Can prices change in DHA 24 agreement? / Concerned sales rep

[Jecid]

Greetings,
Apologies if this is already covered in this forum. If it is, will you please direct me there? I am brand new here, and I was having trouble with the forum's search tool.

Can the "Everyday Price" for a new Dish Network DHA24 customer change? For example, (ignoring all other costs i.e. equipment, protection plan, premium channels) if a new customer signs up for America's Top 120 at the "Everyday Price" of $44.99 and the "12-Month Special" of $29.99, then for the first 12-months he would pay $29.99 and for the second 12-months he would pay $44.99, and these prices can not change until the 25th month of subscription. Correct?

I have been working as a sales rep selling Dish Network. All my supervisors tell me that they are 2 year contracts and that the price can not change, but I can't find it anywhere in writing. I first became suspicious when I saw the "Everyday Price Guarantee until 2013" on my brochures. At this point that's only half the length of the commitment. I pretended to be a customer and called Dish Network directly. When I asked very specifically if prices could change, the representative on the phone said they could, but only very small. When I asked my supervisors again, they reassured me that yes, they are 2-year contracts and the price can not change.

Can anyone point me to the details of the DHA agreement in writing?

Can anyone advise what I should do as an ethical sales rep under contract?
Thanks,
Jecid

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Can the "Everyday Price" for a new Dish Network DHA24 customer change? For example, (ignoring all other costs i.e. equipment, protection plan, premium channels) if a new customer signs up for America's Top 120 at the "Everyday Price" of $44.99 and the "12-Month Special" of $29.99, then for the first 12-months he would pay $29.99 and for the second 12-months he would pay $44.99, and these prices can not change until the 25th month of subscription. Correct?

Incorrect. Less than two months into my 24 month contract, Dish Network raised the prices of all the programming packages by $5 a month, and it took effect immediately, while I was on a promotional rate. I thought I'd be locked in for at least the first year and exempt from rate hikes. Turns out, I wasn't locked in. Needless to say, I was livid. There was the advertising and the website with that big bold first year price listed, and then they charged me more than that for most of the first year. It may technically be legal (Due to fine print that contradicts the implication of their ads), but it was sleazy as hell. They advertised "First year price X dollars a month" and then charged me more than that. To be honest, it's been nearly a year since that point, and it still sticks in my crawl. It's one of the things I'll consider when I decide whether to stay or go after my contract expires.

After a series of complaints, someone finally gave me a $5 off for 6 month credit that got me back to my original price for a while, but I still had several months of my first year after that left where I had to pay the new price and then of course the entire second year (which I'm now in). And I had to fight to even get that.

I have been working as a sales rep selling Dish Network. All my supervisors tell me that they are 2 year contracts and that the price can not change, but I can't find it anywhere in writing. I first became suspicious when I saw the "Everyday Price Guarantee until 2013" on my brochures. At this point that's only half the length of the commitment. I pretended to be a customer and called Dish Network directly. When I asked very specifically if prices could change, the representative on the phone said they could, but only very small. When I asked my supervisors again, they reassured me that yes, they are 2-year contracts and the price can not change.

Can anyone point me to the details of the DHA agreement in writing?

Can anyone advise what I should do as an ethical sales rep under contract?

Don't lie to your customers. The price isn't guaranteed past 2012.

 

[MattG@DISH]

Greetings,
Apologies if this is already covered in this forum. If it is, will you please direct me there? I am brand new here, and I was having trouble with the forum's search tool.

Can the "Everyday Price" for a new Dish Network DHA24 customer change? For example, (ignoring all other costs i.e. equipment, protection plan, premium channels) if a new customer signs up for America's Top 120 at the "Everyday Price" of $44.99 and the "12-Month Special" of $29.99, then for the first 12-months he would pay $29.99 and for the second 12-months he would pay $44.99, and these prices can not change until the 25th month of subscription. Correct?

I have been working as a sales rep selling Dish Network. All my supervisors tell me that they are 2 year contracts and that the price can not change, but I can't find it anywhere in writing. I first became suspicious when I saw the "Everyday Price Guarantee until 2013" on my brochures. At this point that's only half the length of the commitment. I pretended to be a customer and called Dish Network directly. When I asked very specifically if prices could change, the representative on the phone said they could, but only very small. When I asked my supervisors again, they reassured me that yes, they are 2-year contracts and the price can not change.

Can anyone point me to the details of the DHA agreement in writing?

Can anyone advise what I should do as an ethical sales rep under contract?
Thanks,
Jecid

The prices can change at anytime. There is currently a price freeze on some packages until 2/2013, but new customers in a commitment are still subject to price increases. In the agreement (linked below), it states "***We reserve the right to change any and all prices, packages and programming at any time, including without limitation, during any term commitment to which you have agreed***".

