Dish Network Prepaid Question

[r10fret]

Is it possible that it's the green dot money pack that is causing a problem and if I were to buy a dish card, then maybe the system would activate it for me instead of sending me to customer service and having them tell me the system is down.

NO.

That is the worst mistake one could make. That would be like throwing your $40 bucks in a fire. If you cant even get one day to work by redeeming a MP, redeeming a $40 pin will not matter. I would never recommend anyone giving a live human a MP or dishnow pin. Are you sure you got a moneypak and not a greendot prepaid visa/mc?

If you dont have a purple card then request a new smartcard, get it working then once you have confidence if you want to prepay $40 in the blackhole dish calls prepaid dishnow then go right ahead. Otherwise, be afraid, very afraid!


As far as the spanish CSRs go, if they answer in spanish all you have to do is say hi I need to talk to you in english, I think everyone who has done this has found out that the spanish CSRs all actually speak english and in fact speak better english than regular dish CSRs because the spanish customer service is actaully located in TX or AZ. Regular CSRs are oversees and have fake names and you cant understand their english worth a damm and all they really do is repeat everything you say back to you from a noisy boiler room. ISNT DISH THE GREATEST


Prepaid dishnow second class citizens like myself, please continue to participate in my poll regarding smartcard status.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-ne...card-activation-success-poll.html#post1774316

 

[chdn]

I have a green dot money pak, and I have a G3 smart card, maybe the box is defective. I don't trust them to buy a new box, I might loose more money, and I can't return the box since I got it from ebay, but it was all sealed up in the box.

I just need a smart person to answer the phone and say, I'll help you and make sure you get set up. But all they do is say, you have to activate it through the system and there is nothing they can do.

It just keeps happening over and over, the same thing. I'll see what happens with my BBB complaint, maybe I will complain to consumer affairs too.

I tried to put my smart card from my regular receiver into the prepaid, just to see if it would help, but it says not valid with this receiver. So I guess they have separate smart cards, but they look the same.

Now I have no TV because I already canceled my regular service. I guess it will be YouTube for a while.

 

[chdn]

A dealer would have to get new cards directly from dish that are tied to your receivers. Whether that is possible is up to both dish and your dealer to work out. Dish doesn't do jack for radioshack customers either as you might have read someone in the error 129 thread got their box from rat shack and ran into the same problems getting it turned on after Feb 1st. How would the prepaid donkey clowns know where you bought your box unless you tell them since they cant pull any info besides R, S, and package days remaining from the same prepaid interface you use.

That is funny "Prepaid donkey clowns" that is a good name for them.

 

[dot_null]

Sorry to you are having trouble with activating service. I activated my new prepaid receiver on Wednesday evening, and was transferred to a CSR in the same manner chdn has been (once I entered the GDMP and R00 number into the automated system, I was transferred). I guess my case is the exception rather than the rule, because I got an excellent rep from the El Paso call center who set me right up (and was even fine with initially debiting just one day of programming from my MoneyPak).

I'm not sure if I just happened to call at just the right time or what, but I hope you can get someone to activate your unit.

 

[jeffmn]

I decided to buy a second receiver, so I'm not hauling them back and forth with me.

So I have been trying to activate a new receiver since last Saturday 4/4/09. And have been having the same problem. Last time I tried was Wednesday afternoon, and they couldn't do it then. Just tried now and they got it done. So they must have fixed the problem.

I did have to transfer to a person, they took my address and phone number this time. But that's fine I guess? They have been nice about this and seem to understand the prepay system. Just turned it on for 3 days and she had no problem with that.

 

[chdn]

Maybe finally things are ok, I'll try when I get home.

But one thing I was reading is that people are using a dish 500 with this, and I guess it's not dish pro, but I have a dish 1000 and it is dish pro

could possibly that be the problem, will it not work with dish 1000, it set up fine, the receiver sees the satellite and downloaded something.

I guess if it doesn't work for me tonight, I will buy an old dish 500 that isn't dish pro and see if that helps.

 

[jeffmn]

I use a dish 500 with the dish pro plus lnb. I just buy them used locally off craigslist. They work good for me. This is my second prepaid system at 2 different locations.

