I already have direct tv at my house but only for one TV and I would like to have another box so i my wife can watch it in another room. I found some on ebay with a access card and was thinking about buying it but will direct tv charge me extra monthly? Do I need to tell them I bought new receivers so they could activate it?
you can, but you need to be aware of a few things.
first of all, used satellite receivers often have "balances" attached to them, meaning that the former user didn’t pay everything that they owed. if the receiver is to be used again, even though it’s on another person’s account, the balance still needs to be paid. i would contact the seller on ebay and make sure that there is no balance. you can also get the receiver ID# and card ID# from the seller and contact DirecTV to find out about the balance yourself. if they say that there’s no balance, then you’re good to go.
second, unfortunately directv WILL charge you an extra $5 a month for having a second receiver on your account. most people mistakenly believe that this is a "monthly rental fee" for the box. that is, however, incorrect. the fee applies to any additional receiver after the first, no matter whether you purchased the receiver outright (ie. ebay), or leased it from DirecTV (basically a loaner).
i would honestly suggest that you just switch to Dish Network, if possible. since you would be considered a new customer, you get all of the cool stuff for free. free 2-room DVR, free installation, free cinemax for a year, and three months free. you would have to sign a 2 year contract, but that’s pretty normal. anywho, i only mention this to you so that you can make an educated decision.