This means prices can change, even in a commitment

http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/legal/DHA_Agreement.pdf

 

[Skee7ix]

Yes, prices change... and then you can't do anything... and they offered me Starz free for 1 year "to compensate"? Wasn't that offer because of Dish Anniversary?

 

[MattG@DISH]

Yes, prices change... and then you can't do anything... and they offered me Starz free for 1 year? Wasn't that because of Dish Anniversary?

Yes it was. For our 30th anniversary, qualifying customers received programming gifts (Starz, Encore, or DISH Platinum for 12 months at no cost, or 6 PPV coupons).

 

[Neutron]

This is where I wish DISH would do what the cable companies do. Most cable companies offer a 1 or 2 year price freeze for an agreement of the same length. The price DOES NOT CHANGE during the agreement.

 

[OneMarcil]

True about cable companies but, with cable companies you do not get nearly the same amount of channels that satellite companies offer at he see price.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Yes, prices can change in a commitment.

The 2013 price guarantee only applies to the core packages and the movie channels. It does not apply to international packages, or for DVR or additional receiver fees.

As an experenced sales rep myself, your best not to bring up the price guarantee as it sometimes creates confusion for some customers, as some customers may take it the wrong way and think their price is guaranteed for the lengh of the contract, especially after the first year when that promotional discount expires.. Quote the prices as they are posted today.

What you need to do is some research on past DISH Network price increases...

If a customer asks if the price is guaranteed, or if they are worried about a rate increase, here is the correct thing to say....

Sir, as with all television providers prices are subject to change. If you compair DISH Networks prices with any other video service providers, you will find that historically DISH Networks prices are the lowest. Every television provider raises their prices every year to reflect inflation and the higher cost of programming that they have to pay the content providers. Historically DISH Network generally rasies their prices $3-$4 per year on their core programming packages.

Now we have a price guarantee till January 2013 that was put in place last year, so there will be no increase this year on our core programming packages this coming Febuary.

There may be a price increase in January 2013 when the price freeze is over, but nothing has been announced yet for next year.

Now granted, you never want to talk about price guarantees or price increases unless the customer brings it up. Being honest about the potential increases, will get you more sales than lying to the customer.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I feel that DISH Network should gurantee prices in a 24 month contract. The issue is that they them get a hit with a double, or triple increase when the contract is over.

For example, sign up for Directv January 29th 2012.

You get a 2 year locked in rate, but don't get hit with the rate increase for 2012, and 2013. You get out of contract in January 2014, and you pay for the price increase for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

If it goes up $4 per year, then your taking about a $12 increase when the contract is over, than you would if you slowly raised it $4 every year without a price increase.

 

[Tampa8]

Cable companies DO raise your cost..........
If you don't fully understand what is going on, you will think the cable companies are not raising prices. In the strict sense, yes. But I can tell you with Charter, if you don't take the two year contract, you can get a LOWER price per month to start. It will go up usually at 6 months, then again at a year. During that first year, the price is most often LOWER than the two year guarantee. Depending on prices in the second year, you may pay a little less, you may pay a little more than the Guarantee price. I have two mailing cards from November that prove it, beyond my actual knowing it.
But as always with Cable, it is not even that clear cut. Certain added things may either make your cost less or more than doing it other ways. For instance, do their special for adding a phone on the non guarantee price and you will probably save even more. But get internet ,that may be less with the guarantee price.
People jump on the at two year price, not realizing there are other options that may (or to be fair may not) cost less.

If you just realize, nothing is ever really better or less with the Evil Empire, uh, I mean cable, you will come away happier and more educated.....

 

[Yespage]

I feel that DISH Network should gurantee prices in a 24 month contract. The issue is that they them get a hit with a double, or triple increase when the contract is over.

For example, sign up for Directv January 29th 2012.

You get a 2 year locked in rate, but don't get hit with the rate increase for 2012, and 2013. You get out of contract in January 2014, and you pay for the price increase for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

If it goes up $4 per year, then your taking about a $12 increase when the contract is over, than you would if you slowly raised it $4 every year without a price increase.

Dish should advertise the promo rate as a discount from the current/active rate for a package. This way there is no confusion if rates increase for new subscribers.

 

[Jecid]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[whatchel1]

Dish should advertise the promo rate as a discount from the current/active rate for a package. This way there is no confusion if rates increase for new subscribers.

They do. At least that's what I see when I look at package prices. Where it say 39.99 regular rate 59.99. To me that tells you it is a promo rate.

 

[Yespage]

They do. At least that's what I see when I look at package prices. Where it say 39.99 regular rate 59.99. To me that tells you it is a promo rate.

Not a "promo rate" a "promo discount". Rate implies it is $39.99 period. A discount implies the rate is variable and can go up during the promotional period.