DirecTV (ATT) changing their policy?

[Hiking_Hunter]

I received by email from DirecTV with an updated Customer Agreement that appears to be a change in their policy regarding receivers in RVs. Looks like AT&T is having an influence on them. The following is copied from the Agreement... Read section (g) first, then refer to section (f) above it.

(f) Phone Connections. For optimal performance of your Receiving Equipment, including ordering with your remote control or receiving certain Services, your equipment must be directly connected to the same land-based telephone line or internet connection. If you add Service on additional TVs, you may purchase a separate subscription for each additional TV, or, if all your equipment is continuously connected to the same land-based telephone line, we can charge you only the fee amount described in Section 2. You agree to provide true and accurate information about the location of your equipment. If it is determined that the equipment is not at the service address identified on your account, we may disconnect the equipment or charge you the full programming subscription price for the equipment.

(g) Mobile Units. We provide Service to Receiving Equipment installed in mobile units such as campers, boats and other recreational vehicles. However, this Receiving Equipment is not eligible
for the additional TV authorization discount described in Section 1(f).

Section 2, referred to above, describes their programming charges.

I think this is poorly written; they are mixing "For optimal performance..." along with "may" instead of "must", but I think their intent is clear. Additional receivers added without a connection to the same internet or phone line as the others in a house will be charged for separately (full programming charge). I'm suspicious that they worded it like they did to make it sound like a "benefit" - a "discount" for units connected to the same internet or phone line.

Am I paranoid, or did the camel just stick his nose in the tent?

[CA_Traveler]

Learjet wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

My guess is what they will do for RV customers is require you notify them you are traveling, identify the receivers in your RV, and they will deactivate all the other receivers on your account.

That is not going to work when my DVR is still recording programs at my house while I'm gone.

There is no way for them to know where the receivers and they could all be in the RV.

That said I believe it's a violation of the contract to have multiple receivers on one account in different locations.

And changing the local channels changes all receivers on the account so that is another consideration.

[Hiking_Hunter]

Learjet wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

My guess is what they will do for RV customers is require you notify them you are traveling, identify the receivers in your RV, and they will deactivate all the other receivers on your account.

That is not going to work when my DVR is still recording programs at my house while I'm gone.

True.

My guess is they will eventually require us (they are looking for a way now) to sell a separate account. We don't have much option other than going to the other provider. Follow the money...

[Learjet]

westernrvparkowner wrote:

My guess is what they will do for RV customers is require you notify them you are traveling, identify the receivers in your RV, and they will deactivate all the other receivers on your account.

That is not going to work when my DVR is still recording programs at my house while I'm gone.

[Hiking_Hunter]

I think AT&T stopped short of requiring a landline or internet connection in their customer agreement simply because they knew it was not technically required. But, I suspect they would LOVE to find a technical reason for RVers to have a separate account. $$$

[W4RLR]

As has been posted by others, not everyone has land line telephone or wired internet. At my home, the home telephone service uses a cellular connection to a tower down in the valley. The existing land line was removed by AT&T because the line was so noisy it was unusable. The internet comes from a satellite connection from Viasat. We have been DirecTv customers for many years and have yet to experience a problem with additional receivers. We keep one in the RV and it records our favorite shows even when there is no one in the RV. That way we have a backlog of shows to watch when we hit the road and just want to watch something and don't want to go through the steps of finding the satellite at a location where we will be for only a few hours.

[FlatBroke]

nineoaks2004 wrote:
We finally gave up on Direct and have been with Dish Network for the last 10 years with no problems. Direct told us, when we moved in that it would take 2 weeks, I hooked it up myself but then cancelled it because, they also wanted to charge me 75.00 for a pole to hold the HD antenna up,. Dish came right out and we had HD that same day. But for the prices these people charge it seems they could have newer programs instead of so many re run-on top of re-runs..Netflix keeps up up on newer and better movies than either of the satelite companies.

