I just got off a chat with AT&T/DirecTV and expressed my frustration with the "getting local channels" process. I told them I lived in an RV and moved frequently and that SOMEONE at DirecTV should at least attempt to understand our situation. Well what do you know ... the chat person said "get in touch with our RV Department at 800-288-8094". Full disclosure ... I haven't called this number yet so I can't offer testimony that it will/will not work, but if ANYBODY answers the phone, it's got to be better than the 800-531-5000 goat rope. Just sharing to help others ... hopefully. My requests for DNS have fallen on deaf ears so far (filled out two forms and sent in on two separate occasions) ... so far, radio silence on that.
Barb and Frank said
04:21 PM Jun 21, 2017
Ron,
Good to know. We have the DTV dish installed on our 5er, but won't activate service until October 1st when we go full-time. We've had DTV for many years in our home, and am looking forward to having it on the road. I appreciate having the phone number to the RV group. Thanks!
Barb
igotjam said
04:29 PM Jun 21, 2017
I have DISH and it's the same hassle....no one understands rving. DISH has a seperate (actually a vendor/dealer not really DISH) phone number for rvers but no one understands that you move around. I need to call every time we move and explain rving again and again.
Second Chance said
04:48 PM Jun 21, 2017
igotjam wrote:
I have DISH and it's the same hassle....no one understands rving. DISH has a seperate (actually a vendor/dealer not really DISH) phone number for rvers but no one understands that you move around. I need to call every time we move and explain rving again and again.
After almost two years of hassle with our "Dish For My RV" account, a customer service person finally heard my frustration and set my account up so my calls go straight through to advanced tech support every time I call to change our service address. Call times have gone from up to 37 minutes to three or four - and our account hasn't been messed up once since the change (happened almost 50% of the time before the change). Now, if they'll just "hear" my myriad requests for the ability to make the changes myself by logging into my account...
Rob
Acheron2010 said
06:13 PM Jun 21, 2017
Mebbe yu could get better reception in their parking lot? Look for the VP-Operations parking space. A few dozen RVs might improve "their" reception to your concerns.
RonC said
06:18 PM Jun 21, 2017
Rob and I discussed this before. It seems that the two satellite providers are both tone deaf to "us". Hope the "RV Department" actually exists (not just a different call center in India) ... and that they really can quickly change the service address for RV customers. I'll let you know how/if this works.
RonC said
06:26 PM Jun 21, 2017
Barb and Frank wrote:
Ron,
Good to know. We have the DTV dish installed on our 5er, but won't activate service until October 1st when we go full-time. We've had DTV for many years in our home, and am looking forward to having it on the road. I appreciate having the phone number to the RV group. Thanks!
Barb
It definitely works on the road ... the hassle is when you move and get outside the spot beam you were in, to get changed to the place where you are ... it's a 20 minute call to handle a 5 min operation. This "conversation" involves them repeatedly thanking you for your business while providing wretched customer service ... the irony is agonizing.
Dutch said
06:53 PM Jun 21, 2017
To change our service location with Dish to get the area locals, I've found the onlne chat service to be quite reliable. I use a pre-written script that I cut & paste into the chat window giving them the new location and asking for a service address ONLY change, not my billing address. About 99% of the time they get it right the first try with just an occasional recontact to get the program guide updated if they forgot to set the correct flag. Once in a great while they also change my billing address, but that's easily corrected on my online account. I haven't called them in several years...
carolinakids said
10:07 PM Jun 21, 2017
Same here. They set it up and it goes to a RV rep. when I call in. We have since cut local service and save $5 a month.
Lynn and Ed said
10:51 PM Jun 21, 2017
We did not have an issue with our Distant Network Service (DNS), but if I remember correctly it did take several months.
Similar to Dutch, I have also had better success updating our service address with DirecTV using their “Chat” function on the DirecTV website (compared to calling). It has turned a very frustrating 5-10 minute phone conversation into a few minute online chat.
My current version of the pre-written script is below (it will surely be updated overtime) – but this covers the basics and proactively answers some questions the DirecTV representatives had previously asked.
DirecTV CHAT script:
Hello, this is Lynn. I would like to change the SERVICE address on my account. My account number is ______. The new SERVICE address is: ________. That address is located in ____ County, __. Please note that our DirecTV is in a RV (recreational vehicle), so we periodically update our SERVICE address to allow us to view local channels where our RV is currently located.
