DTV has gone insane-24 month for changing programming???

[brad1138]

This thread is wrong I will be making a new one to cover this crap....

Only time we extend contracts is when you get upgrades .

Otherwise no . Do mistakes happen where replacement reciver trigger new commitments yes are th valid no usually takes a little patience and politeness to get corrected. You fly off the handle when you hear the comittment then your not going to get anywhere. But I will be writting this all up in a new thread.

As Scott said, this IS happening to some customers. We had a customer in our shop, 2 days ago, talking to a D* CSR for 45+ minutes discussing why his contract was extended for 24 months (21 months left) when he had a receiver replaced, under wtty, 3 months ago. He also asked the CSR, point blank, "so your telling me that if I call in to change my programming, I will be commited to another 24 months?" and the CSR replied "yes". He at that point, got so mad he said he would probably be switching to Dish and hung up.

I know there are PLENTY of clueless CSR's out there but this still, right or wrong, did happen to him. I can't believe it is correct either, if this is their official policy, I think I will stop selling DTV. I know, at this time anyway, Dish does not do this.

Brad

 

[iceturkee]

since i'm adding cable saturday, i will be downgrading my programming significantly so i can basically maintain my sports subs. i hope there are no problems.

btw, i just added an hr21 pro to my account and there was no contract extension.

 

[talos4]

I just replaced a Series 2 Tivo a couple days ago with an HR21. The CSR was very clear that activating that DVR DID invoke a new 2 yr commitment.

Personally, It doesn't bother me. I've been a sub for nearly 12 yrs and don't plan on changing service at any time.

But, that's just me.

I lost track of my original service date a long time ago and have never thought of asking when it is so I can look for my Free appreciation gift.

 

[berck]

I just replaced a Series 2 Tivo a couple days ago with an HR21. The CSR was very clear that activating that DVR DID invoke a new 2 yr commitment.

You upgraded the equipment and that's what I was told would do it. Just replacing existing equipment isn't suppose to extend the contract (HR21 -> HR21).

 

[charper1]

I have changed programming services 2 times in the last 6 mos due to work travel and as expected, NO contract. Not one month, 12 mos or 24 mos, none.

 

[Stargazer]

I would NOT tolerate a 2 year, or even a 1 year extension or contract if a faulty receiver had to be replaced. I would tell them to come after their equipment and to SHOVE IT!!! They are taking advantage of their faulty equipment. Dish does not even do that crap. Several years ago I heard about Directv requiring a 1 year contract if you wanted to add a receiver to your account, EVEN IF IT WAS A USED RECEIVER!!!

Is there no option to purchase your own equipment without leasing with Directv? I believe it was Comcast, if I am not mistaken, that got sued by the Attorney General's office due to forcing customers to lease their equipment without an option to buy it.

 

[jcrandall]

Just remember this issue does not happen to everyone, but it is happening to some folks out there which makes the complaints from those people valid.

Adding programming or replacing a defective receiver is not supposed to restart the 24 month commitment, but for some folks it has and that needs to be fixed.

This is a key point. I have NEVER heard of someone having it extended for simply changing their programming package.

I HAVE heard of it happening to people calling in with a dead receiver for a replacement. In fact, a CSR tried to tell me I'd have a new 2 year contract when I had an HR20 die several months ago. They replaced it with a refurb HR21. The equipment is LEASED, DirecTV owns it, there should be NO contract extension for them to replace equipment THEY OWN.

Now, the exception, if I own the equipment, such as an older H20, pre March 2006 (lease model start date), then they could treat it as a hardware upgrade sale and require a new contract.


A side note, after explaining to the CSR that my boxes are leased, they must replace them and there should be no new contract extension required, she spoke to a supervisor and agreed. Most of these problems seem to be a CSR training issue, in my opinion.

 

[stonecold]

This is a key point. I have NEVER heard of someone having it extended for simply changing their programming package.

I HAVE heard of it happening to people calling in with a dead receiver for a replacement. In fact, a CSR tried to tell me I'd have a new 2 year contract when I had an HR20 die several months ago. They replaced it with a refurb HR21. The equipment is LEASED, DirecTV owns it, there should be NO contract extension for them to replace equipment THEY OWN.

Now, the exception, if I own the equipment, such as an older H20, pre March 2006 (lease model start date), then they could treat it as a hardware upgrade sale and require a new contract.


A side note, after explaining to the CSR that my boxes are leased, they must replace them and there should be no new contract extension required, she spoke to a supervisor and agreed. Most of these problems seem to be a CSR training issue, in my opinion.

Agreed most of it is bad csr training at times.

Now if an agent say changing programming would extend commit is full of it.

time programing and and contract ext should be mention are

NFL ST Offers that include Hardware

Movers Connection Offers that include hardware.


