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DirecTV 'Service Address' problems


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Note: I searched on 'service address' and did not get any recent threads that matched my particular problem.

For background purposes we started living fulltime in our RV in 2009 and traveling the country. We requested a waiver for Distant Network Services (DNS that includes ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, PBS) and received it so we now get channels 389-399 for both east coast and west coast feeds. Every once in a while if we were going to be in a place longer than a month we changed our 'service address' to our new location and got the local channels, especially for local weather.

We are now going to be in the Kansas City area for a few months so I called recently. After 2 unsuccessful attempts the third phone call got me to a higher level customer service rep and I was told that as of January 1st if we change our 'service address' we are going to have to resubmit for our DNS waiver.

Can someone with more knowledge of DirecTV advise us, we don't want to lose DNS but we would like to have things the way they were on December 31st.

Bob & Jo
Full-timing since 09/10/2009 - SKP 99512
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2010 Ford F-350
Our blog: http://bobandjotravelblog.blogspot.com/
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When we had DNS from Dish, we had to re-certify every year, meaning all new paperwork each year.

If DirecTV wasn't doing that, they were violating the SHERVA laws about DNS.

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We've had DirecTV DNS for >7 years and have never been asked to recertify our eligibility.  We get local channels at our "home base" in south TX.  Some people claim that if you have DNS you're not supposed to get local channels, but we've always had ours and we have changed the service address a couple of times over the 7 years.  However, in recent years we've left the address set for our home base even when we were traveling because I was always nervous that someone would try to shut down our locals.  However, I can't advise you with respect any changes to the DirecTV TOS.

Sandie & Joel

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Ever since I got both coast of DNS many years ago. I have never had local and they have given me a $3 off a month.
I have no S&B only the MH.

For local stations my OTA Batwing has always picked up something no matter where I was parked.
The receivers on the TV's pick up more then the add on AM receiver to the Genie as it seems to have a much weaker OTA receiver.

At my winter spot the Batwing picks up over 30 stations.
Since DirecTV keeps adding on more fees every year and monthly bill has now gone up to $154.53
Next winter I'm going to put DTV on vacation for 2-3 months(after NASCAR final) and watch some of the 30 locals plus the many, many hours of recorded movies I have on the Genie that I never have time to watch.

For the OP here are the many local OTA for Kansas City

Edited by Biker56

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Ours service  address is our S&B although we are not there most of the year. We get the local channels via the bat wing were ever we are. We are not interested in the local weather or local news from our Service address (the S&B) since we are not there.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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21 hours ago, docj said:

We've had DirecTV DNS for >7 years and have never been asked to recertify our eligibility.  We get local channels at our "home base" in south TX.  Some people claim that if you have DNS you're not supposed to get local channels, but we've always had ours and we have changed the service address a couple of times over the 7 years.  However, in recent years we've left the address set for our home base even when we were traveling because I was always nervous that someone would try to shut down our locals.  However, I can't advise you with respect any changes to the DirecTV TOS.

We've had the same experience. DirecTV w/ DNS  (East Coast only) for 8 years with no recertification. We get locals at our home base near San Antonio and have changed service address a couple of times. But in past years we've not asked for service address changes as we simply don't watch the locals. 

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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Biker56,

Have you done the vacation thing and been able to get your recordings to play before? We recently attempted to watch recorded content on our Genie when we ended up in a campsite that was so thick with trees that we could not lock onto a satellite and couldn't.  After a call to DIRECTV/ATT we were told that we could not watch any recordings unless the dish was on a satellite so that it could "authorize" the viewing.

Maybe your dish will still communicate with the sats enough in the vacation mode to allow viewing recorded content but you might want to give them a call so that there are no surprises next winter.

2012 New Horizons Majestic | 2022 F-550 W/Classy Chassis Hauler Bed

Full Time Class of 2012 | Escapee #98787

BLOG: www.CuRVWander.blogspot.com

 

 

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9 hours ago, jperry29 said:

Have you done the vacation thing and been able to get your recordings to play before? We recently attempted to watch recorded content on our Genie when we ended up in a campsite that was so thick with trees that we could not lock onto a satellite and couldn't.  After a call to DIRECTV/ATT we were told that we could not watch any recordings unless the dish was on a satellite so that it could "authorize" the viewing.

Maybe your dish will still communicate with the sats enough in the vacation mode to allow viewing recorded content but you might want to give them a call so that there are no surprises next winter.

I haven't ever put it on vacation since I got DirecTV in the 90's.
But I have watched some recording when the Trav'ler was not working with a bad LNB before I replaced it.
And another time when under trees and couldn't get the dish to lock on.
It did take a while to get it through the reboot and the warning that there was no signal or no communication with the dish.
But somehow I finally got to see the recordings. I don't remember now if I went through the menu different settings to see the recordings or what I did.

