Distant Waiver with Dish - No waiver with Direct

[minnow]

Just got off the phone with Direct and told them that I was a Dish customer and thinking about switching. My concern was that I would need a waiver for CBS(which I
have had for Dish which was just re-newed or re-qualifed by Dish this month). I asked if that waiver would be transferrable. Not only did the CSR say no it couldn't, but upon further questioning said that there's no way I would ever get one either. Too bad for Direct I guess. Hard to believe that Dish has gotten a waiver for CBS for the past five years I've been with them and just re-qualifed me and Direct can't or (most likely) won't do anything for a new customer. :nono:

[bonscott87]

Both providers are different and use different rules for qualifiction. DirecTV is much more strict and goes by the letter of the law. Dish isn't as strict (which has gotten them in court more then once) so it doesn't suprise me at all that you got waivers with Dish and not Direct.

One other thing DirecTV does to save them time and effort is keep on file what stations say. For example, all the stations in my area always refuse to give waivers so when I asked DirecTV isn't going to waste their time trying to get waivers when they already know my stations will say no. My stations are now up on DirecTV so it doesn't matter now for me anyway.

Also a station manager may like Dish and hates DirecTV and thus grants waivers to Dish customers but not to Direct. They can certainly do that, it is within their power. Since you mention CBS, remember that DISH has a special relationship with CBS as well for those in O&O markets.

Just some insight for you to consider.

[shy007]

I don't know how they do the waivers but I have the FoxE and FoxW on directv plus my local Fox...... It's good for football games and baseball games...... I keep trying for the other networks but get turned down every time...... I keep trying, maybe my networks will get tired of me trying and give them to me...... LOL

[ChrisPC]

This site will tell you what networks you qualify for on D*:

http://directvdnseligibility.decisionmark.com/app/AddressEntry.asp

If you qualify for a network, you won't even need waivers. I qualify for Fox E and W, so I didn't need a waiver. I didn't qualify for ABC, but my nice ABC local knows they have a horrible signal here and gave me a waiver. I now have all locals and ABC and Fox distants.