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Suspending while building?

2K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  Carl Spock 
#1 ·
OK, this is probably a limited appeal question, but here goes:

We are moving into an apartment while we build a new house. DTV not an option in the apt (faces N). Build may take a year. I have a pretty substantial collection of HD and HD DVR boxes. What I don't want to do, is to give the boxes back just to buy new ones when we get in the house. But I also don't want to pay for anything while the boxes aren't hooked up. Is this just nothing more than "suspending" my account? I know you can do six months, then get another six months. After that, what? The house might not be ready in a year. And what do I do if the boxes are buried in storage at the moving company, and the year becomes fourteen months?
 
#2 ·
scm said:
What I don't want to do, is to give the boxes back just to buy new ones when we get in the house.
I don't see any way around that. You're wanting to suspend your account for a ridiculous amount of time. There's no way you can do that.
scm said:
I know you can do six months, then get another six months.
That's incorrect. You're only allowed to suspend your service for a maximum of six months for every 12-month period.
 
#7 ·
Have you tried calling D* and asking them?

Have you checked with the landlord to make sure you can't get D*, what if you used a non-penetrating roof mount?
 
#8 ·
DogLover said:
You could drop down to the lowest level programming for the other 6+ months. Which would save you money. You'll have to decide if that outweighs the cost of reaquiring the equipment when you come back.
I believe you (the OP) would also have to keep paying the HD Access fee ($10) or have to return your HD equipment. And you'd have to keep paying the DVR fee if any of your equipment is DVR.
 
#11 ·
johns70 said:
I'll ask...

Building a house is going to take a year ? or possibly longer ?

Are you building it yourself on week nights after work and on weekends ?

No matter how big it is a year to build it seems unacceptable to me.
You've never had a house built?! I'm just starting the same scene. I know it will be a year. Luck will have it, I don't have a 2 year comittment anymore. If I sell the house I'm in now and can't have DTV, I'm just going to cancel. Maybe when I move into the new place, D will a get hook up special.
 
#12 ·
Popbigguy said:
You've never had a house built?! I'm just starting the same scene. I know it will be a year. Luck will have it, I don't have a 2 year comittment anymore. If I sell the house I'm in now and can't have DTV, I'm just going to cancel. Maybe when I move into the new place, D will a get hook up special.
You might be better off suspending depending on your current setup and number/type of receivers. Generally, DirecTV will not consider you a new customer unless you have been away from then for a good amount of time. As for a returning customer, you generally won't get the "please come back" specials unless you respond to one of those ads/telephone calls.

And if you have something like 4 HD-DVRs, even with a special offer, you'll still most likely have upfront lease fees to pay. If you just use Mover's Connection, you'll keep all of your receivers, get a new dish, and most likely get a SWiM installation.

- Merg
 
#13 ·
Popbigguy said:
You've never had a house built?! I'm just starting the same scene. I know it will be a year. Luck will have it, I don't have a 2 year comittment anymore. If I sell the house I'm in now and can't have DTV, I'm just going to cancel. Maybe when I move into the new place, D will a get hook up special.
I've never had a house built !

I've known several people that have and it turns out to be a big PIA.

The price goes up because for a little more money the builder can make the driveway wider, or make the patio bigger, or make the deck bigger. By the time it's all said and done all those "for a little more money" things add up to a huge amount of more money. They had all kinds of problems along the way from cabinets being wrong, flooring being wrong, arguing over who said what and when, lost paperwork that had the changes marked up on it.

Another good one is right in the middle of the project hearing the builder say - I didn't realize you wanted this or that done this or that certain way. We can do it that way but it's gonna cost a few thousand dollars more.

One couple were only allowed to go to one approved store to pick out all the lighting fixtures for the house.

Another couple I knew had the builder sign off on a 2 page list of things to fix on the closing day. A month later they called the builder to see why he hadn't lifted a finger to fix anything and he said - Sue me ! and hung up. They sued him along with several other people and the builder went out of business.

Another problem I've heard of is that all the electrical works great when you move in except that you eventually find out that all(2,3,4 bedrooms) the upstairs bedrooms outlets are tied to one 15 amp circuit breaker.

I'm sure everything will work out great for you, but I'd plan on stopping in once a day to make sure things are being done as planned. Also try to be there when the city inspector comes to make sure he actually inspects things. Some times I've heard stories of the inspector showing up, eating a few donuts, talking sports with the guys, signs off the paperwork and leaves without actually inspecting anything.
 
#14 ·
johns70 said:
I've never had a house built !

I've known several people that have and it turns out to be a big PIA.

The price goes up because for a little more money the builder can make the driveway wider, or make the patio bigger, or make the deck bigger. By the time it's all said and done all those "for a little more money" things add up to a huge amount of more money. They had all kinds of problems along the way from cabinets being wrong, flooring being wrong, arguing over who said what and when, lost paperwork that had the changes marked up on it.

Another good one is right in the middle of the project hearing the builder say - I didn't realize you wanted this or that done this or that certain way. We can do it that way but it's gonna cost a few thousand dollars more.

One couple were only allowed to go to one approved store to pick out all the lighting fixtures for the house.

Another couple I knew had the builder sign off on a 2 page list of things to fix on the closing day. A month later they called the builder to see why he hadn't lifted a finger to fix anything and he said - Sue me ! and hung up. They sued him along with several other people and the builder went out of business.

Another problem I've heard of is that all the electrical works great when you move in except that you eventually find out that all the upstairs bedrooms outlets are tied to one 15 amp circuit breaker.

I'm sure everything will work out great for you, but I'd plan on stopping in once a day to make sure things are being done as planned. Also try to be there when the city inspector comes to make sure he actually inspects things. often times I've heard stories of the inspector showing up, eating a few donuts, talking sports with the guys, signs off the paperwork and leaves without actually inspecting anything.
Or you could do a little homework and be your own general contractor so you actually have a clue what you are paying for and know when something isn't being done right....
 
#16 ·
Definitely a full time job but a very satisfying one.

I just went through a major, year and a half long, tear walls down to the sills, remodel that effectively was a new house build. While I had a general contractor for the physical construction, I did a lot the buying and all of the design. He was the final decider - he had built houses before and I hadn't - but we also worked together incredibly well. Building my own house was one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done.
 
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