You want to charge me what?!?!?!

[hvs10trk]

Ok first of all I have been a loyal D* customer for 6 years now. I bought a H10 off of a co-worker that he had gotten from ebay and it didn't for his application. I called that night and had it activated. (existing card) So I get my bill this month and theirs (4) chargers for Adult PPV on there from December/January. I activated the RX in March. I call D* and they applogize for the mistake and they will credit me. After a couple of trasnfers I get to a supervisor who tells me that I have to either pay for the $50 in porn or $20 for a new access card. She also tells me that they cannot activate old access cards and that I was responsible for whatever charges were on the card. So I ask then if D* didnt follow proper procedure and activated the old card anyways, in black and white my account shows I couldn't have physically purchased the PPV that they were charging me with, and to top it off, I asked her to provide me, in writing, where it says I am responsible. She again said I have 2 choices, pay the $50 or pay the $20. :mad: :mad: :nono: :nono: :mad: :mad:

[JDubbs413]

While I agree they shouldn't have activated the old card, it is your responsibility to get a new access card.

[hvs10trk]

While I agree they shouldn't have activated the old card, it is your responsibility to get a new access card.

Well if I had known that I would have, but now they've clearly messed up and should eat the charges.

[paulman182]

If they had done the proper thing you would have bought the new card to begin with.

If you're nice about this maybe they will throw in some free movie channels or something.

[hvs10trk]

If they had done the proper thing you would have bought the new card to begin with.

If you're nice about this maybe they will throw in some free movie channels or something.

It's hard to be nice after the conversation I had with the supervisor. (Who refused to trasnfer me to her boss!!!!)

[Tom Robertson]

First off, nice of your co-worker to sell you a receiver you might have gotten for free as a lease and with a $50 charge to boot. Ok, I suppose the charges might have been from the eBay seller, how nice of them too. :(

You might be able to undo all the transactions or get the $50 from the person who should be responsible. Or you might be able to ask directv to lease you a new H20/h21 for free if you send them the offending card so they can track it down and charge the correct account. That might cost you $20 bucks for shipping but you end up with a newer receiver.

Lastly, the old adage applies especially on eBay, buyer beware. Sucks but is true.

I hope you can get the money back from the people who sold you this turkey.

Good luck,
Tom

[namja]

Well, BOTH of you messed up ...
But I tend to agree with paulman182.

[RobertE]

Tell your co-worker he owes you $50 for the "programming" he ordered but never paid for. Or you tell his wife. !Devil_lol

In all seriousness though. They should have never re-used the old card. This makes a perfect example as to why.

Also, if it's truely a H10, it's days as a HD receiver for sat programming are numbered and rapidly counting down.

So new card = $20
Old card with co-workers "programming" charges = $50
Possibility of blackmailing said co-worker = Priceless :lol:

[Sirshagg]

My $.02 - just pay the $20 for a new card. Whoever activated the receiver for you should have forced this in the first place.

Makes my chuckle how the CRS's always say (at least the ones I've talked to) the system won't let them active the receiver with the card that was on another account. Obviously not true. Just tell me the truth - it's company policy not to do it. While it stinks to pay $20 for the new card this is exactly why we should want to.

[msmith]

I'm with the rest of them. Play nice, and pay $20.

[dodge boy]

maybe you should be glad yo can even activate the receiver...

[Jeff5614]

Pay the $20 as anyone else who needs a new card would and realize that directv doesn't owe you half of the company over it.

[Thaedron]

I agree, get the $50 out of your buddy OR pay the $20 for a new access card that you agree you should have paid to begin with.

Although, I would probably lean toward a new H20/21, which at the most would cost you $100 and likely less. Why put 1/5 the price of something new into something that is quickly becoming out-dated.

[Thaedron]

Makes my chuckle how the CRS's always say (at least the ones I've talked to) the system won't let them active the receiver with the card that was on another account. Obviously not true. Just tell me the truth - it's company policy not to do it. While it stinks to pay $20 for the new card this is exactly why we should want to.

Anyone actually employed by DirecTV that might be reading...

<rant>

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING PARTS OF YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT... THE LACK OF CONSISTENCY

</rant>

I tried to activate a receiver that I received from a good buddy of more than 10 years (i.e. not ebay and absolutely no issues with account status). While trying to activate it, I tried to use the old access card to no avail. Yet there are stories here of it being done repeatedly. No, not a high percentage of time, but certainly not just very remote isolated incidents either.

[hyde76]

Pay the $20 as anyone else who needs a new card would and realize that directv doesn't owe you half of the company over it.
Dont' pay the $20. They want you to pay for something you don't own, they do and they can ask for it back anytime as it's theirs. If you make this point they'll send you a new card at no charge.

[JeffBowser]

So much hand-wringing and grief. What I want to hear is the part of the story where you confront your friend, and/or e-bay seller with the porn accusation. Will they deny, or stammer and stutter ? Tune in again next week for the exciting conclusion on Mystery Porn Theater

[Tom Robertson]

Dont' pay the $20. They want you to pay for something you don't own, they do and they can ask for it back anytime as it's theirs. If you make this point they'll send you a new card at no charge.Actually sounds like he does own the h10, likely a purchased unit before the leasing program.

Cheers,
Tom

[Earl Bonovich]

Actually sounds like he does own the h10, likely a purchased unit before the leasing program.

Cheers,
Tom

H10's had stopped production before leasing started.
Other then OTA... not sure what benefit there would be to an H10 today

[Sirshagg]

So much hand-wringing and grief. What I want to hear is the part of the story where you confront your friend, and/or e-bay seller with the porn accusation. Will they deny, or stammer and stutter ? Tune in again next week for the exciting conclusion on Mystery Porn Theater

Darn! I was hopinf that was a link :p

[beavis]

If the H10's card was still active on his account then D* wouldn't have been able to activate it, but since that wasn't the case whoever activated it didn't check the history of the card. Bottom line, D* shouldn't have activated it and sent you to ACDT to order a new card for $20.

[Brent04]

Actually sounds like he does own the h10, likely a purchased unit before the leasing program.

Cheers,
Tom


I could be wrong but I think he was referring to the access card that they want to charge $20 for. DirecTV has always said that the access cards are their property even before the leasing program for the receivers.

[cariera]

She again said I have 2 choices, pay the $50 or pay the $20. :mad: :mad: :nono: :nono: :mad: :mad:

I would select, "pay the $20". You should have had to pay this in the first place in order to activate the H10, so if they are willing to credit the $50 in porn you are in no worse shape then before it was put on your account.

What's the big deal?

Also make sure the the receiver shows as owned, not leased on your account. You don't want to open that can of worms on down the line.:)

[bidger]

Darn! I was hopinf that was a link :p

Good to know I'm not the only one who hovered over that to see if it was a hyperlink.

And, yeah, I'm not sure what the appeal/benefit of an H10 would be midway through 2008.

