Latest On Activating Used Equipment?

[NorthOlyPen]

I've searched but information on DIRECTV's positions keeps changing, probably because DTV keeps changing... Nevertheless, anyone have up-to-date information to help me get around this issue or decide to quit trying and get a refund on the equipment?

Got a Series II TiVo off e-Bay. Went to activate and when I read the number off the card, the CSR said that it was still active on another customer's account. Still billing at $4.99 per month. However, the account was still in "good standing" as one of the "system information" screens said when the box was connected an powered up.

The CSR said that the card and box were married and even though I had a new, never-activated card they could not activate that particular box as long as it was married to another customer's account.

No way to contact the DIRECTV customer who has this box on his/her account. Seller will refund purchase price but I'd really rather, if possible, have the TiVo activated.

I can understand why DTV would not want to put me in touch with the customer but why would they refuse to contact the customer to advise them that they are paying for a box that is obviously no longer in service?

Suggestions?

Thanks,

[wmschultz]

So if you connect it, are you getting programming?

[NorthOlyPen]

If I connect the box to the satellite and the TV, yes, the guide starts to populate and the DIRECTV info channel (201?) works. I cannot get any other channels, though.

[wmschultz]

That blows....

[Clemsole]

Just send it back and get your money back.

[dodge boy]

Just send it back and get your money back.

Have the person you bought it off of activate it and close your account and split the bill with him...... :lol:
Just don't plug it into a phone line..... Only kidding, and not advisable, I don't want hate comments........

[hombresoto]

A violation of customer agreement, but if you leave the box connected to the dish and powered on, eventually it will get re authorized automatically by DirecTV assuming the unit is indeed on someones active account. My guess is that the authorization has expired because it hasn't been authorized or 'hit' recently.

[cadet502]

I guess I've got to wonder a little bit about the seller. Doesn't he know who used to own it? Or is there some reason he can't contact them? Couldn't be stolen merchendise, they never allow that on Ebay.:rolleyes:

[gb33]

I am a bit concerned about this as well. My mother has DTV and fights with recording to tapes. So I now have the (unfortunate) pleasure of owning the HR20 so i am giving her my old Samsung 4080 DTivo. I had once activiated a secondary Dtivo from Ebay, but that was before the directv-tivo divorce. I am going to do it next weekend. Assuming I get a decent CSR, should there be any issue to her adding this box to their account replacing a standard box?

[veryoldschool]

I am a bit concerned about this as well. My mother has DTV and fights with recording to tapes. So I now have the (unfortunate) pleasure of owning the HR20 so i am giving her my old Samsung 4080 DTivo. I had once activiated a secondary Dtivo from Ebay, but that was before the directv-tivo divorce. I am going to do it next weekend. Assuming I get a decent CSR, should there be any issue to her adding this box to their account replacing a standard box?
There was a post about something very much like this. What turned out to be the best way was to use her access card in your box.

[NorthOlyPen]

A violation of customer agreement, but if you leave the box connected to the dish and powered on, eventually it will get re authorized automatically by DirecTV assuming the unit is indeed on someones active account. My guess is that the authorization has expired because it hasn't been authorized or 'hit' recently.

That's interesting. Is the consensus here that this will work? Keep in mind that the account to which this box and card married couple belongs is still active and still billing the $4.99 mirroring fee and the customer is still paying it.

The last successful call in was in August, per the information screen. That is one reason I do not think it is stolen. If it were, one would think that the owner would have removed it from his/her account.

On Edit: So if I were to do this, what card should I leave in the box? If it's the original card it will just re-authorize to the original owner, no? Meaning if it were possible to order a PPV, they would get the bill, right?

What would happen if I took a card from an existing IRD (no DVR/TiVo) that is currently active on my account and plugged it into this "currently-un-activeatable" box?

Also, the e-bay seller said he bought it at a "thrift store" and he had the manual. He said that he had no way of knowing who the original owner is/was. He also offered to give me my money back. I may have to do that if hombresoto's solution stands little chance of working in this situation.

Thanks for all of the replies.

[iceman2a]

I am a bit concerned about this as well. My mother has DTV and fights with recording to tapes. So I now have the (unfortunate) pleasure of owning the HR20 so i am giving her my old Samsung 4080 DTivo. I had once activiated a secondary Dtivo from Ebay, but that was before the directv-tivo divorce. I am going to do it next weekend. Assuming I get a decent CSR, should there be any issue to her adding this box to their account replacing a standard box?

Shouldn't be a concern since you deactivated the box! There is a big dif between a box that no longer shows active and the new user knows exactly where it came from and someone trying to activate a box D* still shows on someone else's accnt!

[gb33]

Okay good. I just didn't know if they would be reluctant to since it is a Tivo and not one of their own in house pieces.