We are not moving, I just need the SERVICE address field on my account updated. Please DO NOT CHANGE THE BILLING ADDRESS, the correct billing address is in __(only sharing the city, state … to help ensure they don’t accidentally enter that address)_____.
-- Edited by Lynn and Ed on Wednesday 21st of June 2017 10:55:36 PM
RonC said
09:29 AM Jun 22, 2017
Thanks Lynn ... great advice and thanks for the "cheat sheet" on your script. Dutch's experience is with Dish ... so not a direct translation, but the Chat function is something I'll try ... can't be any worse than the phone calls have been.
RonC said
09:31 AM Jun 22, 2017
Acheron2010 wrote:
Mebbe yu could get better reception in their parking lot? Look for the VP-Operations parking space. A few dozen RVs might improve "their" reception to your concerns.
That would probably get somebodies attention. Too Funny.
Neil and Connie said
03:08 PM Jun 22, 2017
Lynn and Ed said
>>DirecTV CHAT script
Do you change your service address every time you move? We've been using the AM-21 instead to pick up the locals via the batwing and channel them through the DTV receiver…but a lot of the time there aren't any locals. If changing your 'service address' every week works then it might be worth trying that on our end.
Second Chance said
03:21 PM Jun 22, 2017
Neil and Connie wrote:
Lynn and Ed said
>>DirecTV CHAT script
Do you change your service address every time you move? We've been using the AM-21 instead to pick up the locals via the batwing and channel them through the DTV receiver…but a lot of the time there aren't any locals. If changing your 'service address' every week works then it might be worth trying that on our end.
We do if it's more than just a one-night stay (and we do it then if it's a night one of our favorite programs is on one of the broadcast networks and we can't get an OTA signal). As I said in my previous post, though, it's a LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Rob
-- Edited by Second Chance on Thursday 22nd of June 2017 03:22:02 PM
RonC said
06:06 PM Jun 22, 2017
Like Rob, we change our service address each time we move. The only thing that causes me grief is the process to do this.
Neil and Connie said
08:34 PM Jun 22, 2017
>> LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Is there a magic word to get them to set that up…I guess I could just ask every time I call but the first line folks are unlikely to believe me and pass me along.
Second Chance said
08:59 PM Jun 22, 2017
Neil and Connie wrote:
>> LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Is there a magic word to get them to set that up…I guess I could just ask every time I call but the first line folks are unlikely to believe me and pass me along.
I'm with Dish, so it may work differently with your provider. I filled out about five scathing satisfaction surveys after lengthy, frustrating calls and, on the last call with a "first line" representative (most of whom are not native English speakers), a customer service rep happened to listen in on the call. A few days later I got an email from her stating that my account had been set up to route me directly to advanced tech support whenever I call.
My wife had made a suggestion that I was just getting ready to try when this all transpired. If you call Dish and then call back on the same day, answer "Yes" to "Are you calling about the same issue?" and you will be routed to advanced tech support. My wife suggested that the second that I realized that I was speaking with someone in an overseas call center to just terminate the call and call back. Answering "Yes" would route me to advanced tech support. I never tried it out, though.
Rob
Barbaraok said
09:08 PM Jun 22, 2017
Since we travel all summer during baseball season, if we changed our service address we would lose Ranger baseball games. Plus, we have both east & west coast feeds for networks.
Lynn and Ed said
11:21 PM Jun 22, 2017
Neil and Connie wrote:
Lynn and Ed said
>>DirecTV CHAT script
Do you change your service address every time you move? We've been using the AM-21 instead to pick up the locals via the batwing and channel them through the DTV receiver…but a lot of the time there aren't any locals. If changing your 'service address' every week works then it might be worth trying that on our end.
When we used to call to change our service address, we would typically only make that update for month or long stays (which are infrequent for us) due to the frustration. Since we started using "chat" to update the service address, we will use it for 2-week or longer stays. If it continues to be fairly simple, we might start use it for week-long or longer stays--but would likely not choose to update the service address every time we move (e.g., overnight stops, couple night stops).
Bill and Linda said
07:38 AM Jun 23, 2017
RonC wrote:
I just got off a chat with AT&T/DirecTV and expressed my frustration with the "getting local channels" process. I told them I lived in an RV and moved frequently and that SOMEONE at DirecTV should at least attempt to understand our situation. Well what do you know ... the chat person said "get in touch with our RV Department at 800-288-8094". Full disclosure ... I haven't called this number yet so I can't offer testimony that it will/will not work, but if ANYBODY answers the phone, it's got to be better than the 800-531-5000 goat rope. Just sharing to help others ... hopefully. My requests for DNS have fallen on deaf ears so far (filled out two forms and sent in on two separate occasions) ... so far, radio silence on that.
