Information everyone must know about the Lease Program:

[LonghornXP]

As the title says this is everything you all "must" know about the lease program. To read more about it please view the link below from my website that goes into the details you need to know. If you read something you don't quite understand please let me know and I'll try and clarify it better for you.

http://www.longhornxp.net/directv-urgent.html

 

[PATONENOW]

Very Informative Article

Thank you so much for writing that as I hope it helps many persons. By leasing now it is just like throwing money out the window and worse you will never get out of debt with D*. For some of those money amounts mentioned a person should consider going back to the big dish that started it all and have change left over. And best HD with NO compression.I wish some could see the difference. When the little dishes started I fell into it but made up my mind if the day came that they got too greedy I would have my big satellites to fall back on.
I know many are in different positions but if D* don't get their act togeather soon someone else just may do that.

 

[LonghornXP]

Thank you so much for writing that as I hope it helps many persons. By leasing now it is just like throwing money out the window and worse you will never get out of debt with D*. For some of those money amounts mentioned a person should consider going back to the big dish that started it all and have change left over. And best HD with NO compression.I wish some could see the difference. When the little dishes started I fell into it but made up my mind if the day came that they got too greedy I would have my big satellites to fall back on.
I know many are in different positions but if D* don't get their act togeather soon someone else just may do that.

Please keep in mind that I've just been called with specific corrections that DirecTV has told me about themselves.

A customer that cancels service within the first 24 months and returns all leased hardware will only pay the pro-rated programming charge of no more than 150 bucks. Now if you don't return the hardware after cancelling service you will be charged the per box charges and it doesn't make a difference if you cancel during or after your two year agreement.

 

[Jimbo]

As the title says this is everything you all "must" know about the lease program. To read more about it please view the link below from my website that goes into the details you need to know. If you read something you don't quite understand please let me know and I'll try and clarify it better for you.

http://www.longhornxp.net/directv-urgent.html

LonghornXP,
There has to be lawyers looking into the valadity of this type of agreement.
From what is mentioned here, and I am not disputing this info in any way,
If you sign up with D* after March 1st (which is NOW) . and say you have D*'s equipment, seeing there is no other choice for thier service, you have D* for 5 years or 5 minutes , or till you die, if you ever decide to go else where you will be required to pay these payback charges, in varying amounts.

Personally I think D* is making a huge mistake, once everyone finds out about this.

Q. I know E has a leaseing program, does it also work like this, where you pay for the product (about full price, btw) then have to pay money to quit thier service ?

I have never had E service , so I do not know...... I thought D* saw E's lease working well and addopted it, apperantly not.....

I predict D* 's sales dropping when word gets out.

Jimbo

 

[x1hdtv]

Longhorn thanks for clearing this up for us. I hope the new subscribers really read the fine print in this new lease plan as it will cost alot of money to be layed out starting and ending their service if they are going HD. This is really going to make cable providers look better because of no up front cost.
I would like to ask about us current subscribers. I own all of my equipment (2 tivodvr & 2 HDtivo). We are scheduled to have the local HD channels coming in April. I do not plan to upgrade then as I receive all of the locals now OTA. But what happens to us when they offer an upgrade to the mpeg4 receivers? Talk is we will get new mpeg4 hddvr exchanged for free or little money down, Will I then be placed in a leased program and have to give back my new equipment if I decide to go somewhere else for my TV viewing?

 

[LonghornXP]

Longhorn thanks for clearing this up for us. I hope the new subscribers really read the fine print in this new lease plan as it will cost alot of money to be layed out starting and ending their service if they are going HD. This is really going to make cable providers look better because of no up front cost.
I would like to ask about us current subscribers. I own all of my equipment (2 tivodvr & 2 HDtivo). We are scheduled to have the local HD channels coming in April. I do not plan to upgrade then as I receive all of the locals now OTA. But what happens to us when they offer an upgrade to the mpeg4 receivers? Talk is we will get new mpeg4 hddvr exchanged for free or little money down, Will I then be placed in a leased program and have to give back my new equipment if I decide to go somewhere else for my TV viewing?

If you take the free or low cost upgrade you should still stay off the lease plan. If you buy a new box on your own only that new box would be part of the lease plan while your existing boxes would remain "off" the lease plan.

Now that doesn't mean that DirecTV or should I say Murdock might not get greedy yet again and require the replacement to be part of the lease plan. The way DirecTV has been running things and changing things I cannot say anymore that things won't change. As of this writing your replacement box should still be an owned box. Now when the box is available things could be different.

 

[vurbano]

So there is no equipment termination charge if you return the hardware.

 

[LonghornXP]

So there is no equipment termination charge if you return the hardware.

That is correct. If you cancel service within the first 24 months "and" return the hardware you would only have to pay the pro-rated 150.00 charge.

If you cancel service after the first 24 months "and" return the hardware you won't incur any charges whatsoever.

If you "don't" return the hardware back to DirecTV when you cancel you will incur all per box charges listed below. It doesn't make a difference if your within or after an agreement to be charged these fees below for not returning the boxes.

SD box = 55.00/box.
SD DVR = 200.00/box.
HD box - 240.00/box.
HD DVR - 470.00/box.

 

[vurbano]

That is correct. If you cancel service within the first 24 months "and" return the hardware you would only have to pay the pro-rated 150.00 charge.

If you cancel service after the first 24 months "and" return the hardware you won't incur any charges whatsoever.

