HD Receiver Upgrade for Free? [Archive]

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nj1313

01-11-09, 04:06 PM

I've been trying since Thursday to finally get a CSR at DirecTV to upgrade my old D10-300 for an HD receiver. EVERYONE has told me it costs $99.00 plus shipping and handling. From reading from other posts here, it seems to be easy for most of you to upgrade for FREE. Any tips? CSR roulette is getting old no matter whether I bet on red or black :lol:!

waynebtx

01-11-09, 04:34 PM

nj1313

01-11-09, 04:38 PM

So pay the 99.00

Ladies and gentlemen...waynebtx will be here all night....:lol:

I pay enough...the least they can do is update my outdated equipment...especially since everyone I know and have talked to have told me they've received upgrades for free!!!

scott72

01-11-09, 05:41 PM

Not everyone receives them for free, in fact most don't. Pay like everyone else does or keep what you have.

boba

01-11-09, 05:45 PM

Your CSR responses tell you that you are not considered one of their best customers. But a $99 fee dosen't mean your a bad customer it just means if you want an H20/21/22 you are going to pay $99 to D* for the upgrade. Or you can shop elsewhere to see if you can get what you consider a good enough price.

nj1313

01-11-09, 06:14 PM

dodge boy

01-11-09, 06:41 PM

Call in and tell them if it's not free you are going to Dishnetwork....

But if they refuse, stick to your word, let us all know how Dishnetworks new HD DVR works.... :)

tcusta00

01-11-09, 06:47 PM

Didn't expect the obnoxious comments...

I was just looking for some ideas...being a loyal customer has NOTHING to do with getting a free upgrade...I know customers who have had Directv for 10 years and some who are brand new customers...Most of them said it took between 2 and 10 CSR's before they were given a free upgrade.

So telling me to "just pay" isn't the most helpful advice...

How can a company give something free to one person and not another based on NOTHING but the mood of the CSR?

That would be like going through a hiring process and getting the job because of my gender, race, ethnicity, etc...

Sorry you didn't get the response you expected. As you've read around here there isn't a secret handshake or code you utter to get it for free. It's largely based not on the whims of a CSR, but rather the standing of your account, the package you're subscribed to, extra packages you pay for, credit rendered in the past, etc, etc. If you're looking for the secret combination of which things it is you'll likely be disappointed. You'll have better luck finding the meaning of life.

My suggestion is the buy it if you want it. If you aren't willing to buy if you are welcome to keep calling back. You will likely be placed on some kind of blacklist after a while: they do track these conversations.

You can threaten to cancel if you don't get what you want but be prepared to have this happen if they call your bluff.

Good luck.

cariera

01-11-09, 07:24 PM

the least they can do is update my outdated equipment...

First off, your equipment is not outdated, it is just not HD capable. Also, they are not just replacing your receiver, they're replacing the dish.

If you're looking to save some $$$, may I respectfully suggest returning your HDTV and buying one that costs $100-$200 less. Then the Directv upgrade won't be so painful.:)

tjofamber

01-11-09, 07:30 PM

I had a new receiver siting online on my account for 99.00 as a good customer, been with them since standing in line at Sears long long ago. I was having problems one of my Hr20s and called tech service. I got it working. I asked her what the 99.00 was. She then set me up with a service call for a new slimline dish and a new receiver for free. Had to extend two years but thats no problm. I requested an HR23. Well see whats on the truck. Have you checked your account online? You may have good luck there.
TJ

nj1313

01-11-09, 07:46 PM

First off, your equipment is not outdated, it is just not HD capable. Also, they are not just replacing your receiver, they're replacing the dish.

If you're looking to save some $$$, may I respectfully suggest returning your HDTV and buying one that costs $100-$200 less. Then the Directv upgrade won't be so painful.:)

Before you give advice, you might want to know your facts first :nono2:

I have a D10-300...last time I checked, this receiver is beyond old and gives me problems 80% of the time...I already have HD, so my thought is that if they would need to exchange this receiver, would it be that big of a problem to change it to HD? I would NOT need a new dish!

By the way, trading in my new television and buying a cheaper one to cover the receiver costs must have been one of the worst suggestions I have ever heard :nono:

JLucPicard

01-11-09, 08:14 PM

There is much more of a likelihood to get a free Hxx HD receiver if you're upgrading from an MPEG2 HD receiver than upgrading from an SD D10 receiver. CSRs are monitored for the freebies and credits they give out, and with the tightening of the credits in general, it may be that they don't do an SD receiver for HD receiver upgrade for free.

Best of luck.

87vert

01-12-09, 08:51 AM

When i upgraded a few months ago they said 99 was the best they could do but they could also give me 10 off a month for a year and free HD access for a year.

I took it...

Mertzen

01-12-09, 09:00 AM

I have a D10-300...last time I checked, this receiver is beyond old
It is functionally identical to the current D12 IRDs
and gives me problems 80% of the time...
Now if it is broken or there is something wrong with it sure, replace it. But old or outdated it is not.

BKC

01-12-09, 09:20 AM

Have you tried emailing Ellen? :lol:

DrZ

01-12-09, 09:57 AM

If you are out from under any contract they usually will upgrade you for free (and to get you under a new 2-year commitment). If they have you under contract they can be a bit of a pill about things. That being said $99 isn't bad. I just had to pay $199 for my second HD-DVR as they were no offering any free-bees that day.

