One R10 left... should I buy another?

[scubaduba]

So I sent my R15 back to DTV and purchased an R10 for $70 from Compusa a while ago. I love the R10!

The Compusa near me has one more R10 left and they have it on clearance for $59. Should I buy it just to have a spare on hand? Or take the chance that my R10 will serve me well without a hardware failure for the days ahead.

[JLucPicard]

One thing to be careful of is that there is usually a clause in the fine print that says you must activate the receiver within 30 days or pay about $150 "non-activation" charge.

If you do want to pick it up as a spare, you can connect it where you other one is now and activate it, then deactivate it again right away (right away being a relative term -don't know if that can be immediately or a day or two later or what).

Just something to keep in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it would be a leased receiver, so you would not be able to sell it if you ultimately decided you didn't want to keep it after all.

[scubaduba]

There's no clause at all. I purchased my first R10 from Compusa straight up. Nothing to sign, no lease, or anything. It is a straight purchase.

So I wouldn't be a leaseing the receiver either. Who would I be leasing it from?

[Wolffpack]

Even with the clause, you can deactivate it a month later. I've got two R10s sitting in the garage along with 3 HDVR2s (minus HDs) in the event any of my Tivos start acting up.

I'd buy it, activate it and make sure it's "owned" then a month later deactivate it. That way it's on your account for future activation.

[JLucPicard]

There's no clause at all. I purchased my first R10 from Compusa straight up. Nothing to sign, no lease, or anything. It is a straight purchase.

So I wouldn't be a leaseing the receiver either. Who would I be leasing it from?

You would be leasing it from D*.

If you are certain that you "own" it, then make sure D* is certain about that, too! Every activation taking place now takes place as a Leased unit. When you call to activate, the CSR is supposed to go over the terms of the lease. I'm reading an awful lot on these boards that BB, CC, CompUSA I would imagine, are notorious for not disclosing the lease situation when purchases are made in their stores.

I am not saying that the unit you bought definitely has to be a lease at this point, but nearly any unit "purchased" from a big box store now is, and all activations are going on people's accounts as leased by D*. If it truly is an owned unit, you will still have to work with D*s ACCESS CARD DEPARTMENT to get it booked as owned on your account.

Did you acquire your first R10 after March 1st? If so, is it showing right now on your account as owned or leased? If owned, did you have to work with D* on getting it classified as such? Another thing that makes me think it may be leased is the $59 price tag. Any unit that is purchased at a "subsidized" price that is subsidized by D* is a lease.

Just trying to give you a heads up so you don't find out too late like some other people are posting here.

Good Luck!

[scubaduba]

It's definately not leased. I didn't even tell D* where I got the R10. I just told them that I owned one and wanted to cancel my lease of my R15 and eliminate my 2 year contract. To be sure I called D* today to verify my equipment lease and D* told me I don't have a lease.

[JLucPicard]

Sweet! Great news.

[mrb]

Sweet! Great news.

Agreed. I bought an R10 used from eBay and just called DTV to activate it. It's mine, I just pay the $5.99 DVR fee monthly. (This also means that if it craps out it's all on me.) The two broken R15s I have will sit in my closet until DTV ponies up the $$ to pay to ship them back...otherwise I'll use them as step stools for my two year old to wash his hands before dinner. About as much as they're good for.

[jym]

I just went through this so let me explain what I think is happening.

- I purchased a new HR10-250 from CompUSA

- CompUSA had no info about me, and CompUSA specifically told me this was a purchase not a lease. The CompUSA clerk and manager told me this. I asked when I called and when I went in and purchased.

- When I went to activate the CSR at DirecTV started going through her explanation that it was a lease. I told her I purchased it at CompUSA myself. She then told me that it was not a lease. (I believe she was wrong) I also think this conversation was recorded. Not sure if D*TV will play back a recording where they don't like what was told to the customer.

- Then I asked her about my other DVR that I activated earlier in the week that I had purchased from PTVUpgrade. She told me it was listed as a lease. She then told me she could connect me to someone that could fix this

- The lady that I was then connected to seemed to better understand things. She told me very strongly that any DVR purchased new was a lease. Did not matter if CompUSA explained this or not. It was a lease period. She did change the DSR704 I purchased from PTVUpgrade to me owning it. The difference being the unit was not new. I assume she also changed the HR10 to being a lease. So my mouth probably got this changed back to a lease.

So I believe that when you go to activate the R10 they will tell you it is a lease. As silly as this is. I don't believe a new DVR can be activated without it being a lease. It does not matter if the retailer tells you or not in D*TV eyes. They got you when you try to activate. Now I do think you might be able to tell them you got it from your brother or something and it will not be a lease. I doubt D*TV knows the difference. I know CompUSA, in my case, did not tell D*TV anything.

