Dish discounted program packages.

[whatchel1]

I got this from the Morning Bridge. Would like to hear more about what is going on with these. Maybe DIRT knows more. New subs only or are they also for existing customers as well?
DISH Network, the nation's #2 satellite provider, has revealed a suite of new discounted programming packages aimed at OTT fans, movie lovers and cost-conscious consumers. Significant in the news is that DISH had locked its prices for 2012 during a one-time multi-year increase in Jan. 2011.

DISH's promo pricing offers several tiers of discounts as high as $30 per month including three free months of Blockbuster @Home; three free months of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and Starz; free HD; three free HD receivers including one free HD DVR. Bernstein Research's Craig Moffett said while the price cuts are "roughly in line" with previous discounts, the scheme is "aggressive nonetheless... suggest(ing) DISH will continue to pursue its aggressive price-based strategy from the previous year."

According to Bernstein's calculations, the following promos reflect price cuts of 17% to 30% across the board. (Editor's note: Most of these packages require a new 2-year contract and are available through May 20th.)

• America’s Everything Pak: $104.99/month is being offered with a $30/month discount (28.5%).

• America’s Top 120: $49.99/month is being offered with a $15/month discount (30%).

• DISH America: $34.99/month is being offered with a $10/month discount (28.6%).

• America Silver: $49.99/month is being offered with a $10/month discount (20%).

• America Gold: $59.99/month is being offered with a $10/month discount (16.7%).

• DISH Family: $24.99/month is being offered with a $5/month discount (20%).

 

[MattG@DISH]

The offers are for new subs only. On top of the upfront discount, which varies by package, customers must go online to mydish.com to get the Online Bonus Discount. Customers must agree to a new 24 month commitment when signing up (DHA24 or Flex24). Here is some more info on the offer:

-Customers has 45 days from the time of activation to redeem online
-Online Bonus Discount begins upon redemption and extends for 12 billing cycles
-Customer must remain in good standing and maintain minimum qualifying programming to receive Online Bonus Discount
-Customer will forfeit all remaining credits if they:
*Remove AutoPay
*Opt out of marketing emails
*Go on DISH Pause
*Disconnect their account

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Customer will forfeit all remaining credits if they: *Remove AutoPay *Opt out of marketing emails

What ever happened to just providing a service without sending spam mail and letting the customer decide how and when to send the payment in (So long as it's on time)?

Also, I note here that they listed the regular price for AT120 as $5 higher than the current price....

 

[MattG@DISH]

AT120 is $44.99, AT120+ is $49.99.

 

[Scherrman]

What ever happened to just providing a service without sending spam mail and letting the customer decide how and when to send the payment in (So long as it's on time)?

Also, I note here that they listed the regular price for AT120 as $5 higher than the current price....

What's wrong with a business wanting something from their customers when they give something away? Why do you think any business does giveaways? They are promoting their business and at the same time collecting info from potential customers. It's how business works.

 

[dare2be]

-Customer will forfeit all remaining credits if they:
*Remove AutoPay
*Opt out of marketing emails
*Go on DISH Pause
*Disconnect their account

From a purely business perspective, this makes logical business sense. They are able to lure customers in with the offered discounts, and mitigate some of their lost revenue by saving money with autopay, and building a cheap potential revenue stream with email marketing. The customer has the choice whether the trade offs are worth the discounts.

 

[steve4810]

What ever happened to just providing a service without sending spam mail and letting the customer decide how and when to send the payment in (So long as it's on time)?

Also, I note here that they listed the regular price for AT120 as $5 higher than the current price....

Nothing.

You want to pay regular price then you can pay the regular way. Me, I like to save a buck so I'll opt to pay a special way in exchange for a special price.

It's called freedom of choice. And I bet you can opt out of promotional email if you want.

 

[Dishman1978]

Why complain about extras?????

 

[HanoverPretzel]

What's wrong with a business wanting something from their customers when they give something away? Why do you think any business does giveaways? They are promoting their business and at the same time collecting info from potential customers. It's how business works.

I may have been a little more harsh than I should have been there. I am not questioning that they have the right to ask for those type of terms if they want to.

