these guys are good, and really helpful, friendly, even to noobs

3/31/2008 2:44:14 PM

bttt

6/11/2008 3:16:04 PM

I just got DTV installed



I got the HD-DVR from them for the living room (sexy black finish), and a standard receiver for my office.


They installed everything fine. I'm happy with the work.


I got the choice plus shit, the protection plan on the DVR, and the HD access.

6/11/2008 3:27:39 PM

Quote :

" - If you purchase equipment from eBay do you have to pay the $4.99 lease fee - Is there any benefit to purchasing the equipment from eBay? - Do you own the equipment if you purchase from Directv?"

- Yes, pretty much any DirecTV receiver hardware made since 2006 is going to be a lease. Doesn't matter where you buy it from, it's still considered property of DirecTV. Not only will you have to pay the $4.99/month lease fee, you will enter into a 18-24 month service commitment contract with them.

-Yes, sometimes you can get a deal on a receiver, maybe $100 instead of $200, but you have to remember it's still a lease. There are also a bunch of horror stories about getting receivers purchased off ebay activated, so most people would recommend avoiding it.

-No, see the first point. Unless you specifically tell them that you want to "own" the receiver, it will always be a lease. An owned receiver, especially an HD one, will probably cost you anywhere from $500 to $800.

Quote :

"- Do you have to have the equipment near a phone line? (I have no phone service or outlet)"

Don't need a phone line unless you want to order sports packages or PPV with the remote.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 3:33 PM. Reason : :]

6/11/2008 3:32:33 PM

^^i just cancelled my order to add the $10 a month for 24 month AAA deal and i'm using you as a referral so we each get $50.

i need your direct tv account number stat!

6/11/2008 3:50:16 PM

i'm with direct tv now...first person with a dtv account number gets $50! hurry

6/11/2008 3:53:45 PM

I have been giving this serious consideration for the last few days my bill is <$200 a month.

6/11/2008 3:55:08 PM

their customer service is awesome. she sounds hot too.

she said "well you've waited on me today, so i'll give you some time to find a referral. no worries."

and GraniteBalls gave me his first...this kills TWC...

6/11/2008 3:57:50 PM

6/11/2008 4:06:16 PM

Quote :

"Don't need a phone line unless you want to order sports packages or PPV with the remote. "

You don't have to have one but you will pay like 5 bucks a month for not having one, at least with Dish.

Quote :

"-Yes, sometimes you can get a deal on a receiver, maybe $100 instead of $200, but you have to remember it's still a lease. There are also a bunch of horror stories about getting receivers purchased off ebay activated, so most people would recommend avoiding it."

The horror stories generally being the seller has leased the receiver, defaulted on his bill (hence reason for selling) and the balance of the bill being attached to the receiver. You go to transfer the receiver to your name and there is a $700.00 balance attached to it. You're out the money you paid on eBay or go through a huge hassle w/ eBay

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 4:36 PM. Reason : s]

6/11/2008 4:32:50 PM

DISH network >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>directv

WTF you have to lease equipment from them? that's some shit. hahaha

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 4:44 PM. Reason : ]

6/11/2008 4:43:21 PM

directtv >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> dish

6/11/2008 4:45:32 PM

dish network doesnt have sunday ticket


that was a huge selling point for me.

6/11/2008 5:17:54 PM

Quote :

"Don't need a phone line unless you want to order sports packages or PPV with the remote."

That's handled via ethernet now. No phone line necessary. Of course you don't need to plug in the interweb to it either unless you want PPV or VOD.

6/11/2008 8:04:16 PM

So I called to cancel my install to apply the AAA discount...they had a power outage and had to call me back. Due to the inconvenience they gave me some major discounts that killed the online offer.

$199 hd dvr fee waived
$50. Referral discount
$20. Go green discount
$10. AAA monthly for 24 months
$23. Promo/inconvenience discount monthly for 12 months
Free HBO and STARZ for 3 months
Free Showtime for a year

This is going to be awesome.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 11:17 PM. Reason : 0]

6/11/2008 11:14:49 PM

wow that's a great plan

6/11/2008 11:24:06 PM

Someone PM me their direct tv account number for a referral code. I want to get HD service with the AAA discount.

