Help! Neighbor wants to steal my signal!

[growler]

My upstairs neighbor just told me she'd like to "hook in" to my satellite signal, and even offerred to pay a share of the bill. Well, I know this is totally illegal, and I don't want to do it. I love my DTV.

The problem is: The person is my landlord. I rent the apartment beneath her from her. So I can't tell her to eat s**t and bark at the moon. I need a way more, shall we say, diplomatic of getting her to drop the idea.

What excuses -- the more technical the better, since she doesn't know jack about that -- can I give her to tell her it's not possible?

Please help.

 

[bytre]

Tell her the satellite company requires that all receivers are plugged into the same phone line and regularly audits them. If you're found to be cheating, you lose all access and can be financially liable.

Its the truth, and a more diplomatic way of saying no than telling her to eat something.

 

[xccell]

For one thing tell her it is illegal. Then the next excuse would be satellite is not like cable, you have to have one line from the dish to the one receiver. Unless she wants to watch what you watch all the time, you could put in a splitter from the receiver to your tv and hers.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[Roger Allen]

To save the neighbors feelings........Just tell her to pick up a six-pack and a couple of Big Macks and come on down to your apartment and spend the evening....this could be blessing in disguise.....Ps....does she have a sister..?.........good luck ......
..........3500Sd ...Roger

 

[mcbeevee]

If your dish has unused outputs, you could tell her she can run a line to the dish, but must have her own D* account, receiver, and phone line.

 

[jpn]

The landlord probably doesn't understand how satellite works. So just explain the basics.

AVOID discussing anything about what is (or is not) LEGAL, and AVOID saying anything about violations of your D* agreement.

You can make it sound nice by offering her the use of one of the outputs from your dish. Then explain that she can't run the wire directly into the TV, it needs a D* rcvr. Then explain that EVERY D* rcvr must have a land-based telephone line connected (NOT a cell-phone).

Then tell her that logically, a rcvr in her apartment must be connected to HER phone, so she would need her OWN account.

If she has a comeback for all of that (like asking to run a phone lead from your apartment to hers, and connecting a new rcvr to it) explain that the new rcvr must be activated by D*, and requires a 2-year programming commitment. Tell her you're happy with D* now, but don't want to extend your commitment by 2 years at this time.

 

[CPanther95]

Do it, then call the FBI. Signal theft is a federal crime. Then offer to house sit for free while she's away.

Hard to believe society has reached the point where you need balls to refuse to do something illegal. The correct response is, "Gee, sorry ma'am, I'm not a criminal and I don't break the law."

 

[jakesnake3037]

Do it, then call the FBI. Signal theft is a federal crime. Then offer to house sit for free while she's away.

Hard to believe society has reached the point where you need balls to refuse to do something illegal. The correct response is, "Gee, sorry ma'am, I'm not a criminal and I don't break the law."

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!!

Do something illegal and then call the FBI. Who do you think would be going to jail?

Please think before you speak!!!

 

[CPanther95]

It was a joke - clearly the obvious answer is to tell her you aren't a criminal. Not sure what all the pussy-footing around is about - trying to come up with technical reasons, etc. as if you don't mind breaking the law, but the technology is the only thing preventing it.

Grow a pair.

 

[jakesnake3037]

I hear ya!!!!

I would tell her to pay the whole bill and we had a deal!!!

 

[CJPC]

There is all that, but just say that you need an additional authorized receiver, and D* wont give you anymore because (of some stupid reason)

So, it dont make the landlord look stupid (not knowing how the sat signals work), and you dont get evicted !

 

[dodge]

Landlord wants directv

You guys are blowing thiw ay out of proportion, she just probably does not want to put up another dish, just let her use the extra outputs and have her get her own recievers and accounts.

 

[scotsmanron]

Gee, some of you guys act like you never lived in an apartment before!!! Growler may be a student. He may be just an average Joe that can't afford to piss off the landlord. Who knows, but he could be inbetween a rock and a hard place. Sure it's illegal. Sure he doesn't want to do it. But just telling her to take a flying leap isn't always the best answer.

And if you all knew me in person, you would REALLY be surprised to hear me council restraint!!! LOL!!!

 

[jaybertx]

I hear ya!!!!

I would tell her to pay the whole bill and we had a deal!!!

Woah but then HE would be stealing the signal and have to call the FBI to turn himself in!

 

[HCI]

you could say DTV will not let you have any more receivers on your account.

 

[alta]

So far I haven't seen anyone give any credit to he landlord. The assumption is always that the LL is clueless about how D* works. The LL might very well know that there's no reason that they couldn't get a receiver, take $5/mos it off the rent and hook up.

 

[telecaster]

Weeell...Here is what I would do.
Call DTV,tell them you wanna add another room.
Installer will come out and hook it up.Have him hook it up in a spare bedroom or sumthin.
Then you take that reciever and give it to her and tell her to take about 75 off your rent every month.

 

[CPanther95]

Whatever you do, get it in writing. I'm sure your apartment lease/rental agreement is in writing, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

Last thing you want is to get stuck with an access card full of PPV charges when you leave - or have the $20 a month you reduced your rent by taken out of your security deposit when you leave. Also, reduce your account to Total Choice only before doing anything. Once that total is split, she's welcome to add whatever channels she wants, but you don't want to pay a share of the upgrade since you "never watch those channels".