Both statements are true. Not only that, if you change your service in any way -- drop movie channels, say, or upgrade to HD service to take full advantage of that brand-new HDTV -- the two-year commitment "clock" resets to Day 1. This occurs even if your initial commitment has already been completed.

Yeah they really tend to get you when it comes to things like that, but it guarantees that you will stay with them unless you want to pay the eft fee, which is sometimes cheaper than just riding out the contract if you dont want the service or can no longer afford it.

Originally Posted by Piggie

DirecTV lets you drop packages if you have finished contracts because I have recently.

Can you still upgrade your equipment and not have to upgrade your contract?

Originally Posted by tj716

Can you still upgrade your equipment and not have to upgrade your contract?

Most likely not, though I don't know if that goes for purchased Moxy or Tivo receivers that take a cable card?

Folks, I am no expert on Direct but I know Dish does not make you commit when upgrading your programming. You may get charged a downgrade fee (5 or 10 dollars) when lowering your programming tier.

With Dish you are only committed when you upgrade your receivers.

To the OP: Termination fees will lower as time passes. After 2 years, you are free to fly away. You should have known that when you signed up.

Originally Posted by Fardreamer

A friend of mine who lives in the same condo as I do just comfirmed the helpful info you gave me in your reply. She just tried to terminate her contract with DirecTV (she did not say why) and was told that she would have to pay a huge termination fee OR simply keep the service till 2011 (when the contract expires).

I understand the lure which satellite services have (more channels, more programming options), but considering that there ARE some issues (such as low satellite signals, reduced reception in bad weather) I think I'lll stick with cable for the time being.

Lets discuss these issues:

1. Any Satellite Signal? Before you even pick up the phone to call for any satellite service, know you must have a pretty decent view from your home to the south. If you can see the sky from the SE to the SW at about 45° up, you should do pretty good.

2. Signal Strength If you are here looking at this, that alone says you want to be educated and that is a very good idea. The installer should have a good idea on what you can expect before he even starts the job. They all have signal finders that will tell them what you can expect before he even takes the dish out of the truck.

3. Reception in Bad Weather The bad weather needs to be pretty extreme if the dish was installed correctly. Anyone with a problem like this probably just needs to have thier dish "peaked" or re-aimed. Sometimes this may be necessary even if you have had your dish for a long time. That dish being exposed to all that wind over several years may have turned it ever so slightly. That may require it to be peaked. I only loose the signal during the worst part of a thunder storm (just a few minutes) or heavy snow. And I do mean HEAVY snow. The worst is when you have lots of big wet flakes. Normal snow storms shouldn't affect your reception. You do want that dish set up where you can get to it during snow as wet snow can stick to your dish and you will want a way to get the snow off the dish. Snow stuck on the dish = no signal. Simple as that.

4. Local Satellite Signal Areas a.k.a. as LiL satellite signals are your local channels received from a satellite. To save bandwidth, the providers have been launching satellites using "spot beams" that are aimed at certain parts of the country. These are mostly used for HD locals and there is a possibility you may be at the edge of one of the "foot prints". Sometimes this becomes an issue. A great example of a problem here is a Dish Network issue. HD LiL people who subscribe to locals in the western areas of the Scranton / Wilkes-Barre, PA DMA are just out of the beam foot print. The eastern areas seem to be OK. Dish knows about this problem but they cannot fix it until they get another satellite up and running. Lucky for those folks that this should happen by March 2010.

When you first get installed, you want to see ALL the channels you want. And I do mean ALL before you sign that contract. You will be looking at several different satellites and you want to make sure you can see them all. If after you get installed you find that you have a problem, the installer screwed up. If he can't fix it before you sign that contract, don't sign it and let him take everything away at no charge to you. Remember, if it comes to this, the installer messed up. Not you! Don't end up paying for installer mistakes.

As long as everyone follows these simple rules, your transition to satellite should go well.

Fardreamer wrote:

Want more info on movies and electronics? Check out my page at Viewpoints!
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What is the website you want all of us to "sign" into? I am very suspicious of this post and oddly, his "cut and pasted' hotlink didn't travel here.
Jim

I wouldn't go near DirecTV. They have proven themselves to be very much into the contract and they are also an unforgiving company. If you die, they'll stick your parents with the contract.

Originally Posted by Orrymain

I wouldn't go near DirecTV. They have proven themselves to be very much into the contract and they are also an unforgiving company. If you die, they'll stick your parents with the contract.

Dish is pretty much the same way. There should be laws that prohibit something like this. It's time to contact our law makers about this.

Originally Posted by Yes616

Dish is pretty much the same way. There should be laws that prohibit something like this. It's time to contact our law makers about this.

A contract is a contract though. If someone were to borrow $50K from you and croak the next day...shouldn't you be entitled to the money if you entered into a contract?

Originally Posted by O-O

A contract is a contract though. If someone were to borrow $50K from you and croak the next day...shouldn't you be entitled to the money if you entered into a contract?

Sure. $50K should just come from the estate. That or whatever was needed from the $50K in the first place. I wouldn't loan anyone that I know of $50K anyway.

As far as satellite goes, the leased receivers should just be returned to the source.

I don't know of any dead people watching TV so why should they pay any more? Dieing should be a valid excuse to get out of some kind of entertainment contract that could only be used by the living.

If Direct and/or Dish do not agree with this, they should be required to hook up the folks 6' down below. Dish has that Dish mover deal. I'm not sure what Direct has. A little TV could be placed inside the coffin playing the deceased fav shows.

Sounds crazy but to me just as crazy as looking for TV service for up to 2 years after anyone is viewing it.

Originally Posted by Yes616

Sure. $50K should just come from the estate. That or whatever was needed from the $50K in the first place. I wouldn't loan anyone that I know of $50K anyway.

As far as satellite goes, the leased receivers should just be returned to the source.

I don't know of any dead people watching TV so why should they pay any more? Dieing should be a valid excuse to get out of some kind of entertainment contract that could only be used by the living.

If Direct and/or Dish do not agree with this, they should be required to hook up the folks 6' down below. Dish has that Dish mover deal. I'm not sure what Direct has. A little TV could be placed inside the coffin playing the deceased fav shows.

Sounds crazy but to me just as crazy as looking for TV service for up to 2 years after anyone is viewing it.

Good point.