revisiting the 2004 smart card swap

[schneider21]

I've got an old 508 that i just brought back online today (m 501 finally died, and the 508 is coming back after being offline for 4 years) and I get the error message that says "smart card needs to be replaced - please call......"

I finally get a hold of a CSR who knows what I'm talking about and they want to charge me $50 to replace the card.

I understand that I'm probably way out of designated time-frame i which they expected to exchange the cards, but it seems a bit ridiculous to charge someone to swap out a card for a security upgrade that really, doesn't benefit me (in that it doesn't add channels or improve quality).

And here I thought I was doing them a favor - by self-diagnosing the 501 being dead and not asking for a replacement receiver

 

[chaddux]

It does benefit you because you can actually use that receiver again. That's a pretty good benefit.

 

[schneider21]

there's always one in every crowd :0

 

[schneider21]

actually, i can't get the receiver to find 110 either (though the 501 had it earlier in the day).
I fear i may be S.o.L.....

Assuming i troubleshoot everything and still can't find the 110 satellite, what are the odds that i can get it replaced (or the 501, which was active on an sccount for 6 years, up til today)?

 

[Mr Tony]

The 501 you could probably have replaced....Wonder why they want to charge you $50 for a card? I'd get it updated with the newest software and get it set to go. Call in and use tech support and tell them you have a blue card...CSR roulette might work

I got a new card in a DIsh 5000 about a year ago for free

 

[Jordan420]

Why were you using the 501 for the last 4 years & not the 508? The 508 has more storage room & neither had a DVR fee.

 

[diu.steve]

actually, i can't get the receiver to find 110 either (though the 501 had it earlier in the day).
I fear i may be S.o.L.....

Assuming i troubleshoot everything and still can't find the 110 satellite, what are the odds that i can get it replaced (or the 501, which was active on an sccount for 6 years, up til today)?

update to the latest software, that will probably fix the missing 110 problem. it is a software bug that some of the 510's in our warehouse still have.

 

[Claude Greiner]

FYI, if you RA the receiver and send it back in with the blue card they will send you one with a yellow card!

 

[TheKrell]

I got a new card in a DIsh 5000 about a year ago for free

I got a new card for my 4900 last December for free, and I didn't even subscribe the receiver to my account! (It went to my mother for Sky Angel reception.)

 

[schneider21]

Why were you using the 501 for the last 4 years & not the 508? The 508 has more storage room & neither had a DVR fee.

i never expected the 501 to last this long.

 

[rcdallas]

Claude pretty much hit it. I would just call in and play stupid, tell them the reciever wont power up ask them to send you a new one.

Hopefully there is no notes on the account, even then rukish smukish wouldn't know the difference.

 

[schneider21]

one problem fixed - CSR roulette worked, in that i got one that let me vent a little bit (if i buy a car that was recalled 4 years ago but was never brought back to the garage, the manufacturer will still honor the recall 4, 6, 8 years later because it was them who wanted it fixed. not me).

They waived the fee this one time (made sure to know it would never be waived again) and new card is on the way.

I'm hoping the new card will also solve the 110 issue.
If not, looks like it's back to the phones.
Which stinks. Cuz in the 6 years i had the 501, I never had them once. Lucky me

 

[Stargazer]

Can't they charge you a NPF (No Problem Found Fee) if you send a receiver back and they find no problems with it? Or does that only apply to retailers? I've never had it happen to me and never heard of it happening to my customers so I am unsure about this.

 

[schneider21]

speaking of swaps - I haven't paying as close of attention to the forums as I use to.
what's the status of the mpeg4 conversion and has Charlie decided how they're gonna approach the old equipment issue yet?

 

[Zero327]

FYI, if you RA the receiver and send it back in with the blue card they will send you one with a yellow card!

Only for retailers. Otherwise he'll stare down the barrel of an out of warranty fee, 49.99, so still $50. And no, customers don't get charged NPF, only retailers.

 

[kb7oeb]

Since your 501 is dead I wonder why they didn't just let you use the card from the 501 in the 508

 

[schneider21]

cards are married to their receivers. you can't move them

 

[kb7oeb]

Dish can and has unmarried them so they could be used in another box. Directv also did it once for me a long time ago.

 

[schneider21]

huh...
must take a lot of sweet-talking and patience.
I made a quick mention of it to the CSR, knowing (or thought that i knew) that they couldn't be moved. Of course, she said as much.

 

[schneider21]

update - card swap complete.

my 501 is officially dead (as soon as it locks in to the sats, it powers off/on - in a never ending cycle)
my 508 is hooked up and working flawlessly.

Now, if i get another 6 years out of the 508, I might then be close to upgrading to something mpg4ish and hi-def