6/12/2008 2:33:46 AM

Quote :

"DISH network >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>directv"

Not only do I think you're wrong, but right now DirecTV is the only place you can get SpeedHD. Since thats pretty much the only channel I watch I don't really give a shit what anything else has going for it.

6/12/2008 8:24:27 AM

Someone PM me their direct tv account number for a referral code. I want to get HD service with the AAA discount.

getting installed tomorrow but I can get this discount and referral applied today



50 dollar bucks!

6/12/2008 9:53:36 AM

PM sent


i gave you enough info

i have no idea what my account number is

6/12/2008 11:05:48 AM

Someone PM me their direct tv account number for a referral code. I want to get HD service with the AAA discount.

6/12/2008 1:29:01 PM

you might have to have a direct tv account number...i didn't have any luck yesterday even though i had all the other information...they still couldn't pull it for some reason.

to do the AAA deal you have to sign up with new service at this number: 1-800-242-9114

if you need a direct tv account number for a referral, pm me and i can also tell you how i received such a great deal yesterday.

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 1:44 PM. Reason : .]

6/12/2008 1:38:27 PM

Quote :

"dish network doesnt have sunday ticket that was a huge selling point for me."

i don't give a shit about sports or racing, so that wouldn't have sold me.

but if that's what you watch, then that's what you watch.

fuck renting/owning equipment though.

6/12/2008 2:02:41 PM

THanks for the number Moody and info graniteballs

Quote :

"So I called to cancel my install to apply the AAA discount...they had a power outage and had to call me back. Due to the inconvenience they gave me some major discounts that killed the online offer. $199 hd dvr fee waived $50. Referral discount $20. Go green discount $10. AAA monthly for 24 months $23. Promo/inconvenience discount monthly for 12 months Free HBO and STARZ for 3 months Free Showtime for a year "

They wouldnt let me do the referral bonus because I didnt call the number that was specific to that discount. Same for the AAA deal. I would have to cancel my order now and set up a new account and installation time. It takes almost a week to get a damn installation appointment where I live so fuck that.

I have the

Free HD DVR
Green discount
$23 discount
Free HBO, Showtime, Starz for 3 months

which is not bad but still

You got one hell of a deal there moody

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 3:39 PM. Reason : asdf]

6/12/2008 3:39:20 PM

Are you better off calling to setup service or do it by the website?

6/12/2008 3:45:30 PM

^they're the same unless you call the AAA number

6/12/2008 4:27:12 PM

is that 10/month recurring for AAA?

6/12/2008 9:34:37 PM

yeah and the free hd dvr $199

6/12/2008 11:54:00 PM

I might just call them and be straight up. "I will drop my no-contract cable company and sign up for two years with DTV if you duplicate this plan.

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 12:07 AM. Reason : .]

6/13/2008 12:07:11 AM

do you have AAA? if so, it's pretty straightforward.

6/13/2008 12:08:01 AM

my roommate does.

6/13/2008 12:09:41 AM

they just asked for my AAA #...borrow his card...i think it just checks if it's active and doesn't cross verify...if so, just sign up under his name.

6/13/2008 12:10:40 AM

I was speaking more of the extra perks you got for the inconveniences.

6/13/2008 12:11:42 AM

did i pm you the details there? if not, pm me and i'll send you what might work.

6/13/2008 12:14:00 AM

nah you did, thanks. Some customer service reps appreciate the straightforwardness. I got hooked up with sprint about 15min after I told the guy I wasn't one of those types of people that got cut off from their service because of reporting imaginary problems so they could get better retention deals.

I still have to discuss this with the roommates. 2 years is a while to be locked in. Unless you can put it on hold if you move and transfer it etc.