I have done a little research on doing it and found if you are going to cancel the service off for good or take the card out of the receiver.
You may have a few days to see the recordings if you unhook the dish cable before you call them to have it shut off.

On vacation may be like when installing a new receiver before it is authorized they are a couple channel's you can see.
When I put it on vacation the dish will be up and locked on the satellites and I won't be moving it to a different location.
If I can't see the recordings they will still be there after it is taken off vacation and I have saved up to $450.

It will be next Nov. before I find out. And I probably will do more research on it.

 

Full Time since Oct. 1999
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10 hours ago, jperry29 said:

Biker56,

Have you done the vacation thing and been able to get your recordings to play before? We recently attempted to watch recorded content on our Genie when we ended up in a campsite that was so thick with trees that we could not lock onto a satellite and couldn't.  After a call to DIRECTV/ATT we were told that we could not watch any recordings unless the dish was on a satellite so that it could "authorize" the viewing.

Maybe your dish will still communicate with the sats enough in the vacation mode to allow viewing recorded content but you might want to give them a call so that there are no surprises next winter.

This just isn't true. Let the receiver run through the set up until it starts "searching for satellite". At that time you can press the menu button and go to your DVR recordings. As long as you don't turn the receiver off, you can continue to access the menu. Chuck

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Chuck and Susan      1999 Fleetwood Bounder 34            Triton V10 on Ford Chassis

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Hi Folks,

Everybody that is a DIRECTV customer should get ready for a new reality.  It has been four days of pure hell on the phone.  Just as a qualifier - I do not have DNS, never have.  I have always just done a service address change when I got where I was going.  But below is a post I placed on an ATT forum and I have also filed a complaint with the FCC.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Full time RVers are being cheated and our safety compromised by the merge of DIRECTV with ATT!!

For six years I have been a DIRECTV customer and registered with them as an RV account.  Full time RV, no home (fixed residence), we have been mobile from day one of our account being established.  And for 5 blissful years doing a service address change was a breeze, just call the RV department and 5 minutes later you were in business.  All local channels for the zip code you were in were available.  Most importantly we got local weather, crucial to someone in a home on wheels in areas prone to violent storms, which is practically everywhere.

This week when we called in to do a service address change, the person answering the phone said they must first migrate our DIRECTV account to the new ATT system.  Once that was accomplished we quickly learned that we had stepped into a nightmare.

In being on the phone for 8.5 hours over a 4 day period we talked to 42 people.  Each one said; "sure I can make that change for you" and within minutes we would be told; "sorry, I'm having difficulties and will be transferring you to someone that can help.  It was a hellish merry-go-round of being passed to the sales department, billing department, move department, technical department and the RC1 department.  Of the 41(yes, forty one) people we talked to (including those claiming to be supervisors) not one of them ever said that the new system was blocking service address changes for RVers as a matter of policy.  It was only the 42nd person we talked to that seemed to have a clue as to what was going on.  We were told that the engineers that built the new system for migrating DIRECTV into ATT (if you haven't been migrated yet, just wait it's coming) purposefully created programming that would not allow RVers to change service addresses.

We were told that our concerns had been "escalated" and that we were not the only ones that wanted a piece of management for this asinine treatment of RVers.  I have my doubts that anything was "escalated", which is why I am posting here.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know if this will spur any action by others to lodge their complaints with ATT.  I hope so.  There are thousands of us out here with expensive Winegard equipment that is loosing a significant amount of functionality because of ATT's unthinking actions.

2012 New Horizons Majestic | 2022 F-550 W/Classy Chassis Hauler Bed

Full Time Class of 2012 | Escapee #98787

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On 3/21/2018 at 6:21 PM, docj said:

We've had DirecTV DNS for >7 years and have never been asked to recertify our eligibility.  We get local channels at our "home base" in south TX.  Some people claim that if you have DNS you're not supposed to get local channels, but we've always had ours and we have changed the service address a couple of times over the 7 years.  However, in recent years we've left the address set for our home base even when we were traveling because I was always nervous that someone would try to shut down our locals.  However, I can't advise you with respect any changes to the DirecTV TOS.

X2.  I have had DNS and my home base locals since 2010.  I NEVER change my service address and get local news and weather via the internet.  I don't want to tease the DirecTV Gorilla.

Ed

KM4STL

2006 GMC 2500HD CCSB 4x4 Duramax/Allison, Titan 52 gallon fuel tank, Prodigy Controller, B&W Companion Hitch
2010 Jayco Designer 35RLTS, RV Flex Armor Roof

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The OTA and cell phone suggestions are a solution for those that never venture into remote areas. However, we spend months at a time in areas that have zero OTA signals for TV and a ten mile drive to the nearest cell phone (3G) signal, or a hike to a high point that might give you enough signal strength to get a five word text out. Looking at a weather report or radar image is out of the question.