[JLucPicard]

And, yeah, I'm not sure what the appeal/benefit of an H10 would be midway through 2008.
Apparently it gets porn. :shrug: !rolling

[bobnielsen]

If it had been a HR10, there might at least have been something interesting on the playlist :D

[ToiletKitty]

I tried to activate a receiver that I received from a good buddy of more than 10 years (i.e. not ebay and absolutely no issues with account status). While trying to activate it, I tried to use the old access card to no avail. Yet there are stories here of it being done repeatedly. No, not a high percentage of time, but certainly not just very remote isolated incidents either.

There are times when either the receiver or the access card are old enough that the system doesn't recognize them and won't let the CSR activate them. Hughes receivers are usually the ones that bring this problem up.

[hvs10trk]

Tell your co-worker he owes you $50 for the "programming" he ordered but never paid for. Or you tell his wife. !Devil_lol

In all seriousness though. They should have never re-used the old card. This makes a perfect example as to why.

Also, if it's truely a H10, it's days as a HD receiver for sat programming are numbered and rapidly counting down.

So new card = $20
Old card with co-workers "programming" charges = $50
Possibility of blackmailing said co-worker = Priceless :lol:

I know it's numbered. Just using it as an SD receiver with the HD OTA.

[wingrider01]

Apparently it gets porn. :shrug: !rolling

must be in SD only, would hazard a guess that those types of stations tend to shy away from teh HD world - since it would show the "short comings" and flaws of the participents :uglyhamme

[David MacLeod]

must be in SD only, would hazard a guess that those types of stations tend to shy away from teh HD world - since it would show the "short comings" and flaws of the participents :uglyhamme
OMG that was bad :):)
almost crapped my pants I laughed so hard :)

[PAJeep]

Could have checked for charges on it before you called to activate it. Maybe the co-worker realized it and tried to pass the buck.

[The Merg]

I'd gander that the charges were from the original user. The OP stated that the receiver didn't work in his co-worker's setup. A lot of people selling receivers on ebay include the access card (although they really shouldn't) in the sale. And depending on how the OP activated the receiver, the CSR might have just thought he was reactivating it since he had an access card. Since the access card ID was still good in DirecTV's system, it went through with no problem. It just happened that the original owner of that card had some unpaid dues.

- Merg

[DTV-888]

It's hard to be nice after the conversation I had with the supervisor. (Who refused to trasnfer me to her boss!!!!)

I apologize for the poor experience. as someone who has been both a customer and mgt at D*, i can make one suggestion...

asking to speak w/ a supervisor, getting the same answer, and then demanding to then speak to their superior (who doesn't even work on the call floor or make use of the CS tools) isn't the way to get what you want. you always catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

[joed32]

I apologize for the poor experience. as someone who has been both a customer and mgt at D*, i can make one suggestion...

asking to speak w/ a supervisor, getting the same answer, and then demanding to then speak to their superior (who doesn't even work on the call floor or make use of the CS tools) isn't the way to get what you want. you always catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

That's true with all companies you have to deal with.

[workindev]

She again said I have 2 choices, pay the $50 or pay the $20. :mad: :mad: :nono: :nono: :mad: :mad:You need to tell her that she has 2 choices -- get rid of the charges and make it right or lose a long time customer. You are the customer and you call the shots. Sounds like she failed customer service 101, which is an unfortunate trend lately at DirecTV.

They should have told you that you needed a new card when you activated -- because they didn't, it was clearly their fault.

[workindev]

I apologize for the poor experience. as someone who has been both a customer and mgt at D*, i can make one suggestion...

asking to speak w/ a supervisor, getting the same answer, and then demanding to then speak to their superior (who doesn't even work on the call floor or make use of the CS tools) isn't the way to get what you want. you always catch more flies with honey than vinegar.I disagree. If the person I'm talking with doesn't realize that I'm the one who is paying their salary, I'm going to ask to get transferred up to somebody who does. If they refuse, well, I won't be paying their salary any more.

[evan_s]

As someone with lots of call center experience I can say that just normally isn't possible. Once you've gone up to a supervisor there is very likely no one above them you could ever talk to. Yeah the supervisor you are talking to obviously has a boss but it's not part of their job description. They never talk to customers and aren't even setup to do that if they wanted to. At my company the policy is if they want to talk to someone above the sup you give them the info for the Office of the president.

[man_rob]

Ok first of all I have been a loyal D* customer for 6 years now. I bought a H10 off of a co-worker that he had gotten from ebay and it didn't for his application. I called that night and had it activated. (existing card) So I get my bill this month and theirs (4) chargers for Adult PPV on there from December/January. I activated the RX in March. I call D* and they applogize for the mistake and they will credit me. After a couple of trasnfers I get to a supervisor who tells me that I have to either pay for the $50 in porn or $20 for a new access card. She also tells me that they cannot activate old access cards and that I was responsible for whatever charges were on the card. So I ask then if D* didnt follow proper procedure and activated the old card anyways, in black and white my account shows I couldn't have physically purchased the PPV that they were charging me with, and to top it off, I asked her to provide me, in writing, where it says I am responsible. She again said I have 2 choices, pay the $50 or pay the $20. :mad: :mad: :nono: :nono: :mad: :mad:

When activating the unit using the old card, did you mention that you were doing so, or did you leave that bit of info out?

[GutBomb]

Sounds like she failed customer service 101, which is an unfortunate trend lately at DirecTV.


If you think that's customer service 101 you're living in the 50's man. No company EVER says "the customer is always right" and means it. They really say "Make the customer think they are right but ultimately the company's bottom line is the most important part" and any other method of doing business is really just bad business. DirecTV is not in the business of customer satisfaction. They are in the business of TV signal delivery which in turn is simply advertisement delivery.

Just because you have paid a company regular price for a certain amount of time does not make you more special than any other customer. DirecTV doesn't care how long you have been a subscriber because they know when you leave thousands more are lining up behind you to sign up. DirecTV is not a little mom & pop operation that needs to rely on customer loyalty to stay afloat. This much is clear with their recent trend of cracking down on abuse of the retention system, which many users here seem to call the "negotiation for cheap/free stuff department."

