Dish is "Oh so sensitive"

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Has anybody broken the news to Dish that...Of course, actually getting it into geo-synchronous orbit costs hundreds of millions of dollars...

I really wish these so-called journalists would read what they write some times...

That's why they're not rocket scientists!

[EDIT]: When I replied earlier, I read that quote out of context. But now that I read the whole article, the journalist meant the satellite dish (reflector, arm, and leg) is only $50 which is true minus the cost of the LNBF. I don't think they were saying that the satellites in the sky cost only $50 to manufacture, because they sure don't.

 

[Foxbat]

My point exactly, the article should have read "A small satellite dish costs about $50." But, I'm willing to bet that an uneducated consumer would know exactly what the author meant, i.e., "How many channels you get with that satellite up on the roof?"

 

[SimpleSimon]

ah. When ya have to explain the joke, it kinda takes the fun outta it, huh?

 

[SAEMike]

When a company becomes too litigious, they sometimes they forget the first 2 rules of business. #1 The customer is ALWAYS right. #2 refer to rule #1

Any good business owner knows that the customer is rarely right.

 

[tm22721]

Dishnetwork is a national outfit and has little to gain by acting heroically in locally isolated disasters. Whereas the local cable company has a lot to gain via free PR on the local news.

 

[bcshields]

Wouldn't you think someone who's house has been knocked down has more to worry about than where her dish equipment went?

I say this is a smear campaign by the generous cable company.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Wouldn't you think someone who's house has been knocked down has more to worry about than where her dish equipment went?

I say this is a smear campaign by the generous cable company.

I'm under the impression that this came about because she called E* to tell them she wouldn't be needing service for a while, and received a nasty response from them.

I still don't see why Dish couldn't just put these accounts on 'vacation hold' until all the insurance stuff and so forth settles out - it would've avoided the bad press and given E* a chance to handle it quietly, and maybe nicely.

 

[JBKing]

We can't be for sure that the lady received a 'nasty' response. We have her calling E* "Rude, uncaring, nasty,". Quote. Her opinion based on her particular misfortune, but not facts. Then after telling E* "We don't even know where your equipment is. It could be 50 miles away.", the lady said she was told That wasn't the company's problem. No quotes. Those are her words interpreting what E* told her.

The reader is to provide the implied condescending attitude, based on the way the entire article is written. Poor journalism IMO, or at the least, not objective reporting. It's very obvious to me, the article is written to get the community against E*, and rally around their local, friendly cable company. And that may be the best thing for this community at the moment, to have someone to direct some of their anger. That can be a part of the healing process. I think that many people read the article, and supplied their own interpretation to how and what E* actually said. The article itself is written to put E* in a bad light, and if the reader adds just a bit of 'attitude' to E*'s response, we end up with everyone p.o.'d at E*, painting them as a cold, heartless corporation.

I seriously doubt that E* would say anything like 'you're S.O.L., your problem--not ours!' or something similar, to this lady.

BTW, we had a major storm hit last night, with power out for over 8 hours, and a tree uprooted in the yard, but no other damage, except maybe refrigerated food. I couldn't help but think, that's what I get for picking on this poor lady in Nebraska!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Good points for sure. I can't remember - wasn't Marc Lumpkin quoted somewhere in this thread? Search doesn't show it - maybe it was in one of the newspaper articles?

Can anyone out there with a working brain help my poor old memory?

 

[JBKing]

From the article:

Marc Lumpkin, spokesman for Dish Network in Littleton, Colo., confirmed Tuesday that weather victims are responsible for the loss of leased equipment.

"If they own the box," he said, referring to the receiver, it's their loss.

If they lease it, they are responsible for replacement cost, he said.

To me, there is nothing wrong with those statements, as per the lease agreement terms. As I said, the reader provides his own interpretation to Mr. Lumpkin's words. Some would read this as coming across very cold hearted. I don't.

We only get to see just a few words directly quoted. We don't know what else was said. There could have been 'Yes, we are aware of the unfortunate circumstances that many of our subscribers face from day to day, we just hope that they have adequate insurance for just these types of events. Unfortunately, we do have to abide by our lease agreement'. Somehow, if Mr. Lumpkin actually said something similar to the reporter, I doubt it would have been quoted. Now, if he said, 'sorry about your bad luck, but I've got other things to deal with', I would think that would have been quoted.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Right - so, for all we know, E* HAS offered to 'vacation' their accounts.

 

[Stargazer]

The smaller local cable company has a bit more to lose than what the bigger national satellite company does in a situation like this if the receivers are not replaced as the cable company is willing to do. Perhaps the cable company does not have much of a choice if they want to continue doing business in that area.

 

[rk69rn]

I just want to add a personal experience with Dish.