Ron: Two points FWIW - 866 514 3528 is the number we used to set up our DNS account. They knew all about RV's. Also, there will be no communication with you when the DNS is activated. The receiver just get's "hit" with the authorization and it starts working. You might have to go to the DirecTV Website and reauthorize you receiver. We didn't have to but sometimes . . . And also just for info, and I realize you sent in the paperwork twice - but it an take a week or more after you mail the paperwork in for it to get processed. Just providing info.
Final point just in case - make sure your receiver is set up in the Guide to receive those channels. If you have set up a Favorites List and the DNS channels aren't in it then - well you can't tune them. Try going to "Channels I Get" in the Guide menu setup and see if that might be the trouble.
RonC said
08:09 AM Jun 23, 2017
Second Chance wrote:
Neil and Connie wrote:
>> LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Is there a magic word to get them to set that up…I guess I could just ask every time I call but the first line folks are unlikely to believe me and pass me along.
I'm with Dish, so it may work differently with your provider. I filled out about five scathing satisfaction surveys after lengthy, frustrating calls and, on the last call with a "first line" representative (most of whom are not native English speakers), a customer service rep happened to listen in on the call. A few days later I got an email from her stating that my account had been set up to route me directly to advanced tech support whenever I call.
My wife had made a suggestion that I was just getting ready to try when this all transpired. If you call Dish and then call back on the same day, answer "Yes" to "Are you calling about the same issue?" and you will be routed to advanced tech support. My wife suggested that the second that I realized that I was speaking with someone in an overseas call center to just terminate the call and call back. Answering "Yes" would route me to advanced tech support. I never tried it out, though.
Rob
Actually, on my last go around with DirecTV I did just as Laura suggested ... and in fact I was routed to technical services. It wan't my "plan" ... I just got tired of the run around and hung up and called back to see if I could get someone smarter. Leave it to the the ladies ... I was so busy being angry, I never thought of doing this, but it is now in my arsenal.
-- Edited by RonC on Thursday 29th of June 2017 12:34:05 PM
RonC said
08:14 AM Jun 23, 2017
For those with DNS ... what channels are those feeds on? Using Bill's advice, I went to "channels I get" but not sure if any of them are a national feed. Doesn't look like it, but hey, I'm clearly not the expert on DirecTV.
RonC said
09:34 AM Jun 23, 2017
Neil and Connie wrote:
>> LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Is there a magic word to get them to set that up…I guess I could just ask every time I call but the first line folks are unlikely to believe me and pass me along.
Not a magic word ... but you do need to be paying for local service (which is about $15 a month ... I think). As I recall, you pay for DNS which is a similar fee. I do not know if DNS and local service are available together or if they are mutually exclusive. To get the "best answer", I would suggest you call in to start changing your local SERVICE address (not your billing address) to where ever you are. At some point in that call ... maybe during one of the long holds ... hang up. Call back and when the prompt asks if you're calling about the same subject as your previous call, answer YES. This should get you escalated to a supervisor or technical services, which is the most likely way to get a good answer.
RonC said
10:29 AM Jun 23, 2017
Spoiler Alert ... I just called the magic RV department number the chat guy gave me (800-288-8094) ... it's not DirecTV at all, it's for the Winegard company ... they can't help with any of the DirecTV stuff. This is another bogus lead ... sorry guys.
Second Chance said
10:39 AM Jun 23, 2017
RonC wrote:
Spoiler Alert ... I just called the magic RV department number the chat guy gave me (800-288-8094) ... it's not DirecTV at all, it's for the Winegard company ... they can't help with any of the DirecTV stuff. This is another bogus lead ... sorry guys.
Same with Dish - the "RV Department" is Winegard and they can only help with antenna related issues.
Rob
Barbaraok said
12:37 PM Jun 23, 2017
RonC wrote:
For those with DNS ... what channels are those feeds on? Using Bill's advice, I went to "channels I get" but not sure if any of them are a national feed. Doesn't look like it, but hey, I'm clearly not the expert on DirecTV.
For DirectTV 390-399
RonC said
02:16 PM Jun 23, 2017
Barb ... THANK YOU. I just went to those stations on the guide and Viola! We have them ... no telling how long we've had them. I guess you are supposed to figure out what the DNS channels are for yourself. I have been putting up with a lot of crap unnecessarily. I guess I just needed to ask the right person (you) the right question.
