Dish is ultra aggressive to keep customers
- Thread starter Holysmoke
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I'm not sure how often you're on the forums. It's been a couple of weeks since you posted this. If you check back here, I'm interested to know how you went about getting this deal. I saw that about 1 week before you posted this, you'd posted on the Hopper 3 forums about being interested in a Hopper 3 upgrade. I'm wondering if the DIRT team handled your questions and you getting your deal or if you had to call retentions to get it?
The deal you received is basically the one I'd want to a T. Did you have to mention that you had a competing service available to you and threaten to cancel? I don't have the Google hookup. My small town does have a very competitive TV service/DVR price though. You've been a Dish customer longer (20 years to my 18) and have a higher programming package (AT250 to my AT200). I'm not sure how much of a difference that made in your favor.
I've seen people write about $50 or $65/month savings for a year. I'd prefer a Hopper 3 upgrade and a smaller monthly savings off my programming package. I don't want to sign a contract extension. I've been out of contract for over a year, and I'd like to reserve the right to cut the cord in the future.
Thanks for any help you can give on this.
How long have you been a customer, what package do you sub to, and how many promotions or credits have you received in the past 24 months.
I tried DIRT, but they told me they couldn't help because I didn't have a credit card on file (and won't give them one). I called the regular CS number and laid it out for them: I can get Google TV and an 8-tuner DVR and Top 250 programming for $65 a month (2 TVs). I wanted a Hopper 3 and no commitment. I didn't get pushy but made it clear that DISH needed to at least come close to Google or I was gone. I'm paying about $10 more a month than if I went to Google, but I can live with that. I like the Hopper 3 a lot, and I hear that Google really borked the latest DVR software update.
Here's some information. I apologize if TMI, just trying to be thorough.
Length Of Time As Dish Customers
We’ve been with Dish for 18 years. I don’t remember exactly when it was installed initially. I just remember that about 1 year ago I was talking to a rep and she said we’d been with Dish 17 years. I was surprised, as I thought we’d had it installed in 2000 or 2001. It must’ve been ’98. I’m not sure if there’s a way to check when we first became customers on my online account or something(?) I don’t keep records like that.
Programming Package
We’re on the AT200, and have been for a while (over 1 year for sure). At some point years ago (3 or 4?) we dropped down to the Welcome Pack for at least a few months in the spring/summer. I think it was in the summer of 2007 that we dropped programming but kept our account by paying (I think) $5/month for 2 months.
Offers/Savings
- We saved $20/month for 6 months (starting in October 2014) when they dropped the 8 Turner channels in a contract dispute. That’s the only time I called in and requested a savings on my bill.
-We used to get $5 off for bundling our Dish and Iowa Telecom (which later became Windstream) accounts into 1 bill. We dropped Windstream for local internet last April.
-1 year ago we were getting a # of movie packages. The oldest bill on my account (5/13/15 - 6/12/15) shows that we were getting 50% off the following (I'm not sure if had them all for 6 months or cancelled some/all early):
Cinemax 6 months ($7)
Showtime 6 months ($7)
Starz 6 months ($7)
BB @ Home 6 months ($5)
I think they were offers on our account when I logged into dish.com. For example, every time I log in now I’m offered HBO at $10/month (regularly $15/month). It doesn’t specify how long this would last. Usually it gives you a time frame. There’s also currently an Epix Offer tab at the bottom of all the tabs for free Epix 1, 2, & 3 for one month. Just saw that for the first time now (offer ends 3/31).
We haven’t had any movie packages since last June (removed them all 6/22).
Bill Amounts
These are the only bills which show on my account. Prior to 5/13/15 bill, we paid our Dish through Windstream:
5/13/15 - 6/12/15 - $147.85
6/13/15 - 7/12/15 - $71.05 (lower bill due to overpaying Windstream after cutting their service, which was bundled with Dish)
7/13/15 - 8/12/15 - $95.56 (lower bill due to prorated movie package cancellation credits)
8/13/15 - 9/12/15 - $114.89
9/13/15 - 10/12/15 - $120.24
10/13/15 - 11/12/15 - $120.24
11/13/15 - 12/12/15 - $128.80 (Protection Plan added)
12/13/15 - 1/12/16 - $136.21 (someone somehow accidentally rented “Kingsman” on VOD for $7, never watched it, already owned it on Blu-ray & Digital HD)
1/13/16 - 2/12/16 - $128.80
2/13/16 - 3/12/16 - $134.10
3/13/16 - 4/12/16 - $134.10
Last Equipment Install/2-Year Agreement
We last had equipment installed and did a 24-month agreement in February of 2013. I think they offered 2 Hoppers and 2 Joeys (not sure about installation). I wanted 1 Hopper w/Sling in place of one of the regular Hoppers. The rep said that would cost extra. I’m pretty sure we paid $100 for it.
