Dish Network FlexTV Questions..

[r10fret]

As I understand it it, you should be able to...

Just go online switch one of the recievers to a cheap package like local $10 a month and turn the second one off. Should then have a credit on your account.

Then bump them back up to whatever you want when your heading back up there.

I kind of suspected this might be possible based on what I have seen so far looking though my online account features under programming, but I have not tryed it, have you?

Any volunteers to try this?

You cannot reorder welcome pack online once you remove it so be careful. In my case I also have KTLA ala carte without the rest of the superstations for $1.50 a month so I dont want to try it right now.

Also unless your street address online says FLEX then they did not activate you under flex terms so that is another thing to check out.

 

[jeffmn]

According to what jakesnakemd was told it's $5 a month to go inactive.
See 2 posts up

I don't want to change mine yet. I like what I have on, let someone experiment first.

 

[tmart]

[
Also unless your street address online says FLEX then they did not activate you under flex terms so that is another thing to check out.[/QUOTE]


Just signed up for the welcome pack-- went quickly and in a few minutes had the new service. However, after checking the new online account mine does not say FLEX after street address. I called customer service then and they said it wouldn't, since it was a just a prepaid transfer from the shell account and it was prepaid anyways for the welcome pak. Also said no charge to reactivate, if you don't plan to use it for the month just let it lapse and start again when you want the service.

Hope this is all straight...
Thanks

 

[jeffmn]

Mine does not say "flex" either.

 

[r10fret]

My first statement and billing explanation shows a $5 reactivation fee among the types of possible charges you can be subject to, it says flex next to address and has an explanation that states "as a pay in advance customer."


The rules as I heard them are, "Pay your programming before your 30 days of programming runs out. You are not obligated past 30 days. However, if your service goes past 15 days overdue, you will have to pay a $5 restart fee."

see pictures of billing statement minus personal info

 

[STEELERSRULE]

OK. So I have bugging the piss out of poor R10FRET for the last couple of hours, so I decided to get off my ass, and do my own homework/research by calling the old dish NOW! prepaid #(1-888-347-4132) and try to to get some answers. Just got of the phone with a real nice rep:

1. In order to do the initial switchover for current Dish NOW! prepaid customers, you should already have a "shell" account already with your name/address/phone #/receiver#/smartcard#. If you do it makes it REAL SIMPLE.

2. You MUST order some sort of programming initally in order to do the switchover. I asked to see if I could just do the switchover, get an account # in order to do everything online later, but some programming MUST be ordered at the time of the switch. Just for folks like me who are super cheap, the $4.99/month ENCORE MOVIE PAK is available for those who do not which to spend much.

3. YOU DON'T need to order any base programming in order to order the premiums/PPV/Sports packages such as ESPN FULLCOURT/etc.... Since it is all prepaid, you can just order NBA Package BY ITSELF if you felt like it, but you must PAY IN FULL THE COST UPFRONT. Also pretty much everything is availbale to you now on 110/119, plus HD/DVR service for those who wish to do that later on.

4. You can just do everything ONLINE with the old GreenDot MoneyPak with the new account number, and you can switch/add programming anytime, as long as it is paid for UPFRONT. So there is no need for paper billing if you do not want to give a Credit Card or anything else. Meaning get online, go to www.dishnetwork.com and enter your new account #, and add/subtract programming at will, and just be ready to pay for it immediately. When you add the GDMP, it will take about 20 minutes-1 hour for your programming to become availble if you do it online.

5. I am still not clear if you can load up your account with the funds so that there is a big credit available in there because it would "seem" to me if there was sufficient funds in your account for the next month, they may just automatically take it, but I am not sure of that. I know that they cannot hit a Credit Card without your authorization, but I am still unclear about leaving a credit in your account. You may be able too for future starts and stops. I will try to test that out.

6. Programming runs in 30 day increments, unless you are talking PPV/VOD or sports packages.

I have not done anything yet because, unfortunately for me, i got a refund for my last GDMP when I thought I would never switch over.

But I think I have changed my mind, for now. I will order the ENCORE MOVIE pack at $4.99/month and then give this a test drive.

I will keep you informed on how it goes.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

Just too update:

I did the switch, got the ENCORE MOVIE PACK ONLY, and paid with a GreenDot MoneyPak.

Now, just so that there are no misunderstandings out there, in order to get the premiuim channels BY THEMSELVES, you will be hit with a $5.00 acces fee on top of the price of the premium you are getting. So yes you can get the premiums by themselves, but you need to pay the $5.00 ACCESS FEE. Now what I don't know if that $5.00 access fee is a one time fee for EACH PREMIUM ADDED, or if the $5.00 access fee is added onto each premium added.

