A relative got this email in August:
Information regarding your Rental Choice Plan.
This is a reminder that the Bell FibeTM TV Rental Choice plan for the following receiver(s) is nearing the end of its 36-month term and monthly payments will be ending soon.
Receiver plan end date : Receiver type : Current receiver serial number
January 24, 2016 : HD : [number]
January 24, 2016 : HD PVR : [number]
As you know, you have the option to take ownership of the receiver(s) as of the plan end date. If you wish to do so, you can call us at 1 888 603-0379. Please note that no action is required at this time. Thank you for continuing to choose Bell.
From what I can tell, their building is on a 5-year promotional term with Bell (pay for internet, free TV w/PVR, pay for 2nd receiver) and people who switched in the first month got this 36mo offer on the hardware.
My instinct (both before and after reading this thread) is that staying on a $0/mo rental (or more accurately as it is now, $13.66 rental and $13.66 credit) should give them a warranty, while taking ownership could give them the option to sell the hardware if they switched away from Bell or to better hardware. [Added: I don't see anything about the warranty being limited to 24mo more, I would think as long as you were renting, even for $0/mo, you'd have a warranty; is that not correct?]
Right now they're paying $5.53/mo for the receiver (not credited) for the 36mo, which works out to $199.08 or the purchase price of a receiver. I might have suggested cancelling that rental and buying a wireless receiver when they were introduced, but not sure it makes much difference until they want to rearrange the furniture.
If the rentals will (continue at $13.66-$13.66) and (become $5.53-$5.53), is there any reason not to leave them as rentals? I'm looking at kijiji ads and I'm seeing 2262s in the <$75 range, which surprises me (compared to Rogers where even ancient 8300HD PVRs seem to be about $100). These boxes are whatever Bell was selling back in Dec 2012, and possibly even refurb or older spec since it was a $0 rental with no real option.
While I'm at it, one of the neighbours in the building couldn't sign up in the first month and got an inferior deal on hardware a few months later (Spring 2013): PVR for ($15-$15 for 60mo) and option of a receiver for $7/mo for 60mo (double the purchase price, so they didn't take one for the bedroom and have since discovered a tablet is a way cheaper and more convenient option
) I think their only option at 60mo is continue renting for ($15-$15)/mo, no option to take ownership.
The programming promotion (free TV) ends after 60mo and I'm betting on either a compromise offer from Bell, or a rush to Vidéotron at that point.
My question is, should they continue renting at $0/mo and does my understanding of the two promotions seem reasonably accurate?
Thanks!
=aw