Replacement of own or lease receiver under protection plan should not cause contact ext. But does from time to time depending on how the agent orders the equip . * or lease recievers with out pp still will not by policy cause an ext.

Curiosity replacement of Owned hardware will cause an ext.

Or Basically anytime we hand out hardware is going to cause an ext.



And the only reason why i seriously doubt anyone has gotten contract ext due to programing change is I did with the system every day and add/changes services screen in our billing there just not connected.


The only and I mean only way I have ever seen anyone claim ext due to programing change is the people who get to the point past of a level 2 disconnect. Which cause a perm disc do to non payment. and a early term fee has applied. The system removes the commitment and if you come back with in a set time frame we credit back the etf and re restart there commitment. example if they had 3 months left we restart it at 3 months.


I often wont take DTV side as often I think tey do insane things. But the thread is just a giant rumor mill if dtv honestly on purpose trying to ext contracts due to program change we would not someone trying to fix it for any customer who might of had this happen.

 

[Van]

I've been through 3 or 4 receiver swaps since the start of service with durrrect and have had to argue with them on the contract extension twice so it does happen atleast on the end of the leased 2 year term equipment and refurbs. As much as I don't like dish for their many fee's and the way they treat their employee's I would take them back over durrrect at this point but fios is available and I just have to wait a bit.

 

[Van]

Well just called and they still had my December 24th 2008 H20 defective receiver replacement showing as a contract extension till December 2th 2010, this is the same receiver that after it was replaced the technician ordered $200 in porn on. Took a while but its now corrected but the listed the reason for the extension as my having upgraded to a dvr but I've been on an H21 since December.

 

[cfb]

Dish does not even do that crap.

Eh, they do some dumb stuff. Had a guy on the news last night, his house burned down in a big wildfire we had in the area and when he called dish to tell them about it, they said he'd still have to keep paying for it.

The newsrooms consumer hotline called dish and after a bit they decided they didnt want the bad publicity and told the guy he could cancel his service...

 

[Van]

Oh yea thats not the first time that has happened either. Last year or the year before the same thing happened in another wild fire or tornado and dish said the same exact thing and as a matter of fact it was discussed on this site.

 

[Milmanias]

i had a lightning strike that fried an hd dvr and another sd receiver and had them replaced in May. I called them after reading this thread and they had added time to my contract. They added a note to my account stating that my contract due date was supposed to be in October 2009.

 

[brad1138]

Oh yea thats not the first time that has happened either. Last year or the year before the same thing happened in another wild fire or tornado and dish said the same exact thing and as a matter of fact it was discussed on this site.

Although this sucks and seems heartless, why is it E*s or D*S responsibility to revoke the contract because of the customers bad luck. If you buy a car and total it 6 months later you still have to make the payments. You might have insurance that pays it off but your homeowners might pay off the rest of the Satellite contract also.

 

[Jimbo]

I think the issue is adding a 2 year commitment if your "Changing Programming ... that's just ridiculous .

I think the recvr commitment is a bad idea too, I don't mind the initial commitment, but after you serve your 2 years you should not have to from that point forward, you've shown your staying with them and in many of our cases, were not going anywhere.

 

[Rey]

I think the issue is adding a 2 year commitment if your "Changing Programming ... that's just ridiculous .

I think the recvr commitment is a bad idea too, I don't mind the initial commitment, but after you serve your 2 years you should not have to from that point forward, you've shown your staying with them and in many of our cases, were not going anywhere.

good post. this whole 24 month commitment is disgusting. hook me with this BS as a new customer but to involve any current customer under these contracts for 24 months or extend a current contract by that much more is ridiculous.

 

[vurbano]

good post. this whole 24 month commitment is disgusting. hook me with this BS as a new customer but to involve any current customer under these contracts for 24 months or extend a current contract by that much more is ridiculous.

Thats the business model. Pretty sad when you have to keep customers like prisoners. Quality should keep them, not contracts. One year should be the max contract by law for any TV service. The government should be regulating this kind of crap instead of screwing up important things.

 

[Jimbo]

Thats the business model. Pretty sad when you have to keep customers like prisoners. Quality should keep them, not contracts.

Are the other providers doing that too ?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I think the issue is adding a 2 year commitment if your "Changing Programming ... that's just ridiculous

I think in these cases it was because the customer got a special offer such as the Sunday Ticket for a very special price or even got the new customer promo pricing, I think these are the rare times which can trigger a commitment period.

 

[Jimbo]

I think in these cases it was because the customer got a special offer such as the Sunday Ticket for a very special price or even got the new customer promo pricing, I think these are the rare times which can trigger a commitment period.

So they didn't change the rules and are now adding commits for programming changes in general ?

If that's the case, that's good, it seemed like a pretty dumb idea from the beginning.

How about nudging them to drop commits for those that have already served thier original 2 year commit ?

Jimbo