Example: I just got the Encore Movie Pack($11.55 with access fee, $4.99 cost and taxes), but if I were to get HBO/Showtime/Starz would the access fee be $5.00 for each one, or would it be $5.00 total in order to get them all, whether it is one premium or two or more. This I am unsure of, and if I find out, I will let you know.

I haven't accessed my account online yet, so I don't have any info on how that works, but I will let you know how that goes. You can connect the DP301 to a phone line for Channel 100 features if you want, but if you want to order PPV, you can either go online and do it, or order by phone.

Oh, and you have to be subscribing o some sort of base programming at the time in order to have access to the PPV, and the other packages. Sorry, the guy on the phone was wrong about that yesterday. I apologize if I got anyones hopes up.

I just wanted to get my box setup for the FlexTV, so I just did the cheapest thing I could think of. I still really miss the day to day offering, but maybe that will be made available again, so who knows. I doubt it, but here is too wishful thinking.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I can now acces my account online. But, no where within my account information does it say that my account is a FLEXTV account, meaning I prepay for everything. Anyone who has done the switch, does it say anywhere that this is a FLEXTV account, or no. I will be receiving any type of prepay bill via e-mail, with no paper billing being sent too me, since i would just be using GDMP's(no CC or SS on file anyway)

Should I be concerned and call them, or just wait until the end of the 30 days when they send me a bill online, and ask me to prepay so my services will continue, or don't worry at all, they know?

 

[r10fret]

Wait a few days for your statement to populate online,

The service access fee is $6 and you only get charged once per month if you don't have the required min level of programming like locals for $9.99 or welcome pack without locals for $9.99.

Seems like depending on who you get they give you different stories, so unless I can see something in writing I dont think any of them really know the rules themselves. Just be glad you took the shackles off your dishnow box and the nags and hidden channel problems are gone.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

r10fret,

so you are saying don't worry that it does not say flextv within my account info, and just give it a few days?

i would guess it is already listed that way since i never gave a credit card, ss#, and paid by gdmp. but thanks for the info.

oh, one other thing, i connected my phone line to the back of the dp301. do we get the interactove services available on 100. i will look and see, but just wondered if they are available to us.

i will do my ppv/vod ordering online since even if i did it with the remote, i would have to go online and pay anyway with the gdmp.

 

[r10fret]

Steelers,

See pictures above of the statement,

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-ne...h-network-flextv-questions-7.html#post1973657

The important part is your statement should state "As a Pay in Advance Customer," I think the FLEX thing on my address was done because I have several dish accounts under the same address and phone number and they need to distiguish between them some how.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

those are from your e-mail, and not paper billing, correct? I have mine setup to be sent to my e-mail. I will check in few days to see if it comes in.

 

[r10fret]

No, I downloaded my statement online about 48 hrs after activation, today I also received it in the mail. Now that I got something in writing for my records I will sign up for paperless.

So are the dishnow nags gone, the word dishnow removed from sys info screen, also with just encore are you also seeing the public info and the free channels like dish earth 212?

 

[STEELERSRULE]

actually, i just noticed my account said it has a (negative)- $11.65 balance, so they know it is a flextv account.

anyway R10FRET, thanks for all of your help and for taking my badgering. I think i will add a couple of supersations a la carte like you did,, except mine will be out of NY since i used to live there, and am located in Pittsburgh, PA anyway.

Looks like I will have to do it with a phone operator since they do not offer the a la carte for the superstations online, or even the Welcome pack for that matter. But it looks like my DP301 is good to go with FlexTv at this point.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

No, I downloaded my statement online about 48 hrs after activation, today I also received it in the mail. Now that I got something in writing for my records I will sign up for paperless.

So are the dishnow nags gone, the word dishnow removed from sys info screen, also with just encore are you also seeing the public info and the free channels like dish earth 212?

YES!!! to all of the above. It looks like I am good to go. Still miss the day by day stuff, but oh well. Life is full of disappointments.

 

[r10fret]

If you call to add supers make sure you use option 3 ala carte, locals, internationals instead of option 2 to avoid the $5 customer service charge.

 

[tmart]

r10fret,

so you are saying don't worry that it does not say flextv within my account info, and just give it a few days?

i would guess it is already listed that way since i never gave a credit card, ss#, and paid by gdmp. but thanks for the info.

oh, one other thing, i connected my phone line to the back of the dp301. do we get the interactove services available on 100. i will look and see, but just wondered if they are available to us.

i will do my ppv/vod ordering online since even if i did it with the remote, i would have to go online and pay anyway with the gdmp.

