Short term DSTV

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Julian2

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I stream all my TV but I've moved into an apartment in Cape Town and am having some hassles getting ADSL connected. I suspect it might be another couple of weeks before I have a working line, maybe even into January if holiday season disrupts things, and I'm burning up an annoying amount of money streaming using mobile airtime. My apartment does have a DSTV box in it plus viewing card that works (it shows the welcome-to-DSTV advertising channel) but isn't active for any packages. Neither the box nor the card are in my name. The box is really old (no HDMI output) but Game have a R299 promo on a non-explora box so if a new box was needed I could get one of those really easily at minimal cost.

I'm wondering whether there is a quick and easy way to activate the card for a single month on a no-contract basis in order to get a bit more choice than the SABC1/2/3+eTV broadcast channels while I'm waiting for a working ADSL connection.

Someone mentioned to me a DSTV vending machine a few weeks ago but I didn't really pick them up on that because I hadn't realised what a hassle getting ADSL would be so I have no idea what that is, whether I misunderstood, what it offers (if such a thing exists), and where I might find one.

Can anyone offer any advice to a complete DSTV newbie?

- Julian
 
OVHD and it is free once purchased and uses the same dish as dstv and Game is the cheapest.
 
Julian2 said:
I stream all my TV but I've moved into an apartment in Cape Town and am having some hassles getting ADSL connected. I suspect it might be another couple of weeks before I have a working line, maybe even into January if holiday season disrupts things, and I'm burning up an annoying amount of money streaming using mobile airtime. My apartment does have a DSTV box in it plus viewing card that works (it shows the welcome-to-DSTV advertising channel) but isn't active for any packages. Neither the box nor the card are in my name. The box is really old (no HDMI output) but Game have a R299 promo on a non-explora box so if a new box was needed I could get one of those really easily at minimal cost.

I'm wondering whether there is a quick and easy way to activate the card for a single month on a no-contract basis in order to get a bit more choice than the SABC1/2/3+eTV broadcast channels while I'm waiting for a working ADSL connection.

Someone mentioned to me a DSTV vending machine a few weeks ago but I didn't really pick them up on that because I hadn't realised what a hassle getting ADSL would be so I have no idea what that is, whether I misunderstood, what it offers (if such a thing exists), and where I might find one.

Can anyone offer any advice to a complete DSTV newbie?

- Julian
Click to expand...

DSTV doesn't tie you into any contracts. Their service is just month to month. You are free to cancel at any time without any obligation. The only thing to note is that the cancellation will only take effect at the end of the calendar month, so the most you will ever lose is the remainder of whatever month you cancel in.
 
xodosman123 said:
OVHD and it is free once purchased and uses the same dish as dstv and Game is the cheapest.
Click to expand...

Yes, but it doesn't offer much more than the basics.

Get the cheap DSTV Decoder and go on a pre-paid DSTV package.

There is nothing you can do with the old Decoder if it is not in your name.
 
Sign up for DSTV and tell them you will deposit the money. Did that.

You then manage your account using their online portal. You can upgrade, downgrade and suspend your service. Works great and was constantly upgrading & downgrading my account when I felt the kids where watching too much DSTV or when we grew tired of the limited channels.

Just moved to ShowMax so was a breeze to just hit cancel to stop the service.

You can either deposit or just pay at Pick n Pay.
 
cbrunsdonza said:
Sign up for DSTV and tell them you will deposit the money. Did that.

You then manage your account using their online portal. You can upgrade, downgrade and suspend your service. Works great and was constantly upgrading & downgrading my account when I felt the kids where watching too much DSTV or when we grew tired of the limited channels.

Just moved to ShowMax so was a breeze to just hit cancel to stop the service.

You can either deposit or just pay at Pick n Pay.
Click to expand...

You can also just pay using your credit card online. Much easier.
 
Have you checked with the landlord? Maybe it is their decoder and all you have to do is ask if it can be activated?
 
Thanks all. Although it is super-convenient I agree that, having looked at the channel lineup & TV guide, OVHD doesn't really offer me much more.

DSTV pre-paid seems to be the way to go but I'm having no luck finding an explanation of what it involves. Is it a case of signing the standard month-by-month contract but not setting up any debit order or is it something different?

If it's a standard contract then if I pay one month when I sign up and never bother to touch it again will it simply be a case of my channels getting cut off at the end of the first month and the account going inactive or will they keep bugging me for more money until I either pay, cancel or suspend? For future use it would be quite nice if the account/contract did stay in effect but that get no further communications or need to have any more dealings with DSTV until I decide to deposit another month's worth of viewing costs into the account.

