Getting "insurance" on the satellite equipment with DirecTV?

[SL6827]

So we have DirecTV and we recently cancelled the plan we are on now under my husband's name (contract ended) and signed up again in my name with a lower price. Guy came and installed us new receivers (boxes), remotes and a new dish I think. Worked great until lighting struck it all the other day and it went bad. Good thing was it was still under the warranty. Another tech came in and fixed it, did what ever he did to get it going and such.

But they ask me the other day on the phone if I wanted to take out the "insurance" on it in case this was to happen again. Now we have had satellite TV service for ever, never cable. This might have happened just one other time in twenty years but I can't remember how it was handled then. So, with the "insurance" being like $8 a month, should I get it? Or is this their responsibility to fix this equipment regardless? Scam or good idea to get it?

 

[tvguy]

News to me. If my equipment breaks, they overnight me replacements. It's their equipment. If they don't, they lose a customer.

 

[kymom99]

I Have had Dtv for 19 years and never heard of this either. We have had the wind damage our dish before and never had to pay for them to fix it.

 

[verleniahall]

I'm a new dtv customer and they explained it like this - I'd something goes wrong and they come out and it's their fault or die too weather - they fix it

if they determine that it's broken because of me, they can charge a100 service callfee - but if i have insurance or will cover that. i just had them add it to the bill.

four minutes with the army has taught me its better yo be safe than sorry

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I agree with the above...it is their equipment. Why would I pay to protect it?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I'm a new dtv customer and they explained it like this - I'd something goes wrong and they come out and it's their fault or die too weather - they fix it

if they determine that it's broken because of me, they can charge a100 service callfee - but if i have insurance or will cover that. i just had them add it to the bill.

four minutes with the army has taught me its better yo be safe than sorry

So you are paying to protect the interior pieces from your toddler dumping a cup of milk on the receiver, etc. That is diff from a lightning strike. I don’t insure against little things like that. $8/mth X10 yrs damage free and I have saved enough to pay for whatever accident may occur in the future.

 

[verleniahall]

yes - that is the premise

my luck it will be the movers that break it or the cat will knock it off

 

[kymom99]

yes - that is the premise

my luck it will be the movers that break it or the cat will knock it off

If you move they come and install new stuff. I don't take phone insurance either so I would skip it if they offered it to me. That's just me, I live on the edge.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

If you move they come and install new stuff. I don't take phone insurance either so I would skip it if they offered it to me. That's just me, I live on the edge.

Me too

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I can't remember what they came out for one time but when my husband called they said it'd be $100 for them just to come out OR he can get insurance and it would be free. So he added the insurance, they did what we needed them to do and we canceled the insurance immediately.

 

[trenty]

I can't remember what they came out for one time but when my husband called they said it'd be $100 for them just to come out OR he can get insurance and it would be free. So he added the insurance, they did what we needed them to do and we canceled the insurance immediately.

Same this happened to us, but we kept the insurance. We used the insurance one other time since then - about 2x total in a year.

 

[SL6827]

I was thinking it was their equipment too, why should I insure it? I am thinking it is a scam as well.

 

[ICF]

They've offered it to me before as well. I'm not paying $100 / yr to insure equipment that I don't even own.

 

[kymom99]

With all the people I hear cutting cable I'm going to guess they are using things like this to make up for lost customers.

 

[RAD]

The hardware, except the dish/LNB are all leased so it’s up to DIRECTV to replace it if it fails. They will charge you a shipping charge to send you the replacement, IIRC it was $15 or $25. If the dish fails, gets knocked out of alignment or the wiring fails then it’s $75 service call last I heard. There are different versions of the protection plan that also cover your TV sets and another that include computers.

As a 15 year customer I wouldn’t bother with the insurance, it’s just helps their profits, that’s why they push it all the time.

 

[MillauFr]

If you move they come and install new stuff. I don't take phone insurance either so I would skip it if they offered it to me. That's just me, I live on the edge.

I call it doing the math. Why would anyone pay $8 per month when the break even price for the insurance is $0.10 per month.

 

[Lori74]

the lady i called to ask about a receiver not working told me to get the insurance, have them come out and fix it, then cancel the insurance, so we didn't pay the $100. i was surprised, but thats what we did. ive always thought that its their equipment its on their dime, but apparently not.

 

[TheGecko]

Just tell them you are sending back their defective box if it breaks. If they refuse tell them to cancel your account. No need to have someone come into your house to tell you something is broken which you already know.

 

[MillauFr]

Just tell them you are sending back their defective box if it breaks. If they refuse tell them to cancel your account. No need to have someone come into your house to tell you something is broken which you already know.

That is what I would do. Just call to cancel if they refuse to fix the equipment for free. They would change their tune real fast then.