Buy versus leased receiver???

[texasal]

Well,

I am in the process of switching from DirecTV to Dish. Has anybody purchased their own receiver (from ebay?), and used it as their receiver. Does Dish charge any fees for having your own receiver? I would only have that one receiver. I am thinking of getting the 722. Any help would be appreciated.

-Al

 

[HobbyTalk]

There is a fee for an owned receiver that equals the lease fee so there is no monthly monetary advantage to owning the receiver.

 

[TheKrell]

I fairly recently bought a 722 from Ebay, and I've been very happy with it. You won't have to deal with a lease fee nor a long contract commitment if you buy. If a 722 is your only receiver, the only fee you might not expect is the DVR fee, which IIRC is $7/mo. You can avoid that by subscribing to the DVR Advantage plan, or else the America's Everything Pack.

 

[StanUbankit]

Well,

I am in the process of switching from DirecTV to Dish. Has anybody purchased their own receiver (from ebay?), and used it as their receiver. Does Dish charge any fees for having your own receiver? I would only have that one receiver. I am thinking of getting the 722. Any help would be appreciated.

-Al

IMO, I wouldn't purchase the 722, unless you don't wanna commit to 24 months with dish. Current rules say the first receiver on your dish account doesn't have a lease fee, it's included in your monthly programming. I don't think there's any up front money required for a 722 lease for new customers. You would have the 5.98 dvr fee, unless you subscribe to Americas Everything Pack. I don't remember if the dvr fee is going to increase on Feb 1, when the other programming prices increase.
(You have the dvr fee whether your receiver is leased or owned)

 

[SpaethCo]

With a single 722 leasing is a clear win over purchasing. With the 2/1 deals announced you can get a 722 for $0 up front, there is no monthly lease fee for your first receiver, and you have the advantage that if anything ever happens to the receiver Dish will take care of replacing it.

 

[Dah-Henny]

My 722 came from ebay as well. Other than the cost of your programming, the only other cost will be the $5.98 dvr fee. PLUS...no committment.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

There is a fee for an owned receiver that equals the lease fee so there is no monthly monetary advantage to owning the receiver.

I bought my 722 and have no lease fee or owned fee. I pay the dvr fee which is really built into the DVR advantage. Ive never had a problem with it and I have no contract. If a new model receiver comes out I just sell the previous model and get most of my money back. I dont like leasing but thats me.

 

[HobbyTalk]

As was stated, there is no lease fee on the 1st receiver, but you will pay the DVR fee no matter what (wasn't quite clear in my first post), so that is a wash. The cost to cancel early is about $13 per remaining month, so if you cancel after 1 year you'd end up paying about $150 bucks. My guess is that over one year you'd come out ahead if you leased rather then buy. If there are any problem with the receiver, leasing is the clear winner.

 

[SpaethCo]

On the 24 month commitment your penalty drops from $240 by $10/mo, so if you kept the service for a year and then decided to cancel you'd only be on the hook for $120.

I'm normally a firm believer in purchasing -- I purchase my cars, I own a home. With the way that Dish structures their lease I just can't see how buying makes sense for a single receiver. A new 722 from an official retailer is in the $400 range, but if you're willing to go gray market you can maybe fetch one off ebay for $250-300. If anything happens to the receiver within the 1 year warranty period you'll be covered, but if you buy from a gray market dealer you might be stuck with 1 year from data of manufacture vs 1 year from date of purchase. Of course, if the receiver kacks after 13 months you're on the hook to get your own replacement.

 

[texasal]

Great information. Thanks for all the responses. It seems like leasing will be the best option for me. I'll probably be with Dish for a long time. I was with them for 3 years many years ago. I switched over to Directv and I've been with them for about 5 years. I tried to upgrade to a new receiver, and it was total crap. I wonder if Dish will take me as a new customer, or will they consider me a return customer. I'll just have to see what happens when I sign up. Again, thanks for all your help.

-Al

 

[Bulldog]

On the 24 month commitment your penalty drops from $240 by $10/mo, so if you kept the service for a year and then decided to cancel you'd only be on the hook for $120.

I'm normally a firm believer in purchasing -- I purchase my cars, I own a home. With the way that Dish structures their lease I just can't see how buying makes sense for a single receiver. A new 722 from an official retailer is in the $400 range, but if you're willing to go gray market you can maybe fetch one off ebay for $250-300. If anything happens to the receiver within the 1 year warranty period you'll be covered, but if you buy from a gray market dealer you might be stuck with 1 year from data of manufacture vs 1 year from date of purchase. Of course, if the receiver kacks after 13 months you're on the hook to get your own replacement.

