Christmas Letdown

[stanswx]

Well I decided to purchase a refurbished DVR-40 off eBay for my parents as a Christmas gift. I had the seller throw in a new & sealed access card as well at no additional cost. So after surprising my parents with it this morning and running a 2nd 100 foot coax cable out to the multiswitch, I contacted DirecTV to do the equipment swap. All was going well until I gave them the access card # and told them it was purchased used and not as a lease. The lady sent me to another department to get it switched over to a used access card. After giving the 2nd lady the access number, she informed me that I could not use this access card on the receiver. I would have to purchase a $25 card from DirecTV to activate the receiver. If I'm lucky it will be here Friday, but that's a rough estimate. I've swapped receivers in the past and never had to do this, so I guess it's something new that came along with the lease crap? Anyone else experiencing this letdown as you try to activate a new receiver? Very frustrating, but I want them to be able to use the receiver so not much else I can do. Thanks!

Stan

 

[texasbrit]

Well I decided to purchase a refurbished DVR-40 off eBay for my parents as a Christmas gift. I had the seller throw in a new & sealed access card as well at no additional cost. So after surprising my parents with it this morning and running a 2nd 100 foot coax cable out to the multiswitch, I contacted DirecTV to do the equipment swap. All was going well until I gave them the access card # and told them it was purchased used and not as a lease. The lady sent me to another department to get it switched over to a used access card. After giving the 2nd lady the access number, she informed me that I could not use this access card on the receiver. I would have to purchase a $25 card from DirecTV to activate the receiver. If I'm lucky it will be here Friday, but that's a rough estimate. I've swapped receivers in the past and never had to do this, so I guess it's something new that came along with the lease crap? Anyone else experiencing this letdown as you try to activate a new receiver? Very frustrating, but I want them to be able to use the receiver so not much else I can do. Thanks!

Stan

This has been DirecTV policy for quite some time now...

 

[stanswx]

This has been DirecTV policy for quite some time now...

Well what good is it if the receiver includes a brand new access card if I have to go buy a new one from DirecTV? When I bought my DVR a few years back I was able to swap it with no problem and use the access card that came with it. Granted that was from Circuit City, so maybe that makes a difference. It would have been nice to know this in advance so I could have ordered the card ahead of time and had it ready for Christmas. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Can you use the access card from the receiver you are replacing?

 

[stanswx]

Can you use the access card from the receiver you are replacing?

I asked them that very question and they wouldn't let me. Not sure if it's technically not possible or if they just wanted my $25.

 

[charper1]

Not only has this been the policy at least 3 years or more; but they also will credit the new card fee back to your account if you activate within the 14 day window and ask. The fee helps assure you are legit, not scamming them for a card, makes sure you are using the most current card version and it will be FedEx'd to you. I have 3 used receivers bought over time since 1999 and they have always done this.

 

[grydlok]

I asked them that very question and they wouldn't let me. Not sure if it's technically not possible or if they just wanted my $25.

you can if your clever.

 

[stanswx]

you can if your clever.

I'm not even going to ask about that. I'll await my $25 piece of plastic to show up. Actually it was $20 for the card and $5 for the CSR to order it on the phone.

 

[dishrich]

I asked them that very question and they wouldn't let me. Not sure if it's technically not possible or if they just wanted my $25.

I have swapped cards for clients MANY times with NO problems. Once in a great while I get a CSR who "doesn't know how to do it", so I just try again & get another one who does. Nothing "clever" about it - D* WILL let you do a legit card swap card from a "defective" receiver to another one. Plus now that you are activating a NEW card, instead of swapping the old one, you now have put your parents on a 2-year committment for activating a new card. Swapping the card would not have incured this.
Oh well, lesson learned - ask "the experts" here FIRST & don't ALWAYS believe a CSR...

 

[icstephen]

My dad swaped out an old (dead) HD receiver for a new one and they did not send a new card so I tried to swap out the old card (they sent me a sheet to do this on the phone through an automated system). well it turned out that the new receiver had to have a newer card to work, so the genius CSR told me I would have to pay $20 for a new card and I said no...I told him it was my fault that they did'nt send the correct card with the receiver so he sent me one at no charge. Then he disables the old card...only problem is this bonehead disabled all the receivers in the house, something that I only found out after the fact...fortunately this was when you could still call retention and I got it fixed as wall as getting my dad free showtime and several programming credits for his trouble. D* would save themselves allot of headaches & money if they would train people a little bit...its not brain surgery.

 

[stanswx]

I have swapped cards for clients MANY times with NO problems. Once in a great while I get a CSR who "doesn't know how to do it", so I just try again & get another one who does. Nothing "clever" about it - D* WILL let you do a legit card swap card from a "defective" receiver to another one. Plus now that you are activating a NEW card, instead of swapping the old one, you now have put your parents on a 2-year committment for activating a new card. Swapping the card would not have incured this.
Oh well, lesson learned - ask "the experts" here FIRST & don't ALWAYS believe a CSR...

