[AT] OFF Topic: 4 month Verizon WAR... now DirecTV

[Dean VP]

A side issue to how this started. We had a pretty violent lighting and wind storm here a couple days
ago and power was off for almost two days.  Out 5500 Watt Honda generator again paid for itself with
less than 5 gallons of gas used.  However, we had one electrical failure that caught me a little by
surprise in as much as it has been installed and used reliably since 2007.  Our HD Direct TV Receiver
H20-100 went belly up.  That is the first time I've had an electronics failure in a long, long time in
fact so long I can't remember a previous failure from a power issue. I use surge protectors on all of
our audio, video and computer gear. But upon further inspection, somehow the DirecTV Receiver was
plugged directly into a wall outlet not into a surge protector.  After a bit of soul searching I now
remember running out of sockets on the surge protector that I use for all the audio and TV equipment
and temporarily plugged the receiver into the wall with full intention of fixing that later. Well....
I never got a "Round Tuit" or forgot about it or both.  So I guess that little episode might make a
good case for having surge protectors on ALL electrical equipment. 

So reluctantly I started trying to find out what a replacement receiver was going to cost.  I very
seldom even watch TV but my wife has some favorite shows. So I thought I better get busy before the
boss gets really unhappy. Checked on eBay, and a few other retailers so I had a feel for what a used
receiver was going to cost and then got on the chat line with Direct TV.  A NEW replacement receiver
was going to cost $19.95 shipping and handling.  Which in reality was a much better deal than anything
I had found used anywhere else but I thought I would push my luck a little. I asked the nice young
lady how long we had been Direct TV Customers. Took a while but she responded that we had been
customers since 1999 which was exactly right.  I then just happened to mention that DiSH would be
happy to have our business and they would install all the equipment free.   She instantly responded
that since we had been a long time customer that Direct TV would send us the new receiver Free of any
charge and would arrive in two days Fed Ex. . No other charges or contract changes or anything. It
didn't take me very long to accept that deal.  Believe it or not it did cross my mind to ask for some
relief on the monthly charge but I figured I better not push my luck that far at this time.  I'll wait
for another more appropriate time for that one.  Just mention Dish and the whole conversation changes
instantly.

Too bad we can't buy tractor replacement parts that way. I think if we were standing at a parts
counter today at a John Deere dealer and mentioned that we could get a much better deal at the Farmall
dealer they probably would not even know who that was?  I'm fortunate that we still have one older
Parts Counter guy to deal with that knows some of the old tractors a bit.  But JD's prices on old
tractor parts have gone up so much (triple or more) the last few years that I only buy from JD Dealers
if it is a complete last resort.  JD Corporate would rather not have to deal with the old parts any
more just like they don't make equipment for the smaller family farms anymore. Even 25 year old Garden
Tractor equipment is considered obsolete as far as JD dealers are concerned. I suppose if I was at the
other end there could be a case made for that but they sure get a lot of free advertising from the
tractor collectors that somehow you would think they would appreciate. But I guess the "bean counters"
can't see that. Such is life.  It's a throwaway society now unfortunately, 

Dean VP
Snohomish, WA 98290

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent
virtue is the equal sharing of misery."  . Sir Winston Churchill

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
Mike
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2015 8:51 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] OFF Topic: 4 month Verizon WAR

As I said before Charlie, I recently cut the cord, and couldn't be 
happier. I have a roof top antennae, ($40) , and I have have Netflix and 
Hulu, each $8.00 per month. We have not run out of stuff to watch, and 
were quite frankly getting sick of the PC crap the networks were 
cramming down our throats. My wife gets up early for work, and by the 
time we get evening chores done, we have about 1 hour for TV. It will be 
years before we run out of content, if ever. It saved me about $1000 per 
year, that's  a nice tractor implement each year. :)

Mike M