Lease vs. own HR10250 - seeking confirmation

[tivoTT]

I tried to search on this, but didn't come up with anything specific:

My friend recently switched to FIOS (from HD Directtv). In March '06, he paid ~$500 for an HR10 250 from circuit city.

When he called to cancel dtv, they told him that he had to return the 250 as it was a lease. The CSR said that "it was like a car lease -- the $500 was the down payment enabling him to lease it each month." (He never looked at his bill since he had it auto-paid, but now reviewing it, they have a $5.99 "lease" fee.)

Could this possibly be correct?

I have a vested interest as he was going to sell me his 250 for $100.

Thoughts?

[cheer]

Yep -- right around that time DirecTV started "leasing" everything.

[tivoTT]

Yep -- right around that time DirecTV started "leasing" everything.

OK - I get that, but...$500 plus a monthly lease fee?

[Jebberwocky!]

he bought it, he should own it. time to complain.

[bonscott87]

No.

Any receiver "bought" and activated after March 1st 2006 is a leased receiver unless arms were twisted when activated or "full" price was paid (i.e. the HR20 is anywhere from free to $299 lease, $749 to own).

[tivoTT]

No.

Any receiver "bought" and activated after March 1st 2006 is a leased receiver unless arms were twisted when activated or "full" price was paid (i.e. the HR20 is anywhere from free to $299 lease, $749 to own).

Interesting -- are there any recommendations on how to proceed? $500 paid at a circuit city seems like a purchase at full price. Has this happened to anyone else?

[MikeMar]

Any way you can just use it and pay him the $6 a month or whatever?

[tivoTT]

Sadly, no - he's dumped dtv for FIOS.

I've been considering doing the same, but maybe i'll stick around for the increased HD content. I dunno. Can't make up my mind.

[bpratt]

Interesting -- are there any recommendations on how to proceed? $500 paid at a circuit city seems like a purchase at full price. Has this happened to anyone else?
I think the lease price after March 1, 2006 was $299. Sounds to me like he paid the full purchase price.

[Lee L]

I bet he bought it right before leasing started and activated it right after. I also had the same issue with a receiver bought about then. I had to talk to the "Access Card" department to get it shown as owned. He is going to have a more difficult problem since he is no longer a customer though.

[HiDefGator]

Soak it in salt water for a few days then send it back to them.

[Cmmsh]

I have a vested interest as he was going to sell me his 250 for $100.

Thoughts?

You can still "buy" it from him, I believe. Call DirecTV and tell them you want to transfer the unit. I know someone who did this about six months ago. You will have to get a new access card from D* for $20. It will show up as a leased receiver on your bill.

[iaflyer]

You can still "buy" it from him, I believe. Call DirecTV and tell them you want to transfer the unit. I know someone who did this about six months ago. You will have to get a new access card from D* for $20. It will show up as a leased receiver on your bill.
No, if you re-read the original post, DirecTV wants it back, so the OP can't "buy" it from him. If he does, the original owner has to pay DirecTV some unspecified amount.

What will most likely happen if he tries your idea is that DirecTV will say he can't activate it, as it is a leased receiver on someone else's account, and they owe him money.

see: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=339339

[tivoTT]

Thank you for the responses. Yes - he has already canceled his service and they are now claiming the receiver. Hindsight, for sure, but I wish I'd thought to try the swap thing before he cut the service.

I'm still pushing him to fight this, though. $500 is ridiculously steep for a lease. I'm not very optimistic.

This is almost enough to even push me to Fios...

[Jebberwocky!]

he bought it at retail, I can't see how Direct TV has any claim on it other than them saying they do.

[bonscott87]

he bought it at retail, I can't see how Direct TV has any claim on it other than them saying they do.

"Buying" at retail has nothing to do with it. EVERY receiver purchased after March 1st, 2006 is a leased receiver. Period. The guy can argue until the cows come home but it's a lease and that's what he agreed when he activated it.

[dswallow]

"Buying" at retail has nothing to do with it. EVERY receiver purchased after March 1st, 2006 is a leased receiver. Period. The guy can argue until the cows come home but it's a lease and that's what he agreed when he activated it.
That's not true at all. Every receiver bought FROM DIRECTV might be a lease after that date, but retailers are and were still permitted to sell OR lease the receivers.

