Dish Network Can't Activate 721s...

[drdroo]

My beautiful and self-purchased 721 had a drive failure last Thursday and didn't want to work anymore. Other than that it's been a great thing to own since nearly 2 years ago.

Dish offered me to buy the 5.98 equipment plan, or pay 49$ to trade it out with a refurb. The refurb came Monday, and it worked during setup, then the video would lock up and the machine would reset. Eventually, sure enough, hard drive failure less than 4 hours after activating. They had problems getting it to activate at first, but eventually after 10-15 minutes of chit-chat with the rep, life was good.

So they send me another replacement, which I received today. I called to activate, and they took down the card information and box number. She put me on hold to talk to someone about something, and came back.

She told me they can't add or remove 721s from accounts right now, and to try back in a few days.

I told her that I could call the cable company tomorrow and sign up and get service. It was bad enough they sent me a box that was virtually dead on arrival, let alone the fact they sent me another receiver knowing full well I couldn't activate it.

So let this be a lesson to anyone who is waiting for an exchange on a 721. You will get it, it will get a signal, but they can't activate it for the 'next few days' at least.

--Droo, @Network

 

[stone phillips420]

dish cant activate it cause from what i heard the 721 wont work with rom 101 or 102
721 will work with rom 103 or sw1-4 cards

i too had lots of problems with my 721 when they swapprd cards from blue to yellow

the 921 wre same way
apparently dish has a special card for 721/921 only

 

[Mr Tony]

e-mail ceo@dishnetwork.com and give them the info and try and be polite
make sure you give them a good contact number

 

[drdroo]

dish cant activate it cause from what i heard the 721 wont work with rom 101 or 102
721 will work with rom 103 or sw1-4 cards

i too had lots of problems with my 721 when they swapprd cards from blue to yellow

the 921 wre same way
apparently dish has a special card for 721/921 only

I have the yellow card in this replacement, in the previous replacement, and in my original that I bought... So there shouldn't be a problem cardwise. They all say 721/921 only. My yellow card I've had almost a year, and the box worked fine until the drive failed in it.

--Droo, @Network

 

[drdroo]

e-mail ceo@dishnetwork.com and give them the info and try and be polite
make sure you give them a good contact number

This replacement is already locking up at random on NASA TV. So it, too, is probably going to be dead pretty quick even without being activated..

I'll do what you mention though and see what happens. Stinks really purely because I'd either have to pay a DVOD or a Lease fee or both for any of the other receivers.

Thanks.

--Droo, @Network

 

[miguelaqui]

I told her that I could call the cable company tomorrow and sign up and get service.
--Droo, @Network

Then do it!!!!!! I hope you enjoy you DVR fees and infrared remotes!

 

[drdroo]

Then do it!!!!!! I hope you enjoy you DVR fees and infrared remotes!

That's not the point. The point is they should be able to activate the box I have in hand instead of telling me to 'try again in a few days'. They sent me this box on Monday knowing they couldn't activate it.

By the way I'm not enjoying my service I pay 90 bucks to Dish Network all that much at the moment without a working box either....

--Droo, @Network

 

[drdroo]

Called DN back and tried again at activating. They said El Paso has to add it to their computer because this receiver has never been in their computer before. Basically it's a new receiver and was never scanned. It had a piece of plastic over the front slide door like it was new, so I'm not surprised. The other replacement looked like it'd suffered some before it came here..

This rep went above and beyond the call to try to get it taken care of tonight but they had to send an email off and a supervisor will call me tomorrow and get it activated.

That's a much better answer than 'The system won't let us activate any 721s, call back in a couple days'.

I did email CEO@ as well.. Worst case if someone calls me then I'll tell them it was taken care of in this manner.

I appreciate the responses.

--Droo, @Network

 

[Stargazer]

The 721 and 921 both used the same type of card and it stated on the card for 721 or 921 only (or something like that). I wonder why they made that card just for those receivers? Tech told me it was due to the different size of smart card.

 

[drdroo]

The 721 and 921 both used the same type of card and it stated on the card for 721 or 921 only (or something like that). I wonder why they made that card just for those receivers? Tech told me it was due to the different size of smart card.

I don't think it's a size difference, but since my other receivers are 311s and are cardless I can't really find out. I heard it was something to do with the design of the devices themselves, something to do with the hardware and/or firmware.

The card definitely says "For 721 or 921 only" on it, it's yellow. The blue cards were just the standard Dish Network blue card, like we've seen for many years. I still have mine from when they changed.

I wonder what the Dish1000/2000/3000 customers got for a card? The lady I talked to tonight said they still will activate them, so they must have an upgrade card.

--Droo, @Network

 

[Mr Tony]

the 2000 is kaput. They never upgraded those. They had a trade in offer.

 

[Smith P.]

<...> Tech told me it was due to the different size of smart card.

A "tech" from mental correction facility ?

 

[fr8flyr]

I also just received a replacement 721 and cannot activate it because “it is not shown in inventory”. I am being told it will take 2 or 3 days for it to be activated. I think Dish is using this story to cover their problems.

Earl