Dish LIVE Retailer Chat Recap - December 20, 2006

[Allin4greeN]

...Meanwhile the low end customers who have one non-DVR receiver are getting no price increase. It looks to me like Dish is choosing to hold this price down in order to market it while they increasingly slide their profit-making crosshairs onto their higher-end customers. They need to remember that their "higher-end" customers are not all owners of fancy houses and BMWs.

Agreed. I fall into the target crosshairs only because I've chosen to prioritize the new toys and HD programming in my utililities/discretionary spending. Being single and living in a one bedroom apartment with a 10 year old car I bought used has given me the flexibility to do that. Even when the 10 year old used car is a BMW

I'm perturbed by the size of the increase but, I'm also aware of my options with Comcast and D* and am not interested in switching so, I'm willing to pay. I just wish there were more flexibility in the pricing structure and venting here makes me feel better

 

[will53033]

Dish Sales People and CSR's are clueless. I have sent two messages and called Dish twice about the new DVR Advantage package. One CSR stated that such a package does not exist. When I told him it was announced on the Retailer Chat along with the February price changes, he stated that there will be no such package and that Dish has not announced any price increases.

 

[pajer]

Dish says it is going to be the " year of the dvr" , which means if you have our dvr's you are locked in with us with the aep, or if you downgrade from aep , we will fee you to death so either way it is a win-win for dish and a lose-lose for customer, either you get a 10% increase or if you downgrade from aep you have to pay dvr fee for each receiver. Feed the Pig! Dish, screw you, i,m downgrading to at100.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Another factor that people need to consider is that E* subsidizes a large part of the cost of receivers - often something roughly like $500.

That was true a few years ago. It is very debatable now. Earlier this year E* held a meeting with some of their big stockholders / investors and showed how they were making money on receivers. Particularly over the long-run via leases and programming commitments. That's why you don't see E* advertise outright sales of receivers much anymore.

E* has already twice lowered the sales price of the 622 since it was introduced in February. It wouldn't make much sense for E* to sell receivers at a loss with no programming commitment.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

If you dont like it you can always cancel, face it rate increases are a way of life, Dish has to pay more which means we have to pay more.

I may be seeing Joe Leiberman tommorow, if I mentioned it to him I think he would laugh, its free enterprise, and you are free to go if you dont like the way they do things.

Joe Lieberman would laugh at people using their right of free speech to complain about corporate greed???

Did E* make a big contribution to Joe?

Joe lost in the primaries to a cable company owner.

 

[NpaulTodd]

And keep the dish....

Me thinks you are correct!

 

[Hall]

Dish Sales People and CSR's are clueless. I have sent two messages and called Dish twice about the new DVR Advantage package. One CSR stated that such a package does not exist. When I told him it was announced on the Retailer Chat along with the February price changes, he stated that there will be no such package and that Dish has not announced any price increases.

Did you receive a rate increase notice in your bill ?? Are these new rates posted on Dish's website ?? Is "DVR Advantage" listed on their website ??

The answer to all of the above is .... "no".

 

[dream1958]

I probably missed this in the 18 pages of reading, but what happens to the people who kept the old $9.99 hd pak?

Anyone have an answer for this?

 

[Stargazer]

I know that I typed this in another thread but I think it is worth mentioning again - I went from AEP to AT180 after last year's increase. If you order premium channels here is how you can save some dough and perhaps improve your service. Use your DVR to record a bunch of movies for a month or two (however long you need to record a bunch of movies) then cancel the movie package(s). You have all those movies on your hard drive (your own version of On Demand) and you can watch them anytime you want without the extra monthly fee, just the one time fee of the cost of the package plus the $5 downgrade fee evertyime you order the package to get the movies put back onto the hard drive. I do this when the free previews come on. I recomend getting one package at a time when doing this then getting a different package the next time to get a better variety. This would work GREAT for those that pay all that money for the adult channels. Record a bunch of them then watch them as needed without the reoccuring high monthly rate that they charge.

Also, those that have the $1.99 warranty that are currently grandfathered, are they going to be continued to be grandfathered?

Are those that are going to get this DVRAdvantage package going to be able to get that annually? Are they going to provide the people with a DVR included without an upfront fee if they sign the 18 month commitment?