Having said that, though, I don't like it. As a consumer, I am starting to lose control and choice with a lot of things. So many companies are asking for long-term contracts now with heavy penalties for opting out. Now we have Dish saying they have to be able to spam you and won't let you choose when and how to pay your bill- assuming you want a standard new customer discount that used to be available without you being forced to agree to get spam messages or being forced to select auto-pay.

I guess choice and the ability to make my own decisions year to year, month to month, and even day to day are things I place a premium on.

Now, it's true, a lot of times if you back up a Brink's truck full of money, you are allowed to forgo these requirements. But, like a lot of people right now, I don't have a Brink's truck full of money. So, it's important that I snatch up promos when I can because of quality of life issues. And those type of promos used to not come with too many extra requirements. Now they do. So, relative to the way things were for new Dish customers who signed up last month, new Dish customers who sign up this month are in a worse position (Either agree to extra restrictions, or don't get the typical new customer first year discount).

 

[Yespage]

What ever happened to just providing a service without sending spam mail and letting the customer decide how and when to send the payment in (So long as it's on time)?

Also, I note here that they listed the regular price for AT120 as $5 higher than the current price....

A person complaining about spam email via derailing a thread. That seems a bit ironic.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

A person complaining about spam email via derailing a thread. That seems a bit ironic.

Uh, the spam was one of the things you have to agree to get in order to qualify for the discounts now. The thread is about new customer discounts. Seems on-topic to me.

 

[Scherrman]

I still don't understand the complaining. These companies are giving you nothing BUT choices. You don't have to do anything if you don't want too. If you don't want a contract then don't, but don't expect the equipment to be free and it to be installed for free then. If you want HD either pay for it or sign up for autopay. If you want a DVR then pay $6 for it. Want more channels, then pay for the higher package.

Should I go to the car dealer and say I want the car that has the full package for the same price as the stripped down version? Dish could easily go back to the original days when you had to buy all the equipment and install it yourself.

 

[lparsons21]

Dish could easily go back to the original days when you had to buy all the equipment and install it yourself.

Uh, no. While they could do that, it wouldn't be easy and I'd be willing to bet it would be the end of Dish if they tried.

 

[chicagonettech]

Dish could easily go back to the original days when you had to buy all the equipment and install it yourself.

We bought and self-installed everything. No contracts, no bullcrap e-mail, no auto-pay. Never been late with a payment, either, since 1995

 

[Scherrman]

We bought and self-installed everything. No contracts, no bullcrap e-mail, no auto-pay. Never been late with a payment, either, since 1995

You can still do that too. It's just a lot more expensive. Customers want everything given to them now so the companies have to find ways to get money back out of their customers.

 

[dare2be]

Uh, no. While they could do that, it wouldn't be easy and I'd be willing to bet it would be the end of Dish if they tried.

He was being facetious.

 

[empiretc]

Dish could easily go back to the original days when you had to buy all the equipment and install it yourself.

that would definitely filter out all the people who bounce around signing up for promotional discounts all the time. it would probably be beneficial to the long time customers as they could offer lower prices overall instead of promotions.

 

[WieselThorpe]

I have been with Dish since 2004 and have never asked for anything. It seems to me that if I paid for my own equipment upgrades over the years and it didn't cost them any additional cost that they could reward loyal customers from time to time. It appears the people that bounce between TV providers, cell phone companies, etc for promotional discounts get the rewards and since they switch every 2 years, that has to be waste of money and equipment.

You shouldn't have to threaten to switch to get the deal, the whole system has trained people to act the way they do. It should reward loyal customers not the drifters just looking for something for free.

 

[Scherrman]

While I agree with long time customers getting better deals but I'm not sure how Dish can handle the situation. The problems with giving great deals out to existing customers is that too many people take advantage of the system.

You'd think they could have notes on customer's accounts that they qualify for special promotions or something like that. I don't know how they can make everyone happy.

 

[Dishman1978]

We bought and self-installed everything. No contracts, no bullcrap e-mail, no auto-pay. Never been late with a payment, either, since 1995

And it wasnt free......or discounted, right?