Contemplating Directv - history of bad DishNet service

[Dish_Guy84]

By the way, the $15 is really $46 because that comes after the $6/month and $25 cancellation fee.

FYI if you cancel the SP on the same day you add it they will not charge you the 6$ they will credit you back 5.98 so if your willing to change a long term provider for them charging you 40$ for something that is worth close to 300$ and warrantied for 60 days its a deal only a fool would pass on IMO i would loose more money in the time i would spend installing it but i guess some people are more penny pincher that i am.

 

[Slamminc11]

Sounds like you do not want to pay the DIU price and you do not have DHPP....

:up :up :up

 

[budda]

Not asking you to pay for my stuff! Consider this:

1. Dish has made thousands of dollars off of my subscriptions over 12 years. Doing an upgrade for me is a good investment. But they'll bend over backwards to subsidize 'new' customers, many of which change providers every few years, and really take advantage of 'the rest of us' (as you put it) because D* or E* is subsidizing their cut rate offerings. Where's the logic in that?

2. I've paid (outright) for 2 systems since I've been a subscriber. I bought the 1st system to become a subscriber. I bought the second system to get a dishplayer because I wanted it. Those were choices that I made.

Now they expect me to pay them more subscription money for local channels (which forces me to HD on 77* sat). They made the equipment that I willingly paid for obsolete. Although HD is cool, I would gladly settle for SD locals, but Dish only offers those channels on the HD satellite, which forces new equipment on me.

Granted, I can keep my 'grandfathered' AT200 package at $5/month less without the locals, but isn't Dish losing money that way? How are they going to build up their HD customer base if folks like me keep our old equipment & packages?

Also, sooner or later Dish is going to 'hit the wall' on how much programming they can put on their satellites with old MPEG2/dvb compression stream. At some point they're going to have to change everyone to newer MPEG4 or higher receivers anyway. Why not take opportunities like mine to keep an old customer, and also make it easier for themselves going forward? They'll eventually have to 'give away' new hardware just to keep customers once they've reached their limits on the old hardware and software, so why not help me (a good paying customer) now?

As things presently stand, I'm strongly considering changing to Directv, that way their customers can 'pay for my free stuff';...How does that sound to you?

D* and E* are always promoting reduced costs to get new customers, but not to retain good long-term paying customers. Somethings not right about that

They're lucky to have long time customers like me after all the BS they've put me through over the years.

That's all

Costumer loyalty. Well you received what 12 years of service for 12 years of pay. I to believe that there should be something, not all the things, you want that they can help you with. Things change, required locals, no more self installs, and it seem these type of changes will keep coming. Because some pencil neck at a meeting says that is what they should do. SOP's are needed in a company that size for the smart and stupid. As Ron White says Can't fix stupid. Must make rules for the lowest denominator. I to tried to do, close to what you want, got some things had to bend on others. Not sure but does Direct allow you you install upgraded equipment? Also if you aren't a new costumer is the equipment free? Bottom line write the CEO see if he will kiss a##, I am not liking the odds on this. You will probably get somethings and others not. Might be worth just switching. Just for all the trouble, locals are free with Direct. I am writing this tung and cheek, as having just gone thru it. It is a big pain and waste of time. Sometimes I think they count on that! Peace

 

[dntc0x]

I've been a subscriber of Dish Network since 1998. I've lived with all the price & fee increases. I got screwed (like most others) when Dish lost the distant networks.

Now, Dish is finally offering my local DMA networks, one of the last to be offered in the country. So I've been reading the SatGuys DishNet forum and doing my homework before calling DishNet. I haven't moved to HD yet, but getting the locals from them requires it in my case. (HD only on 77* sat)

After preparation, I called Dish last night. I sent customer service a letter explaining what happened, it wasn't 'pretty'. Scroll down if you're interested in reading it. BTW, has anyone got a good address (electronic or snailmail) for Charlie Ergen or some of the other 'bigs' at DishNet?

As you may have guessed, I'm am more than a bit perturbed at these jokers right now. I guess after all the bull that I've taken from them over the years, that this is "the straw that broke the camels back".

I'm seriously looking at going to Directv, or even (gasp) even looking at Comcast cable.

I'm trying to educate myself on D* offerings. I'm not a big movie or sports fan, but I would like the cheapest dvr offering that's available, and a package that's comparable with Dish's AT200. I think that D* locals are SD only, but that really isn't that big of a deal to me right now, but I would like to have locals back after all these years of doing without.

