TV ACCESS FEES ARE BEIG CHARGED FOR ALL TV'S WHEN IN THE PAST ONE WAS FREE. WHY THE CHARGE NOW?

[misucat1]

WHY AM I BEING CHARGED TV ACCESS FEES FOR ALL TV'S WHEN BEFORE ONE TV WAS FREE?

[Juniper · Accepted solution]

In late 2015 the billing model was changed when SD became grandfathered. It depends when your account was created on which billing model applies.

Old way: Primary TV free, HD $10, DVR $10, Whole Home DVR $3 = $23.

New way: Primary TV $7, HD included service, Advanced Receiver Services (DVR and Whole Home DVR) $15 = $22

Both ways are $7 for each additional TV/Client.

If your account has been active since before the change, then you would be grandfathered in. If the account was created after the change then you would have the new billing model. Be aware that if your account was created before the change, but was canceled either by you or for non payment, and reactivated the account it may have lost the grandfathered status.

We are customers like yourself, so you will need to call DirecTV 1-800-531-5000 for account access.

[misucat1]

I should be grandfathered in as I’ve belonged to Direct TV since at least the year 2000.

[Juniper]

As long as the account has been active the entire time, then you should still be grandfathered. If your account was canceled either by DirecTV or you, after the billing model changed, then when reactivated (or closed long enough you had to apply for new service) then you would have the new billing model.

If you have full receiver services, then the new way is $1 cheaper than the old way as I mentioned which would be a savings (though minor) in your favor.

[shannon02]

IIRC you have been charged for the first receiver but where given a credit for it so something happen to the credit, I'm thinking if AT&T moved you to the RC1 system that may be the reason as there are other bugs with it.

[Juniper]

A migration to the new RC1 system could definitely cause an issue, though haven't heard of this particular one. Can only confirm my account, grandfathered with 1st TV free (though with full receiver services I do pay $1 more than customers after the change I mentioned), is still billing correctly since my account migrated.

[misucat1]

Why is there NO CALLER ID on the new Genie I just had installed and there was one on the old one

[TexasBrit]

Because DirecTV has made the decision not to support caller ID. Lots of posts about it on this and other message boards.

[misucat1]

We had CALLER ID yesterday and in replacing the Genie, we don’t. Why don’t you support Caller ID. It’s very
Important to us.

[litzdog911]

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@misucat1 wrote:
We had CALLER ID yesterday and in replacing the Genie, we don’t. Why don’t you support Caller ID. It’s very
Important to us.

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Newer DirecTV boxes no longer have phone jacks.

Fewer and fewer people have landline phones.  

Bottom line ... you'll need to find another way to display your Caller ID info.

[Juniper · Accepted solution]

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@misucat1 wrote:
Why is there NO CALLER ID on the new Genie I just had installed and there was one on the old one

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Boxes haven't been made with phone jacks in a couple years. The HR44, 2nd generation Genie before the 3rd HR54 or the new (and not recommended) Genie-2 (HS17), that is still in circulation is the last box made with one.

DirecTV only used Caller ID on TV to encourage us to be connected. It was for ordering PPV by remote, viewing data (anonymous of course), and on very old models software updates. Now PPVs and viewing data are done through internet, which also gives option for On Demand, and software updates are now fully provided through the satellite itself. So they have incentive to have us connected to internet, not traditional landlines anymore. That is why they stopped making the phone jack in the boxes. Since the new graphical user interface (GUI), the new menu look, is intended for the new high end boxes, it has the feature removed as it is outdated software. The HR44 unfortunately becomes the odd one out as it is new enough to get the new GUI, but was also the last ever to have the phone jack.

If you want Caller ID you use your phone or get a dedicated Caller ID box. Your TV provider will not be supporting a phone feature anymore.

[misucat1]

Since we changed out our old Genie to the new model, we have had nothing but problems. When you turn the TV on, it takes up to
A minute to activate. When putting it on hold, it doesn’t react right away - on or off. Sometimes after watching a program that
Has been recorded and you try to delete it - it won’t delete. It won’t delete without first shutting the TV completely off and turning
It back on.

Besides no longer having Caller ID, we wish we had kept the old Genie even though we had a few problems with it. It was a
Much better piece of equipment. Have to say this has been the worst encounter we have ever had with any equipment we’ve
Ever gotten from Direct TV and I’ve had an account with them over 20 years. Very upset.

[Juniper]

If you mean the 1st generation Genie (HR34) that was prone to system slowness and well know for overheating because the box design could not keep up with later updates to the service that the old software received.

If you mean the 2nd generation Genie (HR44) it also received the new GUI which removed the Caller ID on TV options, with the full software expected to be removed later. With faster processor and a more efficient cooling design made this (and the 3rd gen HR54), much better.

Caller ID is not a TV provider's focus. Was just a way to encourage us to be connected to a phone line (software updates, PPV by remote, viewing data). Now that updates are fully through satellite and the other features are through internet, DirecTV has gotten rid of the phone jack in later boxes and removed the software in the new GUI as such. Traditional phone lines are used more as secondary to cell phones and VOIP, or not used at all these days.

So Caller ID on TV for plain old telephone systems is an outdated feature. As for the new GUI, it still has plenty of smoothing out to do.

[misucat1]

SO WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WE’VE BEEN HAVING. I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU
WOULD DO SOMETHING TO CORRECT WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING. NOT A VERY EFFICIENT WAY TO KEEP YOUR
CUSTOMERS.

[Juniper]

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@misucat1 wrote:
SO WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WE’VE BEEN HAVING. I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU
WOULD DO SOMETHING TO CORRECT WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING. NOT A VERY EFFICIENT WAY TO KEEP YOUR
CUSTOMERS.

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In the meantime we share with each other what we have learned about the new GUI and post our feedback. Sometimes official reps of DirecTV read the comments here, and I am guessing they are keeping track of the huge thread about the new GUI. As for Caller ID on TV, not expected back ever.

I cannot correct anything for you. I am a customer like you, not an employee.

Your CAPS is stuck.