How do i order Directv from canada

[Rapido20007]

I live in vancouver BC and i want to subscribe to direct tv online from the Directv website. I don't understand because it asks me for an american Zip code and address and it won't accept a canadian zip code.

Sorry if this is a dumb question...i'm a newbie.

 

[harshness]

DIRECTV is not allowed to offer programming in the Great White North.

 

[nmstough]

dont give up

I live in vancouver BC and i want to subscribe to direct tv online from the Directv website. I don't understand because it asks me for an american Zip code and address and it won't accept a canadian zip code.

Sorry if this is a dumb question...i'm a newbie.

Dont give up just because someone tells you its illegal. Its not, as long as you pay for the service. You really do need a US physical and billing address to subscribe (these need not be the same). It doesnt matter if you arent there - you can take your bills by email. Here are the issues:

1. It would help if you have a friend in the US, who can help you set up your service using his credit card and address. If he is already subscribing to DirecTV, even better. Then you can just add your receivers to his "mirror".

2. Otherwise think about where you want DirecTV to think your dish is located. Probably it should be either in the New York or Los Angeles area, since those network feeds are on the national beam. Vancouver might be able to be in the spot beam from Seattle, so that also might be an option.

3. You will have to buy your own receivers, dish and pay to have it installed. You can use one of the online calculators to set your azimuth, elevation and tilt, rather than use a zip code method.

4. You also need a VOIP phone like Vonage or Skype to make a call to DirecTV to activate your service once your dish is set up.

Once you get it going, its fantastic. You have lots of HD channels like Fox Business that isnt available in Canada as well as the old favorites like ESPN and HBO. And its much cheaper too with the elevated Canadian dollar. Enjoy.

 

[iwc5893]

Dont give up just because someone tells you its illegal. Its not, as long as you pay for the service.

Care to cite your source for this legal advice? Per the D* website, they are legally prohibited from providing service to Canada or Mexico.

You really do need a US physical and billing address to subscribe (these need not be the same). It doesnt matter if you arent there - you can take your bills by email. Here are the issues:

1. It would help if you have a friend in the US, who can help you set up your service using his credit card and address. If he is already subscribing to DirecTV, even better. Then you can just add your receivers to his "mirror".

Using someone else's credit card to subscribe to D* - that would be fraud

2. Otherwise think about where you want DirecTV to think your dish is located. Probably it should be either in the New York or Los Angeles area, since those network feeds are on the national beam. Vancouver might be able to be in the spot beam from Seattle, so that also might be an option.

3. You will have to buy your own receivers, dish and pay to have it installed. You can use one of the online calculators to set your azimuth, elevation and tilt, rather than use a zip code method.

4. You also need a VOIP phone like Vonage or Skype to make a call to DirecTV to activate your service once your dish is set up.

Once you get it going, its fantastic. You have lots of HD channels like Fox Business that isnt available in Canada as well as the old favorites like ESPN and HBO. And its much cheaper too with the elevated Canadian dollar. Enjoy.

To the OP...you might want to think about the advice given here and make your own decision. D* does go after people who illegally receive their service, even in Canada. Here's an article from a couple of years ago. D* Targets Canadian Suspects

You need to make your own choice based upon what you are willing to risk in order to get it.

 

[Rapido20007]

Thanks all of you for the advice...

 

[iceturkee]

Care to cite your source for this legal advice? Per the D* website, they are legally prohibited from providing service to Canada or Mexico.



Using someone else's credit card to subscribe to D* - that would be fraud



To the OP...you might want to think about the advice given here and make your own decision. D* does go after people who illegally receive their service, even in Canada. Here's an article from a couple of years ago. D* Targets Canadian Suspects

You need to make your own choice based upon what you are willing to risk in order to get it.

thanks for your honest and upfront information.

 

[nmstough]

Care to cite your source for this legal advice? Per the D* website, they are legally prohibited from providing service to Canada or Mexico.



Using someone else's credit card to subscribe to D* - that would be fraud



To the OP...you might want to think about the advice given here and make your own decision. D* does go after people who illegally receive their service, even in Canada. Here's an article from a couple of years ago. D* Targets Canadian Suspects

You need to make your own choice based upon what you are willing to risk in order to get it.

There is a difference to whom the laws apply. It is illegal for DirecTV to market their services to Canadian residents. If DirecTV knows it is selling to a Canadian resident, then DirecTV would have violated the law. But a person who subscribes to DirecTV with a US address and happens to receive the signals north of the border is not breaking any laws. In this case as DirecTV does not know about this, there is no illegality.

