Are there additional fees for adding a device?

Hi, we’re here to solve any doubt. According to the service description you’re giving us you’re enjoying DIRECTV via Internet instead of DIRECTV STREAM. The Advanced Receiver Service is charged monthly, no matter the number of devices you use. However, by adding a new leased device you will receive an additional $7.00 monthly fee. We want to provide you with more information according to your account type. We’re sending you a DM to provide you with accurate information about it. Claudia, DIRECTV Community Specialist

Am I correct, after the $7 a month fee for 24 months add to my bill for my second gemini air device and remote,  will I still have to pay $7 a month n going for my second gemini air device and remote or will the $7 a month fee stop after the 24 month period?

If you have DirecTV by Internet, not DIRECTV STREAM, than billing is similar to DirecTV (the traditional satellite service). You pay the $7 for the additional TV for as long as you have it active on the account. The 24 month service agreement is because of the equipment that is being provided to you.

So you are saying, the $7 a month fee for my 2nd Gemini Air Remote is on going? What if I had bought it from like Amazon? Then would I have not been charged the $7 a month? 

The $7 is for the additional TV regardless where you got DirecTV's equipment. Doesn't matter if you get it from DirecTV or an Authorized Retailer. DirecTV by Internet treats this just like normal DirecTV.

DIRECTV STREAM on the other hand is a bring your own device (BYOD) model. You use your own streaming device (Roku, Firestick, etc.) and are authorized so many streams included in the service.

So the big question, do you have DirecTV by Internet or DIRECTV STREAM? Though both internet streaming TV providers, their billing model is significantly different.

I don’t think that’s true.  Looking at the DTV fee schedule, “by Internet” subscribers do get hit with the “advanced receiver fee” (which seems bogus), but the $7 per TV fee appears to specifically be a lease fee for a Gemini, not a “connection” fee. As alternatives, besides commodity streamers, at least the streaming version of Gemini can be bought outright from third parties (and according to the fine print, in some areas must be - including from DTV - rather than being leased). They certainly don’t go out of their way to make all this clear however. 

The $7 has been for authorized TV as even RVU TV clients (satellite service) that have no box get it. Over the years with the discontinuation of offering SD-only equipment, going to a lease-only model, etc. they have updated their verbiage and billing model to be, shall we say better absorbed by the customer.

So the fee name still says "TV Access Fee or Lease Fee" but the description "Applies for each piece of Leased Equipment. For some customers, Your package price may include this fee for one or more televisions." makes it a bit convoluted.

Making it clear, yet having it be a short description, seems to be the challenge. Having it as a table with it separated by DirecTV (satellite) and via Internet seems to be in the right direction.

It would certainly help if they explicitly stated whether for via internet this fee was to lease a Gemini and doesn’t apply to owned devices (of any type) or it is a connection fee that applies to any device.  I think (from the phrasing) that it is the former, and for that item the difference between satellite and via internet is that satellite subscribers have to get the per-TV device from DTV (lease only or can satellite subscribers buy a satellite service Gemini Air and not have lease payments?) while via internet subscribers can buy a device (Gemini or not) and avoid this fee. 

With DirecTV and the several versions of the streaming service, I agree it would help if they explicitly stated this info and clarified it.

Still lease payments seems inaccurate (for satellite) as the RVU TV that has no leased equipment on it still pays the $7. That plus you have either the free equipment or one-time lease cost up front when you upgrade. It was originally an Authorized TV fee or "mirroring" fee. That is because you are "mirroring" the authorized programming of the package to the additional TVs, regardless of method.

Interestingly, this clarification was needed even before AT&T acquired DirecTV. This is something that evolved from the original company.

All of these answers are way too wordy and not answering my original question.

I have 1 Gemini Air remote device for free with my 24 month Directv agreement, not Directv satellite. I have a 2nd residences that I visit once a month for a few days. I am able to use my Directv at both residencies and decided to order a  second Gemini Air remote device to use at my 2nd residency. I really like how easily the Gemini Air remote works! My original question was.....I am now being charged an extra $7 a month for this 2nd Gemini Air remote, but I would like to know if that $7 monthly fee will stop after my 24 months contract and then the 2nd Gemini Air device will be mine? $7× 24 = $168....or will that $7 extra monthly fee continue? If I had bought the Gemini Air device from an outside vender would I be able to used it for free? On my other TVs at both residences, I am using Amazon Firesticks and there is no monthly additional charges. I am curious whether the $7 extra monthly fee will continue to be charged on my bill or stop after the 24 month agreement ends? Will I them.iwn this 2nd Gemini Air device? 

Thank you....

It’s just a Gemini Air - like all streaming devices it comes with a remote, but the remote itself isn’t particularly special, other than the fact that it was designed for use with the Gemini Air (leading to your happiness with it). 

As far as the charges go - as far as I know, no one “out here” knows definitively, because the DTV documents we’ve seen aren’t clear. Your best bet is to contact  Customer Service to see if they can provide “official” answers.  I personally suspect that it would be like the FireStick - if you buy it, no monthly charge.  However, they don’t talk about rent-to-own but just leases of the device, so I’d suspect if you go that route it is perpetual with no eventual ownership.  But again, I’d contact them for more definitive info.