[CharlesSchwab]

Most of us are approaching the end of the 90 day warranty period, so I was wondering what is the consensus of buying D*'s monthly warranty. It seems that there could be some serious costs involved in replacing hard drives or other parts down the road without the warranty.

 

[glennb]

I've had DIRECTV receivers and TiVo units for a lot of years and never had any of them fail. I'll take my chances without the monthly DIRECTV warranty cost. I feel I'm giving them enough money paying the lease fee, and DVR fee on top of all the other fees.

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

This threads title http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70184 doesn'ti ndicate it, but there is discussion about this "90 day warranty" topic included.

I was told that all leased equipment was automatically covered for replacements for the lenght of the lease and the warranty wasn't needed. I was never aware of any 90 day period. You lease it, it goes bad in say 6 months, they replace it.

 

[Rambler]

I was told that all leased equipment was automatically covered for replacements for the lenght of the lease and the warranty wasn't needed.

Told to you directly by DirecTV?

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

Told to you directly by DirecTV?

Yes, but like everyone else, there seems to be 100 different answers coming from D*.

 

[glennb]

One customer service rep. says - Don't worry about it, it's all replaced for free, another one will say - It's your problem if it breaks, not ours.

If and when I'd need a replacement unit I figure it'll be a 50/50 chance they'll send me a free replacement.

 

[CharlesSchwab]

From page 46 of the owner's manual:

After ninety (90) days from the date of purchase, you pay for the replacement of all parts, and for all labor charges.

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

From page 46 of the owner's manual:

After ninety (90) days from the date of purchase, you pay for the replacement of all parts, and for all labor charges.

I don't have the manual in front of me. But does it SPECIFICALLY refer to the box be leased or owned?

Thanks.

EDIT: I re-read your post. It says "purchased". So 90 days would be the warranty. I don't think that refers to leased products.

 

[jkc120]

I don't have the manual in front of me. But does it SPECIFICALLY refer to the box be leased or owned?

Thanks.

EDIT: I re-read your post. It says "purchased". So 90 days would be the warranty. I don't think that refers to leased products.

I'd really like a definitive answer on this, too. Given all the problems with the unit, which are most likely software and given the CSRs will want to replace the unit (even though we know better that it's software), it'll start getting REALLY costly.

 

[paulman182]

You guys won't get a definitive answer on this from D*.

I think D* wants to be able to pick and choose the customers they do the most for.

Good customer, pays on time, gets replacements perpetually. Poor customer they don't care about keeping, has to pay for a new receiver. They don't state this, obviously, but keeping the policy ambiguous means they can do whatever they want.

I have never seen a post from an A-list customer complaining about having to pay for a new receiver. There may be some, but not many.

 

[untouchable]

Here is basically what you would get because you "lease" your receivers...

1. if the receiver ever becomes faulty, through no fault of your own (personal abuse)
it gets replaced with another receiver for "free", but you pay handling and delivery..
2. no commitment renewal if you equipment is outside the "90 day" warranty
(where there normally is both a charge and a commitment if you "own" the equipment)
3. you still pay for service calls if you need them...this is something that the lease does not cover as my cousin found out when he had a problem.
4. The HR20 has a one year warranty...just like the HR10-250..the only thing that you really need to worry about right now is your install warranty..
D* told him "Yes sir, you lease your receivers, but you own the dish and cabling, and that is why there is a charge for the tech to come and fix it"

paulman....not sure what you do for a living, but as we all know, D* is a business...a business' primary goal is to turn a profit and make money. I'm sure they don't care how good of a customer you are...I don't think that makes a difference for anyone between paying for replacement equipment, and another customer not paying...if you replaced your owned receiver outside of warranty, there would still be a 1 or 2 year commitment. So you have to look at it from a business stand point...even if they waived the shipping fees for you, they still have you locked in for another 1-2 years...they'll get their money back either way...

 

[glennb]

Here is basically what you would get because you "lease" your receivers...

1. if the receiver ever becomes faulty, through no fault of your own (personal abuse)
it gets replaced with another receiver for "free", but you pay handling and delivery..
2. no commitment renewal if you equipment is outside the "90 day" warranty
(where there normally is both a charge and a commitment if you "own" the equipment)
3. you still pay for service calls if you need them...this is something that the lease does not cover as my cousin found out when he had a problem.
4. The HR20 has a one year warranty...just like the HR10-250..the only thing that you really need to worry about right now is your install warranty..
D* told him "Yes sir, you lease your receivers, but you own the dish and cabling, and that is why there is a charge for the tech to come and fix it"

paulman....not sure what you do for a living, but as we all know, D* is a business...a business' primary goal is to turn a profit and make money. I'm sure they don't care how good of a customer you are...I don't think that makes a difference for anyone between paying for replacement equipment, and another customer not paying...if you replaced your owned receiver outside of warranty, there would still be a 1 or 2 year commitment. So you have to look at it from a business stand point...even if they waived the shipping fees for you, they still have you locked in for another 1-2 years...they'll get their money back either way...

This is just a bunch of words posted on an internet forum unless each and every one of us has this in writing from DIRECTV. If we ever get this in writing from DIRECTV some place on the agreement it will say in small print - subject to change without notice.

 

[clay_w]

Here was my experience - I bought a HR20 from Best Buy (D* is reimbursing me), after trouble shooting and getting installation issues corrected I found that it is defective (decoder problem).

