Access card policy?

[ApK]

I've been a staunch defender of DTV customer support in the past. During my initial problems with R15 and subsequent replacement with a used DTivo, the service folks came through with flying colors, doing whatever they could to keep me a happy customer.

I have not had to call service for any reason in about a year...that's good, but last night I called to activate another old DTivo.
It seems like sometime in the past year, an order came down to the CSRs to be as powerless and unthinking as possible and to blindly spout policy whith no flexibility or eye toward customer satisfaction. Or maybe they just hired some Comcast people, I don't know....

Seriously though, I spoke to several people in several departments and no one would budge or offer a reasonable explaination other than "it's policy."
Specifically, for you DTV insiders, maybe you can explain this to me.

I understand that it's policy that when a used unit is activated, a new access card must be purchased for $20 and mailed to me. An exisiting access card can't be moved from the unit's old account, and an exisiting access card can't be moved from the equipment I'm replacing on my own account. The new access card must be paid for up front and cannot be billed.

Why? This policy does nothing but frustrate and delay the customer, wasting his time hurting his cash flow while padding DTV's.

What's the purpose of HAVING a removable access card in a unit if it's PROHIBITED to remove it and move it to another one?

They said it simply could not be done. Well, that's a lie, they did it for me last time. They married the access card from the unit I was replacing to the new unit, and I was able to use my new unit immediately. That made perfect sense.

At that time they even waived the $20, which was certainly nice, though not required...this time, even retention would not consider that option to make up for the inconvienience.

And why pay up front on a credit card rather than have it billed to my account?
The CSR said it was for 'security.' Nonesense. My established account is more secure than reading a credit card over the phone, and if I was ordering a NEW receiver, complete with new access card, they would send it and bill it to my account, so it's obviously not 'impossible,' it's just policy, and and insulting and inconvieient policy for the customer.

Now, I not only had to cough up $20 that wasn't in my budget this week, but I'll to wait several days to even be able to see if my new receiver WORKS, and then worry about sending the card back for a refund if it doesn't.

Grr. Grr. I say, Grr!

ApK

[ktk0117]

That's BS. I had this done twice already.

The first time, flawless, transferred access card from D11 to used R10, piece of cake, done in 5 minutes.

Second time, tried to swap card from another problematic D11 to good D11, and 3 CSR's told me the "it cannot be done". So I called back and asked for tech support, and once again, 5 minutes, done deal, piece of cake.

Both of these instances happened in the last 6 months, the most recent being 2 months ago.

Don't give up so easy next time.

Also, don't look for a refund on that card, I'd be surprised if you got it!

[mattw]

Last time I tried to do something like this was about two years ago. I got a new D10 dtivo box to replace a regular receiver which died during a lightening storm. I called in to swap the equipment and rather than use the access card that came with the new unit the CSR said it was easier to "remarry" the old access card to my replacement box. This surprised me because the policy had been once married a card could never be used on another box, I ran afoul of that policy six or seven years ago.

It sounds like they went back to the marriage is permanent policy.

[nelsonrl]

The policy has changed - I replaced a defective unit last week. I was told to use the new access card and put my old card in the return box. On past replacements, I would use my old card in the new unit. Maybe something changed in the way cards or programmed, maybe it is just a cleaner way to process equipment adds/changes, I don't know.

I do know that several years ago, I lived in a temp apartment with a leased receiver from the provider, I turned the equipment in with the access card when I moved into the house we were building and purchased new (owned) equipment. The access card from my rented system was never deactivated and I started seeing PPV events on my bill for the old box. So, DirecTV could be trying to prevent that from happening again.

[ApK]

Don't give up so easy next time.


Now I wish I'd posted the question first before ordering. Oh well.
It'll help the next person....

Also, don't look for a refund on that card, I'd be surprised if you got it!
Well, not bending an idiotic but stated policy is one thing, lying about the refund would be quite another. Should I happen to need to return that card (I hope not) I _WILL_ get my money back. Oh yes....

[ApK]

Maybe something changed in the way cards or programmed, maybe it is just a cleaner way to process equipment adds/changes, I don't know.

I give them the benefit of the doubt that all policies are done for SOME reason internally, wether it's to save money, or just reduce trainign of staff, whatever...It's just that when the policies foolishly inconvienience the customer, and it's for such a poor reason that they must obfuscate that reason from the customer, then it's a BAD policy and should be changed, or at least be flexable.

Earl, Missy, Who do I mail a transcript of this thread to to get satisfaction!?!

ApK

[twistedT]

As long as you have one of the new cards that handle the new security system you should be able to swap. If they are the old cards they will not reactivate them. Once you get an up to date card you can bounce it from box to box. I had the same problem you did. The CSR said wait you have a deactivated box with a new card in it(which I had bought a year earlier for 20 bucks). Stinks though you would think they would just send you a new card.

