Buying a new HD receiver question

[aec4]

My Toshiba DST3000 is finally starting to go... I may need a new receiver.

I don't want to commit to a contract. Why? I may either cancel soon, or suspend until next football season.

What's the best route to go? H20 and get the 200 rebate? (What does the rebate mean contract wise? Also, will they charge me to activate it? I plan on deactivating my DST3000)

Would it be better to keep the DST3000 active, and then when they finally upgrade me, if I stay with D*, they will upgrade that receiver giving me 2 H20s?

Should I go on Ebay and just get one cheap?

Any suggestions?

 

[gigapower]

I think the rebate means a new 2 year contract.

 

[boba]

I think the rebate means a new 2 year contract.

No thinking IT MEANS a 2 YEAR CONTRACT.

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Any (including used equipment) HD receiver activated triggers the 2 yr. commitment.

Your best bet is to get your H20 from your favorite dealer and take the $200 mail-in rebate. That way you'll get the 5 yr. extended warranty, pay no tax and get the He receiver for under $10 (after rebate).

If you do not want to keep DIRECTV for the two year term, you can pay the self-liquidating "early termination" penalty or just return the H20 and pay nothing.

-Robert

 

[mcbeevee]

According to D*'s website, the H20 $200 rebate is for new customers only. Are existing customers qualified to get the rebate too?
http://www.directv.com/see/landing/hdrebate_prosp.html

 

[aec4]

Any (including used equipment) HD receiver activated triggers the 2 yr. commitment.

Your best bet is to get your H20 from your favorite dealer and take the $200 mail-in rebate. That way you'll get the 5 yr. extended warranty, pay no tax and get the He receiver for under $10 (after rebate).

If you do not want to keep DIRECTV for the two year term, you can pay the self-liquidating "early termination" penalty or just return the H20 and pay nothing.

-Robert

Well it definitely seems like BS that if I get a receiver, do not activate any sort of rebate, and have it to REPLACE my receiver, not as a new receiver (I have 4, can't have 5 without a multiplexer or whatever it's called), that I'd be tied to D* for 2 years.

What will probably happen? I'll do nothing, and switch to cable. This would be one of the straws. I loved DirecTV for years. Their customer service has gone downhill like you can not believe. I have no interest in tying myself to them for 2 years. The only way I'd do that is if I could suspend my account from January - September, and use it for football. However, you can't suspend while you are in the contract.

 

[tiraggi]

Any (including used equipment) HD receiver activated triggers the 2 yr. commitment.
Your best bet is to get your H20 from your favorite dealer and take the $200 mail-in rebate. That way you'll get the 5 yr. extended warranty, pay no tax and get the He receiver for under $10 (after rebate).
If you do not want to keep DIRECTV for the two year term, you can pay the self-liquidating "early termination" penalty or just return the H20 and pay nothing.
-Robert

Robert, I bought a preowned ts 360 samsung HD receiver and activated thru D*. Are you telling me that as soon as I activated it I committed to two more years without me being informed ahead of time? No CSR ever mentioned any commitment when I called to activate. Please elaborate if you can. Thanks

 

[lou_do]

Are you telling me that as soon as I activated it I committed to two more years without me being informed ahead of time? No CSR ever mentioned any commitment when I called to activate.

That is exactly what happened to me. I bought a new unit, to replace an existing unit that died, and was never told anything about a two year commitment. Never signed anything, only have a sales slip. Took it home and called D* to activate it, again, not a word said about any two year commitment. I didn't know about it until my next months bill came and I saw it on the bill. I called D* about it and was told it is an automatic agreement they add when you buy new HD or DVR equipment. You can find out if they added it to your account by signing into your account on their web site. If they added it, it will be shown under your Programing Services.

 

[wolfman]

According to D*'s website, the H20 $200 rebate is for new customers only. Are existing customers qualified to get the rebate too?
http://www.directv.com/see/landing/hdrebate_prosp.html

Yes. go to www.directv.com/dvrrebate