Money is TIGHT, and I'm trying to keep my monthly costs to <$70/month. My main tv is HD, and HD channels would be nice, but are not a necessity to me at this time. The second tv is rarely watched anymore, I might just take it out.

So, if anyone has actually read all of this, and has any suggestions about Directv offerings, or even a suggestion for negotiating a better deal with Dish, I'd appreciate it.

Letter to Dish Net:
After 8:00pm Eastern time on June 7, 2010, I called Dish Network to see what would need to be done for me to receive my local DMA network channels via satellite.

I spoke to CSR Katharine (Operator code: ***). She answered many of my questions. She said that they would upgrade my model 508 dvr to a model 612. She said that there would be a $6 dvr fee, and my AT200 package would increase to $54.99/month, and no other costs, provided that I made a 24 month agreement. She even checked if I could have the $5 disconnect fee for the national PBS feed waived... (she said the PBS disconnect would be waived).

I did request that instead of taking the model 612 dvr as specified in the deal, that I'd prefer to downgrade to the model 211k HD receiver instead. She said that she could not do that, but agreed to transfer me to a supervisor to see if they could do it.

I spoke to the supervisor, who said his operator code was ***. He said that he could do the change with a model 211k HD receiver instead of the model 612 dvr, and no additional charges for the equipment.

There was never any mention of a $95 technician/installer fee by either Dish representative, until after I thought that we had everything worked out, and I'd given the supervisor my credit card number. I told him that the previous representative had not mentioned that extra fee, and he should not have waited to tell me about it until after I gave him my credit card number.

He said that I could have the installation fee reduced to $15, if I agreed to start a service agreement for $6/month. I asked if I would be charged a fee for canceling the service agreement later. He said that Dish charges a $25 cancellation fee for the service agreement. I told him that was also unacceptable, given that he didn't tell me about the $95 installers fee until after I had told him my credit card number.

I asked the supervisor if we could do the deal as we had discussed to that point, but have the equipment shipped to me, and I would install it myself and not pay the $95 installer fee. I explained that I've installed and repaired C-Band dishes. I have installed Directv systems, and I've self-installed my Dish Network systems at each location that I've lived since I've been a subscriber. I also explained that I've got a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering, and a licensed Amateur Radio operator. In other words, I could handle my own installation. He said that he couldn't ship me the equipment so that I could install it myself, regardless of my abilities.

So, I instructed him to cancel the order, and to cancel the $1 hold that he'd mentioned earlier on my credit card.

I've been a Dish Network customer since 1998, and have no desire to change to Directv or Comcast cable. But I'm not so loyal of a customer that I will allow the Dish representatives advise me of additional fees only 'after' giving them my credit card number, and in my understanding that I wouldn't have any other fees if I agreed to a 24-month commitment. Their action was morally, if not legally, a 'bait and switch'.

I also have a basic understanding of economics. I've read that Dish Network needs to increase the number of subscribers by 15% to 20% in order to break even on the "HD Free for Life" promotion. I know that as one customer, my subscription won't make much of a difference. However, in this modern communications age with the Internet, email, forums, etc., it won't take much for me to post this letter where existing and potential customers can read it, and perhaps make a bigger impact.

I'll contact the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General of Virginia if this can't be resolved. I have written many times to my Congressman, Rick Boucher, about the availability of distant and local network channels throughout the years. He happens to be the US House of Representatives committee chairman who was instrumental in getting the STELA legislation renewed, and probably would not be happy to hear what happened.

​

If anyone has read all of this, then you are a 'glutton for punishment', but I congratulate you anyway!

Well, I finally got a call back from Dish Network. The lady that called said that she represented the CEO, Charlie Ergen.

She went over every option that she had in the computer, and said that the supervisor who tried to charge me a $95 installer fee before didn't use the correct promotion.

She said that the 'whole-house, dish-it-up' promotion which I qualify for doesn't have an installer fee.

Anyway, I got the deal that I had originally agreed to during the call that prompted my letter to the CEO (letter in the quote). I didn't get anything special, a 24 mo commitment for the receiver/dish upgrade & HD for life. They are also going to send the 211k receiver and 5.3 remote instead of the 612 dvr (which I've read & heard is trouble), which means that I can convert it to a dvr later.

Plus, I keep my old dvr, but of course it will only work on the old dish, and the lady said that it won't be too long before it is 'obsoleted', which means all MPEG4 on all dish satellites soon. (she wouldn't give a date for that, but I would think that it will be soon by her comment)

Anyway, everything appears to have worked out. Although I was about to call Directv to see about their offerings, I think that in the long term that my recurring costs will be slightly lower with Dish.