[workindev]

If you think that's customer service 101 you're living in the 50's man. No company EVER says "the customer is always right" and means it. They really say "Make the customer think they are right but ultimately the company's bottom line is the most important part" and any other method of doing business is really just bad business. DirecTV is not in the business of customer satisfaction. They are in the business of TV signal delivery which in turn is simply advertisement delivery.Nonsense. You can't pretend that customer satisfaction and bottom line profit are mutually exclusive objectives. In fact, they are quite related. In order to sell advertisement delivery, you have to have eyeballs to watch the ads, so DirecTV should be doing all they can to maximize the product that they sell to advertisers.Just because you have paid a company regular price for a certain amount of time does not make you more special than any other customer. No, actually you have it backwards. Just because you paid a company regular price for a period of time doesn't make that company any more special than any other company. If they don't do what it takes to make you satisfied, you are free to move to whatever company will. In my opinion, you would be quite foolish not to. I don't pay my DirecTV bill every month so that I can celebrate when they post strong quarterly earnings -- I pay so I can get their service to my satisfaction. If that doesn't happen, I'm not too interested in paying them any more money. Quite frankly, I'm continually surprised at the number of posters here who think otherwise. DirecTV doesn't care how long you have been a subscriber because they know when you leave thousands more are lining up behind you to sign up. DirecTV is not a little mom & pop operation that needs to rely on customer loyalty to stay afloat. This much is clear with their recent trend of cracking down on abuse of the retention system, which many users here seem to call the "negotiation for cheap/free stuff department."Not true. DirecTV currenly pays nearly $700 to acquire a new customer. The longer they keep you as a paying customer, the more return they get off that investment. It would not help their bottom line if they spent $700 to sign you up, but then lost revenue from you due to a $20 or $50 dispute on your bill. Especially considering that they have to pay $700 for each of the "thousands of customers" lining up behind you.

[rudeney]

A few thoughts on this…

1. I tried to sell an owned R15 receiver on Ebay. I noted that I was including the access card simply because (a) I didn’t need it and (b) it would allow the buyer to verify the unit worked before having to pay D* $20 for a new card. My auction was quickly shut down and I received many ugly, threatening letters from D* attorneys. I would suggest finding out who the original seller was and report it to D*’s fraud prevention department.

2. In my 10+ years with D*, I have activated many used receivers. Sometimes they have required me to obtain a new access card, and other times they activated with the existing card. Luckily, I have never had a problem with “residual charges” on a used access card, but I have also never been charged $20 for a new card. They tried this once, and I asked that they waive the charge, which they did.

3. Did D* require you to commit to another two-year service agreement? I am curious because this seems to be hit-and-miss. Obviously, if you “lease” a new receiver, they will require this, but if you are adding a self-installed used receiver, they may or may not. I’m just curious here. Of course if you are under a service commitment, then threatening to cancel unless they cover the $20 card or $50 in residual charges will do you no good – they have you right where they want you.

[CCarncross]

The customer is so rarely right it isnt even funny. Get rid of all the deadbeat customers....if I see people like that in retail stores, being rude and trying to walk all over a sales person to get their way, I tell them right to their face to get over themselves, and I'm a customer in the store. I just cant stand by and let people act like that anymore, like the parents that are smacking a kid around in a store, there are just some things you stand up and say thats enough....

[GutBomb]

Nonsense. You can't pretend that customer satisfaction and bottom line profit are mutually exclusive objectives. In fact, they are quite related. In order to sell advertisement delivery, you have to have eyeballs to watch the ads, so DirecTV should be doing all they can to maximize the product that they sell to advertisers.

My point was customer loyalty is not the be-all end all of big business. it's small potatoes.


No, actually you have it backwards. Just because you paid a company regular price for a period of time doesn't make that company any more special than any other company. If they don't do what it takes to make you satisfied, you are free to move to whatever company will. In my opinion, you would be quite foolish not to. I don't pay my DirecTV bill every month so that I can celebrate when they post strong quarterly earnings -- I pay so I can get their service to my satisfaction. If that doesn't happen, I'm not too interested in paying them any more money. Quite frankly, I'm continually surprised at the number of posters here who think otherwise.

I never said the customer doesn't have choice, and I am not saying directv will do just fine if they treat their customers like trash either. What I am saying is that customers that spend 10 years or however long with the same company out of convenience, loyalty, or they've learned to abuse the retention system or clinging to grandfathered prices on old obsolete packages don't deserve anything new customers don't. The overwhelming majority of complaint posts on this site start with "i've been a customer for x amount of years, i think i deserve..."

Instead of making unreasonable demands of DirecTV because you've been a customer so long, just switch to a different provider.


Not true. DirecTV currenly pays nearly $700 to acquire a new customer. The longer they keep you as a paying customer, the more return they get off that investment. It would not help their bottom line if they spent $700 to sign you up, but then lost revenue from you due to a $20 or $50 dispute on your bill. Especially considering that they have to pay $700 for each of the "thousands of customers" lining up behind you.

That "pays nearly $700" figure is oversimplified in this post. It's not like when a customer calls up and orders the service they take seven $100 bills and throw them in an incinerator. Much of that $700 was spent months or years before the customer even considered DirecTV by paying for a) satellites, b) advertising (hint, this is the largest chunk). On top of those, are the direct costs such as the wages being paid to everyone involved including the order taker on the phone, and the installer. The last piece of cost is the equipment, which is negligible because they are not paying retail price for this stuff. The point here is that most of that $700 was spent whether they bagged an extra customer or not. It's an average. On a good month the cost per new customer is less because for that same amount they spend on advertising and salary (it does not go up or down based on subscriptions since they are paying flat rates for both) they got more customers.

Even if you want to say $700, how long until a customer turns into pure profit over that $700? in my case they made back their $700 in 5 months. Hardly a long term customer. I am sure they would rather keep a quiet customer that pays his bill on time that's only been around a few months and doesn't rock the boat calling the retention department every 6 months demanding free superfan but wants to keep his grandfathered package that's $3 cheaper per month than everyone else.

Customer loyalty is overrated and the only people that care about it at all are the loyal customers.

I disagree. If the person I'm talking with doesn't realize that I'm the one who is paying their salary, I'm going to ask to get transferred up to somebody who does. If they refuse, well, I won't be paying their salary any more.

I wish I had read this thread a little closer yesterday and noticed it was you who spit out this little gem too. You don't pay their salary. You pay DirecTV money to provide you with tv shows in between commercial breaks. DirecTV pays their salary. You are free to leave if you want, no one is stopping you, but Your sense of entitlement is one of the main reasons why this forum is simply infuriating sometimes. I seriously feel for any customer service rep that has to deal with you and other customers like you.

[man_rob]

To me it sounds like the OP tried to pull something over on DirecTV by activating a second hand unit on it's previous owners access card. Because DirecTV didn't catch it right away, he is now upset that he now either has to pay for the previous owner's ppv, or pay $20 for a new card.

If however, he had just bought a new card, and then activated the unit, as he was supposed to do, he wouldn't have had this hassle. Now he'd rather blame DirecTV because he didn't get away with his scheme.

[CCarncross]

exactly man_rob

[cheezedawg]

You are free to leave if you want, no one is stopping you, but Your sense of entitlement is one of the main reasons why this forum is simply infuriating sometimes. I seriously feel for any customer service rep that has to deal with you and other customers like you.I really don't see where you are coming from, or why you seem so upset at what workindev is saying. Sure- I have a sense of entitlement. I am paying a monthly bill that entitles me to a level of service from D*. If I'm not getting service that I feel is worth what I am paying, I'm not going to be a customer anymore. Its up to them to make sure that doesn't happen on a large scale- otherwise they don't have a product to sell to advertisers. How can that be infuriating to you?

