ESP swap on a deactivated HDVR2

[citivolus]

I bought the HDVR2 when it first came out at Circuit City along with the 5-year protection plan. Last year I switched to the HR10-250 high definition receiver and deactivated the HDVR2. Recently I plugged it in and it didn't start up. What will Circuit City do for me if I bring it back now given that the receiver's card is not active on my account?

[JimSpence]

There's only one way to find out. Call CC and ask the question. IMO, if the HDVR2 is still under the 5-year plan they should do something. It may just be a refund of some amount.

[rock_doctor]

I would take it in and try to get it repaired but most likely they will just refund the cost of the warranty. If they do I would hold out for a full refund as they are breaking the contract by not repairing the unit or replacing it with a comparable unit. This would be an R10 if they have one in stock or a R15.

Don't comment on it not being active. Even if it was you would not give them the access card. So it should not come up. If you decide you want to reactivate the unit you can get a new drive, download the software and replace the drive yourself.

good luck,
mark

[Boston Fan]

A previous member had a similar experience with Circuit City. In their case, they were refunded the price of the unit PLUS a prorated portion of their warranty.

See this thread:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=306002&highlight=circuit+city

[citivolus]

thanks for all the suggestions, I'll give CC a call tomorrow and see what they say.

[hughvh]

When my HDVR2 died, I called CC. When I told them I already went through troubleshooting with DTV, they just sent me a refurb SD-80. They were very easy to deal with on the phone.

[citivolus]

I just got off the phone with them and they said they would swap it in store for an R15. Is this a comparable model?

Also, since I no longer have the receiver active on my account, would I be able to sell whatever they provide me with on ebay?

[T1V0]

The R15 is not TiVo based. Its user interface is quite a stretch from TiVo. If you don't activate the R15, then DTV will never know you got it. In that case, feel free to sell it on Ebay, although since its not a TiVo, it may take you a while to find a buyer.

[citivolus]

went to CC yesterday...as predicted, they tried to offer me the R15. I was very polite and explained that it didn't have the Tivo software and I really was unhappy with the R15 interface (which my mother-in-law has) so I'd prefer them to replace my dead HDVR2 with another one. They made me wait while conferring with the kid in Satellites...he confirmed the R15's don't have Tivo software and advised the only way to get another one was through DirecTV. Ok I said, then please refund me my purchase price and I'll go buy one from them.

after waiting 20 minutes for the manager to arrive, he suggested the same thing! They refunded my $200 + prorating the ESP premium, which after 3 1/2 years wasn't much, but I wasn't complaining!

[rock_doctor]

That probably was a good move as the R15 would have been listed as a leased unit on your DTV bill. If you call DTV they should be able to give you one for free (plus 2 yr agreement) or you can buy a DTV refurb'ed unit off Ebay for less then $70 and you will own that unit (and no commitment). Some Wal-Mart’s still have a few R10’s on their shelves. They are the last of the TiVo units and you could have it now but it will come with a commitment. Since this is a "reserve" unit I would get one off Ebay. I have one sitting on the bottom of my bookshelf waiting for my series one to go bye bye....

mark