My brother has Dish. He has been spending the weekend at our house to watch the US Open on our Directv. Dish is in another pissing match and he can't get Fox.

[westernrvparkow]

DutchmenSport wrote:

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
.....just like there is a little piece of black tape over my laptop camera.

Had to laugh on that one. I do the same thing, and on my work lap top too, black tape over the camera eye. :E Call me paranoid, but I have no clue if someone is watching me or not! Not that I have anything to hide, but if someone really want's to see what I actually (don't) wear when I'm on the computer at home with nothing but my wife around ... well .... I suppose they'll just have to use their imaginations.

I read an article not too long ago that the new televisions that connect to the internet (potentially) have the capability to monitor everything in front of it, watch what's in the room and hear everything going on. Yikes! We live in a new age for sure.

The only thing that could be worse than my job would be the job that required someone to monitor my every move. Having 10 video screens showing the images that appear in front of your average, everyday, 50 something's computer would be 99.999 percent boring as H. E. double hockey sticks and the remaining .001 percent would be absolute naked horror.

[westernrvparkow]

lynndiwagon wrote:
Come on. You guys know why they added this because you've read posts where folks "give" a spare receiver to one of their relatives. It would be tempting for some to install a spare receiver in one of their "poor" relatives house. I have been taking my Genie receiver to my vacation house and my RV for many years without an internet connection or phone line connection. I really don't think they care as long as you pay your bill regularly and don't try to deceive them.

This is the reason. $5.00 a month receiver fee for a receiver in a friends or relatives house 1000 miles from your home is a great deal for them, not so good for Directv. The phone line/internet connection pretty much assures that the receivers are all located in the same location (And yes, you can still abuse them by sharing one account among your next door neighbors who are close enough to receive your wifi signal).
My guess is what they will do for RV customers is require you notify them you are traveling, identify the receivers in your RV, and they will deactivate all the other receivers on your account.
RVs are a tiny slice of their business. If losing all those customers is required to prevent people from abusing the system it might be a cost they are willing to incur.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

I have to this happens more than you know or want to except. I know of some very large families with one account and other family members with receivers only spread out all over the country. We have been fulltiming for almost ten years and have a RV account with DTV and never had a problem. We also have two RV's one we seldom use but it has a receiver in it that we activate when we use it. I do think you with have a problem with DTV using your receiver in your RV, unless your doing something shady like stealing and give free programming to your family and friends.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

[DutchmenSport]

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
.....just like there is a little piece of black tape over my laptop camera.

Had to laugh on that one. I do the same thing, and on my work lap top too, black tape over the camera eye. :E Call me paranoid, but I have no clue if someone is watching me or not! Not that I have anything to hide, but if someone really want's to see what I actually (don't) wear when I'm on the computer at home with nothing but my wife around ... well .... I suppose they'll just have to use their imaginations.

I read an article not too long ago that the new televisions that connect to the internet (potentially) have the capability to monitor everything in front of it, watch what's in the room and hear everything going on. Yikes! We live in a new age for sure.

[lynndiwagon]

Come on. You guys know why they added this because you've read posts where folks "give" a spare receiver to one of their relatives. It would be tempting for some to install a spare receiver in one of their "poor" relatives house. I have been taking my Genie receiver to my vacation house and my RV for many years without an internet connection or phone line connection. I really don't think they care as long as you pay your bill regularly and don't try to deceive them.

[tvman44]

Anytime AT&T gets involved you can count on things getting messed up big time, and don't call for support unless you want to spend hours on the phone being bounced from one dept. to another and getting a different answer from each. 🙂

[Dave_H_M]

To quote Richard Rawlings, "let her rip tader chip."

I plan on taking my genie along with me in the camper this winter.

[Chuck_thehammer]

I have Directv forever.. maybe 12 plus years. NEVER had it connected to a home phone line. as its been longer since I had a hardwired phone.

as the cassette phone recorder was larger then a VHS video tape machine.
just like there is a little piece of black tape over my laptop camera.