DirecTV Marketer Steals DISH Customers Via 800 Number Squatting

[fbara]

From Consumerist today:

A sneaky DirecTV marketer has bought up toll-free numbers that end in "DISH."

When DISH Network customers call up, the operators make it sound like they're from Dish and offering them a free service upgrade, but in reality, they're switching the service and slamming the Dish Network customer into a DirecTV service contract.

The real number for DISH is 800-333-3474, but this company has bought 888-333-3474, and according to reports on 800 notes, several other 800, 888, 866 numbers that end with "DISH."


We first heard about it in a message left on our Consumerist hotline:



TRANSCRIPT: "I had to authorize a new Dish receiver. The number on the screen said 1-800-333-DISH. I dialed 1-888-333-DISH. I got a guy that immediately asked for my name, phone number, address, email address, and talked about the new specials that he could give me for being such a loyal customer. I kind of just wanted my receiver authorized.



And he says, these are some great deals, and you should get rewarded for being such a loyal customer since you've been with Dish Network so long.
Then he says, "if I send you these new boxes out, keep in mind that these are direct Tv boxes..."



It turns out that it was a DirecTV franchise that was capitalizing on people mistaking 1-800-333-DISH for 1-888-333-DISH. They're not telling people who they are upfront and they're getting a bunch of information when you're thinking that you're talking to a company that you already trust and have an account with. So it really ticked me off. It's totally uncool. Hopefully you can print this and people won't get confused anymore." :END TRANSCRIPT


Very clever. If you accidentally sign up for this, best thing to do is a charegback. Unsurprisingly, the folks on 800 notes say the sleazy DirecTV marketers are not that nice about giving refunds.

 

[space86]

Business is business.

 

[pro96]

hehe, just like telephone companies used to do in the 90's .. classic pitch

 

[RVD420]

still a slimeball move.

Even though DirecTV is not directly involved it still makes DirecTV look bad.

DirecTV should do damage control and terminate the retailers contract.

 

[dishcomm]

Business is business.

That is NOT business. It is a crime.

 

[jmccurrytech]

When I called the number it said in a really quick voice "Thank you for calling about Dish One Up" then rings and saids "Your call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes" then rings again and goes to a Rep. who asks for your telephone number area code first.

 

[dishcomm]

Anyone who supports or defends this kind of anti consumer low down dirty trickery is scum of the earth.

BTW "cybersquatting" was finally dealt with in final fashion. It is essentially illegal.
This needs to be headed that way as well.
I am not so sure this could not be used for identity theft.

Everyone who uses a telephone should check the number they have dialed very carefully. You financial well being could depend on it.

 

[Mr Tony]

I remember that dish HAD 888-333-Dish about 7-8 years ago. It was one of those "special customer" type numbers. When I first got Dish, they sent me a card with that number and a "special" customer appreciation number on it. When you called the number, you kinda bypassed the auto system.

But that was 8 years ago

 

[dishcomm]

hehe, just like telephone companies used to do in the 90's .. classic pitch

It was called "slamming"... The practiceof switching a customer from one l;ong distance company to another without the customer's knowledge or approval.
LOcal telcos were basically wide open for any LD company to look at phone numbers and names. Companies like the now crimially defunct MCI were the biggest culprits. MCI slammed me. I had no idea. I got a bill from thenm for LD's an I refused to pay it.
I spoke to a very nasty rep at MCI and her final sanppy response was "you made the calls and you will pay for them"..
I was livid and told her she was a "Cee U Next Tuesday" and that I would never pay.
I never got another bill from MCI and never paid the 15 bucks...

 

[Bob Haller]

I abandoned my 800 number because a louisana casino got a similar number, and my phone started ringing off the hook all nite long. '


their vanity number was close to my real number. called the casino they didnt care.

my 800 number got reassigned as a porn line. a school told me of this..... but they werent upset. they had a typo in the district calendar, that was another porn number

 

[Curtis0620]

If I recall, DISH did this when Directv was converting PrimeStar customers.

 

[mike123abc]

Burger King had a guest hotline 1-800-YES-1800 and they had it printed on a bunch of stuff. Well I guess they decided it was too expensive to maintain the hotline and discontinued it. A porn site snatched it up and you really got the YES when you called. Needless to say it is embarrassing with a lot of posters with that number still up...

