Does Adding/Changing Services/Equipment extend your contract?

1899 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by celticpride, Jul 10, 2008

jyafink

Discussion Starter · Jul 9, 2008

I read somewhere that DirecTV will try to extend your contract for any little reason they can think of: If your box goes bad and they send you a new one; If you upgrade from an SD receiver to an HD one; If you subscribe to new programming; If they have to come to the house and repair anything even though you pay for a maintenance plan, etc… I understand that the contract should not let you take anything away from what you initially agreed upon without penalty, but if I get a new plasma TV for another room and want to upgrade to an HD receiver, or suddenly decide I want to add a subscription sports package, I don't feel that the two-year clock should start ticking from scratch again. Is any of that true? What if you start the contract by paying them i.e. $120 a month, then add stuff that takes it to $200 a month, and then take away some stuff so it's down to $150 a month? Even though you're still paying them more than you initially agreed to, will they still try and stick it to you somehow or extend your contract with every change to service you make? I am of course a newbie with fears about switching from no-contract cable, and I'm imagining nightmare situations where a two year contract can turn into many. One of the reasons I want to switch from cable is for Sunday Ticket, and if I switch this summer and DirecTV loses Sunday Ticket in 2010, I want to be able to jump ship to whoever has it then without being caught by DirecTV's hooks. Actually, I don't want to be stuck past two years without the option to leave for any reason. Please let me know if any of my fears are true or what can be done to minimize or eliminate them if they are. Thanks!

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curt8403

· #2 · Jul 9, 2008

jyafink said:
I read somewhere that DirecTV will try to extend your contract for any little reason they can think of: If your box goes bad and they send you a new one; If you upgrade from an SD receiver to an HD one; If you subscribe to new programming; If they have to come to the house and repair anything even though you pay for a maintenance plan, etc… I understand that the contract should not let you take anything away from what you initially agreed upon without penalty, but if I get a new plasma TV for another room and want to upgrade to an HD receiver, or suddenly decide I want to add a subscription sports package, I don't feel that the two-year clock should start ticking from scratch again. Is any of that true? What if you start the contract by paying them i.e. $120 a month, then add stuff that takes it to $200 a month, and then take away some stuff so it's down to $150 a month? Even though you're still paying them more than you initially agreed to, will they still try and stick it to you somehow or extend your contract with every change to service you make? I am of course a newbie with fears about switching from no-contract cable, and I'm imagining nightmare situations where a two year contract can turn into many. One of the reasons I want to switch from cable is for Sunday Ticket, and if I switch this summer and DirecTV loses Sunday Ticket in 2010, I want to be able to jump ship to whoever has it then without being caught by DirecTV's hooks. Actually, I don't want to be stuck past two years without the option to leave for any reason. Please let me know if any of my fears are true or what can be done to minimize or eliminate them if they are. Thanks!

adding new equipment extends agreement, replacing an owned rcvr with a leased rcvr extends. (that will not be an issue to new customers)
changing programming will not extend

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JimTed

· #3 · Jul 9, 2008

curt8403 said:
adding new equipment extends agreement, replacing an owned rcvr with a leased rcvr extends. (that will not be an issue to new customers)
changing programming will not extend

I just completed what Directv called a "HD Swap" to upgrade (2) HR10s to HR21s. I was told that I would not have a new 2 yr. commitment, but I could not get this in writing.

JimTed

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curt8403

· #4 · Jul 9, 2008

JimTed said:
I just completed what Directv called a "HD Swap" to upgrade (2) HR10s to HR21s. I was told that I would not have a new 2 yr. commitment, but I could not get this in writing.

JimTed

That is a special situation , You need them to continue to get HD, and so Directv has been swapping them without an agreement,

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ThomasM

· #5 · Jul 10, 2008

The only thing for sure is that switching programming around has nothing to do with your commitment. And getting things fixed if you have the Protection Plan also does not extend a commitment (and you can fight this one if they try something).

The jury is out if you get a defective LEASED receiver REPLACED for $20 S & H. Some folks get their commitment extended, some don't. Mover's Connection is also anyone's guess. The fine print says you will extend your commitment, but others say no.

The guarantee to an extention of your commitment is getting new equipment (like an upgrade from a single room receiver to a DVR, or an upgrade from an SD receiver to an HD receiver). Adding an ADDITIONAL receiver also extends your commitment (unless it's a receiver you purchased from a third party).

Confusing? Yup.

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ToiletKitty

· #6 · Jul 10, 2008

Mover's connection by itself does not activate a commitment.

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celticpride

· #7 · Jul 10, 2008

try to get them to put it in writing,when i switched out my hd tivos for the new hd dvrs they told me i had NO commtment then a couple of months after that they said i was on a 2 year commitment this will probably be one of the reasons i will switch to verizon fios when my forced contract is up in september 2009!

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