justlike
@verizon.net | 1st post, omg!!
Yeah, just like all direc*tv access cards need a *SUBSCRIPTION* to watch tv, hahahahahaha!
How absurd! |
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jferello
J
Premium
join:2001-03-12
Hatboro, PA
clubs: | American Business Swine
Just another wonderful American company!! We have swine running our largest companies. Man, Howard is rolling over in his grave.....
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I never thought something so simple would be so hard to find....... |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA | Only for PPV
That's the only thing I can think of for the phone line. Also DTV may use the phone line to see if the unit is at the same location as the account. I just wish they would enable USB for LAN like the SA S2 units have. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| reply to jferello
Re: American Business Swine
said by jferello  :Just another wonderful American company!! We have swine running our largest companies. Man, Howard is rolling over in his grave..... Howard who??
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moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| said by TKJunkMail :said by jferello :Just another wonderful American company!! We have swine running our largest companies. Man, Howard is rolling over in his grave..... Howard who?? Probably referring to Howard Hughes who started the company. |
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qdemn7
Smurf in My Loop
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Fort Worth, TX
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :said by jferello :Just another wonderful American company!! We have swine running our largest companies. Man, Howard is rolling over in his grave..... Howard who?? Howard Hughes, probably.
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“We want the Republicans out of our bedroom and the Democrats out of our wallet and both out of our First and Second Amendment rights." - Alan Nathan |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| Tell Them Anything?
Isn't the first rule of selling to tell the customer anything you can, even if it means making up BS from the git-go to make them buy your product? If someone who lacks a phone line wants to buy DirecTV service, wouldn't it have been in DirecTV's best interests to say that the service works without a phone line so that they get the sale instead?
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Tancredo 2008! |
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cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| What's wrong with a software update?
If corporate REALLY wants a phone line hooked up, why not just push a firmware update to the receivers that check for the phone line? If it doesn't successfully call back within a few days, shut down the box. I think that's a little better than telling your installers to LIE about something. |
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linflas
join:1999-08-18
Manassas, VA | Misleading headline
The headline is incorrect. It should say that Mastech advocated lying. DirecTV just wants the receiver hooked up to a phone line, it is the local install company that is docking the $5.00 and advocating the lying. |
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Zoder
join:2002-04-16
Miami, FL | reply to pnh102
Re: Tell Them Anything?
It's the installation company telling the customers this. Not the sales agents. Apparently, they make a commission on every receiver hooked up to a phone line. |
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Jafo232
You Can't Spell Democrat Without Rat.
Premium
join:2002-10-17
Boonville, NY
·RoadRunner Cable
| Well, sort of.
It is quite possible I believe that there could be a situation where the phone line is needed. I left one of my units unplugged from the phone line for a long time. I noticed it didn't have the latest software (it wasn't grouping shows, and the version # was different). Once I let it dial in, it updated the software.
Although unlikely, it is possible that a future update might usher in a change that could be required for the machine to run properly due to some other changes (i.e. format of channel data).
I suppose if it ever did happen, BBR would have an entire feature on how DirecTV intentionally broke DirecTivo by not telling their customers to keep their boxes plugged into the phone.
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Write Your News, Find Your News At PingPost.com |
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qdemn7
Smurf in My Loop
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Fort Worth, TX
| reply to linflas
Re: Misleading headline
said by linflas : DirecTV just wants the receiver hooked up to a phone line. And what if a person doesn't HAVE a phone line? Not even VOIP? Suppose they rely solely on wireless phones? Are you going to tell me they will reject you as a customer? 
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“We want the Republicans out of our bedroom and the Democrats out of our wallet and both out of our First and Second Amendment rights." - Alan Nathan |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to Zoder
Re: Tell Them Anything?
said by Zoder :Apparently, they make a commission on every receiver hooked up to a phone line. Poor DirecTV... looks like they will never be seeing a penny from me 
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Tancredo 2008! |
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moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| Now what moron would support this?
Tell me what idiot would support this at any company?
quote:
The group said supervisors have ordered them to do or say whatever it takes to avoid a deduction on their paychecks, the report said.
"Tell the customer whatever you have to tell them," technician Frank Martinez said. "Tell them if these phone lines are not connected, the receiver will blow up."
