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Protection Plan with Rentals?

1K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  Steve Robertson 
#1 ·
I'm scheduled for two HR20's to be installed this Wednesday morning. They will be rentals and replacing "owned" receivers (including one HR10-250). I've had the Protection Plan which has previously covered replacement of two HD-Tivo's. Bottom line: It has been a bargain.

However, with the rentals, I see little if any advantages for the Protection Plan. I assume D* must replace rentals that don't work properly. Am I missing something? Does anyone use the Protection Plan for rentals? It appears that unless I do something, D* is leaving it active on my account.

Change of Subject. Thanks to all on the forum. I've been reading it for quite a few months and finally decided it was hopefully "safe" to make the jump and get ready for this Fall's new HD programming. I made good use of the info in the thread regarding current "deals".
 
#2 ·
DIRECTV will replace the receiver even if you don't have the protection plan but they will charge $19.95 for shipping plus you have to sign a new two year contract. With the protection plan no charge plus you will not get a new two year contract. Also if anything else ever needs to be replaced like the dish, multi-switch, or cables you will have to pay for it if you don't have the protection plan.
 
#3 ·
To me the protection plan just isn't worth much. How often does anyone need to replace a dish or multi-switch. Most likely it will only be when equipment is upgraded as part of a free installation. If you're concerned, just set the same amount of cash aside each month and you'll probably have enough saved to buy a large screen TV long before you need to buy any other equipment. Most protection plans on any equipment or appliances just never pay for the cost of the policy.
 
#4 ·
While D* is currently replacing leased recievers for shipping costs, they don't have to. The warrenty is only for 90 days. After that its YMMV.

As others have pointed out, it also covers the dish, alignment, cables, multiswitches, and remotes.

If you don't think its worth it, take that $6 and put it in a coffe can or piggy bank each month for "just in case".

A single service call will be $70 possibly higher if they tack on additional charges

A years worth of the protection plan is $71.88 + tax.
 
#7 ·
RobertE said:
While D* is currently replacing leased recievers for shipping costs, they don't have to. The warrenty is only for 90 days. After that its YMMV.

As others have pointed out, it also covers the dish, alignment, cables, multiswitches, and remotes.

If you don't think its worth it, take that $6 and put it in a coffe can or piggy bank each month for "just in case".

A single service call will be $70 possibly higher if they tack on additional charges

A years worth of the protection plan is $71.88 + tax.
You said the warrenty is 90 days. Makes no sense, its their equipment, if it fails give it back and your contract is over.
 
#10 ·
RobertE said:
While D* is currently replacing leased recievers for shipping costs, they don't have to. The warrenty is only for 90 days. After that its YMMV.

As others have pointed out, it also covers the dish, alignment, cables, multiswitches, and remotes.

If you don't think its worth it, take that $6 and put it in a coffe can or piggy bank each month for "just in case".

A single service call will be $70 possibly higher if they tack on additional charges

A years worth of the protection plan is $71.88 + tax.
I think if they want to keep someone as a customer they will always replace bad hardware for free or the cost of shipping. And if your happy does it really matter if your locked in to 2 more years??? :)
 
#11 ·
capnlando13 said:
My HDMI will not work on my HR20 and I have the protection plan but I have had to wait 5 full calendar days for anyone to come out...Do you mean the equipment of the service also? I was told next day service but that is absolutely not true.
I had two boxes replaced without the plan and never waited more then three days for fedex to bring me a new box. The last box came on a Satureday.
 
#13 ·
I didn't subscribe to the plan, because I don't agree with it in principle.
I think that if I'm leasing the equipment and paying a monthly bill, then they should keep it running.
E* did it for 8 years. replaced the DVR 2-3 times and I never paid a nickel extra for it, not even shipping or return shipping.

Does the cable company charge you for a service call when the cable craps out?

Does the electric company?
 
#14 ·
LR308er said:
I didn't subscribe to the plan, because I don't agree with it in principle.
I think that if I'm leasing the equipment and paying a monthly bill, then they should keep it running.
E* did it for 8 years. replaced the DVR 2-3 times and I never paid a nickel extra for it, not even shipping or return shipping.

Does the cable company charge you for a service call when the cable craps out?

Does the electric company?
Yes they do.
E* still charges the customer a fee to come to the home even if said customer has a "protection plan" and if EQ has to be replaced there is an extra fee. Look at the customer agreement. With DTV, the lease program covers receivers ONLY. If something goes wrong with any other part of the system its covered for free, unless customer induced, of course. It is no different that any other insurance policy, you hope you never need it but it's nice to know that its there.
 
#15 ·
E* never charged me for anything but a monthly bill after my initial installation.
When I canceled with them to try D* they even paid the return shipping on the equipment.

My electric company doesn't charge me up to my demarq, but they didn't wire my house.
IIRC, D*'s demarq is the back of my tv.
 
#16 ·
LR308er said:
E* never charged me for anything but a monthly bill after my initial installation.
When I canceled with them to try D* they even paid the return shipping on the equipment.

My electric company doesn't charge me up to my demarq, but they didn't wire my house.
IIRC, D*'s demarq is the back of my tv.
1st off, what is demarq? DTV's termination starts and ends at the receiver. Every thing else is the customer res. Lets say that you bought a set of GOOD YEARS and they fell appart on a xcountry trip. Will they pay you back? YEAH!! Now lets take those same tires, and your kid takes knife to the side wall. Will they do the same? Maybe someday when DTV gets into the same buiseness model as UNISEFF they will be able to help out more ppl. But for now they are still a FOR PROFIT ORIG. Sending techs out cost $$$. Replacing EQ cost $$. DTV has always advertised to be the best..... I think it was E* that said it was the cheapest, and look how well that did with DNS, locals, and Life Time, and some other things.
just a thought but for now i think this point is mood.
cheers to all,
hope u had fun :grin:
 
#17 ·
RobertE said:
While D* is currently replacing leased recievers for shipping costs, they don't have to. The warrenty is only for 90 days. After that its YMMV.

As others have pointed out, it also covers the dish, alignment, cables, multiswitches, and remotes.

If you don't think its worth it, take that $6 and put it in a coffe can or piggy bank each month for "just in case".

A single service call will be $70 possibly higher if they tack on additional charges

A years worth of the protection plan is $71.88 + tax.
I doubt very much if DirecTV will push that issue. There is in law an "implied doctrine of merchantablitiy." That means, in plain English, that you can't charge a rental fee for a piece of equipment that doesn't do what it is intended to do. DirecTV cannot unilaterally abridge that doctrine, no matter what their contracts may state.

The same is true for DirecTV's policy of extending a contract in exchange for fixing a broken IRD. They cannot legally do it. Obviously, that may not stop them from trying.
 
#18 ·
I have had the service contract for a while now and for me it has worked out great in that I always seem for whatever reason to get my money backj and then some. Just this past saturday I had my dish moved because of a branch in my neighbors yard and all I had to do was sign the work order when he was done. I also like the overnighthing of replacement boxes which has happened twice this year with the HR20 700.
 
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