A few years ago, my brother was involved in a terrible car accident. He was hospitalized for several months and unable to handle his affairs.
While in the hospital, someone broke in his house and stole many things, including his satellite receivers.
I was helping out and called dish and explained everything to them, I was courteous and was just looking for a way to postpone payment or lower them, anything to help out because money was very tight.(he was the sole breadwinner)
The end result was that they didn't care that he was in the hospital, didn't care that he was robbed, didn't care that he was broke.

They refused to let him out of his contract or lower his monthly service. To cancel subscription was going to cost him a few hundred dollars.
I cancelled anyway because we didn't have a choice.

They took the money out of his checking account( he secured with debit card)
Not only did they take the money he owed, they took approx. $1100 from his account.
In fact, after the account was empty, they kept charging against his account and he was being charged overdraft fees.
I had to file fraud charges to get the money back into his account immediately. Dishnetwork blamed it on a computer glitch.

This is my one and only experience with Dishnetwork and it left a lasting impression so I totally believe that they were insensitive.

Just my 2 cents.
RK

 

[tichard]

Dish Network changes mind

http://journalstar.com/articles/2004/05/29/local/10050315.txt

DirecTV, Dish Network won't charge

Dish Network won't require customers who lost their homes to replace leased equipment, the company said Friday, a reversal from a few days earlier.

Meanwhile, most DirecTV customers in and around Hallam will not have to worry about contract charges. Most DirecTV customers in rural Lancaster County are served by Diode Communication in Diller, said spokeswoman Dani Starck.

The company will disconnect storm victims at no charge, plus provide a free system, free installation and a free month of programming when they reconnect, she said.

None of the company's customers lease equipment.

For more information, call (800)203-1524.

Company President Randy Sandman said that, while a few DirecTV customers may have accounts with the national company, most are served by Diode.

Fifty to 100 customers were affected by the storm, he said. So far, about 15 have called to say that they have lost everything, he said.

A spokesman for Dish Network in Littleton, Colo., the other major supplier of satellite TV in the area, said Tuesday that weather victims were responsible for the loss of leased equipment.

On Friday, Dish Network said it now plans to help out the victims of the tornadoes as much as possible.

If customers have lost their homes and their equipment, they should immediately contact the Dish Network retailer who installed it. The company will waive any cancellation fees and waive hardware fees if insurance does not cover it.

One retailer that has set up most of the dishes in that area is Zager Antenna-DISH Man, 464-6995. Customers can also call (800) 333-3474 and talk to a customer service representative.

Zager and Dish Network also will provide free satellite TVservice in the Hallam shelter so that volunteer workers can stay apprised of developments.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I'd like to think our harping here on this board helped them change their mind.

 

[Stargazer]

How is the retailer going to help them out if it is the company themselves that has charged the fees and would not allow cancellation of the contract? Does Dish expect the retailers to replace the hardware free? How about the retailer's own contract with the customers and Dish Network charging them back?

For Dish to say they will not cover it then later saying that they will shows that they are doing it just because they feel as if they have to, not because they want to, but noneoftheless it is an improvement in that those customers at least will have a resolution if this is being dealt directly through Dish Network.

 

[snathanb]

For Dish to say they will not cover it then later saying that they will shows that they are doing it just because they feel as if they have to, not because they want to,.

For any for-profit business.. when would this ever not be the case? What business would want to give away goods and services, unless they felt in benefited themselves down the road in some way?

 

[cdru]

My opionin...Dish could have been more compassionate, but I think they did the right thing. Just my .02 on the matter.

Another form, DSLReports, had a similiar thread on this same topic and someone posted text from this article:

Aug 2002
After Floods Take Toll on Cable Boxes, Customers Get Bill

Rising cable rates are bad enough, but Texas homeowners who fought rising flood waters this summer are having to pay for the water damage to their cable TV equipment.

Time Warner Cable is charging customers in Texas recently victimized by flooding as much as $300 to replace their set-top boxes from the company.

Karen Hartley, vice president for marketing and communications at Time Warner, said it's company's policy to bill for damaged boxes, which are leased from the MSO. "We are sympathetic to them," she told the San Antonio Express-News. "But we are going to charge them for their boxes."

As expected, Time Warner Cable customers - some of whom lost homes to the floods - aren't happy about paying the bill. "I'm just appalled that a company such as Time Warner would expect this," one unhappy customer said.​

 

[Stargazer]

Perhaps I need to clarify what I had said a little more. I believe Dish wants to make the consumers believe that they want to when they do not. Its one thing to say something and stick with it and another to say one thing then do another later on.

 

[RVD420]

I don't see why Dish doesn't just offer an "equipment insurance" for a small fee (i.e. $1.99 per mo).

Have this optional insurance protect againts Acts of God, and theft reported and doccumented with the police.

I really think in the long run Dish would come out ahead and make a profit.


Just my $0.02