[DTV-888]

I disagree. If the person I'm talking with doesn't realize that I'm the one who is paying their salary, I'm going to ask to get transferred up to somebody who does. If they refuse, well, I won't be paying their salary any more.

so, you pay for it, so you don't have to follow the rules?

i guess you're one of the guys screaming "I pay your salary" as the cops haul you away. the rules don't apply to you, i guess.

[GutBomb]

I really don't see where you are coming from, or why you seem so upset at what workindev is saying. Sure- I have a sense of entitlement. I am paying a monthly bill that entitles me to a level of service from D*. If I'm not getting service that I feel is worth what I am paying, I'm not going to be a customer anymore. Its up to them to make sure that doesn't happen on a large scale- otherwise they don't have a product to sell to advertisers. How can that be infuriating to you?

read one post below yours and you'll see the point i'm making. Yes if a company isn;t living up to your satisfaction you have the right to leave. That doesn't however give you the right to be a jerk to the people who answer the phones at that company.

Wanting to be satisfied by a company isn't infuriating. Contacting retention or calling customer service and demanding to talk to the supervisor's boss because "you pay their salary" so you can get superfan for free (common generalization here) is infuriating. The sense of entitlement by many posters here is just mind boggling because it boils down to "i've been a customer longer, so i deserve to pay less than others for things they have to pay regular price for." Everyone here knows that people here call retention with absolutely no interest in canceling service. They do it because they know the system can be abused for freebies. That in my book is being a jerk.

I think the OP here got jerked around by someone, most likely indirectly by the ebay seller who was actually trying to jerk someone else around. Unfortunately the CSR was not knowledgeable. I still think the guy should just cough up the $20 for a new card though, as he should have had to do that anyway. I have no problem with him.

[TigersFanJJ]

I think the OP here got jerked around by someone, most likely indirectly by the ebay seller who was actually trying to jerk someone else around. Unfortunately the CSR was not knowledgeable. I still think the guy should just cough up the $20 for a new card though, as he should have had to do that anyway. I have no problem with him.

Absolutely. The blame should be put where it belongs instead of at the feet of big bad Directv every time you don't get something your way.

Common sense should tell you that you are taking the risk of having to pay these types of charges when buying a receiver from ebay, garage sale, co-worker, etc. If you decide to go that route in order to save a few bucks, you have no one to blame but yourself when it comes back to bite you in the rear. If you lack that common sense, well then, you shouldn't be dealing with used equipment anyway.

[Doug Brott]

I disagree. If the person I'm talking with doesn't realize that I'm the one who is paying their salary, I'm going to ask to get transferred up to somebody who does. If they refuse, well, I won't be paying their salary any more.

It's doubtful your bill adds up to the salary of the person you're talking to .. Folks vote with their wallets all the time. Heck I do it by refusing to buy any kind of service from Comcast, but that's a personal decision. Last I checked, Comcast seemed to be doing just fine without me, though.

Sometimes it just makes the most business sense to follow certain policies. With the security of access cards paramount to DIRECTV's business, it's not surprising that they are strict with the rules in this area.

[workindev]

The customer is so rarely right it isnt even funny. Get rid of all the deadbeat customers....if I see people like that in retail stores, being rude and trying to walk all over a sales person to get their way, I tell them right to their face to get over themselves, and I'm a customer in the store. I just cant stand by and let people act like that anymore, like the parents that are smacking a kid around in a store, there are just some things you stand up and say thats enough....After reading this post, This Picture (http://images.despair.com/products/demotivators/apathy.jpg) comes to mind.

[workindev]

My point was customer loyalty is not the be-all end all of big business. it's small potatoes.Right. Tell that to KMart.
I never said the customer doesn't have choice, and I am not saying directv will do just fine if they treat their customers like trash either. What I am saying is that customers that spend 10 years or however long with the same company out of convenience, loyalty, or they've learned to abuse the retention system or clinging to grandfathered prices on old obsolete packages don't deserve anything new customers don't. The overwhelming majority of complaint posts on this site start with "i've been a customer for x amount of years, i think i deserve..."

Instead of making unreasonable demands of DirecTV because you've been a customer so long, just switch to a different provider.It isn't up to you to decide what is unreasonable and what is abuse. This is capitalism at it's finest. The customer, who is soley looking out for their own best interest, decides what they are willing to pay. And DirecTV, who is soley looking out for their own best interest, decides what they will offer. I'm sure that the longevity of that customer is taken into account when they make that decision. If they reach an agreement, the exchange takes place. If they don't, it doesn't. Who are you to decide what is reasonable and unreasonable?
That "pays nearly $700" figure is oversimplified in this post. It's not like when a customer calls up and orders the service they take seven $100 bills and throw them in an incinerator. Much of that $700 was spent months or years before the customer even considered DirecTV by paying for a) satellites, b) advertising (hint, this is the largest chunk). On top of those, are the direct costs such as the wages being paid to everyone involved including the order taker on the phone, and the installer. The last piece of cost is the equipment, which is negligible because they are not paying retail price for this stuff. The point here is that most of that $700 was spent whether they bagged an extra customer or not. It's an average. On a good month the cost per new customer is less because for that same amount they spend on advertising and salary (it does not go up or down based on subscriptions since they are paying flat rates for both) they got more customers.

Even if you want to say $700, how long until a customer turns into pure profit over that $700? in my case they made back their $700 in 5 months. Hardly a long term customer. I am sure they would rather keep a quiet customer that pays his bill on time that's only been around a few months and doesn't rock the boat calling the retention department every 6 months demanding free superfan but wants to keep his grandfathered package that's $3 cheaper per month than everyone else.That is a rather obtuse way to look at it. Suffice it to say that DirecTV spends a considerable amount of money in their efforts to acquire a new customer. It would be foolish of them to lose that customer over a dispute totaling an order of magnitude less than what they paid (on average) to acquire them.
Customer loyalty is overrated and the only people that care about it at all are the loyal customers.Again, I don't think that Kmart considered customer loyalty "overrated" once all of their loyal customers started shopping at Target and Wal-Mart.
I wish I had read this thread a little closer yesterday and noticed it was you who spit out this little gem too. You don't pay their salary. You pay DirecTV money to provide you with tv shows in between commercial breaks. DirecTV pays their salary. Wow, that is splitting a pretty fine strand of hair. Does DirecTV just head back to their secret money tree farm to pay their employee salaries? Of course not. The only reason they are employed is because customers send them a check every month for TV service.You are free to leave if you want, no one is stopping you, but Your sense of entitlement is one of the main reasons why this forum is simply infuriating sometimes. I seriously feel for any customer service rep that has to deal with you and other customers like you.I don't understand the anger here. As a customer, I am entitled to the value of services that I feel I am paying for. As a company, DirecTV is entitled to compensation for the services that they provide. If both are aligned, everybody is happy. If they are not, then they need to either work to align them or go their separate ways. This isn't infuriating - it's actually quite miraculous. That's why Econ 101 books call it the "Miracle of Exchange" -- when both parties get what they want, they are both happy.