Searching for DSTV prepay got me to a listing of DSTV self service agencies (https://selfservice.dstv.com/agencies) and there is one about 60 seconds walk away from my apartment so I can go and ask them my dumb questions tomorrow.

I'm not at all disappointed about needing a new box, the old one is junk and the R299 price from Game is low enough to not be an issue.

- Julian
 
DeathStrike said:
Have you checked with the landlord? Maybe it is their decoder and all you have to do is ask if it can be activated?
Click to expand...

It's my apartment that I bought recently. The box is in the previous owner's name but he's back in the Netherlands now. The rental agent who managed it for the previous owner did say he would get the necessary forms signed to transfer it into my name but has been saying that for 6 months now. The box is old and a replacement is cheap so I'm perfectly happy to start afresh with a new box rather than carrying on trying to get international signatures on a transfer form but thanks for the suggestion.

- Julian
 
Julian2 said:
Thanks all. Although it is super-convenient I agree that, having looked at the channel lineup & TV guide, OVHD doesn't really offer me much more.

DSTV pre-paid seems to be the way to go but I'm having no luck finding an explanation of what it involves. Is it a case of signing the standard month-by-month contract but not setting up any debit order or is it something different?

If it's a standard contract then if I pay one month when I sign up and never bother to touch it again will it simply be a case of my channels getting cut off at the end of the first month and the account going inactive or will they keep bugging me for more money until I either pay, cancel or suspend? For future use it would be quite nice if the account/contract did stay in effect but that get no further communications or need to have any more dealings with DSTV until I decide to deposit another month's worth of viewing costs into the account.

Searching for DSTV prepay got me to a listing of DSTV self service agencies (https://selfservice.dstv.com/agencies) and there is one about 60 seconds walk away from my apartment so I can go and ask them my dumb questions tomorrow.

I'm not at all disappointed about needing a new box, the old one is junk and the R299 price from Game is low enough to not be an issue.

- Julian
Click to expand...
I would suggest calling them. I know there is an prepaid option. But not sure how it works. My parents have the prepaid option. It allows you to call and have it turned on or off for just the weekends or so. Parents use it at holiday house where they only go every other weekend or so.
 
There is no such thing a prepaid option and nor is there any contract that you sign. They simply bill you for the month in advance, and you pay it before the service is enabled.
 
So, you'll still have to give them your details. Just remember, if you don't want a surprise "accidental" debit order transactions a few months after you have cancelled, don't give them your Bank info.
 
deweyzeph said:
There is no such thing a prepaid option and nor is there any contract that you sign. They simply bill you for the month in advance, and you pay it before the service is enabled.
Click to expand...

Yes.

The only reason why I did not opt for a debit order was the last time we had DSTV, they debited us for 2 years after we canceled it. Got a full refund in the end when they fixed the error.
 
cbrunsdonza said:
Yes.

The only reason why I did not opt for a debit order was the last time we had DSTV, they debited us for 2 years after we canceled it. Got a full refund in the end when they fixed the error.
Click to expand...

Urgghh. Exactly the reason why I'll heed beens100's advice and not give bank details. Even that isn't total protection from frustration though. I had a similar situation with Telkom earlier this year when I cancelled line+ADSL+data in April but they kept billing me until September. I didn't have a debit order set up so no money changed hands, I just got a new invoice each month with an ever increasing amount of money allegedly owed none of which I paid, but it was still annoying and I started to worry about what it might be doing to my credit rating.

My Telkom experience is a big reason why I was hoping for a simple no-contract pay upfront for a month and then bye bye sort of deal. Interesting to hear that DSTV can be as incompetent as Telkom re processing cancellation requests.

ShaunyCT - Thanks for the info re the place on Lower Burg Street. That is the one I spotted in the list of agents on DSTV's web site. I think (from memory) it's called RTT Installations. I probably won't have time today but plan to go there tomorrow.

- Julian
 
OP, don't overthink this.

To echo other posters' comments, there isn't a prepaid option with DSTV, but also no contracts. It is month to month. Also not necessary or compulsory to sign a debit order.

What you can do, for example, is the following: phone them today to activate a new account. You will have 48 hrs to pay the pro-rata amount until end of December. Do it by credit card or an EFT. Come end of the month, pay for January but cancel at the same time. (I think you need to give one month's notice to cancel)

You will then have DSTV until end of January, and hopefully enough time to sort out the ADSL line.
 
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