How do I use this Directv converter box from a garage sale?
June 17th, 2010
Lisa F asked:
I have Directv at home in 3 rooms and have converter boxes for each. Today someone at a garage sale gave me a Directv converter box. How can I use it in my extra room and connect it to the TV? Do I have to get another card from Directv or can I “borrow” one from one of the existing boxes and use it in this new box when I want to watch this TV? Is this extra box of any use at all?? Thanks!
deeppost said:
If it has a card you will have to get dtv to activate it. You wont be able to mix boxes and cards.
justathought said:
If you have an access card on your account that is not active you can use that in the used receiver. You will call directv and let them know that you bought a receiver used and want to activate it with an access card you already have on your acct.
You will be billed the $5 additional receiver monthly fee. But, since you own the ird, you can call in and disconnect it when not in use to avoid the fee and keep the ird in your home (ird=receiver).
Now, if the receiver you bought has a RID # (receiver ID Number) and it is linked to a disconnected account with a past due amount owed or even an account in collections, you will not be able to activate the receiver unless the past due is paid by you or the prior owners. Hopefully, that is not the case
If receiver you bought was leased and not eligible for sale, you will not be able to activate it.
Sometimes you have to buy a new access card for used receivers, make sure to tell them you have one that is not being used. THey will let you use it -if and only if - it was prior activated on your account or any account with your name on it as long as you are not past due or owe any money on any accounts the card was on. You can be current and owe money and they will activate (meaning if you have this months bill due, but it is not past due)
Lastly, if you do not own an extra card that isn’t being used- you will have to buy one from directv for $20, they mail it overnight fed ex. So, you will get it in a day or two.
avomatic said:
most used dtv boxes do not include a card, just call dtv and order another one, they will need the serial number of the box.
Craig T said:
I work for DirecTV as an off site tech.
First thing is you should try to stay away from buying used equipment, the boggiest problem is that receivers a lot of times are leased, and when customers leave DirecTV and don’t return the receivers and then sell them at a garage sell or eBay, then you just bought a box that can’t be activated and won’t be activated by DirecTV since they view it as stolen by the previous owner.
However that isn’t always the case, a few customers do shell out big bucks to own out right the boxes (and when I say big bucks I mean $150 for a standard box and up to $500 for an HD box). And in that case if the reciever indeed still works and isn’t being sold broken, then you can activate it, however you need to call DirecTV and get a new access card for it to ever work. You cannot use the old one, or one from a different reciever. TheDistributionon’t work. You need to call DirecTV and there they will send you do the Access Card Distrubution Team and they’ll hook you up.
Once you get your new access card, which takes about 3 days from FedEx, you call DirecTV again to activate the box. Then you’re set.