You may value the services that they provide more than somebody else. If so, you are free to send them an extra check every month as a "thank you", just as somebody who doesn't is free to negotiate or take their business elsewhere.

[workindev]

To me it sounds like the OP tried to pull something over on DirecTV by activating a second hand unit on it's previous owners access card. Because DirecTV didn't catch it right away, he is now upset that he now either has to pay for the previous owner's ppv, or pay $20 for a new card.

If however, he had just bought a new card, and then activated the unit, as he was supposed to do, he wouldn't have had this hassle. Now he'd rather blame DirecTV because he didn't get away with his scheme.That is assuming that the $20 fee for a new card is common knowledge. It isn't. Up until reading this thread, I didn't know it was their policy. If I had activated a receiver like this, and the CSR had not told me about that condition, I would have done the same thing as the OP.

And if 2 months later I was told that I owed them $50 for porn that I didn't order, or $20 for a card I wasn't told about, my response would be "like unholy hell I do".

[workindev]

so, you pay for it, so you don't have to follow the rules?

i guess you're one of the guys screaming "I pay your salary" as the cops haul you away. the rules don't apply to you, i guess.Wow. Excellent straw man. I'm glad you think that an expectation of customer service is criminal.

[workindev]

That doesn't however give you the right to be a jerk to the people who answer the phones at that company.Why not? Is that some unknown exemption to the 1st amendment?

[Doug Brott]

That is assuming that the $20 fee for a new card is common knowledge. It isn't. Up until reading this thread, I didn't know it was their policy. If I had activated a receiver like this, and the CSR had not told me about that condition, I would have done the same thing as the OP.

And if 2 months later I was told that I owed them $50 for porn that I didn't order, or $20 for a card I wasn't told about, my response would be "like unholy hell I do".

Perhaps this could be even more clear, but the Customer Agreement (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=P400042) (with DIRECTV) does provide some indication:

(e) Access Card. You have received a conditional access card (referred to as the "Access Card") and a License Agreement governing your use of the Access Card while you are receiving our Service. Access Cards are nontransferable and are the exclusive property of DIRECTV. If you tell us that the original Access Card was lost, damaged, defective or stolen, we will replace it, as long as there is no evidence of unauthorized tampering with or modification of the Access Card and your account is in good standing. A replacement fee may apply (described in Section 2). Tampering with or other unauthorized modification of the Access Card is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal or civil action. Tampering with or inserting any device into your receiver other than an authorized unmodified Access Card is prohibited. DIRECTV reserves the right to cancel or replace the Access Card. Upon Request, the card must be returned to DIRECTV. If you do not return the Access Card to DIRECTV when you cancel your Service, you may be charged a fee as described in Section 2. Requesting Access Cards on behalf of other persons or for purposes other than lawful viewing of DIRECTV Service is prohibited.

[TigersFanJJ]

Why not? Is that some unknown exemption to the 1st amendment?

I didn't realize the 1st amendment gives someone the right to be a jerk. Do you have a link for that?

[Doug Brott]

Guys, please keep it friendly ..

[Drewg5]

I see it this way, D* messed up by reactivateing the card the $20 won't kill them to send out a new one and keep a long term costmer. They will make that up in 'merroring fees' on that unit. They also need to charge the responsable party for the adult viewing, not you. I would request the charges be droped from my account for the 'adult stuff' send a new card with out the charge or deactivate the unit.

[wingrider01]

After reading this post, This Picture (http://images.despair.com/products/demotivators/apathy.jpg) comes to mind.

Actually this whole thing reminds me of the two statements made to me in my daily job.

Q. I pay your salary so why are you stopping me.
A. Because you are doing 60 in a 40, and by the way,since you pay my salary I could sure use a nice raise.

Q. why are you giving me a ticket and not doing your real job catching real criminals?
A. For a moving violation and yes ma'am/sir I am, I just stopped a law breaker.

have a nice day and y'all be safe out there

[cheezedawg]

so, you pay for it, so you don't have to follow the rules?Its more like, I'm only going to pay for it if the rules are acceptable to me. If they aren't, then I take my business someplace else.
i guess you're one of the guys screaming "I pay your salary" as the cops haul you away. the rules don't apply to you, i guess.I find it telling that you equate an expectation of customer service with criminal activity.

[clarktv]

Every time a customer tries to get a "good deal" this is what happens. Don't blame customer service for your mistake! You could have gotten a FREE H20 from D if you had only called them or a local dealer. In fact, that is what I recommend you do. Also, pay the money on the account and chalk it up to experinece. Weasel

[DishCSR]

Ok first of all I have been a loyal D* customer for 6 years now. I bought a H10 off of a co-worker that he had gotten from ebay and it didn't for his application. I called that night and had it activated. (existing card) So I get my bill this month and theirs (4) chargers for Adult PPV on there from December/January. I activated the RX in March. I call D* and they applogize for the mistake and they will credit me. After a couple of trasnfers I get to a supervisor who tells me that I have to either pay for the $50 in porn or $20 for a new access card. She also tells me that they cannot activate old access cards and that I was responsible for whatever charges were on the card. So I ask then if D* didnt follow proper procedure and activated the old card anyways, in black and white my account shows I couldn't have physically purchased the PPV that they were charging me with, and to top it off, I asked her to provide me, in writing, where it says I am responsible. She again said I have 2 choices, pay the $50 or pay the $20. :mad: :mad: :nono: :nono: :mad: :mad:




I totally agree with the supervisor, I'm sorry but I find it a little hard to believe that the csr that activated the used access card didn't tell you that the only way to have a used access card activated is to assume full financial responsibility for any and all ppv charges that could be on it. Dtv has no way of knowing if an access card has any ippv's on it (ippv's = ppv's ordered via remote) until that accesss card is plugged into a phone line and those ppv's downloaded. Contrary to popular opinion, it is very possible to order ppv's with remote without a phone line connected, however the access card will get full and then not allow anymore ppv's until a phone line is connected.

So if someone did this and then knowingly got rid of the access card to some unsuspecting person then they got away with having someone else pay for their ppv's. Of course if no one ever connected the phone line then the ppv's would be just "lost' forever until a ppv recovery was performed. The only way a recovery would happen is when the access card was returned to dtv.

So the only one to blame here is the original owner of the recvr/access card that knowingly sold their ppv infested access card to someone else. I feel you should go after that person , not anyone else.

[Ext 721]

You buy a used car.

You leave the previous owner's plates on.

You park in the city.

You come back to find a boot on the car for the $200 in unpaid parking tickets.

