New Member
Want replacement receiver/DVR
I am writing to tell you about the terrible service I recently received from your customer service people this week. I’ve been a DirecTV customer for more than 20 years. Up to this point I have been very happy with DirecTV and the service I got from it. I got my present HD receiver/DVR seven years ago when I upgraded my service to HD. The technician who installed the dish and receiver at that time was fast, polite and totally professional. About a year ago I noticed that my system was becoming unresponsive to remote commands. Sometimes I had to press a button 10-20 times to get the channel to change, the receiver response was slow as it sometimes took 20-30 seconds to change a channel resulting in me having to stare at a black screen until the channel came in. Changing the battery on the remote did not resolve the problem, no did resetting the receiver, refreshing the receiver or reconnecting to the internet. I called your customer service and asked to be sent a new receiver, figuring that in the past seven years, because of advances in technology, you must have a new, improved model. It took 15 minutes to explain to your customer service person what the problem was and what I wanted. I knew that I would be charged $99.00 for the new HD receiver/DVR and agreed to that. No problem there. She said that I would get the new unit in 3-5 days and to send the old one back. The new unit arrived yesterday. It was a HD receiver only and not a HD receiver/DVR. I confirmed this with the customer service rep I spoke with today. I was on the phone with him for 45 minutes trying to explain what happened and how I wanted the situation resolved. He had a hard time understanding what I wanted. His comprehension of the English language was very poor. He could not understand that I didn’t want an upgrade, but a replacement. After spending half of that 45 minutes on hold while he “spoke with his supervisors” I was told that a replacement HD receiver/DVR would cost me $199.00 and NOT the $99.00 as was advertised on your web site. When I pointed this discrepancy out to him, he insisted that the price was indeed $199.00. (Edited per community guidelines)? Is this “bait and switch?” At this point I was so frustrated that I told him to forget about replacing the unit. I will live with the problems the existing unit has. I told him I was returning the new unit I was sent (I mailed it today, Friday, April 1) and want a credit for the $99.00. He told me that he had to speak to his supervisors and would call me back within the hour. Fast-forward six hours . . . I’m still waiting for that call. I will be checking my credit card statement very carefully next month so see if I actually do get credit for the returned receiver.
My question is this: What is DirecTV going to do about this? Is there any way I can speak to someone who can understand what I want and actually do it? Am I going to get my credit?
John2296
New Member
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11 Messages
5 years ago
AT&T rents the receivers to it's customers on monthly basis. The receiver replacement should be completely free of cost. Only adding a new receiver or upgrading existing one should incur a one-time charge (waived if you're eligible for free equipment upgrade)
For better understanding, could you please share the model no. of your old and new receiver?
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21.3K Messages
5 years ago
First off DTV doesn't charge for replacing defective receivers but do charge $20 for shipping. $99 is the standard charge for an HX receiver or a mini and $199 for DVR's so it sounds like you added new equipment and started a new 2 year contract.
This is a customer to customer forum with no access to any accounts.
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jumper2001
New Member
5 years ago
My existing HD receiver/DVR is a HR21-700. The one they sent me was a H24-700
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21.3K Messages
5 years ago
DTV doesn't rent anything, it is a upfront lease fee for new equipment.
DTV should have sent an HR24 as that is the only model they have in stock.
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John2296
New Member
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11 Messages
5 years ago
Yeah looks like they have added a new HD receiver to your account. This is why you've been charged with $99 plus taxes and fee
Even if you remove this receiver and return it back, the one-time fee will not be refunded. Only the monthly rental charge of $7.00++ will be removed.
What happened to you is unacceptable. I highly recommend you to contact the retention team at 800-288-2020 and say "cancel my service" to get connected with a specialist. They might help you with the one-time adjustment or any available promotions or equipment offers.
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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2K Messages
5 years ago
You were totally screwed. You should have gotten another DVR and only pay $20 for shipping. You can try calling again but I suggest you escalate to corporate by filing an FCC or BBB complaint.
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21.3K Messages
5 years ago
But then there is the 2 year contract for getting new equipment.
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John2296
New Member
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11 Messages
5 years ago
I believe there will be no service agreement as he was charged $99 one time fee. If there was an agreement, the receiver would be added at free of cost.
(edited)
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jumper2001
New Member
5 years ago
Thanks for the phone number of the retention team. I searched in vain for an e-mail address to send my complaint to. I'll give them a call.
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21.3K Messages
5 years ago
DTV doesn't do email support. New equipment starts a new contract. Read the email.
(edited)
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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23.4K Messages
5 years ago
DirecTV does not rent anything. You pay for receiver services that cover the account. You then pay $7 for each additional authorized TV regardless what kind of box it has, or no box at all (RVU Client in TV).
A warranty replacement is $19.95 delivery, as long as is like for like. H20 thru H25 are all HD non-DVR, the same level of equipment so are like for like. Just like HR20 thru HR24 are all regular HDDVR.
However the one-time lease cost of an HD non-DVR if you don't have a free upgrade, is $99. If you were charged that then either the agent processed a replacement upgrade or added an additional, both of which would be an error.
An HDDVR one-time lease cost is $199, again if you don't have a free upgrade. Going from an HXX to an HRXX model would be a legitimate upgrade.
Unlike a warranty replacement a upgrade comes with a 24 month service agreement. This is regardless if it was free or the one-time lease cost.
There is no email support. Calling DirecTV is the option. I would consider requesting a supervisor to go over the situation. If that doesn't resolve it for you, then a BBB complaint may be the next step.
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nabukl
ACE - Professor
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2.4K Messages
5 years ago
@John2296 any receiver upgrade regardless of free or not comes with a 24 month agreement
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nabukl
ACE - Professor
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2.4K Messages
5 years ago
@jumper2001 you got an upgrade not a replacement, hd receivers are $99.00 hddvrs are $199.00 since the receiver was already activated it's highly unlikely you'll get a refund since once activated the "sale" is final. The agent placed an upgrade order NOT a replacement order.
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