AT9 in Nashville, D says not yet.

[Volrog]

I tried to order the AT9 dish today from D. They said they can't send me one yet because they need them for customers in areas that can receive HD LIL right now. Since Nashville HD LIL is not turned on yet, should be April, they said I'd have to wait. Said it would be $49 + $14.95 S&H when they could send it. Any thoughts/ideas/comments?

 

[DanielFenti]

DIRECTV has required all independent retailers to use the AT9 dish since early February. It sounds like they may be facing a temporary shortage or the operator hasn't been reading their new script.

 

[steve615]

I tried to order the AT9 dish today from D. They said they can't send me one yet because they need them for customers in areas that can receive HD LIL right now. Since Nashville HD LIL is not turned on yet, should be April, they said I'd have to wait. Said it would be $49 + $14.95 S&H when they could send it. Any thoughts/ideas/comments?

I am in the mid TN area,approx. 60 miles southeast of Nashville,between Murfreesboro and McMinnville.We just had the AT9 and 2 H20 receivers installed yesterday.We are new customers to D,so that may have had an impact in regards to our getting the AT9 installed.The equipment and installation was free of any charges.We placed our order in February before the new lease option went into effect,and agreed to the 2 year committment to the Total Choice package to get our equipment free.No money out of pocket up front at all.You may want to try contacting different CSRs at D,that may work for you.

 

[steve615]

Volrog,any luck getting the new dish yet?

 

[Volrog]

Steve615,
Still no luck on the AT9 yet. I've got a feeling that the Nashville HD LIL's will be turned on very soon. Talked with the engineer at WKRN-2 this week and he was very upbeat adout D. I'll keep trying. I have an OTA to get the Nashville HD's now, but might as well get the new dish ASAP. Mt. Juliet is booming, dishes popping up all over the place.

 

[steve615]

Volrog....Ok,well the only thing that I could suggest as of now is to keep trying different CSRs at DIRECTV.We have had our equipment for a week now (new customer with D),everything seems to be working pretty smoothly so far.Based on my talks with the D CSRs,Nashville HD LILs will light up sometime in April,they would not give a specific date.

 

[charper1]

So what are the diffences between Steve615 and Volrog?

Are both in the Nashville DMA?

Are both 1st time subs or upgrades?

 

[Volrog]

Charper,
Volrog is in the Nashville DMA and a D* subscriber since 2000.
I believe Steve615 is in the Nashville DMA but he is a new customer.
All I wanted was an AT9 dish upgrade, they wouldn't sell me one.
The CSR said the upgrade fee would be $49 plus 14.95 s/h. They must be using the new dishes for new installs in my market.

 

[steve615]

1st time D sub in the Nashville DMA over here charper1.

 

[charper1]

As weird as it sounds Vol, it somewhat makes some backhanded sense. Have you tried calling retention yet?

 

[steve615]

The tech that installed our equipment last week told me that they were instructed to use the AT9 dish for new installs first.He had 4-5 of these dishes in his van when he was over here.

 

[charper1]

Yep, I can understand that; if you currently have DirecTV and the upgraded service isn't even available yet, it does you no good to have it (especially for free). It is best to use what hardware stock that they do have in-hand for those new customers that don't even have DirecTV yet. That leaves them fewer upgrades to do later AND it gets the new customer subscribed with NEW service.

 

[Volrog]

Charper,
I haven't tried the retention route yet. I will if I have too but since I get all the Nashville HD's crystal clear with my OTA, there is no real urgency.
D*'s policy has always been to lean toward the new customer. We may not like that, but from a business view it makes sense.

 

[chadzx11]

My account is showing that I can order this dish from P10 for $68 + shipping, but I do not know if they would actually sell it to me. I am NOT an authorized (or unauthorized for that matter) D* dealer. Anybody know? I do know that dow won't sell you a E* LNB if you aren't an E* dealer.