View Full Version : Buying a PVR system on Ebay...
Good Morning! If I purchase a PVR system on Ebay, do I just put my existing reciever's card in it, or do I have to get a new card from dish network, or what do I do to get it working? Should I care if the PVR system on ebay comes with a card or not? Does Dish Network clear off an existing card that I buy from someone?? I am totally new to the ebay buying process...???
Pete K.
08-27-03, 07:46 AM
Cards are married to receivers so you cannot use the card from your existing receiver. Be careful the
system you purchase does not have old PPV charges on it, cause then you are stuck. At least that is
the way i understand it. I'm sure I'll be quickly corrected by other posters if I am misinformed.
As Pete said, be careful, there are lots of people on eBay that build up big PPV or other charges (they don't pay their bill for a couple of months and DISH cuts them off) and then they sell the receiver. It is a good idea to ask the seller for the receiver serial number AND the smartcard number. If the seller won't supply it, don't buy from that seller. If you seller does supply the them call DISH and verify that the receiver and smartcard are a "set" and verify that there are no charges on the smartcard and the account is not pass due. When the seller sells the receiver he must call DISH and have a release put on the receiver so you can add it on your account.
Chris Blount
08-27-03, 08:40 AM
When selling a receiver, I don't give anyone the serial number or smart card number. Bad idea with all of the hackers out there and those are the people that usually ask.
Most people are honest and if they say there are no PPV charges, there usually isn't. Just take a close look at their feedback. If they have over 20 positive feedbacks and no negatives, you should be okay.
Chris does bring up a good point but I have been told (by DISH) that it is safe NOW to give out that information. In "the old days" it was possible to "clone" that information into another receiver but I have been told (again by DISH) that the receiver software (and hardware) is much more secure.
There also are rumors floating around (DISH won't verify or deny this) that there is going to be a card swap sometime in the future. After that happens, DISH will turn off the datastream for old cards and receivers with those cards (or hacked recievers) won't work.
AppliedAggression
08-27-03, 09:14 AM
Just get one from Dish. Find a good directv promo and tell them directv is offering this and this and what do they have that can compete with it. You should be able to get one for $150 off Dish.
I agree with the above post, you are safe dealing with a new unit from Dish and it is a crap shoot buying one off of ebay. The price difference should not be that much, if it is, then something might be fishy with the ebay unit. I say, better safe than sorry.
When selling a receiver, I don't give anyone the serial number or smart card number. Bad idea with all of the hackers out there and those are the people that usually ask.
Most people are honest and if they say there are no PPV charges, there usually isn't. Just take a close look at their feedback. If they have over 20 positive feedbacks and no negatives, you should be okay.
I was advised by Dish CSR TO get the smart card # & call Dish to check. And in fact, I usually insist that 1. they provide the number so I can check or that they 2. guarantee the receiver/card is free of any outstanding balance. Personnally, I would never bid on a receiver without one of those two items. I've noticed a lot of sellers on ebay don't even know if there is a balance or not - may not even be original owner of the receiver. So buyer beware otherwise. Thats my advice.
Chris Blount
08-27-03, 11:13 AM
I was advised by Dish CSR TO get the smart card # & call Dish to check. And in fact, I usually insist that 1. they provide the number so I can check or that they 2. guarantee the receiver/card is free of any outstanding balance. Personnally, I would never bid on a receiver without one of those two items. I've noticed a lot of sellers on ebay don't even know if there is a balance or not - may not even be original owner of the receiver. So buyer beware otherwise. Thats my advice.Not trying to start an argument but since when did we start believing CSR's? They will tell you anything if they are not sure or if they just don't know.
Every time I sell a receiver on E-Bay, 99% of the e-mails asking me for my smart card number and/or receiver serial number are e-mail addresses coming from Canada or Mexico. It doesn't take a genius to figure what that's all about.
Like I said before, the E-Bay feedback is usually the best way to tell if someone might stiff you. If you feel you need to have the smart card number for verification and the seller won't give it to you, don't bid on the item.
Jacob S
08-27-03, 02:21 PM
Why not use the serial number? This number would not give hackers info they would need to hack the system and still provide that info to Dish to find out if there are any account balances on the receiver, if I am no mistaken.
Usually Dish CSR's will not give you any information about someone else's account and the receiver is not transferrable if there is a balance owed on it.
Yep, you need to be careful with dealing with sellers on ebay. Out of four receivers I bought, I got totally burnt on one and slightly crisp on the second. The first DP301 I bought, was sold fradulently. It was part of a digital home package (meaning that it belongs to Dish), it also had a balance of $470. The seller clearly told me after the sell that he intended to sell it for black market uses. I returned it to Dish and took the loss. The 508 that I recently bought was free and clear with the exception of an 18.00 balance. The seller took care of the balance andI made out fairly on the deal as the 508 was only 199 plus 25 for S/H. I would have went through Dish an upgraded, however I had not been a subscriber long enough to take advantage of this. The other 2 301's I bought were brand new from a dealer on ebay and I saved about 25 each than I would have paid at Walmart or Costco.
Unthinkable
08-27-03, 07:09 PM
Like I said before, the E-Bay feedback is usually the best way to tell if someone might stiff you. If you feel you need to have the smart card number for verification and the seller won't give it to you, don't bid on the item.
I'm no expert on E-Bay by any means, but what exactly prevents a seller from doing a whole slew of sales to his buddies in exchange for perfect feedback reports in the efforts to falsify credibility????
Bob Haller
08-27-03, 08:47 PM
Gee I read somewhere recently that cloning receivers was easy. Odd thing is I stumbled onto this info looking for something unreleated, we were trying to value a antiquie set of dishes for sale.
Speaing of e bay its OK but not worth the hassle selling. Two things I sold got damaged in transit one the purchaser threw out the packing. One the purchaser had everything ups brown said it was ups fault, ups said it was ups brown fault. Two seperate companies, I will not ever use UPS brown again.
I sold my flintstones lunch box for $400 only p[roblem the idiot buyer has bounced 2 checks so far I lost $30 in bounce fees. He got delisted in the mean time.
Buyoing on ebay has been better than selling.
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