See now that makes more sense to me. I wasn't really in the mood to hang up and call again on Christmas day. (plus my cell phone needed charged too) That does suck about getting stuck with a 2 year commitment, but oh well. I like the service and programming from DirecTV, so 2 years shouldn't be a problem.

 

[stanswx]

My dad swaped out an old (dead) HD receiver for a new one and they did not send a new card so I tried to swap out the old card (they sent me a sheet to do this on the phone through an automated system). well it turned out that the new receiver had to have a newer card to work, so the genius CSR told me I would have to pay $20 for a new card and I said no...I told him it was my fault that they did'nt send the correct card with the receiver so he sent me one at no charge. Then he disables the old card...only problem is this bonehead disabled all the receivers in the house, something that I only found out after the fact...fortunately this was when you could still call retention and I got it fixed as wall as getting my dad free showtime and several programming credits for his trouble. D* would save themselves allot of headaches & money if they would train people a little bit...its not brain surgery.

That sucks! A lot of companies need to completely rethink their customer service centers. Everyone needs to be on the same page because this stuff is nuts. I guess that's another lesson learned, never call customer service on Christmas! You'll get all the ticked off people who were stuck working the holiday.

 

[icstephen]

That sucks! A lot of companies need to completely rethink their customer service centers. Everyone needs to be on the same page because this stuff is nuts. I guess that's another lesson learned, never call customer service on Christmas! You'll get all the ticked off people who were stuck working the holiday.

funny thing is the girl (very nice I might add) in retention said that the card should have been sent with the receiver in the first place and that they should have known that the old card would not work in the new receiver (totally different look and number on the card). She also said that he should have not been charged for a new card for 2 reasons one it should have come with the receiver and two that he had the maintenance plan...but the first guy (the one that wanted to charge for the card) was defensive and a bit rude from the get go, I stayed very nice and friendly but firm.

 

[stanswx]

funny thing is the girl (very nice I might add) in retention said that the card should have been sent with the receiver in the first place and that they should have known that the old card would not work in the new receiver (totally different look and number on the card). She also said that he should have not been charged for a new card for 2 reasons one it should have come with the receiver and two that he had the maintenance plan...but the first guy (the one that wanted to charge for the card) was defensive and a bit rude from the get go, I stayed very nice and friendly but firm.

Well I received a card from the guy I bought the receiver from (still sealed in its package) but they wouldn't let me use that one nor the one from the old receiver. I must have gotten the new CSR folks that were just out to make money for the company.

 

[grydlok]

I have swapped cards for clients MANY times with NO problems. Once in a great while I get a CSR who "doesn't know how to do it", so I just try again & get another one who does. Nothing "clever" about it - D* WILL let you do a legit card swap card from a "defective" receiver to another one. Plus now that you are activating a NEW card, instead of swapping the old one, you now have put your parents on a 2-year committment for activating a new card. Swapping the card would not have incured this.
Oh well, lesson learned - ask "the experts" here FIRST & don't ALWAYS believe a CSR...

1st you are replacing a defective ird.
2nd op is replacing standard ird a for sd tivo which is advanced product. If you follow the proper path you get a NO 85 percent of the time. However if your really clever with it you can get it done 95 percent of the time. I've did the card swap with old samsung's and new h20's.
It isn't always the new csr's that wont do it. Half the time they do it because they don't know any better. It's the csr's with experience and are well informed of proper practive that will not do it. Charper is right it's always been old ird new access card with the money refunded back to you.

 

[dishrich]

1st you are replacing a defective ird.

No, I'm NOT really - THAT'S why "defective" is in quotes...
I just tell them that - get it... (how ARE they going to know the diference)

2nd op is replacing standard ird a for sd tivo which is advanced product. If you follow the proper path you get a NO 85 percent of the time. However if your really clever with it you can get it done 95 percent of the time. I've did the card swap with old samsung's and new h20's.

Well, I'm just telling you how I've ALWAYS done it - whether it's right or not w/D*, I really don't care. It should be right, since it is just an equipment swap, particulary it it's swapping to a used receiver anyway. I am working for my clients, NOT for the whims of D*, so if I can do something to help them out with little or no trouble, so be it. I have NO incentive to keep a customer hooked on D* for another 2 years (that's NOT how you keep customers IMHO) so if I can save them that, I will.

And again, every one I've done so far has been successful, so I'm not messing with success.

 

[stanswx]

Well the new card came today, not via Fedex but via USPS priority mail! There was no signature required, imagine that. I will attempt to activate it later tonight, hopefully there's no further problems. Wish me luck!

 

[stanswx]

Well the new card came today, not via Fedex but via USPS priority mail! There was no signature required, imagine that. I will attempt to activate it later tonight, hopefully there's no further problems. Wish me luck!

Well after a 20 minute phone call with DirecTV, the DVR is up and running! I had them switch it from leased to owned as well, so there won't be any contract extensions per the CSR. Of course I then had to spend an hour waiting for v6.2 to download as this was still running 3.1.1e. Now it's just downloading the guide data and other stuff so I'll be able to pick shows to record later on. Whew! Thanks! Happy New Year to all!