Explaining the DVR4ME Offer

[Boston Fan]

We are more than halfway through the DVR4ME offer from D*, and it remains one of the most curiously implemented promotional offers I have come across. Based on the posts in numerous threads, the typical experience is an installer arriving at a subscriber's home with a brand-new R15. This is either preceded by or followed by a second refurb DTivo being dropped at the front door.

Although experience varies, the majority of people receiving these two units are able to keep and activate both units. The combination of two units, install, and additional equipment (i.e. multi-switches) for a total of $14.95 with no additional commitment required.

This begs the question: Why?

Inefficiency, poor communication, CSRs that are not well informed, and - my favorite suggestion from another thread - an opportunity to insert the R15 Trojan Horse-like into unsuspecting homes have all been suggested.

It just doesn't make sense that a glitch of this magnitude has not been corrected after all of this time and publicity. Thoughts anyone?

[Teacher Steve]

Well, for me, I do not think I will be as lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) as many of you here on this forum. I received my RCA DVR-40 yesterday with a scheduled install for March 9. I called the installer today (Ironwood) and asked about the work order. They said that the only thing on my work order is for them to install one new outlet. NO R-15 on the work order. They were already aware that I was to be receiving the DVR directly from DirecTV.

Something tells me that they are already ironing out any communication issues they had in the past about this deal...at least in my area anyway.

[DavidO]

I think the majority (80% on the poll) are getting what was promised - a non-R10 Tivo shipped directly to them. I think the other 20% are over represented in the forum postings.

For my case, I received a 35 hour Tivo via FedEx, and the installer showed up without an R15. No reason to be asking questions about all the weirdness.

[Boston Fan]

I think the majority (80% on the poll) are getting what was promised - a non-R10 Tivo shipped directly to them. I think the other 20% are over represented in the forum postings.
For my case, I received a 35 hour Tivo via FedEx, and the installer showed up without an R15. No reason to be asking questions about all the weirdness.
The poll doesn't allow for multiple answers, thus when people received the fedexed DTivo, they answered accordingly. If the installer then showed up with an R15, they could not enter that info in the poll.

[morgantown]

The poll doesn't allow for multiple answers, thus when people received the fedexed DTivo, they answered accordingly. If the installer then showed up with an R15, they could not entter that info in the poll.

That is what happened to me (and the 35 hour unit ended up being a dud) so my answer is entirely incorrect. Actual receipt a R10 and the "other" one, versus my response of a Series 2 (40gb) non R10. That said, I think the folks here tend to be the "early adapters" and hence, generally find the kinks and quirks before DTV does.

Either way, some of the more recent posts do seem to point towards DTV has - perhaps - "fixed" the 2 (or more) DVR for $16. Given the leasing program is around the corner, kinda makes me wonder if this could have been...

[Boston Fan]

Either way, some of the more recent posts do seem to point towards DTV has - perhaps - "fixed" the 2 (or more) DVR for $16. Given the leasing program is around the corner, kinda makes me wonder if this could have been...
Yeah, seems like there are more installers showing up believing that the DVR was shipped to the house (although some seem to be still getting two total).

Even if the glitch is in the process of being corrected, it seems like it took a very long time for the fix.

[vansmack]

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but I'm leaning towards Boston Fan on this one. There's something else afoot here besides a slip up or lack of communication.

The reason being is that all 8 people I recommended the offer to (some of whom didn't receive the email) have had the same treatment - R-15 installed by installer saying we're out if TiVo powered DVR's (not even asking if something was delivered), then a refurb Tivo Powered DVR delivered by Fed Ex (models varied) the next day. These folks were in three different states (CA, MA, VA) and ordered over three weeks apart. Then when you call the CSR, they practically force you to keep the R-15 after stating that you prefer the TiVo and have no need for the R-15. One CSR even told me to put it on E-Bay if I was so inclined (not much of a market over there after this promotion), but that they weren't taking it back.