Please report back when you activate because we are all curious how this all really works.

On a side note. I think D*TV is making a huge mistake with all of this sillyness. It is confusing and just pissing off their customer base. I can't think of anything else that works like D*TV with these leases.

Even the D*TV installer at my house who could over hear my conversation with D*TV thought this was ridiculous.

[Wolffpack]

I just went through this so let me explain what I think is happening.

- I purchased a new HR10-250 from CompUSA

- CompUSA had no info about me, and CompUSA specifically told me this was a purchase not a lease. The CompUSA clerk and manager told me this. I asked when I called and when I went in and purchased.

- When I went to activate the CSR at DirecTV started going through her explanation that it was a lease. I told her I purchased it at CompUSA myself. She then told me that it was not a lease. (I believe she was wrong) I also think this conversation was recorded. Not sure if D*TV will play back a recording where they don't like what was told to the customer.

- Then I asked her about my other DVR that I activated earlier in the week that I had purchased from PTVUpgrade. She told me it was listed as a lease. She then told me she could connect me to someone that could fix this

- The lady that I was then connected to seemed to better understand things. She told me very strongly that any DVR purchased new was a lease. Did not matter if CompUSA explained this or not. It was a lease period. She did change the DSR704 I purchased from PTVUpgrade to me owning it. The difference being the unit was not new. I assume she also changed the HR10 to being a lease. So my mouth probably got this changed back to a lease.

So I believe that when you go to activate the R10 they will tell you it is a lease. As silly as this is. I don't believe a new DVR can be activated without it being a lease. It does not matter if the retailer tells you or not in D*TV eyes. They got you when you try to activate. Now I do think you might be able to tell them you got it from your brother or something and it will not be a lease. I doubt D*TV knows the difference. I know CompUSA, in my case, did not tell D*TV anything.

Please report back when you activate because we are all curious how this all really works.

On a side note. I think D*TV is making a huge mistake with all of this sillyness. It is confusing and just pissing off their customer base. I can't think of anything else that works like D*TV with these leases.

Even the D*TV installer at my house who could over hear my conversation with D*TV thought this was ridiculous.
jym,

Big difference between the two. Your HR10 was purchased new from BB. BB's policy matches DTVs in that it's a lease. That was and is a unit owned by DTV.

mrb purchased a used R10 from eBay. That unit was not owned by DTV it was owned by the seller and purchased from DTV before they had a lease program. So mrb's unit is indeed owned. Not that mrb shouldn't double check that fact, but it is owned.

There's no way DTV is going to reclaim DVRs previously sold to their customers as leased equipment....and I don't believe they're trying to do that. One just needs to pay attention to how & where you buy/prepay for your equipment.

[dishrich]

The Compusa near me has one more R10 left and they have it on clearance for $59. Should I buy it just to have a spare on hand?

If you REALLY luv your D-Tivo - YES, YES, YES, YES by ALL means GET IT!!! :eek2: :eek2: I've got TWO brand new SII Tivo's in boxes (a 120hr unit I bought off e-bay & an 80hr unit) that I'm keeping strictly for spares if the 3 SD units I'm using now die.

Oh, & as far as the activation thing - as long as Comp USA did NOT have you sign anything stating you WOULD activate, there is NO reason to do so. Wal-Marts were the same way, as they did NOT require activation, either. I would, however, take it out of the box when you get home, hook it up & run it through initial setup, just to make sure it works right. (You DON'T have to activate to do this)

You might actually find that after you get it, you may feel like activating it as well - just imagine FOUR tuners of Tivo to play with, for only an extra $5 a month. :D If you do, just tell D* you bought this unit as a clearance item & was told you OWNED it, THEN make them x-fer you over to the access card department to make it leased. I've done it myself a couple of times now & it's pretty painless.

[scubaduba]

Yeah... I do love my Tivo. I'd really like an HR10-250 now for the second one. They're still $399 locally though.

[cybok0]

Yeah... I do love my Tivo. I'd really like an HR10-250 now for the second one. They're still $399 locally though.

call D* they might still be giving free ones away, doesn't hurt to check. :D

[scubaduba]

But then I'd be tied to a 2 year lease correct?

[JLucPicard]

But then I'd be tied to a 2 year lease correct?

You would even if you bought one at $399. That is a subsidized price, therefore, two-year lease commitment.

[scubaduba]

It's not a subsidized price. That's their current regular price. It's the same as it was when I purchased my R10 from them. I purchased it out right with no contract or lease. The status of my R10 is owned with DirecTV.