# Levereging my options for upgrade?



## rawbi01 (Oct 13, 2005)

It's time to upgrade but I would like to get it done for free.

I currently have 6 receivers which includes 2 Tivo's and a dvr. 
I also have premium and HD.

How can I leverage this to get the best deal ?? Thanks


----------



## minorthr (Nov 24, 2001)

rawbi01 said:


> It's time to upgrade but I would like to get it done for free.
> 
> I currently have 6 receivers which includes 2 Tivo's and a dvr.
> I also have premium and HD.
> ...


Call and ask nicely.

Also if you still have an hr10-250 they should be calling you asking to swap it. I got one of these calls like 2 weeks ago.


----------



## jimb726 (Jan 4, 2007)

Hopefully you havent missed the bus on it. If you have an HR10-250 and if you are a sports package subscriber they are calling people right now offereing to switch them over. Otherwise it is hit or miss. Best thing to do if you are not a sports package subscriber is to call in and see what you get. Be aware that many calls in about the same thing might work against you as well.


----------



## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

i wonder if they agreed to sub to sports this fall if even the full price 299 would be offered (for the whole deal of course, not each)


----------



## Joe (Nov 9, 2001)

I got a letter last week offering no cost replacement of my HD DVR (HR10-250) for a 2yr commitment. 

No mention of my SD-DVR, but I would assume they'd replace that too, and I am not a sports pack subscriber.


----------



## jeffo13 (Oct 21, 2005)

I would not mind upgrading my HR10-250, but I believe I will also need to replace my dish. Of course my dish is a pole mount and the mast diameter of the new dish is different, so I will have to have my pole replaced as well. Can anyone confirm the diameter, is the slim line dish the same?

I love the TIVO and retraining the wife an kids will be a pain, but it would be nice to not see the nag screen telling me to call home. I have seen it every day for the last year an a half.

I am wondering if I let my TIVO do the software upgrade and it blows out (which I am sure it would) if I could get a better deal on replacement? Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Jeff


----------



## bpratt (Nov 20, 2004)

jeffo13 said:


> I would not mind upgrading my HR10-250, but I believe I will also need to replace my dish. Of course my dish is a pole mount and the mast diameter of the new dish is different, so I will have to have my pole replaced as well. Can anyone confirm the diameter, is the slim line dish the same?
> 
> I love the TIVO and retraining the wife an kids will be a pain, but it would be nice to not see the nag screen telling me to call home. I have seen it every day for the last year an a half.
> 
> ...


I used this to get my pole mount dish to accept the new 5 LNB slim
line dish:
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SKY1101

I would let your TiVo do the software upgrade. I have found version 6.4 to be the best version I have ever run on my HR10s.


----------



## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

I think you can get it for free (or at least one or two DVRs for free) if you accept the 2-year commitment.

I also think it doesn't hurt to remind them that they are in competition with other vendors. You might call and mention that you got a flyer about FIOS being available in your area starting next month and that is has the channels you are interested in for a tempting price, but that since you have been in a long-time relationship with DTV, that you wanted to hear what they had to offer. Mention that you know you have to make some sort of change to go to HD, and that you would like to hear why you should stay with them and upgrade to their HD before actually signing up with FIOS. "My wife says go with FIOS" is a good way to approach it.

I know this sort of approach worked for me. I mentioned that I was thinking of going to Cox Cable who had better PQ and a better monthly rate and bundled phone and broadband (DBS vendors hate that they can't do that) and that if they stuck to their price of $750 for a HR10 (this was a couple years ago) It might just make more sense for me to put everything I had (my current SD DTivos) up on Ebay. I said it matter-of-factly, as if I was thinking out loud about my options, not threateningly.

Well, it got very quiet for a second, and then I was asked if I could be put on hold for a moment. Of course I agreed..."Take your time, I need to crunch some numbers anyway". A few minutes later the $750 had dwindled down to $199 with 3 months of Showtime for free.

Using the same approach I got my 3rd HR10 for free, and later replaced an HR10 with a HR20 plus dish install all for free, and with no contract extension, either.


----------



## tucsonbill (Aug 11, 2004)

minorthr said:


> Call and ask nicely...


I agree, but would add "but firmly". If they agree, don't be surprised if the charge shows up on your bill. It took me three months and I don't even remember how many phone calls to get the charge for my "free" upgrade removed. (But they will do it in the end, if you don't give up.) Make sure you point out the two HR-10s that you bought and paid for and that you understand that they won't be able to receive any of the new HD channels. Ask what you need to get them. Be indignant if they mention a cost.


----------



## BigBearf (Aug 18, 2005)

Hi,
I got two calls from D* trying to upgrade my 8 owned HR10s. They offered all HR2*s at no cost and no additional commitment. I said no because I would like at least 4 of them listed as owned so that I can legally upgrade to larger hard drives. 

Just posted for info.
BigBearf


----------



## jeffo13 (Oct 21, 2005)

bpratt said:


> I used this to get my pole mount dish to accept the new 5 LNB slim
> line dish:
> http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SKY1101
> 
> I would let your TiVo do the software upgrade. I have found version 6.4 to be the best version I have ever run on my HR10s.


Thanks for the link, this is exactly what I need. The installer wanted to charge me $80 last time he was out. I may let it do the upgrade to see what happens. Last time I let it upgrade, it did not work out so well.