If you "don't" return the hardware back to DirecTV when you cancel you will incur all per box charges listed below. It doesn't make a difference if your within or after an agreement to be charged these fees below for not returning the boxes.

SD box = 55.00/box.
SD DVR = 200.00/box.
HD box - 240.00/box.
HD DVR - 470.00/box.

Not a bad deal if they drop the upfront charge. I still cant see paying 500 bucks for the right to pay a rental fee. And then lose the 500 if you cancel.

 

[chadzx11]

What's it costing to get into D* these days?

Also, If I buy a used DTivo off the bay and try to activate it on april 29th, are they gonna tell me it's a "lease"?

 

[x1hdtv]

Not a bad deal if they drop the upfront charge. I still cant see paying 500 bucks for the right to pay a rental fee.

I agree the upfront cost is just to much for a box that is soon to be replaced with mpeg4.

 

[Stargazer]

$150 pro-rate charge is equal to ...

$6.25 per month x (24 minus the number of months you had your service).

Example - If I got DirecTv and kept it for 9 months. $6.25 x (24-9=15) = $93.75

 

[Barney]

Thanks Longhorn!
Its my understanding that the new HD STBs will be of no use if you cancel your sub with D*. The ATSC tuners shut off so you can't even use them for an OTA HD tuner. If thats true, buying one or leasing 'em, they are no good if you don't have D* service. So why would anyone not return the equipment....?

 

[vurbano]

$150 pro-rate charge is equal to ...

$6.25 per month x (24 minus the number of months you had your service).

Example - If I got DirecTv and kept it for 9 months. $6.25 x (24-9=15) = $93.75

Plus the money you spent to get the equipment to your door. You lose that.

 

[vurbano]

I thought the prorated amount was going to remain at 12.50 a month and the programming termination fee go to 300 dollars? When did that change LonghornXP?

 

[LonghornXP]

I thought the prorated amount was going to remain at 12.50 a month and the programming termination fee go to 300 dollars? When did that change LonghornXP?

Everything listed below has been read and checked based on my notes three times so you can hope my contacts didn't forget something else.

Now to get this right as I was thinking something else and typed another. This has been such a long day going back and forth and I'm starting too look like quite a fool right now.

Okay if you cancel service within the first 12 months (for accounts with no advanced receivers) or the first 24 months (for those with an advanced receiver on the account) this is what you will pay below.

For those with no advanced boxes on the account you will pay a pro-rated charge over 12 months of upto 150.00 per account (not per box).

For those of you with advanced boxes under the account you will pay a pro-rated charge over 24 months of upto 300.00 per account (not per box).

The charges for not returning the boxes to DirecTV are listed below and aren't related to anything above but will apply under all conditions and I mean all.

If you don't return the boxes back to DirecTV within 30 days of cancelling your service you will pay the following below and these fees are per box.

SD box is 55.00.
SD DVR is 200.00.
HD box is 240.00.
HD DVR is 470.00.

You will be charged these fees if you don't return the leased hardware back to DirecTV and it doesn't matter if you cancel before or after your two year agreement.

Also note if you complete your two year agreement and cancel service as long as you return back to DirecTV all leased hardware you will avoid any charges. At this stage the only charges you "could" be charged for would be the fee for not returning the hardware.

 

[RIRWIN1983]

If you take the free or low cost upgrade you should still stay off the lease plan. If you buy a new box on your own only that new box would be part of the lease plan while your existing boxes would remain "off" the lease plan.

Now that doesn't mean that DirecTV or should I say Murdock might not get greedy yet again and require the replacement to be part of the lease plan. The way DirecTV has been running things and changing things I cannot say anymore that things won't change. As of this writing your replacement box should still be an owned box. Now when the box is available things could be different.

i personaly will say, that if that is the case (the replacement is a leased one) that will leave them. ota here is non existant, and when i do hapen to get it, it drops out every outher minute, its not right to be punished for d* rolling out hd locals so slowly, esp to those areas where there arnt too many outher options.

 

[RIRWIN1983]

Thanks Longhorn!
Its my understanding that the new HD STBs will be of no use if you cancel your sub with D*. The ATSC tuners shut off so you can't even use them for an OTA HD tuner. If thats true, buying one or leasing 'em, they are no good if you don't have D* service. So why would anyone not return the equipment....?

to recover, or make extra money selling it on ebay

 

[lou_do]

Not a bad deal if they drop the upfront charge. I still cant see paying 500 bucks for the right to pay a rental fee. And then lose the 500 if you cancel.

That price will have to drop. Consumers are just not going to pay that kind of a price to lease a piece of equipment, when they have been paying that much or less to own the same piece of equipment. I may be wrong and consumers might be willing to pay that much as security, that if something goes wrong with their unit, it will be replaced free of charge. I don't have a problem with the lease concept, but that much for a lease DVR is a little to steep.

Question to DISH users, is the new DISH 622, that is selling for $ 699.99, a leased receiver or is it owned outright, like D* used to be?

I still use my VCR/DVD burner and was considering switching to the new H20-DVR when it came out, but now my old VCR/DVD burner is starting to look good again.

 

[lou_do]

to recover, or make extra money selling it on ebay

Buying on ebay is scary enough as it is now, but I would be afraid I might be buying a receiver that was supposed to be turned back in and someone is trying to sell it instead. You would be out the money and shipping you paid for the unit and I am sure that D* would not activate it.