It could be handled in a much more professional manner. For example why turn off the signal over and over? A much better process would be to contact the person, and give them a resonable time to call dish back. Like 1-2 WEEKS. Really what difference does it make if you give them 1-2 days vs 1-2 weeks? If after a reasonable number of attempts in a few weeks then cut off the signal until they call in.
Each billing day is worth a set amount of money dependant on programming and equipment. Ultimately, if someone is going to be forced to turn off equipment permanantly, E* is financing the time that equipment is on between the first call and the 2 week mark you propose. Current policy is 24 hours to call-in as I recall.
Once they call in give them the benefit of the doubt and turn on all the receivers during the audit process until a resolution is made. If the customer is uncooperative and refuses to help do the audit, refuses to provide documentation then rule against the customer and cut off service until the customer provides what is needed. In Claude's case the audit would probably have gone on for a few weeks as he faxed in the paper work needed. Sure he would not be trying to come up with lease agreements at midnight, but handling it the next day.
This, will never happen. Benefit of the doubts is good for a loan officer, not a multibillion dollar company. If a cop pulls you over after finding your car to be unsafe to drive, you're given a three day deadline to fix it in most cases, or your license is revoked. Same principle.
Remember these people are PAYING for service. They are not hackers with FTA boxes stealing signal (Dish has no way to find these). The concern is that they may be "sharing" their account, or in Claude's case getting a promotion on two accounts by one person. They are still paying customers, they already have the Dish equipment in their posession. What does it cost Dish to be resonable and keep the service on and work with the customer to see if they are sharing the account with the neighbors.
MOST of them aren't hackers... And yes, there are ways to find them. The most amusing are the ones that want service calls, you show up and they have wiring mods on their receivers. Oops? Audits aren't strictly for account stackers or signal pirates. Mind you, the other reasons you'll only come to find out if you're doing one of them. As far as cost, if two hundred customers are audited a day, we'll assume 50% are legitimate albeit the actual number may be higher or lower, with a difference of two receivers and average programming packages, $10.00 in additional receiver fees, $6.00 a day in programming per account...
One hundred customers x 10.00 = 1,000
One hundred accounts programming being illegally obtained x 6.00 = 600.00
Applicable tax DISH has to pay otherwise x 1.50 = 150.00
Total: 1750.00/day
New equation:
Now assuming half a percent of all DISH subscribers are actually pirates, stackers (which I guarantee this number is higher) or other... Multiply by 67,000 (half a percent of 13.4 million subs)
$117,250,000/year (if each of the 67,000 subscribers cheats for only ONE day, based on the above figure.)
Divide by two assuming that half of those audited are legit:
$58,625,000/year (again, if they only cheat for a single day.)
And then it becomes crystal clear why the department exists.
