Vacation home use

[flaguy]

We just bought a vacation home in another state. I'd like to be able to take my receivers to the vacation home for use when we are there. Can anyone tell me if DirecTV will install a dish at the second location and let me move my receivers as needed? Will they charge me and do they have any limit on the number of times that I can switch locations. Mostly, the vacation home would be used a week or two every few months.

[CrazyforYeshua]

Shouldn't be a problem. You would suspend service at the empty place.
Not a limit that I know of.

[davring]

Would not need to suspend service if you took your receiver with you, but you may have to have the dish installed on your own. You would not be able to receiver your "locals" if you have them at home as they are spot beamed in a fairly narrow area. By the book I think D* would prefer another set up at your second home with a second account.

[boggsaz]

We purchased and installed our own dish at our vacation house.
When we go there we take the HR20, and leave the HR10 at the main house.
We are 212 miles from the house in Phoenix, AZ. We do get all of our local
channels at the vacation house, and it's in Mexico.

We have been doing this for over 7 years. We started with SD and just recently
upgraded to HD.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

[sore_bluto]

As long as you do not violate the Terms of Service, DIRECTV will be happy to provide service to a vacation home. Call in and tell them what you are doing. Setup a time to install a dish at your vacation home or have a private contractor install a dish. Then all you need to do is call DIRECTV when you travel back and forth and let them know which receivers are moving. The only thing you can not do is have active receivers on the same account in two different locations. This violates the terms of service. If you would like live receivers in two locations, you will need to setup a second account.

[boba]

Basically that is what is done with a RV account the receivers taken on the road remain active and the receivers left home are deactivated until you return to your base location then you call to reactivate the receivers all perfectly legal under TOS. Call D* and they should be able to set up your account.

[flaguy]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I can get D* to set me up. Does anyone know if they charge for the install or if they have any limits on the number of times that you can switch backand forth?

[glennb]

As long as you do not violate the Terms of Service, DIRECTV will be happy to provide service to a vacation home. Call in and tell them what you are doing. Setup a time to install a dish at your vacation home or have a private contractor install a dish. Then all you need to do is call DIRECTV when you travel back and forth and let them know which receivers are moving. The only thing you can not do is have active receivers on the same account in two different locations. This violates the terms of service. If you would like live receivers in two locations, you will need to setup a second account.

Why call DIRECTV when you travel back and forth and let them which receivers are moving ? DIRECTV doesn't change anything at their end to allow you to do this. They can't tell if the box(es) are in Florida, or Wisconsin. If the OP goes to the vacation place for a week or 2 every few months that would be a lot of calls to DIRECTV.

Call DIRECTV, wait for the next available representative, listen to music on hold, Hello, DIRECTV, we're going to our vacation home.
Call DIRECTV, wait for the next available representative, listen to music on hold, Hello, DIRECTV, we're back home again.
etc...

All you need to do is get a new dish put up at the vacation home and bring the boxes back-forth like the poster with the place in mexico does. It's not illegal. You're either using your equipment at one place you own, or using your equipment at the other place you own.

[flaguy]

All you need to do is get a new dish put up at the vacation home and bring the boxes back-forth like the poster with the place in mexico does. It's not illegal. You're either using your equipment at one place you own, or using your equipment at the other place you own.

I agree, but how do you get the dish installed? Don't all of the installers work for DirecTV? The vacation home has a tree problem and I need the dish up high, probably on the roof, to work. I tried it on the ground and could not get a signal. I'm past my roof climbing days and would need help.

Can you find folks who will just install the dish--no DirecTV connection?

[MIAMI1683]

I agree, but how do you get the dish installed? Don't all of the installers work for DirecTV? The vacation home has a tree problem and I need the dish up high, probably on the roof, to work. I tried it on the ground and could not get a signal. I'm past my roof climbing days and would need help.

Can you find folks who will just install the dish--no DirecTV connection?

You can find somebody who will install a dish for you, and you will have to pay them to do it. I assume this won'r be a problem. As fo the question about a vacation home. I believe it will work just fine. like has been said. Your locals probably won't come in. I don't think yuou even need to call D*. I could be wrong about that though

[sNEIRBO]

My Brother lives for 6 months of the year in Durango CO and other 6 months in Carefree AZ. He didn't want to keep taking his HD receiver and media center back and forth. He called DirecTV, he got an HD DVR and they install the dish for him in Carefree for $99, and he could keep his HD receiver and media center in Durango. All he has to do is turn the receivers on and off as he goes from house to house, no moving equipment all over the country as he goes back and forth.

[josetann]

You can see about using the Mover's Connection to get setup at the new home. Once it's setup then you can decide whether to call them every time you pack up all your receivers and move from place to place, or not (you will probably need to if you want to get the local stations wherever you're at).

[Newshawk]

I think you can suspend an account twice a year for 6 months total, but if you have two accounts (for a main house and a vacation house) DirecTV will double the times you can suspend either account. I'm not sure if they lengthen the amount of time you can suspend each account, though. There has to be notes in each account indicating you have multiple accounts, IIRC.