Many thanks! Sounds like you were never transferred to retentions. I like the deal you got with the Hopper upgrade/installation and monthly savings.
It’s nice that your call didn’t get contentious from the sound of things. I don’t want to have to do a lot of arguing or get snippy. I don’t like bartering or asking for things. I just wanted some potential savings on my bill because I think $134 (or $126 if there’s no protection plan) is too much $$ to pay, especially when you’re not getting any movie packages. Then our Hopper crapped out and I read about the Hopper 3 having loads of tuners and working with my 4K TV.
I’m envious of the Google fiber. I feel lucky as all get out to get 25 mbps down/up after having been stuck with crappy DSL for so long. I can’t imagine 1000 mbps! The local competitor to Dish has a pretty reasonably-priced package that would fit most of our needs. But if I were to cancel dish, I may just go the cord-cutting route. Save for Chicago Bears games and news, I think cutting the cord would be very easy for us.
Aside from the local channels, my only qualms about canceling are:
1) Losing the (admittedly foolish) number of WD external hard drives we have filled with Dish content. I think we have four 2 TB drives (2 completely filled) and another stack of 1 TB drives (something like six or eight of them, completely filled). The idea of all of that DVR’d content being lost bothers me. Then again, we almost never watch any of it. A good amount of it is backups of favorite movies/shows in the event that our DVR’s crap out (which has happened in the past). Redundant copies of HD recordings take up a lot of space. I do own a lot of it on Blu-ray/DVD/iTunes too.
Losing DVR’d content sucks too. But I’m more at peace with that because it’s happened multiple times over the past years when the DVR gave out.
2) We’ve been customers for a long time. It feels weird, the idea of canceling an account we’ve had so long. I wouldn’t miss the programming that much. We already do a majority of our TV watching through the streaming options. But I love the locals, the DVR equipment is nice, and it’s handy to have all of the recorded content right there with easy access. Siri voice control with the Apple TV 4 has made accessing my large and growing iTunes library much easier to access. There are family members who still prefer accessing things through the Dish DVR’s though.
Welp, our 2nd straight 9-month pause expired (longish story there) and Dish emailed requesting us to call , meanwhile resuming our AT120+ service. Called in and straight-up asked for the box to return our lowly 211K. A very polite agent responded, and before cutting off service asked about some of our viewing preferences, and shortly we got Welcome pack with HD locals for a low introductory price and a free year of Netflix. I'm suitably impressed., so, kudos to Dish reps.
ETA, Dish customers for 6 + years
ETA, Dish customers for 6 + years
Dish Executive Offices can be reached at 1(866)406-0125. Sorry I didn't post the number in my original post.
Curious to see if it still works for you. I tried calling it right after I posted it, and it doesn't play the same recording as it used to. When I called last, the recording stated, "Thank you for calling the Executive Offices of Dish Network. If you know the extension of the person you are calling, enter it now." When I tried again right after responding to your post, it sounded more like the standard recording you get when calling regular CS. I hope it still works....they always took care of issues for me that the regular CS would just blow off.
That line for customer help was discontinued several years ago as that it was getting abused. DIRT became the extension of it.
Well just got off the phone with Dish. Trying to reduce bill due current monthly charge is around $150 (top 250, 2-612's and a 722) . Explained what channels we do watch(about 12-15 regular). Was never offered any discount like has been posted here. Been Dish customer at this location since 1999 Had Dish before that at previous home. Did some chopping of my own this morning and got it to $122.00 a month. Dropped Blockbuster pkg, Superstations and 250 to 200 pkg. May ship the bedroom 612 back being I only used it for the Walking Dead. Use Roku 3 all the rest of the time.
So I guess I'm not a worthy customer to Dish.
So I guess I'm not a worthy customer to Dish.