The lnb I received with my first system never worked, they sent a quad lnb(whatever a quad is?).

But I think this weeks problem, really just was a problem they were having setting up new receivers. My other one was working fine. Mine found both satelittes fine and also downloaded things a couple times. Problem was only when calling in. It would take the green dot number, then the receiver number, read it back and ask if that was right, then ring you over to someone.
they would say it was down, and on monday tried to do it themselves but no luck.

Not an expert but I don't think you'd find the satellites if your dish or lnb were the problem.
My first system was frustrating, cause I had that bad lnb, but it wouldn't ever find the satellites. So I got nowhere with it.

try it again let it ring to the person and see. Good luck,

 

[tkyoshi]

Maybe finally things are ok, I'll try when I get home.

But one thing I was reading is that people are using a dish 500 with this, and I guess it's not dish pro, but I have a dish 1000 and it is dish pro

could possibly that be the problem, will it not work with dish 1000, it set up fine, the receiver sees the satellite and downloaded something.

I guess if it doesn't work for me tonight, I will buy an old dish 500 that isn't dish pro and see if that helps.

As long as the reciever is the 301 (has the Dish Pro logo) it will work with the 1000. It will just ignore 129.

 

[r10fret]

Your dish and lnbs dont matter as long as your check switch and levels are good; 119 odd, even; 110 odd, even; etc. levels should be at least 70%. most of mine for 119,110 are 125% but I have 36" superdish 121 convertered to dish 500+ lnbf (119,110,118) with a DP34 and then into dish pro adapter then through a SW21 to add 4th sat (148). My 3900 receiver reports SW21 4 sat , 119 odd,even; 110 odd. even; 118 odd, even; 148 odd even. my poor mans DP44 config.

I try to avoid 61.5 as my internationals back up of 118 even though in FL using old 26" voom dish 148 sat levels are 70%, compared to 61.5 levels which are 100% on 18", video compression is abismal on 61.5 international squeeze play due to HD squeeze play at 61.5.

Keep trying chdn hopefully you will stumble upon the needle in the haystack CSR which is capable of doing their job and can help you get past activation hurdle.
_________________________



Prepaid dishnow second class citizens like myself, please continue to participate in my poll regarding smartcard status.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-ne...repaid-smartcard-activation-success-poll.html

 

[gillham]

Here's a couple of data points. My brother got a new card a day or two ago. The automated system kicked him to a CSR (perhaps it always does this?) and the CSR was apparently able to activate the new card after some number of minutes on hold. Apparently it was working, but my brother didn't try to add any days yet.

I called in a few days ago as well and the automated system kicked me to a CSR who could NOT get the card to work. This was after about 10-15 minutes on hold while the CSR was trying to activate. The CSR then said to put the old card back in and she would have to "email the information to another department" and I should just use the old card until I see a message about it being expired or something. The CSR also said I would be able to add days to the old card. That does not work for me. So I can't add any days and I can't use the new card.

I tried calling in again last night, but after 10 minutes on hold waiting for someone to answer the phone, I gave up as it was dinner time.

I'll try again later, hopefully I'll find a time they are not so busy, but I don't have a lot of hope for that with the ongoing card swaps.

Ordering the card originally was quick and easy and it arrived exactly when they said it would. Activation is where they are falling down unfortunately.

 

[chdn]

Finally!!!!!!! I got it set up and working.

I called and same thing happened, it transferred me to the customer service, but I was on hold along time, probably 20 minutes, but a nice girl answered and she wasn't like the other donkey clowns, she just said we have to set you up first and then the system will stop transferring you to us.

So I had to give my name and address and phone # and box # and smart card # and she said wait at least 10 minutes for the system to accept it and then call back and get your programming.

So I called back after 15 minutes and I chose add more minutes and I chose Starz for 30 days and it sent the signal to my box and I wanted to add Cinemax for 30 days too, but I had to input my #'s again to add that.

the box immediately said it was doing something and don't touch it, after about 10 minutes I had my programming, but I was scared at first because it said welcome to dish 500, and then it had a message that said you must purchase a dish card to add programming, but I just went to menu and went the the starz channel and it was working.