 

[Koilvr]

I called these buttheads, I was with them on the phone for 21 minutes. When you first call, it says thank you for calling Dish 1 up. It says it soo fast then the phone rings 1 ring all within 10seconds when someone on the other end says Sorry for the wait can I get your phone# and name and address. 2nd time I called they had music kinda like dishnetworks (might be my paranoia) She asked for my email address and I said do you not see it on your computer? She said ohh yea yes yes I do sorry sir an just kept on askin me things to get more info. I gave her all wrong info blocked my number before I called them. She asked how many recievers where on my account I said u shoud see it on ur computer she tried to say her computer was down earlier soo she just wanted to know how many I said 6 tvs on 1 box then she said wow really? I kept playin stupid and got alot of info how they do things there. After she saw I was waistin time with her she said U do realize you called directv. I said i know and went in this anger but polite manner how there a fruad and they should be ashamed on pryin on inocent people. I told her that her mother would be disappointed about tryin to fraud people into switchin to directv with out there knowledge after about 15min she said wanna talk to my supervisor I said yes and she transfered me really fast to another lady. I was also tellin her how se should be ashamed for misleading inocent people and tricking them. bout 6 min later she hunged up on my after I was cryin that they commit fraud on poor people. I asked a few time why they had the same # as dishnetwork. they kept sayin they do not. I asked why it is 333-3474? no answer. This place is a joke

 

[Bobby]

I gave her all wrong info blocked my number before I called them.

You only think you blocked your number when you called them. It doesn't work when you call a toll free number. They know what number called them and probably your name as well.

How to Block Caller ID | eHow.com

 

[whatchel1]

This sounds like bait and switch.

 

[jmccurrytech]

Use skype, you can call toll free numbers without paying

 

[Islandguy43]

I called these buttheads, I was with them on the phone for 21 minutes. When you first call, it says thank you for calling Dish 1 up. It says it soo fast then the phone rings 1 ring all within 10seconds when someone on the other end says Sorry for the wait can I get your phone# and name and address. 2nd time I called they had music kinda like dishnetworks (might be my paranoia) She asked for my email address and I said do you not see it on your computer? She said ohh yea yes yes I do sorry sir an just kept on askin me things to get more info. I gave her all wrong info blocked my number before I called them. She asked how many recievers where on my account I said u shoud see it on ur computer she tried to say her computer was down earlier soo she just wanted to know how many I said 6 tvs on 1 box then she said wow really? I kept playin stupid and got alot of info how they do things there. After she saw I was waistin time with her she said U do realize you called directv. I said i know and went in this anger but polite manner how there a fruad and they should be ashamed on pryin on inocent people. I told her that her mother would be disappointed about tryin to fraud people into switchin to directv with out there knowledge after about 15min she said wanna talk to my supervisor I said yes and she transfered me really fast to another lady. I was also tellin her how se should be ashamed for misleading inocent people and tricking them. bout 6 min later she hunged up on my after I was cryin that they commit fraud on poor people. I asked a few time why they had the same # as dishnetwork. they kept sayin they do not. I asked why it is 333-3474? no answer. This place is a joke

It makes you wonder if Directv knows that this company whom is one of their retailers uses these tatics? I should hope they don't and perhaps any of the contacts at Directv on this Board, might want to let their higherups what is going on.

 

[andyin137]

They cant change You out of Dish.

Even if this number is for Directv they cant change your service without them coming out and changing your Dish and receivers.The only thing they possibly can do is charge your Credit Card and if they do and you think its Dishnetwork you giving information to as long as you ask them is this Dishnetwork and if they say they are and arent ,theyve committed fraud .I guess this can happen with New Customers but if I beleive Dishnetwork is installing my System and Directv shows up I would just refuse install and call my Bank and have Charges reversed on Credit Card(People use only a Credit Card ,not a Debit Card whenever possible)
Also A red Flag in my mind would go up if I called Dish and they asked me for my Credit Card Information again.Its already in their system for auto Billing.No need to give out again.People just need to know who they are doing Business with,if in doubt stay away from that company.

 

[Koilvr]

I used a Vonage # that i blocked if it did not work oh well not worried since I use a virtual# as all my numbers I give out to credit cards, stores, includin dishnetwork.