Edit: this was last year others have posted they have just tried and there is a new policy. sorry I type to slow :)

[dbmaven]

I don't think the policy is idiotic at all. It may be inconvenient in certain circumstances, like the one you are currently in, but it's obviously being done for a reason.

Without inside information we really can't say what led to the decision to enforce the existing policy - but you could suspect that is had to do with fraud/theft of services/etc.

[Doug Brott]

I've actually done this in the past myself. I gave one of my TiVo's to my parents and thought that they could use my old card to activate on his account .. turns out it was actually easier for them to use the card from his old standalone receiver and move it to my old TiVo so that he could use it.

[techrep]

A card that is less than 3 years old and is registered to your account can be "remarried" to a new receiver. The caveats are: it must be a current generation card, the receiver must be new or off of an account in good standing, and the receiver must be on D*'s list of supported devices. This is and has been the policy at D*, and as far as I know, there has been no recent change. On occasion you will get a CSR who knows and can do this but most of the time you will need to get to a tech to get this done. "If at first you don't succeed......." :D

[dbmaven]

A card that is less than 3 years old and is registered to your account can be "remarried" to a new receiver. The caveats are: it must be a current generation card, the receiver must be new or off of an account in good standing, and the receiver must be on D*'s list of supported devices. This is and has been the policy at D*, and as far as I know, there has been no recent change. On occasion you will get a CSR who knows and can do thisbut most of the time you will need to get to a tech to get this done. "If at first you don't succeed......." :D

And therein lies the real problem - the D* CSR scripts are either out of date, or need updating. There are just too many issues we read about here where CSRs have wrong/incorrect/incomplete information - leading to frustration on the part of customers. Not a particularly good situation......

[ApK]

I don't think the policy is idiotic at all. It may be inconvenient in certain circumstances, like the one you are currently in, but it's obviously being done for a reason.

As I said above, I give them the benifit of the doubt that there is some reason, but as for that being 'obvious' or non idiotic....well, let me tell you what I do for a living: I do process analysis for large companies.

By the time some policies and procedures get to the worker bees, there's been so much miscommunication, misunderstanding and changes that the policies and procedures are either 1, outdated (eg, no one told them they should change) or 2, misunderstood (eg, it was supposed to be a suggestion but they are telling it like it's law) or 3, the decision was made for some minor expediency which, in practice had unforseen side effects and is doing more harm than good, and if anyone took the time to look at it and inform them of the problem (my job) they would change it.

ApK

EDIT: as I was wrting, I see techrep posted...looks like I may be right, maybe DTV should hire my company!

[Wisegoat]

A card that is less than 3 years old and is registered to your account can be "remarried" to a new receiver. The caveats are: it must be a current generation card, the receiver must be new or off of an account in good standing, and the receiver must be on D*'s list of supported devices. This is and has been the policy at D*, and as far as I know, there has been no recent change. On occasion you will get a CSR who knows and can do this but most of the time you will need to get to a tech to get this done. "If at first you don't succeed......." :D

One more caveat to this is that the card must come from another unit on YOUR account. If the card came from another account, they will not activate it. I gave my 2 HR10-250's to the in-laws and they had to order 1 new card. They were able to use the card out of their basic receiver for one of the units, but had to order a new card as they were adding an additional unit.

The main reason they are doing this is to limit piracy. Ever since they went to the P4 and newer cards, they are doing everything they can to ensure that hackers do not break the system again.

[Herdfan]

The new access card must be paid for up front and cannot be billed.

A "policy" that can be negotiated. I called to get a new access card for a receiver I gave my parents. (They are older and can't hear, so I was doing it.) The CSR told me I had to pay up front. I told her no I wasn't and to pass me to retention.

Told retention I was a long term customer and was no longer under a commitment and wasn't going to pay the card up front. (The real reason was I was driving and didn't have my parent's CC # handy). Not only did retention agree to bill me for the card, they gave me a $20 credit which I didn't even ask for.

Again, CSR roulette.

OT: What ever happened to the "higher-level" CSR's for A-list members?

[Doug Brott]

OT: What ever happened to the "higher-level" CSR's for A-list members?

Someone once told me that the A-list was simply a way to get to a live person more quickly. The last time I called, I did not hear the mention of the A-list, but that could simply mean that I am no longer on it :( :)

[dbmaven]

ApK - I don't disagree with you. I've done plenty of process analysis (starting in a Fortune 20 company over 15 years ago). The issue here is that we don't have enough information to be able to safely judge the internal processes and their reasons for being - all we see are the consequences.

As user 'techrep' indicated, this could well be (yet another) case of getting to the right CSR - possible a technical rep or the right person in retention as opposed to Tier 1.

Based on all of the posts we see about dealing with CSRs, I have no doubt that D* could benefit from your company's services !! ;) :D