Green Dot Moneypak is the way to go, but it cost $4.95, but it's worth it to divide up the money with different channels

See, there was no problem, 9 days ago, those donkey clowns could have set me up, they were just lazy and kept telling me to call back later.

I might even set my mom up with one of these, I almost gave up and was going to buy a ku or c band dish and buy it from those people.

I think the best thing to do, is when you have a new box, you just go directly to customer service and say, I need to set up an account for my prepaid receiver, maybe that will eliminate the problem, since the automated system doesn't work to set you up the first time.

I wonder if it was my complaint to the BBB that helped, or if I just happened to get a smart girl. Maybe the CEO called down to them and said, you donkey clowns better help these people or no bonus.

 

[latin-dss]

i wonder how those prepaid clowns have time to answer so many people with same issue, i wonder if they have like 2 million prepaid calls to answer from 2 million customers? that would suck. I've being tryin to add more time to 5 diff receivers since early this week, same freakin results, csr..but the funny thing is, everyone that answers gives me a diff answer, seems like they have no clue what to do. I even try to activate a brand new box that already comes with a brand new G3 card in it, ready to go I assume, wrong, same result, csr, and they could not activte it, this prepaid biz is gettin ridiculous, i hope direct tv can come up with a similar package, adn i will freakin change in a heartbeat...

 

[chdn]

I know the clowns are busy, but all they have to do is fix the system so we don't get transferred to them, then their job is easier. But basically, you need to tell them they have to set you up manually because that's how it's done.

I hope they straighten up because I like dish better than direct tv, dish has a better variety of packages and a choice of not having a contract. I had direct tv and then canceled for a little while and when I wanted to activate my receiver again, they told me I had to have a contract, even if I already had equipment.

Hey Dish Network people, I think it would be better if you would set up a web page, so we can activate and buy our programming from the website. Try to do that soon.

I think direct tv was smart by starting their prepaid in another country and working out the problems there, then when they bring it to America, it will be perfect and they will get all the dish prepaid customers. I'm sure they are reading about all the problems we are having.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I am still under the "feeling" that prepaid may become the furture for most people, if companies like dish/directv/cable/phone companies like verizon continue to pursue it.

Now, as a business model, it is actually pretty bad because you put the consumer in complete control of your product. Therefore, a customer can simply start, stop, choose what channels they want(this will be the killer, it TERRIFIES HUGE CORPORATIONS WHO OWN THESE CHANNELS, not the starting and stopping).

I mean imagine if people really found out about this? This is one of the reasons, IMHO, that people within these forums look down on prepaid. Most, not all, are tied into contracts, on their own willingness to do so.

But here I come along, spending about 1/100th of what they are, and seeing/watching the same exact stuff they are, and I am not missing a thing. Pop culture, newsworthy, or otherwise. Granted, no HD, no local broadcasts(only one easily solved with an antenna for most people, no local sports channel(this is still a toughy for me, but one I have learned I can live without), and no PPV/VOD(again, nice, but not at all a tragedy).

That poor young pitcher for Anaheim, who was killed along with 2 others by a drunk driver(whom I had sympathy for as well because he is finished, until I found out this morning he was driving on a suspended liscense for a PREVIOUS DUI. Now, that sympathy is gone) is a tragedy. Not losing HD, or your local sports channel.

Anyway, imagine being able to pay for 1 day of, say, The NFL Network, and ignoring everything else. Corporate America(and the world) would have fit. There products would become so reduced in value, they would claim they can't survive.

Kinda like terrestrial radio. It is not dead, by any means. And it never will die, even though Howard Stern would like it too because he thinks he would be solely responsible for it. It will survive, just not at the under sums of money that were not generated by some(Mel Karmizan for one) during the late 80's-2006. Those days are over. Terrestrial Radio will always exist, and you will make money off of it, but not alot. Those days are over.

And that may be the furture of TV, no matter where the hell the supplier comes from.

If the "cat"(prepaid), were actually let out of the bag, I guarantee, even though it is available on 1 TV, it would take over. Especially now, with the economy, and people's money disappearing, or has disappeared.

Of course, this scares the hell out of any tv provider.

