Community Forums

adventurers · 06-19-2009, 02:22 PM

RustyJC - apparently we had the mobile package. It seems almost all the replies are from people who have DirecTV service in their home. My complaint with the mobile only option is you can only turn service on and off 2 times a year. That is not flexible enough for our type of travel. I tried to explain to DirecTV they were losing out on revenue from RV'ers like us who wanted and would willing pay for service more often if they were more flexible like they were a few years ago.

Does anyone use a satellite service where they can turn and off service more often?

RustyJC · 06-19-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adventurers

It seems almost all the replies are from people who have DirecTV service in their home.

I guess I misread your original post - I thought you did as well.

Rusty

bdaball · 06-19-2009, 03:21 PM

Hard as I try I can't seem to get a straight answer from a company (Direct-TV) who advertises with print so small I can't read, 800 numbers that most times are answered in languages I was never taught, reps who never give the same answers twice, an ever evolving price structure, and has no brick and motor stores with a warm bodies who can fog up a mirror.

All I want to do is walk into a store and have an american-english speaking person tell me how there program works so I can understand it and how much it cost with out any if's, and's or but's. I'm more than happy to pay for a service that provides what I want but not what I do not want nor understand.

Until then I guess I'm the loser, tied to the cable companies either at home or the campgrounds. I quess we could shut the darn thing off and take a nice walk or read a book

! Most times we do!

tomsm · 06-19-2009, 04:02 PM

Adventurers - the past few years we have spent so much time in the RV that I just reduced the programming to minimum when we were home and cranked it back up when we hit the road again. It was just easier than calling to suspend/activate all the time.

This year we have been home from Feb. to July so I did call and suspend till July 12. It was no problem, although I did have to speak to the 3rd world. I see others saying they suspend/activate online. I can activate, but can't find where you suspend online.

The receiver I have in the RV is so old (2000?) there's no way they'd want it back

I can identify with the aggravation you and other posters are feeling. As another poster said, seems you never get the same answer twice and it all depends on who you talk to. I guess if you call enough, you might get the answer you want.

W4RLR · 06-19-2009, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC

We have a 3rd DirecTV receiver in the RV in addition to the 2 receivers in the sticks-and-bricks house. I pay $4.99/month for the RV receiver (which we own) as a mirrored receiver. No hassles and no problems - it's worth $60/year for us to do it this way. We've been DirecTV customers since the early/mid 1990s and have tried a number of different schemes in dealing with the RV receiver (including suspending and reactivating service), but this way works out best for us.

YMMV....

Rusty

Ditto. As to mirrored receivers, the one in our bedroom hasn't called in for over two and a half years. No problems. The day DirecTV pulls this kind of crap on us is the day they lose a customer that subscribes to every movie service and has five receivers activated. We DON'T have distant networks, that's what the batwing is for, getting networks from where we are. Personally, I could care less about what is going on in NYC.

Only ONE of our receivers is connected to a phone line. I don't feel like fishing wires through the walls just for DirecTV's benefit. They want to pay for it, I'll send them the bill.

DW used to work for DirecTV, she knows the ropes. She also pays the bills for DirecTV from our account.

Dunnpe · 06-19-2009, 08:42 PM

I have a directv receiver box in the MH also (not a DVR or Tivo, which require the land line hooked up occasionally). The one in MH, if not used much while in storage at home will be de-activated and I will have to call the company for the "721" code, which means the unit has not been used on a regular basis, and they just reset it when I do fire it up. I now have it running when I do my generator monthy use run time to avoid the "721" code. I have had one of mine regular recievers in the stick house get the "721" code for lack of use before.

I looked into getting local channels recently while traveling and Directv required me to sign a form and set up a seperate account while traveling so as to not suspend the DVR service to my stick home (we record several shows while gone). We opted not to do the seperate account for the costs involved. Glad we didn't because I tried the old RCA(the front TV) for Digital channels and WOW we had more channles than we really needed. I know this digital channels are out there now probably more than were there earlier this year. Just a thought for the worry for local channels wherever you got.

gearman · 06-20-2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC

We have a 3rd DirecTV receiver in the RV in addition to the 2 receivers in the sticks-and-bricks house. I pay $4.99/month for the RV receiver (which we own) as a mirrored receiver. No hassles and no problems - it's worth $60/year for us to do it this way. We've been DirecTV customers since the early/mid 1990s and have tried a number of different schemes in dealing with the RV receiver (including suspending and reactivating service), but this way works out best for us.

YMMV....

Rusty

Ditto!!