I called D* to tell them that I was taking it back to Best Buy to exchange it and they said that I could not as I would be charged a fee ($200 I think) because it is a leased box.

So, I said (then you are replacing it then, right?). After some fumbling around, the CSR said "yes, we will send you a replacement" and I said "and what if I have a problem with that one?" and she said "it is a leased box, so we would always replace it if their was a problem".

This was just my experience, who knows what a different CSR person would have told me...

 

[mdickson]

paulman....not sure what you do for a living, but as we all know, D* is a business...a business' primary goal is to turn a profit and make money. I'm sure they don't care how good of a customer you are...I don't think that makes a difference for anyone between paying for replacement equipment, and another customer not paying...if you replaced your owned receiver outside of warranty, there would still be a 1 or 2 year commitment. So you have to look at it from a business stand point...even if they waived the shipping fees for you, they still have you locked in for another 1-2 years...they'll get their money back either way...

Your on the right track but if you follow thier latest B. Plan you will see that what they rate a 'best customer' is not really the ones have the best pay record but those who order the most stuff, they say > $70 Per month in thier latest release. That is where your value to them is, a few high paying customers is the same a many low paying ones.
So since most of us I'll asume, have at least a couple of boxes + HD + some sort of primium content + Football etc. I'm sure 99% of those on this list are on thier 'keep' list. If your HR20 goes out and you start canceling HD and close down the box plus lease and amoritize that lease over a year or two they are losing alot from one customer not having a working box, hence thier plan to do what it takes to keep the revnue coming and your replacment box at no charge.

 

[bonscott87]

It's leased, they will replace it at any time should it die.

Your cabling, dish and owned receivers are not covered unless you buy their protection plan.

When I activated I was told at least 3 times to make sure I understood this was a leased receiver and not owned and her script she went through told me the advantages of leasing (i.e. replacemnt at no cost shoudl it die). CSR's that don't say that just aren't informed or aren't reading from their scripts.

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

It's leased, they will replace it at any time should it die.

Your cabling, dish and owned receivers are not covered unless you buy their protection plan.

When I activated I was told at least 3 times to make sure I understood this was a leased receiver and not owned and her script she went through told me the advantages of leasing (i.e. replacemnt at no cost shoudl it die). CSR's that don't say that just aren't informed or aren't reading from their scripts.

Makes sense too me.

 

[shendley]

This (below) was essentially what I was told as well over the summer when I received my first leased receiver from dtv. I spoke to two csr's about what advantages (and disadvantages) there was to leasing as opposed to purchasing the equipment and, though they disagreed as to whether we would be entitled to free upgrades of equipment (one say "yes, definitely," the other said, "maybe"), they both concurred on the points below. I'd say it's reliable.

Here is basically what you would get because you "lease" your receivers...

1. if the receiver ever becomes faulty, through no fault of your own (personal abuse)
it gets replaced with another receiver for "free", but you pay handling and delivery..
2. no commitment renewal if you equipment is outside the "90 day" warranty
(where there normally is both a charge and a commitment if you "own" the equipment)
3. you still pay for service calls if you need them...this is something that the lease does not cover as my cousin found out when he had a problem.
4. The HR20 has a one year warranty...just like the HR10-250..the only thing that you really need to worry about right now is your install warranty..
D* told him "Yes sir, you lease your receivers, but you own the dish and cabling, and that is why there is a charge for the tech to come and fix it"

paulman....not sure what you do for a living, but as we all know, D* is a business...a business' primary goal is to turn a profit and make money. I'm sure they don't care how good of a customer you are...I don't think that makes a difference for anyone between paying for replacement equipment, and another customer not paying...if you replaced your owned receiver outside of warranty, there would still be a 1 or 2 year commitment. So you have to look at it from a business stand point...even if they waived the shipping fees for you, they still have you locked in for another 1-2 years...they'll get their money back either way...

 

[paulman182]

I'm sorry. Unless I see it in writing, I'm having trouble believing that someone who is often two weeks late on a $50 D* bill gets treated the same as someone who pays $120 two weeks early every month.

We know for a fact that they don't treat them the same when it comes to upgrades, so I'll bet they don't treat them the same when their equipment breaks. Otherwise, why don't they put the free replacement policy in writing and on the website?

Just my opinion.

 

[bonscott87]

though they disagreed as to whether we would be entitled to free upgrades of equipment (one say "yes, definitely," the other said, "maybe")

Yea, I wouldn't count on any free "upgrades" to the next latest and greatest HD receiver they come out with in a couple/three years. Although it would probably be something like the $99 deal now for those with HR10's but you can always negotiate to get it near free.

But free replacement if it dies is pretty certain.

 

[glennb]

It's leased, they will replace it at any time should it die.

Your cabling, dish and owned receivers are not covered unless you buy their protection plan.

When I activated I was told at least 3 times to make sure I understood this was a leased receiver and not owned and her script she went through told me the advantages of leasing (i.e. replacemnt at no cost shoudl it die). CSR's that don't say that just aren't informed or aren't reading from their scripts.

If mine ever needs replacing and they won't replace it for free I'll just say - You have to replace it for free cause bonscott87 at the dbstalk forum said you'd replace it for free. I'm sure once I say that everything will be taken care of.