I doubt that using a credit card for the initial subscription would be fraud. You can pay the bill every month using a checking account. Or take out a credit card with a US address. This is easy. Get a Canadian credit card and then "go to the US temporarily" and change your address.

It is definitely worth the minimal "risk". Why subject yourself to the outrageous Canadian censorship of US programming and channels? Many sports bars in Canada have Dish and DirecTV subscriptions, so why not you?

 

[iceturkee]

There is a difference to whom the laws apply. It is illegal for DirecTV to market their services to Canadian residents. If DirecTV knows it is selling to a Canadian resident, then DirecTV would have violated the law. But a person who subscribes to DirecTV with a US address and happens to receive the signals north of the border is not breaking any laws. In this case as DirecTV does not know about this, there is no illegality.

I doubt that using a credit card for the initial subscription would be fraud. You can pay the bill every month using a checking account. Or take out a credit card with a US address. This is easy. Get a Canadian credit card and then "go to the US temporarily" and change your address.

It is definitely worth the minimal "risk". Why subject yourself to the outrageous Canadian censorship of US programming and channels? Many sports bars in Canada have Dish and DirecTV subscriptions, so why not you?

because, bottom line, its still illegal......repeat, illegal.....as its against the law. what part are you failing to understand?

that's like my landlord telling me the cable company forgot to turn someone's cable off when they moved so it makes it alright for him to steal it!

 

[robjlevin]

because, bottom line, its still illegal......repeat, illegal.....as its against the law. what part are you failing to understand?

that's like my landlord telling me the cable company forgot to turn someone's cable off when they moved so it makes it alright for him to steal it!

Your analogy is severely flawed. Who said anything about STEALING?

There are plenty of people north and south of the border PAYING for service from the other side of said border.

If this is a crime then it rates well below jaywalking on the scale of severity.

And paying for that service using a friends credit card...with that friend's consent is most certainly NOT FRAUD.

 

[randyk47]

While it isn't stealing it certainly is fraud. The fraud is that, in this case, a Canadian is using an American's credit card account for a fraudalent purpose. Whether the American agrees to it or not is not the issue. The arrangement, agreed upon or not, is to circumvent a law. The merit of the law that says D* cannot provide satellite TV services is a whole different discussion.

 

[Mr Tony]

so use your own credit card for cripes sake. I have a StarChoice system and they bill my US credit card (the same one I just bought gasoline with) each month. I get the conversion rate (which aint the best right now).

But I have a "canadian address" and they bill my US credit card. Honestly as long as DirecTV gets their money, they don't care what cc it comes from.

 

[robjlevin]

Ditto...BEV here in the southern provinces paid monthly with my US credit card and US billing address. Hell, I don't even know what my Canadian address is.

They get their money. I get my programming. What a crime.

 

[randyk47]

Agree that the law doesn't make sense. I'll make an assumption it's a Canadian law. What is the purpose?

 

[iceturkee]

Your analogy is severely flawed. Who said anything about STEALING?

There are plenty of people north and south of the border PAYING for service from the other side of said border.

If this is a crime then it rates well below jaywalking on the scale of severity.

And paying for that service using a friends credit card...with that friend's consent is most certainly NOT FRAUD.

because they are using a us address when they live in canada. and directv's policy clearly says no service in canada. so yes, its fraud at best.

 

[Mr Tony]

As long as the address is in the US, there is no fraud. If I take my Dish system to a cabin in Thunder Bay is that fraud? no because my address on file is in the US.

Same with Starchoice & Expressvu. As long as its a Canadian address that's all they need

 

[iwc5893]

1. It would help if you have a friend in the US, who can help you set up your service using his credit card and address. If he is already subscribing to DirecTV, even better. Then you can just add your receivers to his "mirror".

This is the part that I was referring to as being possibly fraudulent.

 

[robjlevin]

Adding a receiver to a friend's account would be fraud and I don't think you'll find too many folks on this board condoning it. It's illegal no matter what side of the border you're on.

 

[randyk47]

I'll ask again.....if it's a Canadian law not to allow D* to market in Canada what is the purpose? I would imagine D* would be more than happy to sell to Canadian customers so I can't believe it's a company policy that's not driven by some law. I don't think there is a Canadian satellite TV company or maybe there is????

 

[harshness]

I don't think there is a Canadian satellite TV company or maybe there is????

There are at least two Canadian DBS companies: Bell ExpressVu and Star Choice.

 

[harshness]

If I take my Dish system to a cabin in Thunder Bay is that fraud? no because my address on file is in the US.

Yes, it is indeed fraud because you agreed to use the service only at your address on file.