[loudo]

I think you can suspend an account twice a year for 6 months total, but if you have two accounts (for a main house and a vacation house) DirecTV will double the times you can suspend either account. I'm not sure if they lengthen the amount of time you can suspend each account, though. There has to be notes in each account indicating you have multiple accounts, IIRC.
I was told by DirecTV, if you have two accounts you can suspend either or both of them for a maximum of 6 months per year. So if you have two accounts, one in a main home and one in a summer home, you can only suspend each one for a max of 6 months per year. So if I am in my summer home for 4 months and the main home for 8 months, I have to pay for two accounts for 2 months out of the year.

[mitchelljd]

Why call DIRECTV when you travel back and forth and let them which receivers are moving ? DIRECTV doesn't change anything at their end to allow you to do this. They can't tell if the box(es) are in Florida, or Wisconsin. If the OP goes to the vacation place for a week or 2 every few months that would be a lot of calls to DIRECTV.

All you need to do is get a new dish put up at the vacation home and bring the boxes back-forth like the poster with the place in mexico does. It's not illegal. You're either using your equipment at one place you own, or using your equipment at the other place you own.

unless you are using ppv's it could be best to just activate an extra receiver for installation at the new location. all you would need to do is basically say it won't have a phone jack at a room of your main house.

the only thing you do is save a monthly fee on the extra box if you activate or deactivate your boxes. which to some would be alot of work.

gluck.

i don't have a second home to do this at, but if i can add an extra couple boxes at my home without a phone line, why can't you do something similar between your houses?

[GTS]

We just bought a vacation home in another state. I'd like to be able to take my receivers to the vacation home for use when we are there. Can anyone tell me if DirecTV will install a dish at the second location and let me move my receivers as needed? Will they charge me and do they have any limit on the number of times that I can switch locations. Mostly, the vacation home would be used a week or two every few months.

Please reference this thread for correct and legal procedure.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=126400

Perform the "move " of the account either with or without movers connection, but it's the right thing to do. The move that is. This will keep you within the terms of your service agreement and provide you with the appropriate locals if available.

[Doug Brott]

Seems GTS has found the right answer .. Call the mover's program number for the initial dish installation and then call the same number each time you go from one home to the other. That method would keep you within the Terms of Service with DIRECTV. The key thing is that you are supposed to only have service at one location at a time.

[curt8403]

Please reference this thread for correct and legal procedure.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=126400

Perform the "move " of the account either with or without movers connection, but it's the right thing to do. The move that is. This will keep you within the terms of your service agreement and provide you with the appropriate locals if available.

once the dish is installed, changing the address from one address to another is something that any CSR can do

[imtired1959]

My parents have been with DirecTV for about three years. My Mom recently had to be moved to a nursing home where they will allow for the installation of a dish. They are on a fixed income and with health care for my mom; they can afford little luxury in their lives. My Dad still lives in their home.

I asked DirecTV if I have a dish installed, can I keep my mom's receiver as an additional receiver on my dad's account? This will keep costs down and allow for my mom to continue enjoying DirecTV.

I understand their policy of two locations require two accounts. I was requesting a waiver of this policy for this special circumstance. This is already similar to what RV-ers already do when they are on the road.

Heck, they even encourage this by selling their Sat-Go system.

I claim that from DirecTV's point of view, it still has the same two customers watching the same DirecTV on the same equipment.

They gave me their standard script: "I have reviewed our policies thoroughly, and have determined that DIRECTV does not allow a single account to have active receivers in multiple residences."

DirecTV clearly has a double standard here which discriminates against the low income groups and the elderly.

I have been trying to communicate with someone who could waive this requirement, but no such luck yet.

I should have just dressed in my coveralls, installed the dish, hooked
my mom up and no one would have been the wiser.

[curt8403]

My parents have been with DirecTV for about three years. My Mom recently had to be moved to a nursing home where they will allow for the installation of a dish. They are on a fixed income and with health care for my mom; they can afford little luxury in their lives. My Dad still lives in their home.

I asked DirecTV if I have a dish installed, can I keep my mom's receiver as an additional receiver on my dad's account? This will keep costs down and allow for my mom to continue enjoying DirecTV.

I understand their policy of two locations require two accounts. I was requesting a waiver of this policy for this special circumstance. This is already similar to what RV-ers already do when they are on the road.

Heck, they even encourage this by selling their Sat-Go system.

I claim that from DirecTV's point of view, it still has the same two customers watching the same DirecTV on the same equipment.

They gave me their standard script: "I have reviewed our policies thoroughly, and have determined that DIRECTV does not allow a single account to have active receivers in multiple residences."

DirecTV clearly has a double standard here which discriminates against the low income groups and the elderly.

I have been trying to communicate with someone who could waive this requirement, but no such luck yet.

I should have just dressed in my coveralls, installed the dish, hooked
my mom up and no one would have been the wiser.

ask for a supervisor. policies are made to be bent when a person is sick

[GTS]

...DirecTV clearly has a double standard here which discriminates against the low income groups and the elderly.

I have been trying to communicate with someone who could waive this requirement, but no such luck yet.

I should have just dressed in my coveralls, installed the dish, hooked
my mom up and no one would have been the wiser.


Sorry to hear about your mom!

Not advocating the breaking of rules, as you will clearly see by my previous posts, but if it were my mom I might be tempted to do the same if I couldn't pay for her service. Having said that, I don't follow your reasoning that Directv is discriminating against the poor and the elderly.

My best to you and your family and I hope you can get your mom some TV one way or another.