Direct TV - Distant Network Services Problem

[Mels Musty Music]

Looking for suggestions. Thought I read about a similiar problem sometime ago but can't seem to find it now.

Anyway, We have been Direct TV subscribers for a number of years. In 2003 we filed the proper paperwork with them in order to subscribe to their Distant Network Services while we are travelling. We would start it in January and usually cancel it in April after our winter trip. Got some flak each year when we wanted to start up the service. but usually after finally getting to the right person, which in some cases was a supervisor, we would get the service restarted.

We are heading south on Saturday so made the annual call earlier this afternoon and much to my disnay after over an hour and a half on the phone I am being told I have to refile the proper paperwork again in order to get FCC approval. Their reasoning is that after you are disconnected from the DNS for more than 180 days you have to resubmit the paperwork. (I did go through the "cancel Direct TV and go with Dish" and didn't get any better response.

Anybody experience this problem and do you have any advice?

Don't want to start another Dish versus Direct discussion but am really getting fed up with Direct's customer service.

Thanks,
Hank

 

[2010augusta]

Well we only requested the east and west coast feeds once and never when back to getting locals. I was lucky and talked to the right gal the first time and she instantly activated the national feeds. I called about an hour before the Dayton 500 and begged to get some feed of FOX so we could watch the race. She got that done and then asked if there was any thing else and I said to turn all the feeds on and she asked if I would agree to the waiver and I said yes, and a few minutes later we had all the feeds coming in. About a week later we got a postcard saying that since no locals were available in our area (Brownwood TX at the time) all the networks allow the national feeds.

Hank, honk on your way through Gig Harbor, we are staying at the Gig Harbor RV Resort right off WA-16 and Burnham Dr.

 

[cookie]

Hank, I have a similar situation. When I checked on the East-West coast feeds, I didn't like the wording in the paper work they wanted me to sign. The CSR said that the only other way I could get network channels was if I moved. The light went on in here and I said "what if I moved for three months, could I get local channels where I am?" She said sure, as long as you have an address with zip code. We are in Mississippi now so next week, when I get to Texas I will have a new address and hopefully get what I want. We'll see. I will post back here if it works out as planned.

Peace
Dave

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

For the last 3 years I have been using an extra receiver that belongs to my Son. I was able to get everything he subscribed to except networks, He has a separate dish for them. I finally bit the bullet and decided to go for Dish Network. I only talked to 2 CSR's and both were the same result. Because I am full time and have no land line I could not subscribe. For the DVR deal I had to have a phone line. I called DTV and had service within a few days but I could only get Palm Springs locals. Everyone I talked to at DTV said I had to call each time I moved to reset the network locals. I have searched for areas using streets and trips to find the middle of nowhere to allow me to get the east & west coast feeds. It looks like I'll be in Greybull, WY when we move. I guess I just don't get it. Why can't we get what we want if we're willing to pay for it? Dang bureaucrats!

 

[2010augusta]

Ray, as I said in my eariler post Brownwood, TX has no locals available, Once we got the east and west coast feeds, I never called them again. If I want local news we just turn on the antenna or switch over to cable.

 

[campingmomma]

We switched to Dish after Direct T.V. dropped local channels the only reason we even had Direct T.V. We have found that their customer service is just as bad especially when their equipment goes bad and the customer as to pay for shipping on the new equipment. I believe that the company should send a postage paid or UPS paid return label for the customer to send back their faulty equipment!!!!

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Ray, as I said in my eariler post Brownwood, TX has no locals available, Once we got the east and west coast feeds, I never called them again. If I want local news we just turn on the antenna or switch over to cable.

I'll have to check that one out. Whatever address I give them it will be a fictitious one. We are getting on-line billing at this point. No paper. I think they have a way of figuring out where you are by the satellite but I'm not sure about that. Here in Indio, I can get all but CBS on the roof antenna. CBS does come in but it's not digital. Still broadcasting analog on a UHF frequency. Weird eh? Like you though, if I ever do get the E & W networks, I won't be calling them either.

 

[rvn4fun]

Dish network local channels

This was our first trip out of our local tv channel area, since dish threw out all rv exemptions, after losing a law suit. I was worried on how to get local channels while we were away from home. I found that I worried for nothing after I found out I could just call dish up and they would turn on the local channels where ever we are parked, just needed the address. Sure beats the national feed we used to have while traveling, before the lawsuit. We are in Spring Branch Texas now and are getting locals out of San Antonio, keeps us up on local happenings.

 

[jmgratz]

This was our first trip out of our local tv channel area, since dish threw out all rv exemptions, after losing a law suit. I was worried on how to get local channels while we were away from home. I found that I worried for nothing after I found out I could just call dish up and they would turn on the local channels where ever we are parked, just needed the address. Sure beats the national feed we used to have while traveling, before the lawsuit. We are in Spring Branch Texas now and are getting locals out of San Antonio, keeps us up on local happenings.