Jeff


----------



## scottt (Sep 6, 2002)

BigBearf said:


> Hi,
> I got two calls from D* trying to upgrade my 8 owned HR10s. They offered all HR2*s at no cost and no additional commitment. I said no because I would like at least 4 of them listed as owned so that I can legally upgrade to larger hard drives.
> 
> Just posted for info.
> BigBearf


Can't you just plug a huge HD into the eSATA port on the back?


----------



## jimb726 (Jan 4, 2007)

BigBearf said:


> Hi,
> I got two calls from D* trying to upgrade my 8 owned HR10s. They offered all HR2*s at no cost and no additional commitment. I said no because I would like at least 4 of them listed as owned so that I can legally upgrade to larger hard drives.
> 
> Just posted for info.
> BigBearf


You can legally upgrade with an external hard drive no problem. Otherwise the only way you are going to get them owned is if you have PP and they fail.


----------



## itzme (Dec 7, 2004)

jimb726 said:


> ....have PP and they fail.


Hehe


----------



## jimb726 (Jan 4, 2007)

itzme said:


> Hehe


Your laugh, not mine!!


----------



## BigBearf (Aug 18, 2005)

> You can legally upgrade with an external hard drive no problem. Otherwise the only way you are going to get them owned is if you have PP and they fail.


Jimb726,
I have the PP and all are owned. I would like the internal upgrade to 1+ terabyte drives to eliminate as much wiring clutter as possible. Currently, with 4HR10s and FA120s going to ethernet and 3 HR 20s plus OTA it is congested to say the least.

I would like to settle on 3 upgraded HR20/21s and still keep at least 2 HR10s to be able to record everything that I would like to record.

Hope this helps,
BigBearf
and the


----------



## jimb726 (Jan 4, 2007)

BigBearf said:


> Jimb726,
> I have the PP and all are owned. I would like the internal upgrade to 1+ terabyte drives to eliminate as much wiring clutter as possible. Currently, with 4HR10s and FA120s going to ethernet and 3 HR 20s plus OTA it is congested to say the least.
> 
> I would like to settle on 3 upgraded HR20/21s and still keep at least 2 HR10s to be able to record everything that I would like to record.
> ...


If they are owned and you have the PP they will be replaced and labeled as owned, if you so desire. I had two that were replaced under the plan, the first one they labeled as owned, when the second died I didnt even ask them about it, as personally I see no reason to have it flagged as owned. So I guess if they dont want to swap them out as owned, then wait thill they "die". Or just open them up and put your drive in it anyways. There are no security stickers or anything like that on the boxes.


----------



## rawbi01 (Oct 13, 2005)

TyroneShoes said:


> I think you can get it for free (or at least one or two DVRs for free) if you accept the 2-year commitment.
> 
> I also think it doesn't hurt to remind them that they are in competition with other vendors. You might call and mention that you got a flyer about FIOS being available in your area starting next month and that is has the channels you are interested in for a tempting price, but that since you have been in a long-time relationship with DTV, that you wanted to hear what they had to offer. Mention that you know you have to make some sort of change to go to HD, and that you would like to hear why you should stay with them and upgrade to their HD before actually signing up with FIOS. "My wife says go with FIOS" is a good way to approach it.
> 
> ...


This is what I was looking for. A good angle. I'm going to use it!


----------



## pudge44 (Dec 5, 2002)

I have recently been through this song and dance with D*.

I have an owned HR10, no protection plan, and I subscribe to SportsPack, Sunday Ticket and bunch of other sports packages. 

I got a letter about a free upgrade about 6 weeks ago, then several phone calls. 

All the CSRs who called me had conflicting info about whether I would be allowed to keep my HR10 following the free upgrade and whether I would have to sign a new two-year deal. 

I got frustrated and called in myself a few days later. I got a friendly enough CSR, but he wouldn't budge off the $199 upgrade if I wanted to keep my HR10. That's when I mentioned FiOS (my neighborhood was wired last year) and was kicked over to retention. 

After much back and forth over my ability to hang on to my owned HR10, and my desired to an additional HD DVR to my account, I settled on a deal that gave me one free HR21, charged me $199 for the second one, and gave me $180 in credits plus free Sunday Ticket SuperFan. The two HR21s would be added to my account, and then I would be able to deactivate (and keep) the HR10. 

The HR21s would be leases and I would have to accept a new two-year commitment. 

I agreed. I really want to keep that HR10 mostly because it has hundreds of my kids favorite shows that they'll still be able to watch through another input on my TV even after I deactivate. 

Had I been willing to fork it over, I could have gotten the second HR21 for $49 via a retention offer. 

Unfortunately, the installation didn't come of as scheduled today (the installer said no line of site, I've learned via another thread that's probably a bunch of BS. Hopefully it gets cleared up tomorrow). 

As always with DirecTV, the first-level CSRs don't know their stuff. Call them, be polite but firm, and tell them about your other options. You'll end up in retention where people have the ability to offer you deals.


----------



## jm_sullivan (Dec 10, 2003)

Got my upgrade done 2 weeks ago... I'd gotten the letter for the 'free' HR10-250 swap.

Got my $199 charge last week 

Called and talked to the first level CSR. I can't describe how unhelpful these people always are for me. 

Skip over to retention and fixed it in less than 5 minutes.

Keep an eye on your bill so this 'accident' doesn't happen to you.


----------



## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

i wrote in to DTV via feedback form regarding an issue...they tacked on the end that i'm eligible for a free upgrade...perhaps this would be a way of some of you getting free upgrades?...email an innocent question then voila!


----------