The city gives you an ultimatum....$80 for new plates, or pay the parking tickets.

Same situation.

[Slip Jigs]

To me it sounds like the OP tried to pull something over on DirecTV by activating a second hand unit on it's previous owners access card. Because DirecTV didn't catch it right away, he is now upset that he now either has to pay for the previous owner's ppv, or pay $20 for a new card.

If however, he had just bought a new card, and then activated the unit, as he was supposed to do, he wouldn't have had this hassle. Now he'd rather blame DirecTV because he didn't get away with his scheme.

Perhaps, but the OP could have also made an innocent mistake, It could also be said that CS intentionally tried to get him to pay the previous charges, by knowingly actiavting a card that carried a balance.

[Slip Jigs]

I didn't realize the 1st amendment gives someone the right to be a jerk. Do you have a link for that?

http://www.consource.org/index.asp?bid=574&False

The word "jerk" is not explictly mentioned, but I do believe it's been upheld in such cases as Falwell vs. Flynt.

:)

[Newshawk]

Perhaps, but the OP could have also made an innocent mistake, It could also be said that CS intentionally tried to get him to pay the previous charges, by knowingly actiavting a card that carried a balance.

This is utterly ridiculous! How would the CSR know there were unreported PPV charges on an access card? They were UNREPORTED until the OP plugged in his phone line!

[drill]

This is utterly ridiculous! How would the CSR know there were unreported PPV charges on an access card? They were UNREPORTED until the OP plugged in his phone line!

But, the CSR did know that the receiver and card were previously active on a different account. IMO, it is DirecTV's responsibilty to require a new card (and charge $20 for it).. If DirecTV chooses to activate an old card to a new account, they assume the responsibility for the previously unpaid purchases. DirecTV is in complete control of this transaction, not the OP. If DirecTV had given the OP the option originally whether to get a new card, or assume responsibility for the purchases on the old card, then they transfer the obligation to the OP. otherwise, this is direcTV's problem, not the OP.

[Slip Jigs]

This is utterly ridiculous! How would the CSR know there were unreported PPV charges on an access card? They were UNREPORTED until the OP plugged in his phone line!

Ok then, but the CSR wouldn't know either way. I would say it's more likely for the CSR to know of at least the possibility that there were previous, and billable charges on the card than for the OP to know what the "rules" are pertaining to previosly owned equipment.

[Kevin Dupuy]

Dont' pay the $20. They want you to pay for something you don't own, they do and they can ask for it back anytime as it's theirs. If you make this point they'll send you a new card at no charge.

That's presuming the receiver is leased. If it's an H10 it probably isn't. Especially since DIRECTV would have gotten suspicious that a leased receiver is trading hands...

[Tom Robertson]

The H10's were all owned, they stopped shipping before the leased program started (so Earl told me.)

Cheers,
Tom

[Newshawk]

But, the CSR did know that the receiver and card were previously active on a different account. IMO, it is DirecTV's responsibilty to require a new card (and charge $20 for it).. If DirecTV chooses to activate an old card to a new account, they assume the responsibility for the previously unpaid purchases. DirecTV is in complete control of this transaction, not the OP. If DirecTV had given the OP the option originally whether to get a new card, or assume responsibility for the purchases on the old card, then they transfer the obligation to the OP. otherwise, this is direcTV's problem, not the OP.

I will agree with one part of your argument. The DirecTV CSR that activated that access card should not have activated the card, but should have required the OP to purchase a new card. However, that's all I can agree with.

[inkahauts]

Right. Tell that to KMart.
It isn't up to you to decide what is unreasonable and what is abuse. This is capitalism at it's finest. The customer, who is soley looking out for their own best interest, decides what they are willing to pay. And DirecTV, who is soley looking out for their own best interest, decides what they will offer. I'm sure that the longevity of that customer is taken into account when they make that decision. If they reach an agreement, the exchange takes place. If they don't, it doesn't. Who are you to decide what is reasonable and unreasonable?
That is a rather obtuse way to look at it. Suffice it to say that DirecTV spends a considerable amount of money in their efforts to acquire a new customer. It would be foolish of them to lose that customer over a dispute totaling an order of magnitude less than what they paid (on average) to acquire them.
Again, I don't think that Kmart considered customer loyalty "overrated" once all of their loyal customers started shopping at Target and Wal-Mart.
Wow, that is splitting a pretty fine strand of hair. Does DirecTV just head back to their secret money tree farm to pay their employee salaries? Of course not. The only reason they are employed is because customers send them a check every month for TV service.I don't understand the anger here. As a customer, I am entitled to the value of services that I feel I am paying for. As a company, DirecTV is entitled to compensation for the services that they provide. If both are aligned, everybody is happy. If they are not, then they need to either work to align them or go their separate ways. This isn't infuriating - it's actually quite miraculous. That's why Econ 101 books call it the "Miracle of Exchange" -- when both parties get what they want, they are both happy.

You may value the services that they provide more than somebody else. If so, you are free to send them an extra check every month as a "thank you", just as somebody who doesn't is free to negotiate or take their business elsewhere.

Capitalism has nothing to do with being unreasonable or abusive. Its about someone decided to buy one service over another because of the choices they are provided. Capitalism is NOT the same as Bartering. You seem to be mistaken on your economic analogies.

The customer signs up for the service provided by Directv. No where does Directv ever say, if you are unhappy at some point, we will negotiate something with you to make you happy. You either follow their polices or you can leave. There is no need to act like a jerk. It is what it is. You are only entitled to the service that Directv states they will offer you. You are not entitled to anything else, which you seem to not understand in your arguments...

Kmart? Seriously? They did not loose out because they stopped being nice to customers. They lost out because they changed the services they offered, and so people changed who their service provider was. Just the same as someone who doesn't like the service they are getting at directv can leave and find another provider.

And customer loyalty no longer exists anywhere (in either direction. Companies to customers or customers to companies). There are a few pockets here and there, but as a whole it is gone. And by the way, Customer loyalty is not a part of Capitalism. That is a part of the Barter system.

To say that you pay someones salary that answers the phone so you should be able to hold them personally responsible for whatever issue you may be having is an example of lack of forethought in your argument. If that were truly the case, then whoever answers that phone would be able to do anything in the company they wanted, from changing the services provided to what the next DVR would look like. They would be the top dog of the company if you will. That is not the case. Their first boss is the corporate policies that guide their answers... Yelling at someone who's boss is a set of words is useless and will get you no where.

[inkahauts]

Wow. Excellent straw man. I'm glad you think that an expectation of customer service is criminal.

No, not an expectation of customer service. The expectation that you are not getting customer service when you are asking for something that is not owed you and is against the policies of the company that you willingly signed up to provide a service to you... yeah, thats criminal from a moral stance.

[inkahauts]

Why not? Is that some unknown exemption to the 1st amendment?