If you are in Spring Branch Texas why do you get the San Antonio locals? The Spring Branch Texas I know of is in Houston so you should get the Houston locals.

 

[rvn4fun]

Spring Branch Texas

I guess I don't know about that one, we are about 30 miles north of San Antonio, just off of highway 281.

 

[jmgratz]

Guess there are two Spring Branches. The Spring Branch in Houston is really just a geographic area of Houston and not a real incorporated town.

 

[tmax264]

I thought I had applied for the Distant Network Services 3 months ago. I saw this post and had been fed up with the service that the air antenna was providing where I am and the campground has no cable. I called today and finally spoke to someone at DTV after 4 different people that there is a 4 page form to fill out and mail back if you are a RVer I had told everyone I spoke to today and 3 months ago that I lived fultime in a RV, and that it is not a simple waiver that they do over the phone. Now I have 4 pages of stuff to fill out and return and pay $14 a month to receive the DNS. Why they make it difficult for fulltimers I don't know.

 

[leftyf]

For the last 3 years I have been using an extra receiver that belongs to my Son. I was able to get everything he subscribed to except networks, He has a separate dish for them. I finally bit the bullet and decided to go for Dish Network. I only talked to 2 CSR's and both were the same result. Because I am full time and have no land line I could not subscribe. For the DVR deal I had to have a phone line. I called DTV and had service within a few days but I could only get Palm Springs locals. Everyone I talked to at DTV said I had to call each time I moved to reset the network locals. I have searched for areas using streets and trips to find the middle of nowhere to allow me to get the east & west coast feeds. It looks like I'll be in Greybull, WY when we move. I guess I just don't get it. Why can't we get what we want if we're willing to pay for it? Dang bureaucrats!

Ray, I have DISH. Live in my trailer full time. Have no phone line attached, and it costs me $5 per month because of that. Good to see the customer service has continued to be sterling.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Ray, I have DISH. Live in my trailer full time. Have no phone line attached, and it costs me $5 per month because of that. Good to see the customer service has continued to be sterling.

That's exactly what I thought was allowable. The CSR's I talked with said because of the DVR I had to have a phone line. I suppose I could have kept trying until I found one that would work with me but we don't have unlimited minutes on our cell. So far so good with Direct though. We'll see how it goes when we change locations.

 

[jgallego]

Besides a telephone line you can also connect your dish reciever to an ethernet connection. If you have a wireless card for your laptop get a cradlepoint modem and you can connect the receiver to the cradlepoint using your wireless card. I have my receivers at home connected to ethernet instead of the phone line and I do not have to pay the $5 fee.

Jaime

 

[TXBobcat]

We have had DirecTV for a long time. When we went fulltime we just had everything transferred to our new address and told them we were now living in an RV.

I read on the Escapees Forum some time ago and found out how to send in my DNS by faxing it in to DTV.

We have not changed the service as we travel. When we started DNS we knew we were not suppose to get local networks. If we had a S&B we would have our local service address changed as we went from place to place but not change the billing address. However since we travel fulltime we use the outdoor antenna for local news or cable if available.

In case your intrested our billing info looks like this.
01/03 02/02 TOTAL CHOICE PLUS-no local Monthly 54.99
01/03 02/02 Distant Network Service for Mobile Customers 14.00
01/03 02/02 DIRECTV DVR Service Monthly 6.00
Fees
01/04 Leased Receiver 5.00
Adjustments & Credits
12/04 10 Anniversary Gift Discounts -5.00 Credit

We do not have a phone line and can order PPV by using the computer and selecting it on line from the schedule. If you don't have a phone line, you call in but it will cost you extra to talk to a SR. Doing it on line also makes it available on ALL receivers. If you order it on your receiver (via phone line or Ether net) you can only view it on that receiver.

That's how we do it.....

BC

 

[cookie]

I just set my DTV dish up today, called DTV and told them I have a new address here in Mission. I now have all the local channels. I can't understand half of em, but I got em. Maybe if I press 1..........

Peace
Dave

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

Cookie, Cookie, lend me your comb! Remember that song?
BTW how is the weather?

 

[cookie]

I read about that song in a history book. You old enough to remember Ed Burns? Gonna hit 70 this week. No more freezing nights.

Peace
Dave

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

I just set my DTV dish up today, called DTV and told them I have a new address here in Mission. I now have all the local channels. I can't understand half of em, but I got em. Maybe if I press 1..........

Peace
Dave

Dave, were there any fees associated with changing the locals to your current location?