I feel like I got a present today. Now ... off to dump the Black Tank ... that will bring reality back to my life.
You gotta love this stuff.
Thanks again!
Ron
RonC said
02:20 PM Jun 23, 2017
Neil ... I now have learned that you can have BOTH DNS and local channels. I currently have both, but only just learned that I have DNS. So they aren't mutually exclusive and I'm not being charged extra ... I don't think ... I'll check next month's bill to see if a new charge for DNS shows up. I'm an East Coast person (TX) which is fine with me. Shows and news come early, so the Genie records them all for us to watch at a time of our choosing. Life got better today ... a little.
RonC said
03:41 PM Jun 23, 2017
Barbaraok wrote:
Since we travel all summer during baseball season, if we changed our service address we would lose Ranger baseball games. Plus, we have both east & west coast feeds for networks.
Not sure how you get the Ranger games, but the only thing your service address drives is which LOCAL network feeds you get. They control this using spot beams, so you likely get the local channels from Mesa. A person with a Service address of San Antonio gets the SA affiliates And so on. If you get the Rangers thru MLB network (or some other premium service) your service address has no affect on that.
-- Edited by RonC on Friday 23rd of June 2017 03:42:49 PM
-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 24th of June 2017 10:06:04 AM
Barbaraok said
08:53 PM Jun 23, 2017
It is part of a sport packaged based upon your address. Since we have a Livingston, Tx address we get Fox Sports SW with lots of Texas sports. If we changed, then we would get whatever the baseball team was in connection to that city. Just because we spend the winter in AZ doesn't mean that is our 'address'.
RonC said
10:08 AM Jun 24, 2017
Ah ... my bad. I get all that thru my premium service, so not zip code related for me. The only thing that changes for me is ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. Now that I get DNS I get the NY versions of these PLUS the local versions.
Bill and Linda said
04:41 PM Jun 24, 2017
OK, in addition to Barb's comments down into the weeds we go:
East Coast Feeds:
PBS 389 Standard definition only
CBS 390
NBC 392
CW 394 - this is standard def only
ABC 396
Fox 398
All those channel numbers are the same number for both the HD and the SD feeds (except PBS and CW which are SD only.) If you have your guide preferences set for HD and SD to both show feeds then you will see two 390's for CBS. The HD one is marked "HD." Duh. As in CBSeHD - standing for: CBS east coast HD.
Why would I want the SD versions. Sometimes, during a really, and it has to be really bad, rain storm in between the satellite and you, or a tree for that matter, once might be able to get the SD feed and not the HD due to the frequencies used by the SD and HD satellites. (They are vastly different.) Normally I set my preferences in the Preferences Section -- Menu--> Settings --> Display --> Presences to "Hide" the SD channels so no confusion occurs when I look for a program to record and don't want to accidentally record an SD version. But if you have hid any channels you won't see them. Make sure in your Guide that you have all the channels available that you have purchased. Easy was is to select "Channels I Get" if you are not sure how to do all this and that's fine as well.
Don't know if this helps but it might.
Bill
Neil and Connie said
06:00 PM Jun 24, 2017
RonC wrote:
For those with DNS ... what channels are those feeds on? Using Bill's advice, I went to "channels I get" but not sure if any of them are a national feed. Doesn't look like it, but hey, I'm clearly not the expert on DirecTV.
Ours are all between 389 and 398 I think…they'll say 392 NBCeHD, 392 NTCe, 393 NTCwHD, etc.
RonC said
06:52 PM Jun 24, 2017
Yeah ... I finally figured out that we have DNS. No telling how long we've had them, probably for several months. I just didn't know the channel numbers and never thought to ask. I assumed that DirecTV would communicate with us to let us know they had "turned on" DNS for us and where the channels were located. Nope ... radio silence ... so I reapplied several times, thinking I was just getting the usual DirecTV okie doke. Really a strange way to do business ... IMHO.
Bobc said
10:31 AM Jun 29, 2017
I just used the phone number that Bill Nappier gave (1-866-514-3528) and boy was it a lot easier to change our service address, it took all of about 3 minutes. Thanks Bill, just one more helpful hint from you.
Our past experiences had been so poor we had stopped doing it and just switched back in forth to campground cable for local info which was a pain.