If you don't see whats wrong with your statement, then obviously you have no real since of what customer service is in the first place... Its a two way street, and if you can't see that then you shouldn't expect it to ever be afforded to you. Does Directv ever call and yell at customers when they don't pay their bills, or do they simply let them know they are no longer living up to their end of the agreement, and then follow their policies of shutting of your service when that happens?

[inkahauts]

read one post below yours and you'll see the point i'm making. Yes if a company isn;t living up to your satisfaction you have the right to leave. That doesn't however give you the right to be a jerk to the people who answer the phones at that company.

Wanting to be satisfied by a company isn't infuriating. Contacting retention or calling customer service and demanding to talk to the supervisor's boss because "you pay their salary" so you can get superfan for free (common generalization here) is infuriating. The sense of entitlement by many posters here is just mind boggling because it boils down to "i've been a customer longer, so i deserve to pay less than others for things they have to pay regular price for." Everyone here knows that people here call retention with absolutely no interest in canceling service. They do it because they know the system can be abused for freebies. That in my book is being a jerk.

I think the OP here got jerked around by someone, most likely indirectly by the ebay seller who was actually trying to jerk someone else around. Unfortunately the CSR was not knowledgeable. I still think the guy should just cough up the $20 for a new card though, as he should have had to do that anyway. I have no problem with him.

The customer is so rarely right it isnt even funny. Get rid of all the deadbeat customers....if I see people like that in retail stores, being rude and trying to walk all over a sales person to get their way, I tell them right to their face to get over themselves, and I'm a customer in the store. I just cant stand by and let people act like that anymore, like the parents that are smacking a kid around in a store, there are just some things you stand up and say thats enough....


If you guys didn't live so far, I'd offer to buy you a cold one. You could not be more right. Somehow, people suddenly think that the only thing that matters in this world is that everyone caters to them. It just doesn't work that way, and people like that need to be put in their place.

The OP however does not seem to be one of those people. He seems more like the person getting screwed over by a bad ebayseller or his friend. And while someone at Directv made a mistake, and now they are fixing it, you are in all reality getting mad at them, because they basically did something for you they aren't supposed to do, and it is no longer working properly, so now you have to follow the correct procedure. Unfortunate but thats the way business works. Kind of like how Enron kept saying they could do all kinds of things, and then one day someone decided to collect on it, and guess what they had to pay up, or in their case, go under. May be an extreme analogy, but if the shoe fits....

[kycubsfan]

DirecTV can do as they please at this point.

They have the most HD.
They are the only provider with Sunday Ticket.
They are the only provider with the "real" MLB EI.

As long as they have those advantages, they can happily say "take it or leave it," because for the high-end/sports subscriber, there's really no alternative.

[mx6bfast]

My thoughts...

a) The op could possibly not know that new cards need to be purchased if a receiver was bought from ebay, friend, etc. Not everyone is as smart as us on this board.
b) D* is at fault, either at the planning or CSR level. If the process of not activating used cards is not in their call scripts and it is against company policy then they need to have that documented. If it is documented and the CSR didn't follow the process then it is the CSR's fault.

If it was me I would fight the charges and blame D* for trying to charge you on the backend for what they should've caught when the receiver was activated.

[mx6bfast]

DirecTV can do as they please at this point.

They have the most HD.
They are the only provider with Sunday Ticket.
They are the only provider with the "real" MLB EI.

As long as they have those advantages, they can happily say "take it or leave it," because for the high-end/sports subscriber, there's really no alternative.
So if $50 of porn shows up on your bill you would happily pay it without questioning it? They are doing as they please.

[CCarncross]

Why is this ridiculous thread still open, the guy needs to at least pay the $20 for the new access card, that was given to him as an option as a way to repair this situation. The OP bought the stupid thing on fleabay, the OP is completely responsible.

[Slip Jigs]

If you guys didn't live so far, I'd offer to buy you a cold one. You could not be more right. Somehow, people suddenly think that the only thing that matters in this world is that everyone caters to them. It just doesn't work that way, and people like that need to be put in their place.

The OP however does not seem to be one of those people. He seems more like the person getting screwed over by a bad ebayseller or his friend. And while someone at Directv made a mistake, and now they are fixing it, you are in all reality getting mad at them, because they basically did something for you they aren't supposed to do, and it is no longer working properly, so now you have to follow the correct procedure. Unfortunate but thats the way business works. Kind of like how Enron kept saying they could do all kinds of things, and then one day someone decided to collect on it, and guess what they had to pay up, or in their case, go under. May be an extreme analogy, but if the shoe fits....

If I was in the OP' situation, I could understand that a mistake was made in not giving me accurate information. I would accept the fact that I should have been required to get a new access card.

But to get hit with a bill for previous charges that weren't mine, I find that unacceptable. I would think they were trying to put one over on me.

Having said that, I can also understand that the billing system is probably not designed to make these distinctions - where it might compare the date of the charges to the latest activation date on the card, or the actual account holder.

Even so, then the next CSR - who has the correct information, still gave the OP the "choice" of paying the previous charges, or get a new card.

The overall message looks like D* is trying to collect for these charges any way they can. First, they bill the original account holder. Then they bill the next account holder, and when that doesn't pan out they offer this "choice", which still may work for some people in order to avoid the additional hassle of waiting for the new card to arrive and activate it.

[TigersFanJJ]

http://www.consource.org/index.asp?bid=574&False

The word "jerk" is not explictly mentioned, but I do believe it's been upheld in such cases as Falwell vs. Flynt.

:)

Thanks for the link. I knew before I posted that it didn't say you have the right to be a jerk. The right to free speech doesn't protect you from facing the consequenses for something that you say (legal or otherwise). You are sadly mistaken if you think it does.

Before this turns into a political discussion, can we get :backtotop

[kycubsfan]

So if $50 of porn shows up on your bill you would happily pay it without questioning it? They are doing as they please.

I'd question it, sure. But D* knows I won't cancel, as no one else has what I want.

[ToiletKitty]

The overall message looks like D* is trying to collect for these charges any way they can. First, they bill the original account holder. Then they bill the next account holder, and when that doesn't pan out they offer this "choice", which still may work for some people in order to avoid the additional hassle of waiting for the new card to arrive and activate it.

The problem here is that the original owner did not get billed because the receiver was not connected to a phone line. When the OP connected the receiver, it sent the past ippv information to the account it is currently activated in. It could have been worse though, because access cards have a limit of $200 for ippv.

[justlgi]

Just a small note to add to this ... I did this a while back (bought a reciever, not order the porno). When I got it D* activated with the existing card no questions asked. There were no charges (thank god I guess.) I never plugged up a phone cord and no longer use the reciever. So maybe there are 100's of $'s of porn charges on it. I'll never know.

