D* and Pegasus

[bills976]

Have a question for all you Directv fanatics:

I posted here awhile back about a possible switch to D* from Echostar. Unfortunately, I live in a D* served area (I pay taxes there, dog license, etc), but my mailing address is in an adjointing town which is served by Pegasus. Now I'm trying to figure out a way to avoid being owned by Pegasus as I want a decent promotion as well as a DirecTivo (It is my understanding that Pegasus does not offer the Directivo?). Do they go by the billing address or the service address when they determine whether you're owned by D* or Pegasus? I know that my cable company always listed Lagrangeville (D* territory) as my service address but Pleasant Valley as my mailing address. Could I take out a PO Box in LaGrange to get around this if they use your billing address? Or would my only option be to go with Pegasus? (I don't want to "move")

Also, to those who have Pegasus (maybe even you dealer folk), is the service that bad? I really want YES, and I definitely qualify for it being 70 miles from NYC near Poughkeepsie, but I'm not sure I want to put up with billing errors. If you need a benchmark, I can tolerate E*'s customer service if that's of any help.

Thanks for your expertise and your responses.

[spanishannouncetable]

Directv uses your actual, physical service address when determining whether you are a Pegasus/NRTC customer or a Directv customer. The billing/mailing address is irrelevant.

Sign up using your actual address, then make your mailing address whatever it needs to be to get your bill on time every month.

[dishrich]

The fact that the EXACT SAME packages from Pegasus cost $4.50 than D* is enough for me NOT to want to go through them.

[bills976]

OK, just one more question, then. Does D* check service addresses against a ZIP+4 database like Dish does to validate your service address? My problem is that my service address technically doesn't exist according to the postal service as I supposedly live in the adjacent town. Is a ZIP sufficient enough? Thanks again, you've been a great help.

[spanishannouncetable]

I have no idea. They should accept the address the tax assessor uses on the deed to the property (I guarantee HE knows where you live :p ).

If they are using the wrong info based on zip+4, make them aware of it and escalate the situation up the customer service food chain as high as necessary.

DO NOT ACCEPT PEGASUS as your satellite provider, even if you have to "move" to get away from them.

[bills976]

So I finally got up enough nerve to switch from Echostar to Hughes and ordered from Orbitsat.com - got a Sony Directivo Series II plus an extra basic Sony receiver installed for $300... what amazed me is that they called while I was placing my order online, before I finished filling out all the screens. Wanted to know if I was having any trouble, had any questions, etc. Pretty nice service. Best Buy on the other hand had terrible prices and service. Told me that I had to buy the two room system, dump the one receiver, and buy my own multiswitch which "costs around 80 bucks... I don't remember exactly what it costs." They couldn't give me an estimate on the system, so I said goodbye to them. Hopefully the Tivo will outshine my 501.

Incidentally, you were right spanish about the Pegasus thing... using the Directv address as the service address has worked so far. Now I just have to cross my fingers that it will work for activation :).

[GregM]

There is no Sony Directivo Series II. The only series II DirecTiVo is manufactured by Hughes, the HDVR2.

[bills976]

Yes, my mistake. I meant that I got a Sony T-60.