 

[jeffmn]

I have no idea if this is true, but it seemed to me. They were making changes to the way they started up the new prepay systems this week. I did talk to csr's earlier in the week and they did try to get it going.

Even when I had trouble with my first system and the bad lnb. Which wasn't their fault IMO. I blame that on the dealer. They did spend time with me trying to help. Guess I've been lucky, Dish ahs always at least tried to be helpful.

I think the prepaid system is great, and smart for Dish to do, they are going old school and "giving the customer what they want". But honestly as much as I like it, when I explain to other people their eyes glaze over, and think I'm crazy. For alot of people I've talked too, the whole thing is too complicated.

Guess you have to be willing to do a little work to save, rather than just pay pay pay.

The way prepay customers can have HBO one week, cinemax the next and starz the week after... Is genius. We don't have to pay them to play the same stuff for weeks and weeks.

I bought this for a cabin, where I only spend a few weeks a year, and now have it at home too.

 

[chdn]

Does anyone know what would happen if I prepaid for 1 year, and then my box died, would I loose all that money, or would it transfer over to the new box

I wish I could upgrade to a 322 box and be able to use it on 2 tv's

Hey Dish people, can you start using 322 boxes for prepaid?

When I changed from the regular service to the prepaid, they said, are you sure you want to do that, because prepaid will be more expensive. I don't know where they got that from.

I'm 110% happy with prepaid, just not too happy about how much trouble it is to get the box working for the first time.

Hey Dish people, we really need a webpage for activating.

Special thanks to Dish Network and Direct TV for saving us from high cable bills. I used to pay $65 a month just for the cheapest basic channel package.

 

[r10fret]

Does anyone know what would happen if I prepaid for 1 year, and then my box died, would I loose all that money, or would it transfer over to the new box

Never heard of that, but I imagine it would be a disaster, so why risk it, what's the point anyway? Can't you just add time every couple weeks/months. I would not recomend prepaying 1 year in advance since with dishnow you don't get any proof or receipt for something like that. My receiver has never shown more than like 67 days on it even if I had 80 days paid, it just stays at 67 days for 2 weeks until it drops below that.

Who knows what the next hurdle will be with dish prepaid? A potential change over of everything to MPEG4 8PSK would require all new boxes. 301s and 3900s are MPEG2 QPSK only. No one knows how long it will take them to convert all western arc SD customers to MPEG4 8PSK boxes. We do know they are no longer deploying 301s, 3900s or even 322s to regular month to month SD customers because they are only installing MPEG4 8PSK capable hardware now.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

Anyone else get an e-mail from Dish, statitng you can manage your account online?

WHAT?!

I got one this afternoon, stating I could view my account online, and handle my billing through the online account, to avoid monthly paper billing.

I don't have a regular dish account of any kind. I have a prepaid account, and I gave them my name/telephone #/address for the G3 card exchange(plus the receiver # and old smartcard #), but no other info(C.Card, SS#)?

I better not get any GDAMN! bill in the mail of any kind from Dish since I have a prepaid account, or their is going to be SH*T to be paid on their end.

I wondered why they asked for all that info when doing the card exchange. I will let you know if any shennanigans is about to develop.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

Did they get your ssn over the phone? If not then no worries about a bill. Be careful about the email could be fishing scam.

No. At least I never remember giving it to them, and that would be something i would have posted here when I signed up for the G3 card.

It could just be an automatically generated e-mail from them. But I would never respond to it anyway.

No, I am quite certain that I gave no SS#, or CCard. I would have remembered that.

I can't even try to create an account online anyway since:

1. I don't have an account #.

2. My receiver # has 12 digits in it, 2 more than they allow for signup online. It is R followed by 10 digits

 

[r10fret]

I thought they also wanted phone number too? Anyway, you didn't give your ssn so no worries about a bill. Be careful about the email could be phishing scam.

Everytime I call directv to handle an issue that cant be handled online within a 24 hours I always get a threatening email telling me to manage my account online. If I could, I would, these companies are on auto pilot, BUY & LARGE. "Walle"

In the past I have tried to register online and see what info I could find. I have the 3900 and my R# is R followed 12 digits, when I enter my R, phone and zip code online it tells me; "Your account is not recognized as a residential account. Your account information is not available online. "