# Directv won't let me activate unit



## mbergen (Oct 18, 2002)

Hi. I am at a loss for what to do. I just bought a Directv tivo off of ebay. It works fine, and I went to activate it, and everything was going fine - they transferred me to the access card department, and they asked if there was a receiver ID on the unit - I said there was and told them what it was - they looked it up and said the unit wasn't freed up, so I could not activate it, and I needed to contact the seller and see if I could return it. They said to always get the receiver ID before buying a unit something like that on Ebay and call and make sure you can activate it.

I did contact the seller just now. If I can't activate this, it's worthless to me.

I am an existing directv tivo owner and wanted to activate a second unit.

Meg


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## goony (Nov 20, 2003)

This is a somewhat new thing by DirecTV - it used to be that they would just ask you to get a new access card ($20), but there have now been a few recent postsabout them not activating a receiver based on the box ID. Many, many people buy used units and don't get burned - of course that doesn't make you feel any better.

If you paid with PayPal or some credit card was involved you may be able to get your purchase price back.


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## cramer (Aug 14, 2000)

Try telling them it doesn't have an access card. They'll send you a new one. (It might cost $20... depends on the CSR.) Even if the original owner deactivates that card, DTV will very likely refuse to activate it -- again, new card.

When I activated a really ancient Sony receiver -- it still had the original H card in it, they fedex'd a P4 card for free. They didn't even bother destroying the H card.


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## mbergen (Oct 18, 2002)

I just heard from the seller. He said he bought it at an estate sale, and will refund my money if I continue to have trouble with Directv.

Doesn't estate sale generally mean the person has died? No chance of getting the original owner to pay their bill then (if that's what happened - they would not give me any details of why the receiver wasn't freed up)

It doesn't sound like the card was the problem - they said that it was the receiver. They said I needed to get a new access card, which is why they forwarded it to the access card department, and when they did, the person asked me if it had a receiver ID - said it probably didn't - and I had seen that it did, so told them what it was - when she got that, she looked it up and said she couldn't activate the receiver and said that I always needed to call and tell them the receiver ID, if I was going to buy something like that on ebay and make sure I could activate it first - that hopefully I could get my money back.

I may give directv one more call to tell them where he got it and see if it makes any difference.

Meg


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## mbergen (Oct 18, 2002)

Well I just called directv and they said the receiver is in collections that they definitely can't activate it. They offered to send me their new unit (non tivo) instead, but I want the tivo - not the other one, which is why I bought this used one from ebay. 

They said in 2010 their aggreement with Directv ends, and they'll be switching out the tivos for their new receiver anyway.

I guess I will get my money back from the seller.

adding: 
I just wanted to add that I called directv again to find out what information I need to get before buying another receiver on ebay so I know I can activate it first, and they said to get either the access card number or receiver ID - and with that information they can look up if they can activate a receiver or not - that they can not look it up from a serial number only.

Meg


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## l2bengtrek (May 31, 2006)

mbergen said:


> Well I just called directv and they said the receiver is in collections that they definitely can't activate it. They offered to send me their new unit (non tivo) instead, but I want the tivo - not the other one, which is why I bought this used one from ebay.
> 
> They said in 2010 their aggreement with Directv ends, and they'll be switching out the tivos for their new receiver anyway.
> 
> ...


Meg,

From what you just said in the first line of this reply, it sounds like there is an outstanding balance on the account married to the receiver you bought. I don't know why it matters to Direct TV but I guess they figure it would be some extra incentive for people to pay their bill. If this was part of an "estate" sale, you'll probably have a hard time tracking down somebody....next of kin or whoever.... to get it cleared up. Good Luck! If all else fails, at least the guy you bought it from said he'd take it back!


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## extension 721 (Sep 29, 2005)

directv's "free, owned" equipment offers gave $200 boxes away with their "commitment" if you got one, and then never paid a bill, you essentially stole a $200 box....people would sign up, not pay, and sell the unit, then steal someone's social security number, and do it again.

Caveat emptor!


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## Bardman (Aug 26, 2002)

I just got off the phone with Directv and the CSR is shipping me a new access card for a DVR40 I just bought off Ebay. She did this after I asked to speak to retention, and of course after getting $20 from my credit card.

They also wouldn't activate the receiver with my old Series 4 card from a HDVR2 that dove from the shelf (wrecking the access card reader)

I asked why, and was told it's one of 3 reasons (Leased unit, account still open, or debt owed), I asked which one, since I knew this model was made before the leasing started, as well as seeing the info screen that said "account closed", but she wouldn't say (hinting that it was the remaining choice). Obviously the previous owner has an outstanding balance.

Give CSR Roulette another try before you give up.


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## mbergen (Oct 18, 2002)

Well the seller said he'd take it back and refund my money, so I have already ups'd it back to him, and have just bought another one on ebay. I called directv before buying this new one with the receiver id and they said it was fine.

