Satellite TV Scam?

[FauxPas]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Thanks for your input everyone. Well it\'s not like it\'s the end of the world I can still subscribe to Satellte TV if I want by paying a deposit (I am told between $134 to $350 depending on what options I want). In the mean time I\'m using my new HD TV as a computer monitor and to play DVD movies while listening to the radio - It\'s a bit odd but the only channel I can get with an indoor antenna is one fuzzy religious channel. Absolutely nothing else. My landlord used to live in my unit and he said he could not get any tv reception with an indoor antenna either. Maybe it\'s because the building is concrete block construction and there are a lot of trees outside? I live just West of the Trail and just North of downtown.

If they will refund the deposit after a reasonable time, say a year at most, it's a small price to pay for all the interest you aren't paying. I'm sure I've put a least one banker's kids thru college.

[planthappy]

As much as you don't want credit cards you may want to get a Visa and a gas card. Pay the monthly bills you normally pay with cash using the card and pay the bill when it comes in. On the plus side if you get a card with points you can turn in the points for cash back or debit cards for gas and other stores. My mother does this and gets about $200 a year. She also pays her bill in full every month. Most credit cards are still free. Check out this website ClarkHoward.com Home: Save More, Spend Less and Avoid Rip-Offs on clarkhoward.com you can learn a lot from him about the credit cards to avoid. You should be able to use your landlord on your credit rating. I had a tenant that had the same problem you had that wanted to buy my house and the credit reporting agency called me and verified he paid his rent and the amount and that he was never late.
I also moved a few times in a few years and it brought my rating down. I did move 1000 miles away. Then I moved 1000 miles back.

[hiknapster]

Hi wondermint! Glad I could help.

I just wanted you to know that sometimes people with a great record of paying their bills, but never having a credit card or taking out a loan CAN be penalized. It's fine for my parents because they started a family (just me!) in 1961. Things were good then, and they paid cash.

My husband and I got credit because he begged a major tool company to extend credit to him. He had been paying for auto mechanic parts for about 17 years. They pushed it through. After that, we slowly started getting credit cards, and of course we paid them off right away. We established good credit and bought a house.

Recently moving should not hurt you at all. Utlities may want a deposit. They wanted one from me when I first moved to Florida because I was new and did not have a credit score. I paid the deposits.

If you want to buy a house, recently moving isn't great, but if you have a history of living somewhere else for a time it will help. We bought our house after three years of living in Knoxville, but my husband had lived in Florida for 25 years, and I for 10.

Try to establish credit somewhere. The usual route is a secured loan. Go to the bank and tell them you would like a loan but have the money to back it up. Say you want $500, but have $500 to back it up. You can establish credit that way.

I hope this helps!

[wondermint2]

Hello. I have a few questions. Is it likely to work good if I purchase an outdoor antenna for my roof? I live in a single story duplex. My landlord would probably say it\'s ok if I paid for the antenna myself and had it installed because he told me that satellite would be ok if I wanted that installed -- but I kind of doubt he woud chip in for any of the cost for an outdoor antenna. (I can\'t get ANY reception at all with an indoor antenna). If I moved I wouldprobably leave the antenna here where I currently live and the landlord would have a free antenna. Does it seem reasonable that if I payed for the antenna the landlord should install it? How many stations can I get with an outdoor antenna? (how many from Sarasota and can I get Tampa stations)? Also there is a Directtv satellite dish currently on the roof left there from the previous tenant -- any way I could use that satellite dish as a regular antenna?????? By the way I found out that (because of my lack of credit history) if I want DirectTV I would have to pay $300 up front and they would rebate that to me at the rate of $5 a month deducted off my bill. (would take 5 years to get it all back). That would be for standard service. If I want high definition I was told that would be a non-refundable $99 extra for a HD receiver -- and if I wanted high definition with the HD DVR recorder that would cost $199 (non-refundable). All of these perks are offered free supposedly if you pass their credit check. So essentially I would have to pay $500 up front for something they offer free to those who pass their credit check. The cost of the programming packages would be the same. This is why I am kind of turned off by the satellite companies and I\'m thinking about getting an outdoor antenna. Any suggestions would be appreciated. -

[YeahMon]

If you have a dish in good shape on your house, see which company it is from, do a little research, and buy a satellite receiver on eBay. Just make sure you get one with a $0 balance. You can then call the satellite company and tell them you have your own equipment and you would like to add month to month service. You can order ONLY HD programming only from Dish Network for like $20-30 a month. It gets you around 40+ channels of HD. You will not need to worry about your credit, or deposits this way.

You can get basic cable only from Comcast for around $20 a month after taxes. This will get you your local stations, all network stations, and a bunch of crap bundled with it. But at least you'll have a clear picture.

It sounds like your going to have trouble receiving OTA signals. You have tried, and failed. You also HAVE to have a digital converter, or a digital tuner built into your tv already. There is no more aluminum foil rabbit ears. They are a thing of the past. I wouldn't erect an antenna in an apartment either. You may not be able to anyway, as there are code restrictions for those things anymore-especially in city limits.

[wondermint2]

**** I found this negative article today (from my hometown newspaper in St. Louis, MO) about Dish Network trying to take advantage of and scam a poor old lady -- with their fine print BS on their sales contract!! Here is a link to that article: Suburban Journals | News | POKIN AROUND: Stuck in the VCR era, O'Fallon woman battles Dish Network (http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2010/02/20/stcharles/news/0221stc-pokin0.txt - broken link) I have read articles of DirectTV having similar complaints about taking advantage of seniors with the fine print of their contracts! I have been very pleased with my Comcast Cable service and will never ever utilize the Satellite TV companies. I just dont like how they operate. Beware. ********

[thescotsman]

I don't think you should ever give your credit card number\bank details to anyone. That sounds highly suspect to me.