6/13/2008 12:34:14 AM

^ you can put it on hold while you move, but I believe that they push your contract back by the time that your account is on hold.

If you move to a place where you cannot get DirecTV due to a LOS issue, etc. while you are still under a contract, if the installer cannot get a good signal then your contract can be canceled.

I'm going to call the AAA number this weekend. I ordered DirecTV last week and the installers are going to come out next Saturday. They really pissed me off because I had DirecTV 3+ years ago, and I canceled due to an inability to get the service where I lived in DC. I called to start service again and they refused to give me the same deal on the website because I was not a new customer. I ended up calling back and giving them my GrandCentral number and got a pretty good deal. MOODY's deal was still a lot better!

6/13/2008 8:11:30 AM

Installer dude came this morning and I have line of sight on 4 of the 5 satellites they use buuuuuut almost all the HD shit is on the fucking satellite I can only get sometimes. To make matters worse the shit was only 2 feet off from being fine. Thought about calling a tree company and cutting that shit but its just not worth it.



Stupid HD cable here I come

6/13/2008 2:34:10 PM

have fun. Mine was on the edge too, except they never told me that. So when I had an absolute horrible time getting TV (picture would come in scrambled, it would sit there like it was paused, etc). They sent a guy out to see why, he said the dish was installed wrong and wanted to relocate it. I told him no that I was cancelling service (this was EIGHT MONTHS later they finally sent someone out after calling in excess of 25 times... because the guy installed it wrong). I paid the cancellation fee and requested someone come get the shit off my roof.

Their response, "that's your dish, you take it off your roof."

No kidding. I had to take the piece of shit down myself. NEVER WILL I EVER DEAL WITH THAT HORRIBLE COMPANY AGAIN

6/13/2008 3:13:16 PM

Do you have to have a phone line to activate a new box? I understand I don't need a phone line if I don't want PPV, etc, but what about new box activation?

6/17/2008 10:01:30 PM

A phone line isn't required any more, and you don't lose PPV, you can still order online or by phone...just not with your remote.

6/18/2008 8:23:09 AM

do you guys think that the NFL Sunday Ticket deal will be better than these AAA/GoGreen/Referral social engineering feats?

Or maybe you can combine these discounts?

Is this basically just paying 299.96 for NFL Sunday Ticket and getting their top tier programming package free for those 4 months? Since you are under contract are you obligated after the 4 months to stick with that programming package or can you knock it down some?



[Edited on August 2, 2008 at 10:39 AM. Reason : .]

8/2/2008 10:31:35 AM

I just signed up for that promotion. Basically you get free TV for 4 months if you pay for sunday ticket. I was going to buy sunday ticket anyway, so now I basically get it for free.

8/2/2008 1:43:34 PM

after 4 months can you just downgrade to their cheapest package if you want?

8/2/2008 4:32:02 PM

yes, smoothcrim told me that's what he was going to do and i think he confirmed that on the phone with directv. if anyone wants $50 off pm me for a referral.

8/2/2008 10:25:02 PM

anybody know how much it costs to get everything installed.......I was planning on getting that package anyways with the HD DVR. Also can u get this installed at WOlf Creek?

8/4/2008 9:11:47 PM

installation is free, so it depends on what package you get (if you just need one box it may not cost you anything).

8/4/2008 9:24:45 PM

ballin........do u know if u can get it installed at wolf creek? I asked the ppl up there one day and they said u could as long as u picked up signal from your porch but they didnt seem like the surest group of ppl.

8/4/2008 9:29:54 PM

you'll probably have to get them to write you a consent letter. just go to the person you talked to and ask them to type it up really fast on letterhead and sign it. then you can give that to the installer and you should be golden. if you want $50 off by using a referral, pm me.

8/4/2008 9:32:45 PM

I think Im gonna try and get this shit again. Just have to chop down this one damn tree thats in the way. Hopefully I dont die. But i neeeeeeeeeed NFL sunday ticket and ESPN U so I can watch state games.

8/5/2008 1:24:02 AM