Just talked to DTV about used equip, and What!?

[pinkcookies26]

Just got off the phone with a DTV rep and he told me that as far as he knows you can still activate used equipment and didn't have any knowledge that changing anytime soon. He aslo told me that if you purchase a used receiver you cannot use the access card it comes with even it does not have any outstanding balances on it. You have to buy a new card from them for $20. I was under the impression that you could activate the card on your account. Anyone know the truth?

[farleyruskz]

He's right.

[John T Smith]

CSR = Customer Service Roulette

In Other Words... A says one thing, B another and C something else entirely

People have reported different answers, from different people at DirecTv, based on who knows what... time of day, phase of moon or maybe the numerical total of the letters in their name (about as much reason as anyone has ever been able to discover)

[old7]

That is the way that it has been for a while. Occasionally someone will say that they convinced a CSR to activate a used card, but I think that doesn't happen very often. If you have an older non-DVR receiver and are replacing it with a used DirecTiVo sometimes a CSR will allow you to use the card from the old receiver in the DirecTiVo.

[wolflord11]

You can get a New Card without paying the $20 Fee for it. I activated a New Receiver that had never been used, but it had an old Card. The card had expired so to say.

Directv sent out a New Card so it could be activated, charged me $20 on my Bill, but then Credited me $20. So the card was Free.

Also, you can sometimes transfer Cards in receivers you already own and have activated to different units. Just tell them you are replacing One unit with another.

[Flogduh]

I've had success inthe past if the receiver was passed onto a family member's account. That was about two years ago and stuff at DTV changes so often, who knows what would happen today...

[captain_video]

Transfer of cards between receivers on the same account = OK
Activating a card from someone else's account with a used receiver on your account = mostly NO, but it depends on the CSR you get

The DTV company line is that activation of any used receiver on your account requires a new access card, except in cases where you're replacing an existing receiver on your account with a different one. In that case you can get the card transferred over to the replacement receiver.

[Stanley Rohner]

A friend of mine at work bought my old HDVR2 when I ditched it for the DIRECTV HR20.

I left the access card in it.

He called DIRECTV and they activated my old card and HDVR2 no problem. He didn't have to convince them. They just did it.

[Archangel00]

It's probably tied more to what series card you're trying to activate and subsequently the knowledge level of the particular CSR your trying to activate with than anything.

P4 cards had some compatibility issues in certain situations so the chances of getting a used P4 card activated is probably between slim and none. They are definitely phasing those cards out at every opportunity.

OTH with a D1 or D2 card the chances probably increase in direct proportion to the particular CSR's competency.

The new H20 and HR20 boxes can only use P12 cards so no transferring your old card to one of those in the upgrade scenario. If you buy one of those units without a card you will have to get a replacement card mailed to you.