[ironwood]

It would be interesting to bring this case in the court of law. Seems like customer is responsible for junk equipment he buys from Ebay. On the other hand rule at Directv is to always sell a new access card before moving receiver from one account to another. So basically it was fault of a csr. He made a mistake and somebody has to bear the consequences. I think it should be the employer of the csr. Which in this case is Directv. They are free to fire or uptrain the guy. But it shouldnt be customers problem.

[DTV-888]

http://www.consource.org/index.asp?bid=574&False

The word "jerk" is not explictly mentioned, but I do believe it's been upheld in such cases as Falwell vs. Flynt.

:)

falwell v flynt was about libel and public figures, with regards to free speech. not being a jerk.

[FLWingNut]

Having worked in a call center, I can add this. CSR's are human beings. As such, they can, and do, have feelings about the way they are treated. Treat people how you want to be treated, and you might be surprised about how much a CSR can do for you.

On the other hand, act like a tool, use profanity, scream at me, and I'll make sure I do as little for you as absolutely possible (while still conforming to policy). Contrary to popular belief, more screaming and anger won't get you better service. And don't even try the "I pay your salary" nonsense. When your name is scrawled at the bottom of my paycheck, you can use that line. It's amazing what people will say over the phone -- behavior that, if you tried it face-to-face, might get you arrested, or in the hospital.

CSR's don't make policy. The people that make policy wouldn't be caught dead talking to customers. CSR's do have supervisors -- they can transfer you to them. After that, it's usually someone you have to write to.

Bottom line: treat others like you want to be treated.:)

[workindev]

Capitalism has nothing to do with being unreasonable or abusive. Its about someone decided to buy one service over another because of the choices they are provided. Capitalism is NOT the same as Bartering. You seem to be mistaken on your economic analogies.Who said anything about being abusive or unreasonable? I'm not calling in to insult their mothers, I'm calling in to resolve a problem or request a service. As far as being unreasonable, that is for me and DirecTV to agree on, not the opinion of you or anybody else on this board as to what you think other customers deserve. DirecTV wants a customer and I want TV service, so its up to us to come together and agree on the terms, not you.
The customer signs up for the service provided by Directv. No where does Directv ever say, if you are unhappy at some point, we will negotiate something with you to make you happy. You either follow their polices or you can leave. There is no need to act like a jerk. It is what it is. You are only entitled to the service that Directv states they will offer you. You are not entitled to anything else, which you seem to not understand in your arguments...Huh? I'm "entitled" to the value of services that I am paying for, and DirecTV is "entitled" to receive compensation for providing those services. If those don't agree, the of course I can take my business to a different provider. Again, this has nothing to do with being a "jerk".
To say that you pay someones salary that answers the phone so you should be able to hold them personally responsible for whatever issue you may be having is an example of lack of forethought in your argument. If that were truly the case, then whoever answers that phone would be able to do anything in the company they wanted, from changing the services provided to what the next DVR would look like. They would be the top dog of the company if you will. That is not the case. Their first boss is the corporate policies that guide their answers... Yelling at someone who's boss is a set of words is useless and will get you no where.Incorrect. The person answering the phone isn't the top dog of the company -- the customer is. The only reason that company exists is because customers are willing to give them money for a product or service. If customers become unwilling to give the company money, for whatever reason, that company will cease to exist regardless of what policies they may have in place.Yelling at someone who's boss is a set of words is useless and will get you no where.Again, who said anything about yelling?
No, not an expectation of customer service. The expectation that you are not getting customer service when you are asking for something that is not owed you and is against the policies of the company that you willingly signed up to provide a service to you... yeah, thats criminal from a moral stance.Are you seriously arguing that it is a moral hazard to request the value of services that you feel you are paying for? It's it "morally criminal" if DirecTV agrees to your request?If you don't see whats wrong with your statement, then obviously you have no real since of what customer service is in the first place... Its a two way street, and if you can't see that then you shouldn't expect it to ever be afforded to you. Does Directv ever call and yell at customers when they don't pay their bills, or do they simply let them know they are no longer living up to their end of the agreement, and then follow their policies of shutting of your service when that happens?You seem to be really fixated on this yelling thing. Were you yelled at a lot when you were a child?

[workindev]

DirecTV can do as they please at this point.

They have the most HD.
They are the only provider with Sunday Ticket.
They are the only provider with the "real" MLB EI.

As long as they have those advantages, they can happily say "take it or leave it," because for the high-end/sports subscriber, there's really no alternative.They can "do as they please" until the high-end/sports subscriber decides that it is no longer worth it. They are no better off if more people start to "leave it" than "take it".

[Elephanthead]

I don't see how you become resposible for charges incurred by the previous owner and not paid, at the very least the customer should have been informed of these charges and given the option to activate the receiver or not after being informed of the policy of ripping customers off, especially since the customer activating an old receiver and access card is much cheaper for DTV then ordering a new free receiver and free access card. This is not only bad customer service, it is bad business. Oh and there are still companies where the customer is right, if you accept less then that, then you are settling, don't settle, you only live once.

[troya900]

I don't see how you become resposible for charges incurred by the previous owner and not paid, at the very least the customer should have been informed of these charges and given the option to activate the receiver or not after being informed of the policy of ripping customers off, especially since the customer activating an old receiver and access card is much cheaper for DTV then ordering a new free receiver and free access card. This is not only bad customer service, it is bad business. Oh and there are still companies where the customer is right, if you accept less then that, then you are settling, don't settle, you only live once.

What makes you think ordering a receiver is free? :rolleyes: If he was a new customer then yes, but an existing customer more often than not will have to pay for that receiver. I can also tell you there is absolutely no way a csr knows if there is any charges on that card before activating. That's the whole reason a receiver needs a telephone connection, so Directv knows what you order by remote and until the receiver calls in a csr will not know what is on any given card.

[Elephanthead]

If you can't work out a free standard receiver, then you have terrible luck with DTV, they hand them out like candy. I think at costco they give you money to buy one. Even the most expensive store sells them for 50 bucks, much cheaper then the pron charge. I would think that with a minimium of 10 calls to DTV you could get one for free, especially since this guy has been with them so long. They probably have a warehouse full of returned SD receivers by now. They are going to have to bury them along with all the ET Atari Cartridges and Speed Racer 2008 merchandise!

[TheGreatLogan]

That's the whole reason a receiver needs a telephone connection, so Directv knows what you order by remote and until the receiver calls in a csr will not know what is on any given card.

completely right!

[Tom Servo]

In the end, it seems the biggest mistake the OP made (and where is that person, anyway?) was plugging in the phone line. :D

A co-worker gave me an old RCA receiver when one of mine conked out, many many moons ago.

I activated it with his old car and everything was a-ok. They never said anything about needing a new card.

It wasn't until about a year later that, for some stupid reason, I plugged up a phone line to the unit. The next bill had two movie PPVs and one porn PPV. I don't recall paying for them, but if I did it was only $15 or so and a bargain compared to paying for a new leased receiver.