InterMurph

01-12-09, 10:04 AM

I have negotiated free HD upgrades for two relatives recently.

The CSR that answers the phone doesn't have authorization to go below $99. To get past that, you must say that if you don't get a free upgrade, then you will take the free HD upgrade that Comcast is offering you. This will get you to the retention department, which does have the authority to give free upgrades.

In both cases, I got a free dish upgrade and install, got a free HD DVR, and got them to waive the $10/month HD fee for 1 year. In one case, I also got an extra $10/month off their current package for 1 year.

The key in both cases: they were actually willing to ditch DirecTV in favor of Comcast. It wasn't too hard to convince the retention CSR of that, but it certainly helped that I was telling the truth.

spartanstew

01-12-09, 10:09 AM

Have you tried emailing Ellen? :lol:

;)

curt8403

01-12-09, 10:15 AM

;)

if you have been a customer for 3 years or more (Loyal Customer) you can get an upgrade to HD (If you do not have HD) for free/

LOCODUDE

01-12-09, 10:54 AM

if you have been a customer for 3 years or more (Loyal Customer) you can get an upgrade to HD (If you do not have HD) for free/

Really?... Is that a fact?

compac

01-12-09, 01:45 PM

Stick to you're guns...
WE went from $199 to 99 to 99w/ free shipping and $10 credit for 12 mos

Requested a hr22 and got it... 2 yr contract

scott72

01-12-09, 05:46 PM

How can a company give something free to one person and not another based on NOTHING but the mood of the CSR?

Welcome to DirecTV..:D

scott72

01-12-09, 05:50 PM

if you have been a customer for 3 years or more (Loyal Customer) you can get an upgrade to HD (If you do not have HD) for free/

The OP already has HD..

dmurphy

01-12-09, 08:46 PM

I have a D10-300...last time I checked, this receiver is beyond old and gives me problems 80% of the time...

That's not old ...

The RCA DRD222 in my closet? That's old ... but not antique. It's still a 2nd generation receiver ...

TheChaos

01-12-09, 08:58 PM

Really?... Is that a fact?

It's not a fact, but it is true. They do sometimes give out free upgrades, one day I was checking my account online and they offered me a free HD Upgrade.

umfan866

01-13-09, 12:54 AM

Here is the trick. You have to actually cancel Directv. They are currently running back a "welcome back to Directv" special where you commit to 24 months but get the following: free HD DVR, free HD slimline dish & installation thereof, $5 instant credit for a year, and 12-month $18 credit, and I also asked for and got 3 months showtime/HBO and 3 months of the HD extra pack. After calling back later, also got a free AM21.

What really ticked me off is that I had to go through hell first. I had called retention 2 months ago, asked for a free upgrade to an HD DVR (from my current Direct TIVO, no commitment), got it but the system was updating at the time so it couldn't be entered. Subsequent CSR's in the retention dept as well as escalating it through customer service -- all did not work --they would not honor what their own original CSR said, even givining his badge number- the offer was deemed "excessive". But once I actually cancelled and went to DIsh, Directv started phoning me (3 x in one day) and emailing this offer etc. I would have actually gone ahead with Dish, but when the Dish installer came I had negotiated for 2 free HD DVRS (1 722 and one 1 612), and the installer only brought 1 612. Subsequent calls to Dish established that they would not honor their original deal, so I went back to Directv.

JLucPicard

01-13-09, 01:40 PM

And people wonder why there's a 24 month commitment!

reallyneatgirl

01-13-09, 11:25 PM

A standard legacy IRD can get a free upgrade, to a standard non-legacy IRD.

LOCODUDE

01-14-09, 01:09 AM

At least you are honest............... :)

umfan866

01-15-09, 03:16 AM

Hey Reallyneatgirl,

As a CSR, can you tell me -- is there really a "heart system"? E.g. if I am a loyal customer paying on time I have "3 hearts" ? What is a negative customer-- a broken heart? ;) I am just curious because I have read about the heart system elsewhere.

Also-- I was able to get 1 AM21 for free along with the free HD DVR (HR22) by returning to directv, what are the chances I could secure a second AM21 for my other (self-paid) HD DVR (HR21)? What approach would I take on the phone? E.g. I got one AM21 but I thought it worked for both HD DVRs and it doesn't.... or ... just be honest.. can I get a 2nd AM21 ?

IcedOmega13

01-15-09, 03:40 AM

I wouldn't recommend an employee posting a response.

dodge boy

01-15-09, 06:41 AM

What approach would I take on the phone? E.g. I got one AM21 but I thought it worked for both HD DVRs and it doesn't.... or ... just be honest.. can I get a 2nd AM21 ?

I'm not a CSR but the best approach would be to call them and ask... Shees is that so fraking hard? If they say "No" or "Sorry it is $50.00", either pay the $50.00 or say, "Thank you for your time". All this garbage about a way to bully someone to save a measly $50.00 or a measly $200.00 on a HD DVR, I did less haggling when I bought my new cars. If you can't afford the $200.00 bucks for a DVR or $50.00 for an AM21 maybe you should buy a $60.00 converter box after I subsidize $40.00 of it, making you $20.00 out of pocket for the thing and stick to "FREE" OTA programming. Even people who go FTA with a BUD (I used to do this) can PAY THOUSANDS for their equipment!