Now we can go back to the proper way with DTV only
Bill and Linda said
02:30 PM Jun 29, 2017
Bobc wrote:
I just used the phone number that Bill Nappier gave (1-866-514-3528) and boy was it a lot easier to change our service address, it took all of about 3 minutes. Thanks Bill, just one more helpful hint from you. Our past experiences had been so poor we had stopped doing it and just switched back in forth to campground cable for local info which was a pain. Now we can go back to the proper way with DTV only
Your welcome naturally. Wish we could meet up this fall in SD. :) Looks like you guys are still having fun.
For those reading along: 866-514-3528 is - hope it will continue to be - the mobile service number and these CSR are (were) trained for, among other things, RV's and people who move around - including Marine service. It also handles DNS accounts AFTER the required FCC (read Federal Government) paper work is sent in. Don't blame DirecTV for this requirement.
RVers are like a gnat on a camel as to the number of people vs. the vast multitude of people who use DirceTV. So naturally the 1-800-DirecTV number doesn't get hardly any, by comparison, RV calls. Hence, they don't have a clue; at least many first level CSR's don't.
Bill
Corrected typo - sorry.
-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Friday 30th of June 2017 12:18:53 PM
RonC said
02:55 PM Jun 29, 2017
OK guys ... is it 866-514-3528 or 3529?
Bobc said
03:12 PM Jun 29, 2017
28 should be the right number, double check Bill's earlier post.
It was the best experiences yet that I had with DTV
RonC said
04:18 PM Jun 29, 2017
Glad you found something that works. I'll give it a try when we move next.
RonC said
09:17 PM Jul 16, 2017
Well we moved today ...the chat thing doesn't work because the "improved" AT&T website won't allow cut and paste so the "script" approach was a no go. On the plus side, the phone number worked much better. Still not ideal, but not a total goat rope.
Acheron2010 said
03:43 AM Jul 17, 2017
RonC wrote:
Well we moved today ...the chat thing doesn't work because the "improved" AT&T website won't allow cut and paste so the "script" approach was a no go. On the plus side, the phone number worked much better. Still not ideal, but not a total goat rope.
Try using CTL-C to copy, and CTL-V to paste. Sometimes it works when the mouse commands do not.
RonC said
08:32 AM Jul 17, 2017
Thanks ... I'll try that.
UPDATE: I'm on a MacBook Pro Laptop using the Apple products (Pages, Numbers, etc.) Control C and Control V doesn't work on a Mac ... I used Command C and Command V (the Mac version of "copy to clipboard" and "paste from clipboard" and it did work ... so once I modified things to work on a Mac, all was good. Thanks for the tip.
We're on the move now, so in a couple of days I'll have another chance to try the chat function with the cut and past "script" approach to changing Service Address.
-- Edited by RonC on Monday 17th of July 2017 08:44:29 AM
-- Edited by RonC on Monday 17th of July 2017 08:49:27 AM
-- Edited by RonC on Monday 17th of July 2017 08:52:00 AM
RonC said
08:31 PM Jul 18, 2017
Update: Changed service address by phone at 4 PM. It's now 9:30 and still no local channels. The chat worked, but the chat guy said it wasn't his department and I would need to call Winegard ... DIRECTV really needs to figure out how to EASILY change service address for RVers.
Thank goodness for DNS ... at least I get programs, but news and weather from NY is of no use.
-- Edited by RonC on Tuesday 18th of July 2017 08:32:53 PM
Bobc said
07:30 AM Jul 19, 2017
Did ours yesterday using the above super secret phone numbered and was once again up and running within 3 minutes.
Note :stay on the phone with the tech until everything is working right.
RonC said
10:17 AM Jul 19, 2017
Bob,
Glad it's working for you. I've had one good and (now) one bad experience using 866-514-3528.
-- Edited by RonC on Wednesday 19th of July 2017 10:18:14 AM
Happy Camper2016 said
11:53 AM Jul 19, 2017
I spent several hours on the phone with directv this past winter when we were in SW Fla. trying to get the networks on our dtv dish. I had contacted the chat before we left and after a lengthy discussion including what type dish I had, I was told we'd be good to go, just call when we reached our destination, which I did. Between transfers to others, being put back in the "your call is important" waiting line, I finally asked to speak with customer retention, and even she could not get a straight answer. finally someone said contact DNS, and back into the waiting line I went. it took 3 more tries and another connection to customer retention to finally get to someone who understood, and he told me that it would take several months to process the request and it would cost $10 per network extra per month. I just couldn't believe it and hung up vowing to cancel service as soon as the contract was up.