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

To summerize the changes/price increases:

AT 60 becomes AT 100. (Counting everything, there are 90 channels on this pack now)
-The 32 CD channels already on AT120 and up are added to the package.
-No Price Increase

AT 120 CD becomves AT 200 (Counting everything there are about 225 channels on this pack now)
-$3 a month price increase

AT 180 CD becomes AT 250 (Counting everything there are abou 280 channels on thios pack now)
-$3 a month price increase

Americas Everything
- $5 a month price increase


Dish HD Bronze which was AT60+ HD Pack and sold for $20 more than AT60 alone.
- ELIMINATED

Dish HD Silver which was AT120+ HD Pack and sold for $20 more than AT120 alone.
- ELIMINATED

Dish HD Gold which was AT 180 + HD Pack and sold for $20 more than AT180 alone.
- ELIMINATED

Dish HD Platinum which was America's everything + HD Pack and sold for $15 more than AEP alone.
- ELIMINATED


HD PACK added to any basic package $20.

HD PACK Only
-No Price Increase (still $29.95? + $6 HD enabling fee?)

HBO
-No Price Increase

Showtime, Cinemax, Starz
- $1/mo price increase EACH

So are they back to offering the HD Pack only again since it was dropped in June?

 

[OoTLink]

They need to remember that their "higher-end" customers are not all owners of fancy houses and BMWs.

I have the lowest rung of service and last I checked it's $40 a month for 4 TVs! If they raise the price one more time it's going to cost more than cable, and I'm just going to throw the towel in and say F it.

No, not digital cable. Seriously, to me it comes down to the bottom line. Most stuff on TV is junk, it's hardly worth $40 a month! I can't see how anybody in the right mind would go spending $100+ a month on junk and take it standing up! :

 

[Weezknight]

I probably missed this in the 18 pages of reading, but what happens to the people who kept the old $9.99 hd pak?

I also asked this same question, but don't have an answer yet. My idea is that if they are going to start charging me the $20 for this, I better get a free 211 upgrade, since I'm still under their 18-month contract.

 

[GadgetGirl]

I have been a big advocate of Dish and have referred many customers, but recently have been somewhat dissatisfied. I have found there service has really been horrible and I now have to have 2 dishes if I want High Def. My local cable company offered me a deal that I am currently trying. I have had it for a week now. I was going to do this just to see what cable offers. I have had Dish for the past 8 years and wanted to see how cable has changed in the 8 years. I wanted to see how their high def looked. I was suprised to learn that even without any special offers, the equivalent cable package was around $10 less than the Dish package. With a $10 increase it will be $20 more, it is pushing me more towards cable. I wouldn't mind getting rid of the 2 dishes I now have. Cable is beginning to look better to me all the time. With cable I can get free on-demand and more of my local channels in high def. Dish used to be ahead of the others, but now is lagging behind and charging more. I am going to wait until after CES and then make some decisions.

I am hoping that we will have FIOS in my area, may happen in the next couple of years. I want to see how that compares.

 

[wayne231]

I hate to say it, but I am in the same boat with Gadget Girl. I have checked cable and it would be considerably cheaper than Dish (the picture quality was quite good) plus I will be able to get all my local channels in High Def without two dishes and an OTA antenna. I have loved dish but my bill will go to over $150.00 and I cannot justify that.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Then vote with your feet and pursue the better deal. Things won't change until enough people drive the churn number up. If he raises prices 10% and only 2% leave, then nothing will deter him from continuing the increases.

I think this will be the last big increase for a while. Fios is looming large and is almost ready for prime time. Right now, Verizon's DVR is the only thing keeping me from itching to switch...

 

[Poke]

Yeah well I would like to know what SD Channels they are adding to the new plans. I have E-mailed my contacts but I guess they are all snowed in since Denver got hit with a blizzard.

 

[navychop]

No, you cannot order the $20 HD pack stand alone.

 

[Poke]

Either way for most folks are only looking at a $3 increase is all.

 

[sonnyboy11]

If you've been paying a monthly DVR fee for your 508, you might want to get on the horn and tell them to take the DVR fee off for the 508! DISH does not impose a DVR fee for the 501 and 508 DVR's so deactivating your 508 will just get rid of your additional receiver fee. But yeah, no use paying for a receiver if you ain't gonna use it. They don't charge a fee for activating or deactivating a receiver. At least not yet!

Well, that's good to know! But I have Platinum so all DVR fees have been waived. I'll keep it in mind though if I scale back once the price increase sets in.

 

[kvhollis]

Yes, we certainly do!! If my bill is going up $10/month, Verizon's FIoS just might get a new customer! No fooling!

---Doug

I wish I have FIOS in my area....