There is an old saying: Purchase things that appreciate in value, and lease things that depreciate in value.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Great information. Thanks for all the responses. It seems like leasing will be the best option for me. I'll probably be with Dish for a long time. I was with them for 3 years many years ago. I switched over to Directv and I've been with them for about 5 years. I tried to upgrade to a new receiver, and it was total crap. I wonder if Dish will take me as a new customer, or will they consider me a return customer. I'll just have to see what happens when I sign up. Again, thanks for all your help.

-Al

You will be a returning customer who is able to get the new promotions, receivers etc just like a new sub. Anyone gone from DISH for 6 months or more is treated this way now.

 

[texasal]

You will be a returning customer who is able to get the new promotions, receivers etc just like a new sub. Anyone gone from DISH for 6 months or more is treated this way now.

Cool. Thanks! One more question. Does anybody know where I can get the best deal for a new system. I am getting the follwing setup:

Americas Top 250
Gold HD
Dual Tuner HD DVR ( I am interested in the 722)
2 year commitment

I was looking at the deal that is available through dishstore.net , but I am not too clear on what exactly they are offering.

-Al

 

[Laddyboy]

Cool. Thanks! One more question. Does anybody know where I can get the best deal for a new system. I am getting the follwing setup:

Americas Top 250
Gold HD
Dual Tuner HD DVR ( I am interested in the 722)
2 year commitment

I was looking at the deal that is available through dishstore.net , but I am not too clear on what exactly they are offering.

-Al

DishStore is offering the deal that Dish Network is promoting beginning Feb.1, except that if you preapply now, the rebate is a bit larger iirc. It's the best deal E* has offered in quite a while. You'll get the 722 with no upfront cost, no lease fee, and if you take the DVR Advantage Package, which includes locals, no DVR fee, although you really only save 98 cents. You'll get either $25 or $10 off the usual rate for the first 6 months, free premium channels for 3 months, and a $125 cash rebate if you sign up before Feb. 1. Call and talk to them. You don't have to sign up if you don't want to but I don't think the deals are going to get much better from E*.

 

[texasal]

I just got an answer to my question from the guys at dishstore.net , and I will give them a call this week to get my service setup. Thanks for all your help!

-Al

 

[tansu]

I am cheap, but I buy

I have bought all my equipment over 10 years because I want what I what when I want it and not ask/beg for permission! I have sold my used receivers and dishes and switches as I upgraded. The 721 was frustrating, but I got a $200 credit toward my monthly bill.

 

[Stargazer]

Dish Network has been charging me a $7 lease fee on the 722 and an additional outlet fee on the other two receivers that I have. It took threatening to cancel to get the $7 lease fee off the account and that was only for the remainder of the 24 month contract. This is what happens when you lease receivers. Customer beware.

 

[DishSubLA]

Dish Network has been charging me a $7 lease fee on the 722 and an additional outlet fee on the other two receivers that I have. It took threatening to cancel to get the $7 lease fee off the account and that was only for the remainder of the 24 month contract. This is what happens when you lease receivers. Customer beware.

There is no saving in regards to the monthly "Lease Fee" or the "Additional Access Fee." You will end up paying the same fee every month. Dish just gives it different names. I'm glad you got your temporary waiver, but Dish is vulnerable now (all the services are, even Direct TV) and they gave in for you. But for the last time, there is no savings in regards to monthly fees if you own or lease. you WILL pay either the "Lease Fee" or the "Additional Access Fee." Dish has got you both ways.

This isn't the 1990's. Leasing has been for some years the superior choice. Hey, I have 2 leased 722's for over a year now, and I do plan to turn them in for 922 DuoDVR Sling Loaded Upgrade at the upgrade price. Most of us are going to want the greatest and latest sooner than later, and so that is another reason leasing is superior.

 

[SpaethCo]

Dish Network has been charging me a $7 lease fee on the 722 and an additional outlet fee on the other two receivers that I have. It took threatening to cancel to get the $7 lease fee off the account and that was only for the remainder of the 24 month contract.

It's all about how your account gets structured and when you added the receiver. I believe Dish dropped the lease fee for the first receiver on the account sometime in 2007. My first leased receiver was a 722, before that I had an owned 510 and 721. When I did the Dish'n It Up promo in November '07 the rep made a point to say that I had to make sure the 722 was recorded as replacing the primary receiver on my account or I would be charged the lease fee.

The additional receiver fee is something you can't really get away from, but it's possible the lease fee on the 722 was triggered because it wasn't added as the primary receiver on your account?

 

[Foxbat]

I own my 211 and lease the 622. Because the 622 is my 2nd receiver, the Lease fee is the 2nd receiver fee. Since I sold my 942 to get the 622, it was a freebie (actually, I made money on the overall transaction). True, I no longer have an asset on the books, but when Dish changes the game (like the new 922) I can trade up to the new equipment for a lot less than if I had to buy the new receiver. Commitments don't frighten me since DirecTV does not appeal to me as a consumer.

If there was a Lease fee in addition to the 2nd receiver fee, then yes, I would buy.