Thanks for the info. Still a lot of money to pay straight up with 12 months left on Dish, even though I'd be getting it back down the line in the form of the gift card the pdf mentions, but that won't be as true in another 6 months or so when the EFT would be more manageable as long as I get it back later. So something to keep floating around in the back of my mind if I want to make a switch in a few months.
One thing I noticed doing some Internet searches is that Directv does seem to require a deposit for people with credit scores they don't like, which could also be a barrier. But one good thing with Directv versus Dish Network is that it sounds like it is really is a deposit- i.e. that you get it back eventually- rather than just being a fee you pay and never see again. Although, if the deposit is high enough at $5 extra "off" a month, it might take you beyond the term of your commitment to get it back, which means extra months at regular price (So probably no deal). And no one on a tight budget likes paying money upfront- if it was the $300 max that's rumored, I'd walk away. But depending on the size of the thing... like $100 you get back within a year might be manageable.
I don't know, we'll see where things stand when/if I'm ready to switch. I may stick with Dish or hop to cable before Direct (cable doesn't usually care about credit scores or require a deposit). But I'd say the odds are good that I'll wind up with Directv for a while eventually if they don't require a deposit or the deposit isn't that much. On a tight budget, new customer promos are too good to pass up. And any deal I might get from going back to cable would eventually expire- and bundling is a factor with cable Internet. That's assuming cable adds back the CSN+ games, otherwise I probably don't want it. The TV world can be kind of complicated these days.
I also have to see if Dish has a blowup with ESPN or my local sports channels- in which case, I'm out of there basically the second they go off the air if it's financially feasible.
Of course, if cable and satellite companies would just have an everyday low price instead of good promo prices and horrible regular prices, and showed all the sports channels, I'd probably just stick with one provider my whole life. Switching is a big hassle, and I generally like just being able to get used to all the pluses and minuses of one thing and not having to adjust to anything new. But if that's what I've got to do to save some money and afford a decent TV package long-term, I guess that's what I have to do. I see a ton of homes driving around with both Dish and Directv dishes on them- presumably people who switch back and forth to grab new customer promos.
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