Mine does not say Flex, but no doubt it is a prepaid account. I paid for the first 30 days by credit card and expect to get a paper copy to pay the next thirty days. I will pay that online or use my Bank to send it. I did not give them a CC to use automatically. But, If i decide I will not use it for the first three weeks I will ignore the bill ( i travel) and attempt to activate it when I will use it again. I understand that each activation is for 30 days and based on what the CSR told me there was no charge.. We will see, maybe I will just pay the the next thirty days just to watch this program, especially If I can't get the welcome pack again?. Thats all I want...

 

[jakesnakemd]

Shut off and turn on with the Prepaid accounts

I think the real question for many of you is what is the shut off and turn on cost with the new Prepaid situation. I think I am going to be the guinea pig since I am going to our second place in Myrtle Beach and will be picking up my wife and we will probably not return until maybe Thanksgiving. I intend to call and ask to shut off the service and charge the $5/month fee when we leave next week. Since I just turned it on and paid for a month on Saturday the 26th, I have a credit and so we'll see how it goes. If it works like I hope, I will just pay $5 or $10 and turn it back on then with no charge. They mentioned that you can go inactive for up to 6 months. Works for me.

Really like the idea of locals now and having all programming available since I watch college basketball and want the 250 package and the regional Fox networks too to get lots of games. All in all this may work out pretty well for most.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I intend to call and ask to shut off the service and charge the $5/month fee when we leave next week. Since I just turned it on and paid for a month on Saturday the 26th, I have a credit and so we'll see how it goes. If it works like I hope, I will just pay $5 or $10 and turn it back on then with no charge. They mentioned that you can go inactive for up to 6 months. Works for me.

What is this $5/month fee people are talking about? I know about the $5 restart fee, but someone else mentioned this, and I am wondering what that is.

I thought I could just stop and not use the service at will/whim. Therefore at the end of 30 days if I decided not to re-up, I could just let it go, and then come June 2010 as an example, just restart and be charged the extra $5 restart on top of whatever it is I order.

I do have that right, correct? I sure as hell hope so. I don't want my account to be charged $5/month for nonuse. That is not the point of this. The point is to have the ability to start and stop at will, without contacting them or anything.

 

[jakesnakemd]

Screwed again by Dishnetwork...

I decided to call and see if, in fact, I could actually turn off the service and put it in "PAUSE" mode, which is what you can do with a regular account. Well guess what. NO!!! You pay up front for a month and if you don't use it you EAT IT!!! What I finally found out after about an hour on the phone is that NO PREPAID BOXES can be converted to regular accounts, so throw it in the trash and buy another one off Ebay. All you can do is convert it to a FLEX account which is for those that don't want to give out some personal info or qualify credit wise. So when you order programming, whether it be more or less (can you imagine ordering the 250 package, regional sports and maybe some movies channels) and only using it for a few days or a week you have no ability to PAUSE the service at all and your money goes right down the dumper for the rest of the month.

What really pisses me off is that I have had Dish (another four letter word) for over a decade and am extremely conversant with all of it. plus what I have learned here and the CSR that turned on my service on Saturday, 9/26, flat out lied to me and said I could PAUSE it for up to six months (not True), and even after I asked him about 4 times and said I only wanted a regular account (NOT AVAILABLE WITH A PREPAID BOX--another lie), he kept telling me it was the same thing. So the programming I ordered (thank God not much) will go for nothing in a few days because there ain't gonna be no one there for a while.

What I did get (after I kept bitching and got to a supervisor) was a note in the file for a free months programming when I call back in to turn the damn thing back on in November. She originally was just going to give me a free month's extension, when no one was there!!! DUH!! What the hell good does that do. The fact remains that I was lied to repeatedly. She said, what we all know that they threw this new thing on them last week with no info to speak of and a lot of the CSR's were told it was just like a regular account. Bull sh*t. It isn't.

It is nice that you can get anything you want, but you will eat the rest of the month if you don't use it. So you weekend or second home or vacation for a week guys can dump this one in a New York minute (maybe you could just get locals for $9.99). I told her to take it back to management and tell them how stupid this was and I was going back on line and they would see service getting dumped immediately, but the stupidity of corporations in how they perceive their markets these days is absoulutely amazing to me.

Another satisfied Dish subscriber.