I would like to provide feedback on my recent service call.

This is a public forum full of customers, we don’t work for DIRECTV. The Gemini can be used as both a wireless and wired Genie client with the HS17, so that is not true. 

Sending a link to your phone for the camera seems quite fishy. I haven’t heard of such a thing before. 

The best way to express your concern is calling DIRECTV (number in my greeting below) and saying “cancel” to the robot to be sent to the retention/loyalty department. There, you can both explain your scenario as well as threaten to cancel. Perhaps, that will get things fixed. 

Thank you and yes, I do realize this is a public forum and hoping someone from DirecTV will review and provide something other thank their public number for feedback. I've tried the public number and it takes me back to the same service desk that I encountered the issues above to begin with. I have two wireless Gemini boxes so I know the information I was initially provided was incorrect. And the link to take over the camera on my phone is not only phishy, its completely unacceptable and sets the expectation with other users that clicking these types of links is ok.

Gemini is wired or wireless, unlike Mini Genie Clients which wireless versions (C41W and C61W) are not wired capable.

Received water logged equipment??? That is something I never would have expected from DirecTV. Wonder if 3rd party retailer or shipping caused issues, but either way that is bad.

Link to take control of camera is extremely sketchy. I wouldn't trust that personally.

You say you've called the "public" number. Is that the ones we've shared or something else? Just want to be sure you're getting the actual company and not something concerning.

Yeah, getting the soaked equipment was a new one. The oddity was that I received 2 Gemini boxes at the same time. One was fine the other was water logged. So I contacted Gemini support to activate the first box and they did not even mention sending me a link to take control of my camera. When I received the replacement box a week later and contacted Gemini support for activation, he said is was their new policy to use the camara to see what was going on. I refused and simply read the mac address to him. After I refused, he became agitated with me and after activating the new box, he simply told me "I am done" and hung up. Extremely sketchy. I used the 800 number provided on DirecTV's website to try and provide feedback only to be directed to what I believe was the same call center. 

@rays0110 

Have you tried calling the main 800-531-5000? Also, you need to say ‘cancel’ to the robot when they ask the reason for your call. That will send you to more experienced agents from the retention/loyalty department. 

Yes, I have tried that number. Good advice on saying 'cancel' to the bot, I may give another swing at this.

If after that you still have issues, I would file a BBB complaint. Water logged and gain access to your cell phone camera are huge concerns.

When setting up the Gemini they do request that you click on a link to access the camera on a cell phone. They ask you to point your phone at the TV  so they can see the download process. Nothing sketchy about it. You could probably decline it if you were paranoid about it. 

Considering what can accidently (or purposefully) shown on a cell phone camera, I view it as a very bad idea. Never mind once you have given permission to remote (hack) into your phone, what remaining access might there be.

If it is official, I personally would decline it every time. And there have been enough issues with compromized accounts and scams out there (lot on the dark web, but sometimes there is suspicion of an insider threat at the company with a bad agent or two). Giving more "Big Brother" access is not something I would suggest. We may be in a very connected world, but I'd like to draw the line somewhere so this doesn't become "1984".

As a cybersecurity professional, setting the expectation that legitimate organizations are now sending links to "take control" of the camera on your personal cell phone is an extremely bad practice as it now conditions an end user that clicking on links and having service centers take control is somehow ok.  In addition, it opens the door for a potential malicious insider at any of these organization to remain resident on your personal device. Think about the data you store and tell me if your still ok with this. Good luck if you are.