Are you folks saying you can get networks away from home for no extra cost?
RonC said
11:59 AM Jul 19, 2017
"Are you folks saying you can get networks away from home for no extra cost?"
Not really ... DNS is the equivalent of "local channels" wherever you are, so the cost is equivalent.
Bobc said
12:40 PM Jul 19, 2017
DNS will for a fee $ 5:00 per month a east coast (NY) or west coast feed(???)
We call in and give the change of service address ( not billing address) to the tech while on the phone (important) they make the change and I confirm right then that I have to local channels for the area I am in.
These local channels can be found in the lower numbers on your guide normally 2-100
Last 3 times we used the super secret phone number we were up and running within 5 minutes even with wait time.
We do call mid morning or mid afternoon
LandYachty said
11:12 AM Jul 29, 2017
First anytime we call DirecTv we ask for a DNS specialist. We usually get our service switched while one the phone. We have had DNS service since 2001, but have noticed since ATT took over the service is terrible.
In another matter:
We had a fire the other day from the DirecTv unit. Thank God we were home and put it out quickly with the outdated fire extinguisher. The SWM unit on DirecTv units puts out 25 volts DC. The antenna connection came loose and after enough sparking vola a fire started in the walls. Word to the wise, keep the antenna wire very tight to avoid this. 40 bucks in repairs, and 80 bucks in new larger fire extinguishers and we are back in business. (not counting the two days of cleanup from the fire extinguisher powder) (A) We were blessed and now turn the SWM unit off every time we leave.
RonC said
02:31 PM Jul 29, 2017
In the new Genie, the SWM is internal to the Genie ... no more external SWM.
-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 29th of July 2017 02:31:48 PM
I just got off a chat with AT&T/DirecTV and expressed my frustration with the "getting local channels" process. I told them I lived in an RV and moved frequently and that SOMEONE at DirecTV should at least attempt to understand our situation. Well what do you know ... the chat person said "get in touch with our RV Department at 800-288-8094". Full disclosure ... I haven't called this number yet so I can't offer testimony that it will/will not work, but if ANYBODY answers the phone, it's got to be better than the 800-531-5000 goat rope. Just sharing to help others ... hopefully. My requests for DNS have fallen on deaf ears so far (filled out two forms and sent in on two separate occasions) ... so far, radio silence on that.
Ron,
Good to know. We have the DTV dish installed on our 5er, but won't activate service until October 1st when we go full-time. We've had DTV for many years in our home, and am looking forward to having it on the road. I appreciate having the phone number to the RV group. Thanks!
Barb
After almost two years of hassle with our "Dish For My RV" account, a customer service person finally heard my frustration and set my account up so my calls go straight through to advanced tech support every time I call to change our service address. Call times have gone from up to 37 minutes to three or four - and our account hasn't been messed up once since the change (happened almost 50% of the time before the change). Now, if they'll just "hear" my myriad requests for the ability to make the changes myself by logging into my account...
Rob
It definitely works on the road ... the hassle is when you move and get outside the spot beam you were in, to get changed to the place where you are ... it's a 20 minute call to handle a 5 min operation. This "conversation" involves them repeatedly thanking you for your business while providing wretched customer service ... the irony is agonizing.
Same here. They set it up and it goes to a RV rep. when I call in. We have since cut local service and save $5 a month.
We did not have an issue with our Distant Network Service (DNS), but if I remember correctly it did take several months.
Similar to Dutch, I have also had better success updating our service address with DirecTV using their “Chat” function on the DirecTV website (compared to calling). It has turned a very frustrating 5-10 minute phone conversation into a few minute online chat.
My current version of the pre-written script is below (it will surely be updated overtime) – but this covers the basics and proactively answers some questions the DirecTV representatives had previously asked.
DirecTV CHAT script:
Hello, this is Lynn. I would like to change the SERVICE address on my account. My account number is ______. The new SERVICE address is: ________. That address is located in ____ County, __. Please note that our DirecTV is in a RV (recreational vehicle), so we periodically update our SERVICE address to allow us to view local channels where our RV is currently located.
We are not moving, I just need the SERVICE address field on my account updated. Please DO NOT CHANGE THE BILLING ADDRESS, the correct billing address is in __(only sharing the city, state … to help ensure they don’t accidentally enter that address)_____.
-- Edited by Lynn and Ed on Wednesday 21st of June 2017 10:55:36 PM
That would probably get somebodies attention. Too Funny.