As for the comments about DirecTV, our problem was never with them. We called the RV 800 number and five minutes later we had a service address change. Our problem is with ATT. It is their purchase of DirecTV and subsequent folding them into the ATT system, and policies, that is the problem.  If you thought DirecTV was hard to deal with you've got some new pain coming.

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We have had DirecTV for almost 10 years on our boat and now for 3 years in the RV. We have changed service addresses on a number of occasions but never on a weekly on monthly basis. We usually switch to a New York address when traveling in the east and a Los Angeles address when out west. This gives us the network feeds, which as all we need. In all of my dealing both on the phone and on the website, I have encountered few problems both as DirecTV and now with AT&T. On occasions, their chat service is down on the website but most times, that is all I need to get something done. In those 13 years, we have never encountered the long times and frustrations the OP has encountered. So your new reality and mine don't seem to match up. Chuck

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2 hours ago, edatlanta said:

X2.  I have had DNS and my home base locals since 2010.  I NEVER change my service address and get local news and weather via the internet.  I don't want to tease the DirecTV Gorilla.

Agreed.  We were grandfathered in with both east coast and west coast feeds and there is no way I want to upset that system.   For local channels, we just use OTA channels.

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 CHUCKBEAR,

Have you tried making that east/west change this week?

ANYBODY requesting a service address change will have to go through the 'Move Department' and an order is generated. Within that order is a non-negotiable requirement that they send a technician to your new location to verify the correct installation of your dish and its connection to the receiver. Once that is done, then and only then will they "activate" the new address. They claim a 3 - 5 day response to the move depending on the technician's work load. In one of my 42 conversations I was told they might be able to get to me in eleven days.

So, if you are an old DirecTV customer like me and you call in to do a service address change, they access your account and see that you have not been migrated to the new 'merged' ATT system yet, they will do the migration on the spot. The moment that happens you are sunk.

Like I said in earlier posts, my experience with DirecTV was a 5 minute process and I was happily on my way.  This is the new reality and it ain't pretty.

Edited by jperry29

2012 New Horizons Majestic | 2022 F-550 W/Classy Chassis Hauler Bed

Full Time Class of 2012 | Escapee #98787

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Maybe it's time to take a look at Dish for your sat TV service. We change our service address as often as daily with just a 5 minute online chat session. 

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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I changed some time ago. Direct became to difficult to deal with. Much happier with Dish . I don't think you will regret the change, much easier to set up and address changes are painless.  Find someone with Dish service and have them set you up for reveral ,. You both get $ off your bill for 10 mo and the rates for same service is much cheaper.  I save about $40 + a month.

 If allowed I will give you my account number for 

the  reveral.

jim

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20 hours ago, jperry29 said:

 CHUCKBEAR,

Have you tried making that east/west change this week?

ANYBODY requesting a service address change will have to go through the 'Move Department' and an order is generated. Within that order is a non-negotiable requirement that they send a technician to your new location to verify the correct installation of your dish and its connection to the receiver. Once that is done, then and only then will they "activate" the new address. They claim a 3 - 5 day response to the move depending on the technician's work load. In one of my 42 conversations I was told they might be able to get to me in eleven days.

So, if you are an old DirecTV customer like me and you call in to do a service address change, they access your account and see that you have not been migrated to the new 'merged' ATT system yet, they will do the migration on the spot. The moment that happens you are sunk.

Like I said in earlier posts, my experience with DirecTV was a 5 minute process and I was happily on my way.  This is the new reality and it ain't pretty.

Just switched from the West Coast feed to our Tampa locals a few weeks ago. Took one call, not on hold long, and in a matter of less than a minute, the change was made. Easy and simple. A had the rep wait on the line until the receiver refreshed and the new locals showed up. It took a matter of several seconds and it was done. Not sure about any "migration" of my account. That has never come up in conversation. Chuck

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Chuck and Susan      1999 Fleetwood Bounder 34            Triton V10 on Ford Chassis

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I had Dish for 5 years and never had a problem changing locals. Last year I purchased a used Class A in Phoenix. and it had a Travler sat dish on the roof but it was for DirecTv and would not work with Dish unless I purchased a $300 conversion kit and paid another $200 for the install. I switched to DirecTv. After a few months I went to the east coast (NC) for the summer and had no problem changing my locals. When I got back to AZ for the winter I again had no problem. I am anxious to see what is in store for me this summer when I go north to Idaho. I would love to change back to Dish but my Dish is only set up for DirecTv. 

2015 Itasca Ellipse 42QD

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2021 Harley Street Glide Special 

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UPDATE:

It seems that the filing of a complaint with the FCC has at the very least spurred some action by ATT.  I got a call from ATT today, their FCC liaison.  I've been given a case number and the liaison said he would be investigating my problem.

