package deal

[sally V]

My mom, who is an eighty five year old who is clueless when it comes to electronics, recently replied to a Direct TV promotion flyer. It advertised two packages, one for $29.99 and one for $39.99. She ordered the higher package(Choice EXTRA). It CLEARLY states that it comes with a FREE HD DVR upgrade, 50 more channels and free professional installation. When the installer left he had her sign the order form and left. She called me because she could not record any programs. I realized the problem at once. None of the receivers installed was a DVR. When I called Direct TV I was told,are you ready for this, sense she didn't catch the mistake before signing off on the installation and the receivers she did get were already activated she could only have her DVR if she payed an extra $100.00. Is this right???









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[MikeinBaja]

No - it isn't right. Push back firmly (buy nicely) and remind them of their contractual obligations under the teaser ad,

 

[Van]

You can also play the " your company took advantage of an elderly woman who gets confused easily and I wonder how that would look on the 6 oclock news" bit. No offense to your mother but satellite is not something ment for the vast majority of seniors only in that most are not up to date on current technology, heck when I installed dish I had people in their 20's that would look at the remote and go "huh?" Also if your mother is under a family members care and that family member has power of atorney over her and her estate including finances then the contract could possibly be null and void.

Hope this works out for you and my advice is sit down and talk with her and make it clear that in the future she should talk with you about any purchases and orders for any kind of service and that it is very important for you or another member of your family to be present when someone comes out to install service. You never know what kind of person the service man or installer could be.

 

[Liquidforce88]

My mom, who is an eighty five year old who is clueless when it comes to electronics, recently replied to a Direct TV promotion flyer. It advertised two packages, one for $29.99 and one for $39.99. She ordered the higher package(Choice EXTRA). It CLEARLY states that it comes with a FREE HD DVR upgrade, 50 more channels and free professional installation. When the installer left he had her sign the order form and left. She called me because she could not record any programs. I realized the problem at once. None of the receivers installed was a DVR. When I called Direct TV I was told,are you ready for this, sense she didn't catch the mistake before signing off on the installation and the receivers she did get were already activated she could only have her DVR if she payed an extra $100.00. Is this right???

tv

Always read the small print on those adds.

Also I am sure it says someplace on the flyer that says "FREE HD UPGRADE, 50 more channels and free installation". But you have to read, that does not mean you get HD free, 50 more channels free, or that no matter what the install will be free. HD costs more, those 50 extra channels are HD versions of SD channels for the most part, and install is not always free, standard install is.

It is the customers job to know what they are getting.

But I feel your pain with things like this. Those flyers are always misleading if you don't read the whole thing.

 

[iwc5893]

Always read the small print on those adds.

Also I am sure it says someplace on the flyer that says "FREE HD UPGRADE, 50 more channels and free installation". But you have to read, that does not mean you get HD free, 50 more channels free, or that no matter what the install will be free. HD costs more, those 50 extra channels are HD versions of SD channels for the most part, and install is not always free, standard install is.

It is the customers job to know what they are getting.

But I feel your pain with things like this. Those flyers are always misleading if you don't read the whole thing.

Good point. In reading the OP, it struck me as odd that it was listed as a free HD DVR. Most of the ads I've seen have said a free upgrade to a HD or DVR receiver.

 

[sally V]

Good point. In reading the OP, it struck me as odd that it was listed as a free HD DVR. Most of the ads I've seen have said a free upgrade to a HD or DVR receiver.

Thanks people for the replies. I have the mailer in front of me and the CHOICE EXTRA package, which my mom ordered, definitely includes (written in big blue letters) ..1.Over 200 all-digital channels 2.free for three months HBO etc. 3.FREE HD DVR Receiver upgrade ($199 value) 4.free standard professional installation, no equipment to buy, no start up costs. The fine print on the bottom says free HD DVR upgrade only available with CHOICE EXTRA or higher. A little follow up..I finally got in email touch with a so called sells rep 'specialist' who claims my mom was sent a confirmation letter on her original phone order (four receivers+dish) stating that the installer would be out to install a dish and four standard receivers and activate the service. I guess my old mom,who uses one of those magnifiers to read, didn't catch the word 'four' in the letter. According to the DirecTV 'specialist' she had apple time to correct the confirmation letter for the original install so if they swap one of the standard receivers for the free DVR advertised as included in her package it would constitute a second installation and the free DVR only applies to the original installation.

 

[memory]

My mom, who is an eighty five year old who is clueless when it comes to electronics, recently replied to a Direct TV promotion flyer. It advertised two packages, one for $29.99 and one for $39.99. She ordered the higher package(Choice EXTRA). It CLEARLY states that it comes with a FREE HD DVR upgrade, 50 more channels and free professional installation. When the installer left he had her sign the order form and left. She called me because she could not record any programs. I realized the problem at once. None of the receivers installed was a DVR. When I called Direct TV I was told,are you ready for this, sense she didn't catch the mistake before signing off on the installation and the receivers she did get were already activated she could only have her DVR if she payed an extra $100.00. Is this right???









tv

THIS IS S PAIN I have had WO after WO where this is happening and there is a ad that says FREE HD DVR UPGRADE!!!!!! I dont understand why DTV cant get this right cause it puts me in a awkward situation at times and the customer is usually pretty upset!!!

 

[joed32]

Sometimes you have to call more than once, sometimes many times to get to someone who can help you. I would say that the installer made a mistake in giving her the wrong unit and you would like them to fix it.

 

[iwc5893]

THIS IS S PAIN I have had WO after WO where this is happening and there is a ad that says FREE HD DVR UPGRADE!!!!!! I dont understand why DTV cant get this right cause it puts me in a awkward situation at times and the customer is usually pretty upset!!!

And sometimes, the customer doesn't ask for the upgrade when they make the order. It sucks, I know, since we're the ones that the customer gets upset with.

 

[jjnemoiii]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys Sally V!

 

[sally V]

Thank you all for the replies. Well it all came down to buyer beware of the FINE print. I gave my eighty five year old mom a mild scolding about replying to fliers that 'promise' free things without letting me know first. Seems she was entitled to a free HD receiver but only if she added the HD programming to the special offer (fine print) and as far as the free DVR is concerned she had to actually 'request' the rebate when she called or they won't include it. Its not an automatic part of the package like it infers in the ad. Again thanks to everybody for their input.