DirecTV HD Local Channels Problem

**tigershoops31** · 03-24-2009, 06:42 PM

I just got off the phone with DirecTV and got nothing resolved with the problems we've been having (surprise surprise). We have yet to get our local channels in HD although supposedly we should have had them for months. The lady I talked to confirmed this, but was unable to do anything with me over the phone (that's what she said

) to remedy it.

She said she would send out a technician to fix it since she couldn't get anything done over the phone, but then informed me that it would be $50 to cover the service call unless I got the "protection plan" which she said was basically a warranty on my receiver. I responded that I was renting the receiver from them and had no intentions of paying for a warranty on something I didn't own. She then told me that the warranty was actually to cover EVERYTHING, since I apparently own the dish itself and the cables to hook it up. I told her that I wasn't having problems with those, just DirecTV's receiver. She still said there was nothing they could do about it, so it appears we are at an impasse

Any knowlegeable CFers have any ideas that could help a brother out???

**FDWxMan** · 03-24-2009, 06:54 PM

Just tell them you are dropping because you are unsatisfied by their service, and apparently not honoring their advertisements/contract to provide the services agreed to.

Usually when you threaten to leave, they actually begin to do things.

**michaelrr1** · 03-24-2009, 06:57 PM

DirecTV customer service is terrible. I had an awful time with them last fall to get my equipment upgraded to a new dish and two HD DVR receivers. They screwed up the order, installed it wrong, kept having to reschedule appointment times (5 times!). It took about 3 months to get it all straightened out. On the bright side, everytime they screwed up or rescheduled, I made sure to complain and they gave me a $100 credit each time :)

There is no reason for you to pay the warranty - they'll give you the equipment (dish, cables, 1 receiver) for free to get you/keep you to be a customer. As far as your problem, I don't know what is wrong. I would think if you complain enough, they would want to do what they can to keep you happy without charging you a service call. Ask to talk to a manager. With one of their visits to me, they said technically they needed to charge me, but they would give me a credit to cover the cost + some to satiate my anger.

**jumbopackage** · 03-24-2009, 07:39 PM

It depends on if it's the receiver or your dish.

Do you have the 5 lnb dish, and was it installed by a DirecTV technician?

**balken** · 03-24-2009, 07:41 PM

I had a similar problem with HD on a second receiver. The guy had me take out the warranty plan and then gave me a credit on my account equal to three months of the plan. Then they switched out the receiver for no cost and I canceled the plan the next month.

That worked, but you might do even better with the 'ole 'Switchin' to Dish Network' threat.

**brianhos** · 03-24-2009, 07:42 PM

What receiver and Dish do you have? Do you have one of the new ones or is it one of the old oval ones? Have you ever had HD with DTV?

**isuno1fan** · 03-24-2009, 07:48 PM

Ask to speak to a customer service manager. Everytime I do that, I get what I want.

**4VR4CY** · 03-24-2009, 10:50 PM

Last time I called I threatened to leave and ask to talk to a mgr. They transferred me to a voice mail and not one ever called me back. She told me it would be $300 if I wanted to leave.

Ask ripvdub, I'm pretty good at getting discounts and etc. I got no where with this b-word I was talking to. I guess they re-upped our contract when we got a new receiver. I asked if I had signed anything to re-up or if I was told. I told her that I wanted them to pull the call and verify to me that I agreed to extend my contract for 2 more years. She said - ma'am I can assure that you were told. I said - I'm just supposed to take your word for it? She said - yes. I laughed, asked to be transferred to a manager and then I got the VM. Grrrr.

**jumbopackage** · 03-25-2009, 12:29 AM

If you are receiving the new HD Channels (i.e. everything aside from the original MPEG-2 ones down in the 70s), you shouldn't have trouble receiving the HD locals. If you aren't receiving the new HD channels (either your receiver can't receive them, or your dish doesn't support them or isn't properly aimed), then it's not your receiver at all, it's probably either the way your dish is pointed, or something else related to all of that.

Most (nearly all) receiver problems can be fixed remotely or with a reset or two. If that doesn't get you your channels, than it's either operator error, or something that will likely require a service call.

**brianhos** · 03-25-2009, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by 4VR4CY

Last time I called I threatened to leave and ask to talk to a mgr. They transferred me to a voice mail and not one ever called me back. She told me it would be $300 if I wanted to leave.

Ask ripvdub, I'm pretty good at getting discounts and etc. I got no where with this b-word I was talking to. I guess they re-upped our contract when we got a new receiver. I asked if I had signed anything to re-up or if I was told. I told her that I wanted them to pull the call and verify to me that I agreed to extend my contract for 2 more years. She said - ma'am I can assure that you were told. I said - I'm just supposed to take your word for it? She said - yes. I laughed, asked to be transferred to a manager and then I got the VM. Grrrr.

Threats to leave only work when you are not under contract.

**4VR4CY** · 03-25-2009, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by brianhos

Threats to leave only work when you are not under contract.

But my contract should be over. I had 0 idea that they upped it when I bought the new receiver.

**keepngoal** · 03-25-2009, 08:25 AM

My favorite question to ask (so I don't have to threaten):

Am I under contract with you?

usually works ... even for the service/tech guy fee. Hold your ground, be polite and keep that rep on the phone; checking, verifying, troubleshooting .. as long as you can.

-keep.

**BigBake** · 03-25-2009, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by 4VR4CY

But my contract should be over. I had 0 idea that they upped it when I bought the new receiver.

3 mos after I started with DTV they replaced a receiver under warranty then when i went to cancel they tried the ol "your contract isn't over cause you renewed it"

I fought based on the fact that the receiver was replaced by coverage plan which was still active on my acct so they couldn't dispute. In the end it just took a bit of back and forth and the relented.