Not an hour later I got another call from the liaison and he said that maybe there was a solution to my problem and that I may loose my signal for a couple hours tomorrow while they change my service address.

When I inquired why I would loose my signal for a couple of hours to do what should take seconds he just replied that the migration of accounts was causing some challenges.

We'll see.

2012 New Horizons Majestic | 2022 F-550 W/Classy Chassis Hauler Bed

Full Time Class of 2012 | Escapee #98787

BLOG: www.CuRVWander.blogspot.com

 

 

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We have a long history of changing our "service" address with Direct.  We used to do it when we went to our marina up north for summer vacations.  Then after our boating days ended we would do it for the RV.

As full timers we try to only change that service address twice a year, once when we get to our winter destination and once when we are stationary for a couple months visiting family up north.  If you do it every month or more you will soon just give up on the whole thing.  They don't hire the smartest folks and it is the "luck of the draw" when you call if you can get it changed easily or not.  I had one young lady finally ask me "what is an RV, I don't understand" after arguing with her for 10 minutes.  

As soon as you detect your call has been answered by a mentally challenged individual then it is just best to hang up, wait a few minutes and dial again.  You will get a different person and maybe slightly smarter.

Joe & Cindy

Newmar 4369 Ventana

Pulling 24' enclosed (Mini Cooper, Harley, 2 Kayaks)

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5 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

as soon as you detect your call has been answered by a mentally challenged individual then it is just best to hang up, wait a few minutes and dial again.  You will get a different person and maybe slightly smarter.

 I suppose it's too much to  ask that they put this feature online.

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5 minutes ago, hemsteadc said:

 I suppose it's too much to  ask that they put this feature online.

You can change your service address by using the online chat function.  I am not sure if that will remain an option after your account is moved to at&t.

 

Edited by pjstough

2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J

 

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ANOTHER UPDATE:

Yesterday, 4/3/18 at 8:30am I got an automated email from ATT. It read as follows: (I x'd out personal info)
__________________________________________________________
AT&T
Support | Log In


Your request to move your AT&T service

Hello,

We have received your request to move your AT&T service to a new service address. Please review the details below to ensure their accuracy. We want to make sure we have the correct information so your move goes as smoothly as possible. 

We'll disconnect your existing service on :
04/04/2018

We'll install your new service at: 
xxxx zzzzzzzzz,
XXXXXXXXX, NM, 88201 9220 

Billing Account Number (BAN): xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tech arrival window (at new address): 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM on April 11, 2018 

If you're having a technician install your service, you'll get a reminder 2 days prior with your appointment day and time, along with additional information and how to reschedule if necessary. Remember to:
Bring your existing TV receivers to your new home.
Turn on the power in your new home.
Place a TV in every room where TV service will be installed.


Thanks for choosing us,

AT&T
__________________________________________________________

I presume that this is the action they are taking based on the ATT "executive" that is investigating my FCC complaint. Notice that they were going to "disconnect me today, the 4th, and I will be reconnected at my new address on the 11th, seven days later by a tech coming to my location.

Clearly the investigator did not understand the problem. I tried to engage him on our first call and give him the details behind the complaint but he said; "I got it" and brushed be off. The result being the above, they are treating this as if they think this is a sticks and bricks move.

I called the investigator and got his voice mail. Left him a message that said it appears that this "solution" was coming off the rails and would he please give me a call back.

Three hours later I got another automated email. It had some important differences and read as follows:
_____________________________________________________________________
Your request to move your AT&T service

Hello,

We have received your request to move your AT&T service to a new service address. Please review the details below to ensure their accuracy. We want to make sure we have the correct information so your move goes as smoothly as possible. 

We'll disconnect your existing service on :
04/05/2018

We'll install your new service at: 
xxxx zzzzzzzzzzz,
XXXXXXXXX, NM, 88201 9220 

Billing Account Number (BAN): xxxxxxxxx

Service activation date (at new address): 2:00 PM on 04/05/2018 

If you're having a technician install your service, you'll get a reminder 2 days prior with your appointment day and time, along with additional information and how to reschedule if necessary. Remember to:
Bring your existing TV receivers to your new home.
Turn on the power in your new home.
Place a TV in every room where TV service will be installed.


Thanks for choosing us,

AT&T
__________________________________________________________________

So now it seems that my service address change has been moved out another day. But this time the disconnect and activation of the new address are on the same day and there is no tech scheduled to come to my location.

Two hours after this last email I got a phone call from the ATT investigator. He said he was returning my voice message call. When I asked if he was behind the change in the email he had no idea what I was talking about. When I explained he again said that the system was having difficulties and they were working on it.

This time I also asked that if they knew what the process was going to be for an RVer to do a service address change and I got the same no-answer answer, they are working on it.

Tomorrow should be interesting.

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Full Time Class of 2012 | Escapee #98787

BLOG: www.CuRVWander.blogspot.com

 

 

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