I'm not going to be OK with this until the new 211k, 5.3 remote, and 1000.4 dish are installed. If you go by my luck with Dish lately, they won't have the right receiver on the installer truck or something like that. I'll find out later this week.

I do have a technical question. Since I own the old 508 dvr and dish 500 w/dp pro lnb, I'm considering moving it to another room and using it on an old crt tv.

QUESTION: If I keep the dish 500 pointed at the 110/119 location, can I run a coax from it to the 1000.4, connect it to the spare port, bring that signal into the house on the single coax, then use some sort of splitter to feed both the 211k hd & 508 sd dvr receivers simultaneously?

Also, even if I can't feed the 508 dvr as described above, is there any benefit to connecting the 110/119 for the new 211k? THANKS

 

[nsafreak]

Glad to hear things worked out for you. You don't need to run a cable from the Dish 500 to the Dish 1000.4 as it wouldn't work anyways since you can only run a DP Dual/Single to it and you're running a Twin LNBF. You'll have to run a cable from the Dish 500 to the 508 receiver in order to provide it with programming. You won't be able to use the 1000.4 for programming not because of the Dish itself but because of where it's pointed. The satellites it obtains programming from are all MPEG4 which the 508 cannot handle.

I doubt that dish will go to all MPEG4 anytime really soon although your 508 receiver may be obsoleted by other things sooner than an MPEG4 transition. Namely as they convert more stations to use 8PSK instead of QPSK. Right now they mainly seem to be doing this with new local additions and with internationals but they'll probably hit the national channels soon enough. When that happens your 508 won't be able to receive them since it is only QPSK capable and not 8PSK.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Once you are converted to eastern arc dish and DISH notes that on your account, it will take the executive office to allow you to add an mpeg 2 receiver , like the 508 on to your account. I just went through that this month with a 501, that I owned and was trying to add back on my account . I had to go through executive office to get it turned on my account. I had to install an old DISH 1000 sat dish so the 501 could get programming. In the end I replaced it with a 211k from the dishstore.net and added an external hard drive to turn it into a dvr. I now have a 922 and two 211ks on my account.

 

[wolfjc]

I contacted Retail Services a while ago. I was wrong....sort of.
Even if it IS a dishnitup (upgrade) the same rule applies...a $15 "tech visit" fee for those with the service plan, and $95 for those without the service plan.
So it applies regardless of whether or not it is a service call or an upgrade. The only thing it does not apply in is an antenna upgrade...don't ask me why.

When I upgraded to a VIP211 I did not pay anything but I had to commit to a year.
Then when I asked, a few months later, about my locals in HD they said I needed a new dish,eastern arch a 1000.4.This also did not cost me any money just another 2 year commitment.

 

[Jim5506]

QUESTION: If I keep the dish 500 pointed at the 110/119 location, can I run a coax from it to the 1000.4, connect it to the spare port, bring that signal into the house on the single coax, then use some sort of splitter to feed both the 211k hd & 508 sd dvr receivers simultaneously?

Also, even if I can't feed the 508 dvr as described above, is there any benefit to connecting the 110/119 for the new 211k? THANKS

I would have the installer install the D1000.4 with totally seperate wiring from the D500.

You can feed one lnb into the D1000.4 but the D500 has two lnb's so you would lose one by running it through the D1000.4.

Without complicated wiring and more equipment, it is difficult to connect 5 satellites to Dish receivers (you need a DP44 and several SW21's, I believe).

If you plan to continue to use the 508, keep it on a seperate system from the 211k.

 

[whatchel1]

Not the thing to do

QUESTION:[/B][/U] If I keep the dish 500 pointed at the 110/119 location, can I run a coax from it to the 1000.4, connect it to the spare port, bring that signal into the house on the single coax, then use some sort of splitter to feed both the 211k hd & 508 sd dvr receivers simultaneously?

Also, even if I can't feed the 508 dvr as described above, is there any benefit to connecting the 110/119 for the new 211k? THANKS[/SIZE]

Hooking to the 1000.4 is a mistake. The 508 can't use that signal and it will just complicate the setup. Just run the existing line (or a new one) to the new location for the unit. After WA is converted to MPEG4 you will need to replace it. My feeling is that will take place w/in the next couple of years. Others don't feel that way but I do since it will allow E* to do more w/ the sats they have just like they have done on EA. So replacing the old equipment will pay for itself in a short time.