Lease Question on a "Spare" HR20

[ukdave]

Due to the lack of OTA capability on the HR21's, and the reliability issues of the DVR's, I picked up a spare HR20 from CircuitCity while they were still available (no longer are). Couldn't live with the thought of not having OTA recording capability.

If in the future, my current HR20 fails, I'll swap it out with my spare (assumming DTV is not sending out refurbed HR20's).

Does anyone know what DTV's reaction might be to find out I had a non-activated HR20 sitting around? I guess they know when it's been sold to me since CC registers all the receiver and card numbers at the time of sale.

THANKS

[carl6]

I believe the official policy is that you have to activate it within 30 days of acquisition, and if later de-activated it must be returned. It belongs to DirecTV, not to you.

Carl

[66stang351]

When you pick one up at a store they ask you to sign an agreement that you will activate within 30 days or you will get charged the full price by DIRECTV. If you don't activate it CC will get charged back from DIRECTV as well I think.

[boba]

"Consequences of your failure to activate programming or satisfy your programming commitment. If you fail to activate all of your DIRECTV equipment in accordance with this Equipment Lease Addendum, you agree that DIRECTV or an authorized DIRECTV Retailer may charge you a fee, as liquidated damages, of $150 for each receiver that is not activated. If you fail tp maintain your minimum programming commitment, you agree that DIRECTV may charge you a prorated fee of up to $360 for standard receivers and up to $480 for advanced products/receivers (e.g., DVR,HD,HD DVR,etc.)"

[Sirshagg]

"Consequences of your failure to activate programming or satisfy your programming commitment. If you fail to activate all of your DIRECTV equipment in accordance with this Equipment Lease Addendum, you agree that DIRECTV or an authorized DIRECTV Retailer may charge you a fee, as liquidated damages, of $150 for each receiver that is not activated. If you fail tp maintain your minimum programming commitment, you agree that DIRECTV may charge you a prorated fee of up to $360 for standard receivers and up to $480 for advanced products/receivers (e.g., DVR,HD,HD DVR,etc.)"

Well, this is interesting. If you buy it at CC for $300, don't activate it and pay the $150 fee would you then OWN the HR20?

[Carl Spock]

DirecTV doesn't like this at all. When the HR10-250 first came out, I had to install one in a customer's rack. I shipped it to Middle Atlantic so a custom rack shelf could be made and it was about 50 days until I could finally activate it. I got in a whole lot of muck just because of those 20 days. It all went away when I finally activated it but I will never go through that again.

[Carl Spock]

Well, this is interesting. If you buy it at CC for $300, don't activate it and pay the $150 fee would you then OWN the HR20?
No, that is just a penalty for not activating it. They still own it.

They count on the service to pay for the product. DirecTV can't make any money if you don't activate the receiver.

[DBSNewbie]

What about the receivers from COSTCO?

There's nothing to sign and they don't take your info (Other than memberiship # and name)

But it's nothing like the hassle of giving your phone number and address, to pull up your D* account, and agreeing to activate in 30 days - Just like BB and CC.

[Canis Lupus]

when there was a shortage of HR20s and they were still a bit sketchy, I bought 3 from BB. No agreements, no sign up, no name, no nothing - just a credit card but they would have been happy to take cash, so there really wouldn't have been a trail in my case. The first one out of the box worked like a charm (still working) so I returned the other 2 no questions asked. It was within 30 days though.

[dtrell]

and when you called and activated it, it became theirs.

[Canis Lupus]

Exactly my point. So even though the policy and terms may be 30 days to activate, the jury may still be out on whether D* enforces it or not. They would always be willing to take your monthly subscription dollars no matter what, IMO.

[VLaslow]

Why not activate it (only $5.00 a month) and then suspend it? You can only suspend for a few months, but it's not that big a deal (perhaps).

[w6fxj]

Why not activate it (only $5.00 a month) and then suspend it? You can only suspend for a few months, but it's not that big a deal (perhaps).
Suspending a leased receiver generates a return package request so Directv gets the receiver back. You can suspend an owned receiver however.

[scheckeNYK]

just ask them to suspend it and not send out the return boxes. i just did this for 2 H20s now that football season is over. I will be turning them on again when Sunday Ticket resumes in 2008 and why should I have to fork over the full price of a receiver again? They were fine with it. Granted, this was on a pair of H20s and not DVRs, but same principle.

[joed32]

If you can afford the extra $5.00 why not use the extra tuners and storage space? You can even have DLB by switching TV inputs.

[ukdave]

FYI - Thought it over, read the fine print on the CC receipt and went ahead and activated it as a 2nd receiver. As said, it's only $5 a month.

The original HR20 had lost sound on SD on two OTA channels and on UHD. New one works fine - so far.

[glennb]

when there was a shortage of HR20s and they were still a bit sketchy, I bought 3 from BB. No agreements, no sign up, no name, no nothing - just a credit card .......

A credit card is all they need to get your name, etc.....