"You've been told to tell them that?" Alvarez asked.
"We've been told to say that," Martinez said. "(And say) whatever it takes to get that phone line in the receiver."
Being ordered to do "whatever it takes."  Telling the customers that the receivers will "blow up." If the first part is advocating lying then the second part does.
Fifty dollars to plug in a receiver into a phone jack?!?!?!?!
And why not use a high speed connection if possible? Faster than dial up.
quote:
Local 6 News reported that statements from the Mastec and DirectTV corporate offices make it clear that the policy of deducting money from employees' paychecks will continue.
This is stupid. Deducting money because employees won't lie. This isn't salesmen-ship, this is out right deception. I wonder how many of these guys will lose their jobs now because they "blew the whistle" on a deceptive and, more than likely, illegal practice.
quote:
Last year, DirectTV paid out a $5 million settlement with Florida and 21 other states for deceptive practices.
Now, because of the Local 6 News story, the attorney general's office looking into this newest issue, Alvarez said.
OOOPSIE! Got caught once before? 
quote:
"One reason (for the policy) could be that DirectTV does keep track of their customers' viewing habits through the phone line," Alvarez said.
Just like the cable companies can do but you don't need a phone line for them.  |
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jameswade
join:2001-12-09
Hot Springs, NC
·US Cellular
·Verizon BroadbandA..
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to oliphant
Re: Only for PPV
My brother doesn't have have a phone line. He does have a dog that looks like yours though!
He hasn't tried PPV, but his DirecTV Tivo does work fine - except - its software never gets updated.
I just can't believe that the new software comes in over the phone line and not from the satellite.
I'm so irritated at DirecTV that I'm looking at Dish. If you don't have a phone line with them they want to charge you $5.00. Per receiver. In this day and age of VOIP and cell phones...
I'd love to have the USB port working too. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
4 edits | reply to moonpuppy
Re: American Business Swine
said by moonpuppy :said by TKJunkMail :Howard who?? Probably referring to Howard Hughes who started the company. Thanks. I never knew that a Hughes company started DirecTV(used to be called Hughes Electronics which came from Hughes Aircraft). They've been around longer than I thought since he has been dead so long(1976).
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_Electronics
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirecTV_Group
Actually DirecTV came more from a merger of Delco Electronics(GM company) and Hughes Aircraft subsidiary Hughes Space and Communications division. Delco merged with Hughes Aircraft when GM owned it. It was while GM owned it that DirecTV was created in 1994.
So I guess GM had more to do with DirecTV than Howard Hughes ever did.
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to moonpuppy
Re: Now what moron would support this?
said by moonpuppy :This is stupid. Deducting money because employees won't lie. This isn't salesmen-ship, this is out right deception. I wonder how many of these guys will lose their jobs now because they "blew the whistle" on a deceptive and, more than likely, illegal practice. This sounds a lot like what the managers at stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and Staples make their salesdroids do with extended warranties... equally annoying.
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Tancredo 2008! |
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TheOtherPete
join:2001-06-28
Boyds, MD | reply to jameswade
Re: Only for PPV
Just FYI but you can still do PPV its just that you can't order it from the remote - go to DTV's web site, select the movie and order it there. Works like a champ (no phone line connected here) |
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poolek
join:2003-11-04
Austin, TX
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·ViaTalk
·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to jameswade
There are plenty of easy hacks for DirecTivo units that will enable the USB ports and all the other goodies of Stand-Alone Series 2 units. The software and capabilities are all there - just disabled. You can apply the patches individually, or search for the 'Zipper script' - which automates the application of the most common hacks. You can have networking, Home Media Option, eliminate the annoying 'Phone home' nag screen, etc.
The thing I don't understand about DirecTV's insistence on having a phone line is that phone companies are now direct competitors of DTV with thier planned iptv offerings. Why in the world would they want to force their customers to use a competitor? If anything, they should be all over alternate methods of communication - wireless, broadband, cellular, etc. |
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BillRoland
Premium
join:2001-01-21
Ocala, FL
clubs:
·Cox HSI
| Noooooo
I thought only cable companies did such things to their customers? In just one week we now realize that Verizon is using predatory pricing for FIOS, and DirecTV urged CSR's to lie to customers.
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"Don't steal. The government hates competition." |
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