CONFIRMED(?)- Dish Discontinuing Absolute HD Package

[tulsa agent]

Comcast Expanded Basic cable customers can get free upgraded digital equipment » TCPalm.com

"Equipment offered: One digital set-top box and two digital adaptors per household at no cost. Each additional adaptor $1.99 per month, set-top box $6.95 per month."

 

[yaz96]

they are providing one digital set top box and two additional digital adapters for free. anything else beyond that will have a monthly rental cost. so for some customers it will be free, for others, it will not.

That is 3 TV's, sounds like it covers most people that would not have had a box previously, that would have subscribed to the basic analog package.

And my point is still, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CUSTOMER.


Interesting that the cable pig is not as bad as the DISH hogs.

 

[Bob Haller]

yeah if enough customers say no deal i cancel E may take a second look at this move.

I do wonder what Charlie and his beancounter buddies are thinking?

Either the sub loss was minor and everything will be fine again this quarter, and that bob haller finally left good ridance.

Or we got a problem its serious, what do we do about it?

 

[Hall]

what?? no poll about who is staying and who is going?

Why bother ? Most people are all talk...

 

[tulsa agent]

This, is where you are wrong.

am i saying it is ethical, no. i am saying it is how the commitment allows the customer to be treated and sets a standerd operating procedure for it. and the customer had no problem with this at the time of sign up, otherwise they wouldnt have agreed to the term.

 

[tulsa agent]

That is 3 TV's, sounds like it covers most people that would not have had a box previously, that would have subscribed to the basic analog package.

And my point is still, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CUSTOMER.

you can subscribe to dish america at no additional cost.

 

[yaz96]

you can subscribe to dish america at no additional cost.

Does that provide the EXACT same programming as Absolute?

The Comcast customers had no changes in programming. Actually they gained, by getting FREE On-Demand.


I'll say it again, this analogy is wrong, and as bad as your McDonald's one.

 

[getstuff4less]

No phone call yet for me... any idea how long we have left on Absolute? I've only seen details of what 1 person was offered as a replacement.. anyone else?

I've said all along, that I'd stay with Dish as long as they kept Absolute (even if they did not add any channels.. I have all the ones I care about already) .. but once they discontinued it, I was back on the market and would evaluate all competitor offerings... based on a very non-thorough look at the current packages/channel mixes it is unlikely I'd stay with Dish without significant discounts that do not lock me in to any long term contract.

Me too...Probably, because I extended my contract on Absolute.

the only thing you and I disagree on is making a new committment these days. Remember the ETF is $17.50/month for newer contracts and runs 24 months. So if you got mad/switched/whatever at 6 months in, the buyout is $315 making the 6 months true cost $52.50 more than you thought...

My point is there will be no ETF. They cannot give me a completely new package if I don't agree to it.

 

[Hall]

am i saying it is ethical, no.

I'll admit, I quickly scanned through this thread and the back-and-forth you've had with a couple of others. Including others who are just freely commenting, how many have said that Dish can't do this ? Seems to me that NONE have. Have people said they shouldn't ? Yeap, that's the common theme.

 

[yaz96]

Me too...Probably, because I extended my contract on Absolute.



My point is there will be no ETF. They cannot give me a completely new package if I don't agree to it.

I wouldn't count on that, they probably haven't gotten to your name/state/acct number, yet.

 

[Hall]

I'm not gonna like this when it comes to fruition. We dropped to Absolute for a number of reasons, $$$ being one of them. We also had the benefit of losing channels like Nickelodean. My wife and I also decided that TV-viewing had little productive or educational value. We frequently turn the TV off and chase the kids outside.

Channels like NatGeo, which we watch a lot, are only available in the highest packages. That will suck.

If/when I get this call, I won't commit to anything, but I'll be writing down everything that I'm told and make it perfectly clear that my rates and options will be compared to what Time Warner, DirecTV, and hopefully soon U-Verse offers.

 

[TalonDancer]

you can subscribe to dish america.....

Can we? I don't see anything on the Dish website that even acknowledges that Dish America or any other "HD Only" package even exists. Maybe Dish is out to kill off all the HD Only packages and Absolute is just first in line.

Talon Dancer

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Why bother ? Most people are all talk...

Look at how long it took the Bobs to go... and yet they are still here. That tells me they really love DISH.

People have been PMing and emailing me today asking me what kind of offers DISH was going to be making to try keeping people stay. That I dont know, I just asked if it was true and if DISH was the one calling you guys.

Another question is when will Absolute be shut off? Again I dont know.

A lot of folks are mad at the news, but honestly if they are FORCED to drop a bunch of channels from the package you guys would be mad that DISH is ripping you off and you get much less channels before. Its a no win here and in this case I agree with them discontinuing the package.

DISH has done a lot of stupid stuff over the past few weeks and to many of you this seems like another stupid things as well, but if they can't offer the channels in the package anymore due to the programmers then what choice do they have really?? Just being honest here from what I see going on.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Maybe Dish is out to kill off all the HD Only packages and Absolute is just first in line.

It is quite possible programmers do not like the HD only packages, they want you to have (and pay) for ALL of their channels not just their HD ones.

 

[Hall]

Can we? I don't see anything on the Dish website that even acknowledges that Dish America or any other "HD Only" package even exists.

Log in to your account, select "Programming" from left-hand side. "Dish America" is listed there. It's not a link to see what it is though.

 

[Dah-Henny]

Can we? I don't see anything on the Dish website that even acknowledges that Dish America or any other "HD Only" package even exists.

I just checked my acct online, and Dish America is still being offered.

 

[goaliebob99]

If its the goal of dish to drop the low margin subs, then why cater to them anyhow? Why create the package in the first place if there was going to be these kinds of issues in the long run. Great idea, but poorly executed in the end.

 

[ryotgz]

Really? I guess you missed a previous post of mine?

The cell phone companies still allow those who currently have the unlimited plan to keep the unlimited plan. How is this "not so different"?

Yup. I even switched phones and kept my unlimited data plan yesterday. Heck, I can sign a new two year contract with another new phone and still keep the unlimited data plan.

 

[jsz1002]

Yup. I even switched phones and kept my unlimited data plan yesterday. Heck, I can sign a new two year contract with another new phone and still keep the unlimited data plan.

You can't do that with At&t...i've tried. They also said they have the right to discontinued unlimited data at any time.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If its the goal of dish to drop the low margin subs, then why cater to them anyhow? Why create the package in the first place if there was going to be these kinds of issues in the long run. Great idea, but poorly executed in the end.

Bob you know the answer to that I believe you were sitting there with Charlie and I as we talked about this...

They wanted an HD Only package and they launched it because it was a great idea. It wasn't until later when the programmers forced them to hit the breaks on the idea.

If DISH did not want to offer a HD only package then they would have never offered it. They want to sell it... the programmers dont want them too.