Lynn and Ed said
>>DirecTV CHAT script
Do you change your service address every time you move? We've been using the AM-21 instead to pick up the locals via the batwing and channel them through the DTV receiver…but a lot of the time there aren't any locals. If changing your 'service address' every week works then it might be worth trying that on our end.
We do if it's more than just a one-night stay (and we do it then if it's a night one of our favorite programs is on one of the broadcast networks and we can't get an OTA signal). As I said in my previous post, though, it's a LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Rob
-- Edited by Second Chance on Thursday 22nd of June 2017 03:22:02 PM
>> LOT easier and faster now that they have me routed directly to advanced tech support.
Is there a magic word to get them to set that up…I guess I could just ask every time I call but the first line folks are unlikely to believe me and pass me along.
I'm with Dish, so it may work differently with your provider. I filled out about five scathing satisfaction surveys after lengthy, frustrating calls and, on the last call with a "first line" representative (most of whom are not native English speakers), a customer service rep happened to listen in on the call. A few days later I got an email from her stating that my account had been set up to route me directly to advanced tech support whenever I call.
My wife had made a suggestion that I was just getting ready to try when this all transpired. If you call Dish and then call back on the same day, answer "Yes" to "Are you calling about the same issue?" and you will be routed to advanced tech support. My wife suggested that the second that I realized that I was speaking with someone in an overseas call center to just terminate the call and call back. Answering "Yes" would route me to advanced tech support. I never tried it out, though.
Rob
When we used to call to change our service address, we would typically only make that update for month or long stays (which are infrequent for us) due to the frustration. Since we started using "chat" to update the service address, we will use it for 2-week or longer stays. If it continues to be fairly simple, we might start use it for week-long or longer stays--but would likely not choose to update the service address every time we move (e.g., overnight stops, couple night stops).
Ron: Two points FWIW - 866 514 3528 is the number we used to set up our DNS account. They knew all about RV's. Also, there will be no communication with you when the DNS is activated. The receiver just get's "hit" with the authorization and it starts working. You might have to go to the DirecTV Website and reauthorize you receiver. We didn't have to but sometimes . . . And also just for info, and I realize you sent in the paperwork twice - but it an take a week or more after you mail the paperwork in for it to get processed. Just providing info.
Final point just in case - make sure your receiver is set up in the Guide to receive those channels. If you have set up a Favorites List and the DNS channels aren't in it then - well you can't tune them. Try going to "Channels I Get" in the Guide menu setup and see if that might be the trouble.
Actually, on my last go around with DirecTV I did just as Laura suggested ... and in fact I was routed to technical services. It wan't my "plan" ... I just got tired of the run around and hung up and called back to see if I could get someone smarter. Leave it to the the ladies ... I was so busy being angry, I never thought of doing this, but it is now in my arsenal.
-- Edited by RonC on Thursday 29th of June 2017 12:34:05 PM
Not a magic word ... but you do need to be paying for local service (which is about $15 a month ... I think). As I recall, you pay for DNS which is a similar fee. I do not know if DNS and local service are available together or if they are mutually exclusive. To get the "best answer", I would suggest you call in to start changing your local SERVICE address (not your billing address) to where ever you are. At some point in that call ... maybe during one of the long holds ... hang up. Call back and when the prompt asks if you're calling about the same subject as your previous call, answer YES. This should get you escalated to a supervisor or technical services, which is the most likely way to get a good answer.
Same with Dish - the "RV Department" is Winegard and they can only help with antenna related issues.
Rob
For DirectTV 390-399
I feel like I got a present today. Now ... off to dump the Black Tank ... that will bring reality back to my life.
You gotta love this stuff.
Thanks again!
Ron
Not sure how you get the Ranger games, but the only thing your service address drives is which LOCAL network feeds you get. They control this using spot beams, so you likely get the local channels from Mesa. A person with a Service address of San Antonio gets the SA affiliates And so on. If you get the Rangers thru MLB network (or some other premium service) your service address has no affect on that.
-- Edited by RonC on Friday 23rd of June 2017 03:42:49 PM
-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 24th of June 2017 10:06:04 AM
OK, in addition to Barb's comments down into the weeds we go:
East Coast Feeds:
PBS 389 Standard definition only
CBS 390
NBC 392
CW 394 - this is standard def only
ABC 396
Fox 398
All those channel numbers are the same number for both the HD and the SD feeds (except PBS and CW which are SD only.) If you have your guide preferences set for HD and SD to both show feeds then you will see two 390's for CBS. The HD one is marked "HD." Duh. As in CBSeHD - standing for: CBS east coast HD.