I tried to convince one person who had her R-15 installed yesterday morning only to have Fed Ex show up later in the day with a TiVo powered DVR to say that she wanted to keep the R-15 and wanted to send the TiVo powered DVR back just to see what they'd do, but she was afraid they'd take her up on it and she'd be stuck with only an R-15. ;)

And yes, the vote is skewed because I marked what happened first, and to be accurate would have marked two different options.

D*TV is clearly trying to get the R-15 into peoples homes. I would almost say they're doing so using TiVo's marketing brand. Be honest, how many of us would have taken D*TV up on the deal if they had offered you a free R-15 instead of a TiVo powered DVR?

[crkeehn]

We are more than halfway through the DVR4ME offer from D*, and it remains one of the most curiously implemented promotional offers I have come across. Based on the posts in numerous threads, the typical experience is an installer arriving at a subscriber's home with a brand-new R15. This is either preceded by or followed by a second refurb DTivo being dropped at the front door.

Although experience varies, the majority of people receiving these two units are able to keep and activate both units. The combination of two units, install, and additional equipment (i.e. multi-switches) for a total of $14.95 with no additional commitment required.

This begs the question: Why?

Inefficiency, poor communication, CSRs that are not well informed, and - my favorite suggestion from another thread - an opportunity to insert the R15 Trojan Horse-like into unsuspecting homes have all been suggested.

It just doesn't make sense that a glitch of this magnitude has not been corrected after all of this time and publicity. Thoughts anyone?


Rather than conspiracy, how about trying to clear their warehouses of (Now) useless inventory. As DirecTV is going to a lease model in March, it makes sense to clear out inventory that would be unleaseable.

I think what we are dealing with is a monolithic organization where each department doesn't know what the next department is doing. I'm sure the process went something like this.....

Sales: We have all of this excess inventory that is two generations old, let's clear it out now. I know we'll run a special deal for our good customers. All they have to do is pay shipping and we'll send them a DVR and installation. That we we engender good will and dump the old DVRS.

The units are shipped out and Sales sends a request for installation to the nearest installer. They don't specify that the install is for the DVR blowout and that the customer already has the unit shipped to them.

Installation: We have a work order to install a DVR. Joe, grab another R-15 and go to (insert address here)

Installer: My work order says that I am to install an R-15. If I don't our company has to eat the cost of it (I was actually told that by the installer that first came out)

Now on to activating.

CSR: Okay your unit is activated. (they may or may not tell you that there is a commitment, I was not told and the commitment showed up anyways.) When you call back, you will first be told that all DVR activations require a commitment. As far as the first level CSRs are concerned, that is correct. It took me a couple of calls to straighten the issue out and each time I was passed on to a second level (retention?) as the first level person was unable to remove the commitment.

As time goes on, the elements seem to be falling together as Sales, Installation and activation are communicating with each other. The installer came out for a second time this past Friday and added the second line without question and without trying to push out an R-15. More recent participants are reporting the same situation, that the installers are just coming out and installing the shipped units.

[Boston Fan]

Rather than conspiracy, how about trying to clear their warehouses of (Now) useless inventory. As DirecTV is going to a lease model in March, it makes sense to clear out inventory that would be unleaseable.

I think what we are dealing with is a monolithic organization where each department doesn't know what the next department is doing.
The Trojan Horse theory was just for fun :D

Your take certainly makes sense, and may be very close to what happened in actuality. I think that this promotion is a window into the operations of D*. The fact that, many weeks into it, they still have not sorted the issue out entirely highlights concerns any investor should have. If this is how they run a huge promotion, followed by an underwhelming response to fix what is clearly an expensive error, what other inefficiencies exist in their "monolithic organization". It points to holes in communication, execution, sales, customer service, etc., that a company operating on so thin a margin can't really afford.

[crkeehn]

The Trojan Horse theory was just for fun

I hang around with too many conspiracy theorists. :D

Whatever the reason, when the system does work, it works very well, at least as far as the consumer is concerned. You can't beat a 35 hour directivo and installation, all for the cost of shipping. Heaven knows my sons have been giving ours a workout.

[wgegan]

I hope he brings me one....