4/14/05 Live Retailer Chat Recap!

[Scott Greczkowski]

Greetings all and welcome to SatelliteGuys.US live recap of the April 14th 2005 Retailer Chat.

We will be reporting to you any items of interest to you the consumers!

The chat has started and immediately Jim and Amir start talking about Team Summit on Nashville Tenn at the end of the May. SatelliteGuys will be reporting from Team Summit.

More as it comes!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Amir and Jim quickly listed upcoming cities they are the same ones which have been monetioned for awhile now.

We are now being treated to a UFC PPV ad Yippie.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now an ad for the MLB Baseball Extra Innings Package.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now showing a commercial for Major League Soccer ad.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The Dish 625 now available and VOD will be working within 2 weeks.

on DHA the customer will have to pay a upgrade fee of $19.95 for a 624 (which is stupid now that the Dish has discontinued the 522)

Movies are 4.99 and only stay on your receiver for 24 hours.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Customers who want only Internationals can buy equipment for $149 which includes a 2900 receiver and a superdish for Internationals only. This promotion starts tommorow.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The new Sirius SR-250 radio is now available, its a smaller radio and has 3 changable faceplates. Home and Car Kit is included.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now they are talking about the Credit Approval process. And how dealers must double check things like SSN's when signing up a new Dish Network customer.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now they are rolling out new STUPID ad campaigns.

"Does Comcast have you by the coaxal, then switch to Dish Network"

Man these campaigns SUCK!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They are now taking question which for all intensive pourposes means they are done with the chat.

No mention of the CT/NY/NJ deal at all, which is surprising considering they issued a press release about it today.

 

[boba]

Scott you missed reporting that DISH is discontinuing the 30" LCD HDTV because they aren't performing to DISH expectations. I was surprised to hear Jim say if they work coming out of the box you got a good one.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Boba I did not hear that one. That is news.

(My feed was down for the first 60 seconds of the show)

 

[boba]

Boba I did not hear that one. That is news.

(My feed was down for the first 60 seconds of the show)

It was a dealer question looking for advertising literature for this TV.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They took a call before the end of the chat that is worth noting.

This retailer has a customer who was a former Dish Network customer, they had switched to VOOM and now want to come back to Dish.

Jim mentioned they are looking into having a comeback program for these folks, they will be able to come back under a DHA program and they will also require a 24 month Dish Network commitment as well.

Sounds to me like Dish likes sending customers to DirecTV.

 

[Sean Mota]

They took a call before the end of the chat that is worth noting.

This retailer has a customer who was a former Dish Network customer, they had switched to VOOM and now want to come back to Dish.

Jim mentioned they are looking into having a comeback program for these folks, they will be able to come back under a DHA program and they will also require a 24 month Dish Network commitment as well.

Sounds to me like Dish likes sending customers to DirecTV.

24 months commitment! WOW... They are smoking something...

 

[BFG]

Now they are rolling out new STUPID ad campaigns.

"Does Comcast have you by the coaxal, then switch to Dish Network"

Man these campaigns SUCK!

Aww. I thought that's hilarious

 

[boba]

24 months commitment! WOW... They are smoking something...

Well that customer has already jumped ship once. Why should DISH give them any more free benefits without a chance of recovering their costs?

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Well that customer has already jumped ship once. Why should DISH give them any more free benefits without a chance of recovering their costs?

Exactly. From the earnings call, you can see that the cost of acquiring a new sub has increased a bit from year to year. Getting the customer back on a DHA will be a direct to DISH Network exclusive deal, with no advertising dollars spent. But to spend add'l money on newer receivers, a 24-month commitment seems fair. It doesn't look too attractive nor too costly for DISH.

 

[Bruce]

Now they are rolling out new STUPID ad campaigns.

"Does Comcast have you by the coaxal, then switch to Dish Network"

Man these campaigns SUCK!

I am glad Comcast does have me by the coaxal, E* just does not get it, certain cable companies/areas are loads better then them, everything from better picture quality for SD, more HD and better HD picture in my area, the VOD is really neat and the topper is the lease deal for the HD-DVR, who the h*ll wants to pay $250.00 now just for the right to pay $10.00 a month to lease it.

I really hope E* gets their act together.

With Comcast til 1997, with D* 1997-1999, with E* 1999-2005, back with Comcast 2005-?.

 

[BFG]

Yup, dish is just lucky that in my area, my cable co is still lacking some HD channels. as soon as they make a move, or when D* introduces new HD channels, removes the compression and makes HD equipment available with no upfront costs, I'm gone