Why would I want the SD versions. Sometimes, during a really, and it has to be really bad, rain storm in between the satellite and you, or a tree for that matter, once might be able to get the SD feed and not the HD due to the frequencies used by the SD and HD satellites. (They are vastly different.) Normally I set my preferences in the Preferences Section -- Menu--> Settings --> Display --> Presences to "Hide" the SD channels so no confusion occurs when I look for a program to record and don't want to accidentally record an SD version. But if you have hid any channels you won't see them. Make sure in your Guide that you have all the channels available that you have purchased. Easy was is to select "Channels I Get" if you are not sure how to do all this and that's fine as well.
Don't know if this helps but it might.
Bill
Ours are all between 389 and 398 I think…they'll say 392 NBCeHD, 392 NTCe, 393 NTCwHD, etc.
Our past experiences had been so poor we had stopped doing it and just switched back in forth to campground cable for local info which was a pain.
Now we can go back to the proper way with DTV only
Your welcome naturally. Wish we could meet up this fall in SD. :) Looks like you guys are still having fun.
For those reading along: 866-514-3528 is - hope it will continue to be - the mobile service number and these CSR are (were) trained for, among other things, RV's and people who move around - including Marine service. It also handles DNS accounts AFTER the required FCC (read Federal Government) paper work is sent in. Don't blame DirecTV for this requirement.
RVers are like a gnat on a camel as to the number of people vs. the vast multitude of people who use DirceTV. So naturally the 1-800-DirecTV number doesn't get hardly any, by comparison, RV calls. Hence, they don't have a clue; at least many first level CSR's don't.
Bill
Corrected typo - sorry.
-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Friday 30th of June 2017 12:18:53 PM
It was the best experiences yet that I had with DTV
Try using CTL-C to copy, and CTL-V to paste. Sometimes it works when the mouse commands do not.
Thanks ... I'll try that.
UPDATE: I'm on a MacBook Pro Laptop using the Apple products (Pages, Numbers, etc.) Control C and Control V doesn't work on a Mac ... I used Command C and Command V (the Mac version of "copy to clipboard" and "paste from clipboard" and it did work ... so once I modified things to work on a Mac, all was good. Thanks for the tip.
We're on the move now, so in a couple of days I'll have another chance to try the chat function with the cut and past "script" approach to changing Service Address.
-- Edited by RonC on Monday 17th of July 2017 08:44:29 AM
-- Edited by RonC on Monday 17th of July 2017 08:49:27 AM
-- Edited by RonC on Monday 17th of July 2017 08:52:00 AM
Update: Changed service address by phone at 4 PM. It's now 9:30 and still no local channels. The chat worked, but the chat guy said it wasn't his department and I would need to call Winegard ... DIRECTV really needs to figure out how to EASILY change service address for RVers.
Thank goodness for DNS ... at least I get programs, but news and weather from NY is of no use.
-- Edited by RonC on Tuesday 18th of July 2017 08:32:53 PM
Note :stay on the phone with the tech until everything is working right.
Bob,
Glad it's working for you. I've had one good and (now) one bad experience using 866-514-3528.
-- Edited by RonC on Wednesday 19th of July 2017 10:18:14 AM
Are you folks saying you can get networks away from home for no extra cost?
Not really ... DNS is the equivalent of "local channels" wherever you are, so the cost is equivalent.
We call in and give the change of service address ( not billing address) to the tech while on the phone (important) they make the change and I confirm right then that I have to local channels for the area I am in.
These local channels can be found in the lower numbers on your guide normally 2-100
Last 3 times we used the super secret phone number we were up and running within 5 minutes even with wait time.
We do call mid morning or mid afternoon
In another matter:
We had a fire the other day from the DirecTv unit. Thank God we were home and put it out quickly with the outdated fire extinguisher. The SWM unit on DirecTv units puts out 25 volts DC. The antenna connection came loose and after enough sparking vola a fire started in the walls. Word to the wise, keep the antenna wire very tight to avoid this. 40 bucks in repairs, and 80 bucks in new larger fire extinguishers and we are back in business. (not counting the two days of cleanup from the fire extinguisher powder) (A) We were blessed and now turn the SWM unit off every time we leave.
In the new Genie, the SWM is internal to the Genie ... no more external SWM.
-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 29th of July 2017 02:31:48 PM