One thing they said was that if there were any pay per view programs on the remote control if I actived it, I'd be responsible for them - I assume that's with the existing access card. Is there anything to this? With the last tivo I was able to look on the screen at what they'd purchased, and it seems like I'd be able to see for the new on as well. I think maybe this is a way to just talk me into having to get a new card - what do you think? I don't really mind getting a new card if at least I can activate the thing.

I did try calling twice. They offered to give me one of the new DVR's free of charge, but the whole point of buying one on ebay was that I wanted a Tivo.

I'm not sure what to think of the one person's comments that in 2010 that the agreement was over and they'd be switching out all the receivers. Well I will worry about that when it happens. Alot can change between now and then - and also, having a series 1 Tivo that I've had since the beginning, I was worried that something would happen to it and that I wouldn't be able to get another one whenever that did happen - so I want a backup receiver.

Meg


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## sandpj (Feb 10, 2004)

It might be worth the effort to try the 722 trick. Just call DTV and it now asks for telephone and account numbers to verify account information. Then it says that all CSR's are busy, but it will start asking a bunch of questions. Hit "0" and it will ask for the three-digit error code. Enter 722 and it will "re-marry" the access cards to the receivers.

Just did it today, but I was not aware that there could be an issue with the receiver ID.


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## mbergen (Oct 18, 2002)

I'm not sure I quite follow. Do you mean with the new receiver and access card that came with it, once I get it? Wouldn't I still need to call directv and switch it over to my account?

Meg


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## tigersfanjj (Oct 23, 2005)

Yes, Dtv uses the RID# to check if there is a balance owed on the account that it was activated on. If the balance isn't paid, getting a replacement card will do nothing but make your wallet $20 thinner. 

I don't know how long they have done it this way. I know it's been AT LEAST a year and a half. My guess is it has been for as long as they have made RID units.


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## sandpj (Feb 10, 2004)

mbergen said:


> I'm not sure I quite follow. Do you mean with the new receiver and access card that came with it, once I get it? Wouldn't I still need to call directv and switch it over to my account?
> 
> Meg


I have purchased many "bare" DTivo's, added a hard drive, and used the card from the DTV receiver. Called DTV and used the 722 code which automatically re-married the cards to the receivers and activated the box.

Now, I guess there could be some way the computer is checking that both the card and DTivo are "valid" and not re-marry if there is an issue. When they changed the prompts, I ended up talking to a real person several times and they kept insisting that I buy a new card. Once I figured out how to get to the prompt where they ask for the three digit code, it worked without a problem.


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## findmatt77 (Sep 10, 2003)

sandpj said:


> It might be worth the effort to try the 722 trick. Just call DTV and it now asks for telephone and account numbers to verify account information. Then it says that all CSR's are busy, but it will start asking a bunch of questions. Hit "0" and it will ask for the three-digit error code. Enter 722 and it will "re-marry" the access cards to the receivers.
> 
> Just did it today, but I was not aware that there could be an issue with the receiver ID.


Just used the 722 trick, and it worked beautifully. I had a spare access card laying around from a used receiver I had purchased months ago. I wanted to use that card for another receiver. CR tried to marry it to one of my receivers, but the ultimate verdict from tech support was "no" because the card had been attached to someone else's account.

But voila, 722 did the trick!


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## anonymuse (Nov 27, 2005)

I had to play CSR roulette in this situation. On the 4th CSR, they set everything up with the existing card---no problems.


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## Extremist (Dec 28, 2004)

I wonder if I could do the same trick, I have a R10 unti from my sister in-law that they do not use anymore. Can I take the card out of my set top box right now, plug it into the new R10 run it and try the 722 trick? Would that work, or would I need to call DirecTV to tell them I have yet another Tivo? (This will be the 3rd)


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## rock_doctor (Oct 22, 2000)

Sorry the R10 is a RID receiver so you can't reset the card and have the R10 work. This only work with Non-RID receivers and the card must be active (not canceled at any point). You will have to call them and tell them you are replacing a failed unit with one from a family member (if they ask). Should be a quick deal. If the CSR says no then just call back and try again. We all have done this many times.

good luck,
mark


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## anonymuse (Nov 27, 2005)

I always have the best luck after midnight when you have a friendly chit chat with a CSR--of course, you're mileage may vary.


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## Extremist (Dec 28, 2004)

man that stinks... the set top box I have upstairs has never been unsubscribed so I would be good to go except for the RID thing... why do they always have to wreck everything beautiful?

I really wanted to hack that unit too... but I definetly don't want to mess around with a prom replacement.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Don't blame DirecTV for this, blame the card hackers that allowed use of receivers without subscribing.


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## ForrestB (Apr 8, 2004)

You CAN activate the R10 - just call DirecTV and order an access card. It will cost you $20 and you'll get the card in 2-3 days and DirecTV will charge you $5 per month for mirroring the service.


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## wolflord11 (Jan 17, 2007)

Or, you can always "replace" a unit you already have and use that access card.


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