HR20 activation dilema

[jdh8668]

Here I sit with an HR20 I purchased from Ebay several months ago that I'm not able to use. When I went to activate it, Directv told me that it was leased & activated by my seller, should never have been sold, and that they wouldn't activate it in my name. To make a long story short, I got my money back from paypal, but the seller never would write me back to give me his address so I could return it. After my purchase, I found there were several other buyers who experienced the same thing with this guy, and he went into hiding. So here I sit with basically this free HR20 that I can't activate. Is it a complete lost cause, or is there still something I can tell a CSR to activate this box?:confused:
I do have another HR20 which I purchased through CCity and love!!

[Stuart Sweet]

You can always try calling back but you are right it may be a lost cause.

For all those who want to purchase through eBay... this is kind of what can happen.

[say-what]

It will probably make a nice door stop.....or plug it in and use it as a nightlight.....

[Smuuth]

You are actually lucky that you got your money back, many people in your situation have paid for a box that they cannot activate and have no way to recover what they paid for it either.

I am surprised that DIRECTV did not send you a recovery kit so you could return the HR20.

[Greg Alsobrook]

first to the OP... i am sorry you are in that kind of situation... that is no fun... at least you were able to get your money back from paypal..

but as stuart said... this is exactly why receivers should not be purchased off of ebay... i love ebay as much as the next guy... and i use it all the time to buy and sell... but these receivers just don't belong on there...

[jodyguercio]

It will probably make a nice door stop.....or plug it in and use it as a nightlight.....

Or a nice little heater as they tend to run ~100 degrees or so...

But to the OP, sorry to hear about your luck. Hopefully your misfortune can be a little insight into what to watch out for w/ receivers on EBay

[Tom Robertson]

My suggestion is to ask DIRECTV what they want to do with their box at this point. They should either activate it on your account (perhaps with a new access card), send you a return kit (the most likely scenario), or give up control over the box (which means they should activate it and own it.) :)

Otherwise, open it up and use the hard disk in a computer. :)

Cheers,
Tom

[jdh8668]

I had purchased several receivers throughout the years and never had a problem until this time. One good point I learned on DBStalk after having this problem was before you make a bid for a receiver off of Ebay, always get the receiver id# from the seller, and check it out with Directv first. My wife thinks I should turn it into a bed warmer for our cats. Besides, they love to stare at the blue circle. Come to think of it, at times, so do I.

[jodyguercio]

I had purchased several receivers throught the years and never had a problem until this time. One good point I learned on DBStalk after having this problem was before you make a bid for a receiver off of Ebay, always get the receiver id# from the seller, and check it out with Directv first. My wife thinks I should turn it into a bed warmer for our cats. Besides, they love to stare at the blue circle. Come to think of it, at times, so do I.

:lol: At least you have a sense of humor about it.

[Koz]

It could also be used as an over-engineered and overweight signal meter. :)

[Davenlr]

Ask for the access card team, and explain your dilemma. Maybe they will send you a new card. It WOULD be in their best interest to make $5 a month rather than losing the box altogether...

[CJTE]

Ask for the access card team, and explain your dilemma. Maybe they will send you a new card. It WOULD be in their best interest to make $5 a month rather than losing the box altogether...

Probably the best bet...
If you speak with the Access Card team, and verify that you're indeed holding the receiver in your hand. They'll deactivate it from the other persons account, charge the other person a non return fee, and then should be able to activate it to your account...

But I make no guarantee's on that... That is the best case scenario

[EMoMoney]

Sell it to somebody else on eBay ;)

[lwilli201]

I do not see Directv activating this box. There is an oustanding balance on some ones account for that box. If you keep the box you may be required to pay the lease fee. The unit could be considered stolen property since the registered lease holder has not returned it to Directv, the lawful owner of the unit.

If Directv has already written off the unit, I do not think it can be leased to another person.

[spartanstew]

Sell it to somebody else on eBay ;)

I know you were joking, but that's actually what I would do.

But I would clearly state in the auction that the unit cannot be activated and is only being sold as parts.

Somone might buy it for a few bucks to get the HD and maybe other items.

[pratttech]

Seems kind of screwy that DirecTV won't allow him to activate it. Wouldn't any write off be on the previous owner's outstanding balance? I wonder why can't the box be disassociated from that account? This is still a very current model and right now it is useless to all save as parts. It appears to me that DirecTV could both increase customer satisfaction here and again be making their $5 lease/mirror fee on this box... what a waste :(

[CJTE]

Seems kind of screwy that DirecTV won't allow him to activate it. Wouldn't any write off be on the previous owner's outstanding balance? I wonder why can't the box be disassociated from that account? This is still a very current model and right now it is useless to all save as parts. It appears to me that DirecTV could both increase customer satisfaction here and again be making their $5 lease/mirror fee on this box... what a waste :(

Because Then people would be deactivating their accounts and giving their leased receivers away to their friends instead of sending them back.

[lwilli201]

Seems kind of screwy that DirecTV won't allow him to activate it. Wouldn't any write off be on the previous owner's outstanding balance? I wonder why can't the box be disassociated from that account? This is still a very current model and right now it is useless to all save as parts. It appears to me that DirecTV could both increase customer satisfaction here and again be making their $5 lease/mirror fee on this box... what a waste :(

Not worth all the resources to get that done. It is just one of 50 million or more units. What your suggest would take approval from many levels above the CSR level.

[jdh8668]

I know you were joking, but that's actually what I would do.

But I would clearly state in the auction that the unit cannot be activated and is only being sold as parts.

Somone might buy it for a few bucks to get the HD and maybe other items.

I called and wrote Directv to no avail on this and they all acted like so what, so I ended up taking your advice and sold the receiver on EBAY for parts only for $46. It's out of my house now, not taking up space, and I now have money to go towards a AM21...lol