[Jebberwocky!]

That's not true at all. Every receiver bought FROM DIRECTV might be a lease after that date, but retailers are and were still permitted to sell OR lease the receivers.


What he said.

There have been plenty of recievers bought after your drop dead date that were purchased and initially set up by DTV as a leased receiver and later switched after the customer called in to inquire.

[bonscott87]

That's not true at all. Every receiver bought FROM DIRECTV might be a lease after that date, but retailers are and were still permitted to sell OR lease the receivers.

Only if you pay full price.
Example: HR20 lease - $299 or less.....HR20 full price - $749

Of course at the end of the day it's all how you sweet talked the CSR when you activated that counts. :D

[dswallow]

Only if you pay full price.
Example: HR20 lease - $299 or less.....HR20 full price - $749

Of course at the end of the day it's all how you sweet talked the CSR when you activated that counts. :D
Again, those prices would be if you dealt with DirecTV. Retailers/dealers can sell or lease at whatever price they want (of course, there's also a cost to them, so typically they won't want to let a device go out the door for less than they pay for it themselves).

[jfh3]

Soak it in salt water for a few days then send it back to them.

LOL!

[Jeff412]

I had the exact same issue with D*. But after reading this thread today, I called and explained to them that I had purchased the receiver for $399 + Tax at Best Buy. I very politely explained that I had read that the leased price should have been $299 or less. I asked the CSR if she could give me a refund of the difference or if she could change the receiver to owned. She told me that the access card department could change it to 'owned'. She then documented my account and transferred me. I gave the same explanation to the "access card" CSR. After about 30 seconds, she said "Ok, it is now owned instead of leased". I didn't have to get upset or anything. Hopefully I will see the change on my next bill.

Thanks for the thread. I have been upset about this for months.

[Jebberwocky!]

I had the exact same issue with D*. But after reading this thread today, I called and explained to them that I had purchased the receiver for $399 + Tax at Best Buy. I very politely explained that I had read that the leased price should have been $299 or less. I asked the CSR if she could give me a refund of the difference or if she could change the receiver to owned. She told me that the access card department could change it to 'owned'. She then documented my account and transferred me. I gave the same explanation to the "access card" CSR. After about 30 seconds, she said "Ok, it is now owned instead of leased". I didn't have to get upset or anything. Hopefully I will see the change on my next bill.

Thanks for the thread. I have been upset about this for months.

Sweet!

[Lee L]

I had the exact same issue with D*. But after reading this thread today, I called and explained to them that I had purchased the receiver for $399 + Tax at Best Buy. I very politely explained that I had read that the leased price should have been $299 or less. I asked the CSR if she could give me a refund of the difference or if she could change the receiver to owned. She told me that the access card department could change it to 'owned'. She then documented my account and transferred me. I gave the same explanation to the "access card" CSR. After about 30 seconds, she said "Ok, it is now owned instead of leased". I didn't have to get upset or anything. Hopefully I will see the change on my next bill.

Thanks for the thread. I have been upset about this for months.


That is pretty much exactly what I had to do when I activated mine last year. I bought it at the end of February, but due to shipping it did not get activated until 3-1 or 3-2. Upon activation, I had to explain it to the CSR who tried to switch it, but it did not take. When I checked the bill and it showed as leased, I called back and they did the Access Card Dept thing and it shows up as an additional receiver for $4.99 now.

[BigBearf]

I had to call retention about 3 or 4 times to get my HR10's listed as owned. I have two HR20's that I am trying to get used to but ...

Moral of the story, I got all D* tivos listed as owned and under the protection plan but I would advise that anyone attempting this keep good notes with U numbers and ID numbers and call retention. I had little or no luck with email, just a bunch of canned useless information.

Additionally, I got one of the HR20's as a replacement for an owned HR10 that I was told that I could keep but went through Heck avoiding the Non returned equipment fee of $470. I revived the broken HR10 with a new HD and power supply and I was not about to send it back.

So far all is well and all D* tivos are listed and owned and the two HR20's are listed as leased.

Hope this helps,
Jeff