Breaking a Dish TV or Direct TV agreement

Can you break a Direct TV or Dish TV agreement without a penalty if you are forced to move into an area that doesn't accept those services?

 

What part of Mars are you moving to?


Most satellite agreements are because they gave you something (free receiver, for example), and you give them something back (2 years of Total Choice subscription, for example). If they gave you something, you have to fill your end of the bargain somehow.

And you might have a problem convincing anyone you were "forced" to move anywhere. Might be the obvious or right move, but it still involves a choice.

 

Not me. A family member has been transferred to another city. The complex that she is moving into is cable only.

 

I believe that is against federal law.

 

Wherever Martians use pawn shop-purchased laptops? [/crossthreading]

 

Actually, many apartment complexes don't allow dishes. (And sometimes, the dish company won't install the unit if you're not the owner of the roof. Couldn't get DirecTV at my last apartment for that reason.)

You can also break a cell phone contract early with no penalty if you move to an area the company doesn't service. Used to be more common a few years ago, but there's still some places that Verizon gets and AT&T doesn't, etc.

Anyway, the real solution here is: Go backdoor on her. 8)

 

I think if you send them a ring box of dog shit, they'll let you out of the contract.

If that doesn't work, go to HR.

 

It may be a complex rule, that doesn't allow for the dish to be attached to the building in any way. Probably because they perceive that as detracting from the property view.

I've been in apartments that had that type of rule, much like no propane grills allowed on deck.


You can get around the dish rule though. Get a post and mount it in a bucket with cement, and then attach the dish to the post.



Edit: buckw beat me to it and with an added bonus at the end.

 

Dish might let you do that, but DirecTV won't. Had to be on a roof and had to be facing a certain direction (SW, in my case.)

I assumed the former was for liability issues, but who knows. Didn't question it, as long as they hooked me up right.

 

Looked it up: Unless the apartment is a designated historic spot or there is some kind of safety issue, the apartment has to allow you to install it... provided you have an area like a balcony or patio that is your own space.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

 

Pretty important provision, though.

If you're not on a top floor, good luck finding a spot on your balcony -- assuming you have one -- that will actually get reception if there are trees or other buildings or anything else nearby.

I would say it's about 50/50 on complexes in which I've lived where residents have been allowed/able to install dishes.