522 calling home...

[8ohms]

I get a message saying I will be charged $4.99 if my phone line is not plugged to my DVR 522. Now! I am sure Dish only knows this because headquaters did not get a phone call from my unit and not because there's some sort of antenna installed inside the receiver sending out signals. Is this correct?

Thk.

 

[BFG]

you mean the receiver has a message that says that?

Thats weird, i've never seen that. I've never got it on my 811. The only receivers that require a phone line or you WILL get charged $4.99 is the 322 and 522. You sure you're talking about the right receiver?

 

[8ohms]

you mean the receiver has a message that says that?

Thats weird, i've never seen that. I've never got it on my 811. The only receivers that require a phone line or you WILL get charged $4.99 is the 322 and 522. You sure you're talking about the right receiver?

My mistake. It's not my 811 that display this message even though it's been acting up. It's my DVR 522. Sorry

 

[BFG]

Yup, Well you need to plug that 522 into a phoneline or you will get charged an extra $4.99. The message is being popped up by the receiver because it logs a phone line connection once a week and if it doesent get a dial tone the message will pop up. But it actually only dials Dish once a month, so if dish doesn't get a call from your 522 then you will be charged.

The message even pops up if you leave the receiver unplugged for a while, as I discovered this when i lost power during the hurricanes.

 

[chaddux]

Yup, Well you need to plug that 522 into a phoneline or you will get charged an extra $4.99. The message is being popped up by the receiver because it logs a phone line connection once a week and if it doesent get a dial tone the message will pop up. But it actually only dials Dish once a month, so if dish doesn't get a call from your 522 then you will be charged.

The message even pops up if you leave the receiver unplugged for a while, as I discovered this when i lost power during the hurricanes.

To clarify that, this is actually a bug with the 522. The receiver is actually supposed to call in multiple times each month. If DISH hasn't heard from it within 15 days of the billing date, the charge will appear on the bill. The receiver is spitting up the message because it has not connected recently. However, it hasn't connected because it isn't trying to call in. The current 522 testing program (read the sticky thread) is testing that very problem. I know because I've been billed three times, in error, for the phone line fee and I am participating in the test. It was confirmed while I was on the phone with the Echostar engineering manager running the test.

Most likely, you are not buying any PPV and it is only calling in once a month. The day yours is calling in is probably more than 15 days from the billing date. Unfortunately, it will call in on the same day every month. You can confirm this by looking at the Counters Menu (Menu > 6 > 3 > Counters > Page Down > Page Down). Number 13 is the last connect date. Whatever day it connected will be the same day each month. Mine connects on the 18th day of each month. If you see what yours is, November 18th for example, check back after December 18th and it should not show December 18th as the last connect date.

 

[Pepper]

Hey Chad,

Is it a "special" type of call-in, or can you ensure not getting charged by forcing it to call in regularly with the diagnostics menu option?

 

[chaddux]

Hey Chad,

Is it a "special" type of call-in, or can you ensure not getting charged by forcing it to call in regularly with the diagnostics menu option?

It is not special but you cannot force it to call in unless you have an outstanding PPV purchase. If you are not purchasing PPV, pressing the Dial Out button will simply produce a message that says "No Dial Out Pending" and it will not call. (Test Connection is not an actual call but simply a test for a dial tone.) You could purchase a PPV movie and use the Dial Out feature (or allow to automatically call) near your billing date. Hopefully, they'll get it figured out soon. Sorry.

 

[wasii]

I think if you use the "Dish at Home" features, like the on-line payment, it actually dials in and connects - maybe that would classify as a "forced connection".

If you don't want to pay on-line, just pull up you current statement, or your activity since your last statement. I'm sure this forces a dial-in because it actually states "dialing" on the screen and shows a connection progress.

It's a toll-free call, so it's not like it costs anything to try.

It is pretty SLOOOOWWWW tho.

 

[apocrapha]

Just to add something to all the other information here- you also can get the nag screen you described if someone is using the phone when the receiver does it's updates since it will fail the dial tone test-happens to me a lot if I'm on the internet when it does it's update at 3:00 am.

Obviously I don't know if this is your case but it can happen.

 

[chaddux]

I think if you use the "Dish at Home" features, like the on-line payment, it actually dials in and connects - maybe that would classify as a "forced connection".

If you don't want to pay on-line, just pull up you current statement, or your activity since your last statement. I'm sure this forces a dial-in because it actually states "dialing" on the screen and shows a connection progress.

It's a toll-free call, so it's not like it costs anything to try.

It is pretty SLOOOOWWWW tho.

Unfortunately, no. This is one that seems really strange. I've used DISH Home in hopes that it would waive the bill (prior to finding out about the bug). Unfortunately, DISH's records show the last connection as the last time it called in for billing purposes. There was no record of the call for DISH Home. To confirm, it is actually calling DISH to obtain the records but it is not being logged as a call. That may be by design or a bug as well.