I have also just taken one out of the house (kids room) and take camping for the weekend. When we get home, reinstall. Very easy.

Now that I think about it, I have never had a phone line ran to the receiver in the family room, main TV in house, been that way for over 6 years. Never had an issue.

gearman · 06-20-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adventurers

RustyJC - apparently we had the mobile package. It seems almost all the replies are from people who have DirecTV service in their home. My complaint with the mobile only option is you can only turn service on and off 2 times a year. That is not flexible enough for our type of travel. I tried to explain to DirecTV they were losing out on revenue from RV'ers like us who wanted and would willing pay for service more often if they were more flexible like they were a few years ago.

Does anyone use a satellite service where they can turn and off service more often?

I don't know what 'mobile' service is but, for 4.99 a month to add a receiver to your home account, why would you go with anything else????

As for leaving DirecTV, where else you gonna go? Both Direct and Dish network are owned by the same company. Similar to XM and sirrius.

Bill Adams · 06-20-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearman

I don't know what 'mobile' service is but, for 4.99 a month to add a receiver to your home account, why would you go with anything else????

As for leaving DirecTV, where else you gonna go? Both Direct and Dish network are owned by the same company. Similar to XM and sirrius.

WOW!!!! Not so fast!
There is no relationship of any kind between Dish Network and DirecTV. NONE!
The 2 companies considered a merger many years back but this never came to fruition and the 2 companies remain totally independent and fierce competitors.

wa8yxm · 06-20-2009, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adventurers

Yesterday, we received an automated message that DirecTV had not received our receiver (1 week since they shipped the box for return). FedEx confirmed the receiver was delivered to them 2 days ago. In calling them, no apologies, just a response that they do have our receiver.

In asking for refund of our credit balance, they said we should have within 6 weeks. I asked why we are threatened with a $470 charge if they don't have their receiver immediately but we can't get our money back for at least 6 weeks. Not much of a reply.

Be very careful, before you use DirecTV in a part-time situation. We plan on going full-time in next year. We will look for a more RV-friendly company.

Good advice: I had DirecTV but due to policy changes had to discontinue. Like you I Fed-Exed the receiver back the day the box arrived, Like you I got confirmation of delivery, Like you I got the automated "We did not get it back" message. Automated messages like that are illegal near as I can tell (I am not a lawyer) by the way.

They are still bugging me for money and we may settle, but if we do it will likely wind up being a "pay in advance" contract.. They are going to have to play on slightly different terms. Else,,, I may go back to the competition

Bob (WA0MQE) · 06-21-2009, 07:09 AM

I guess I don't get why some of you are so concerned about activating/suspending at all. If you have a second receiver you can just take it with you. If you only have one receiver you can disconnect that one and put it in your rv. DirecTV doesn't even need to know you've moved it. It does mean if you have a phone line while being used in the RV you won't be able to order PPV movies with the remote.

You may get an error message from time to time, but it won't hurt anything. Better yet, just get rid of the phone line like we did. Although we have a stick house we couldn't see paying for a landline since both my wife and I have cell phones that's all we use anymore. DirecTV turned off the function within the receivers which is what looks for a phone line. If we want to order PPV or other pay to see programs we just use the internet.

LindaH · 06-23-2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsm

Their current rules only allow mirrored receivers if it's continuously connected to the same phone line as the primary receiver.

We have two DirecTV receivers in our RV (we're fulltimers) and neither have ever been hooked up to a phone line...we still pay only the mirror charge for the second receiver.

Bill Adams · 06-23-2009, 11:25 AM

I believe that most of the responders are missing Adventurers point entirely (or I am completely off my nut!). If I do understand correctly, he does NOT want or use DirecTV at all at home. The only time that he wants to have ANY DTV service is when he travels in an RV. In the past he has been able to activate his receiver for a short period of time and then turn it off when not needed.
This is quite different than a user who uses the service 6-12 continuous months per year both in a home and an RV.

FLYTYER · 06-23-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Adams

I believe that most of the responders are missing Adventurers point entirely (or I am completely off my nut!). If I do understand correctly, he does NOT want or use DirecTV at all at home. The only time that he wants to have ANY DTV service is when he travels in an RV. In the past he has been able to activate his receiver for a short period of time and then turn it off when not needed.
This is quite different than a user who uses the service 6-12 continuous months per year both in a home and an RV.

Bill I thought for RV'rs who only wanted TV in the RV, DTV offered sort of a pre-pay arrangement that activates the receiver with a programmed card and when you ran out TV time you could then add $$ to card some how. Did they drop that or was it DISH that had that?