That's going to depend on your retailer then. I don't think a generalization can be made from one area in particular.
Well, I think I can because many retailers, not all, try to figure out a way to do the job that leaves them with more of the Dish fee leftover to do the job as opposed to Dish Company installers who have no such pressure. Often the contract installer is at the mercy of the guy who owns the business, so I can't say the installer is evil, but the owner may be.
One thing I have come across is that many contractors/retailers will do just about anything to avoid having to install an external switch. They have them, but they try to persuade you to let them install a 2nd or even 3rd Dish (as happened to my aunt.)
And my brother was hounded just last month by the retailer/contractor who did his Dish Mover install last month (which was a screw-up install to begin with) because he wanted to take back the DPP44 switch that was installed and offered to install a 2nd Dish in its place saying it would be "better" for him. When my brother said "No," the contractor called back a week later and said he would "give him, " a ViP622--
my brother does not subscribe to HD services at all--in exchange for his 522 and install a different Dish (I believe the 1000), in exchange for taking back the DPP44 switch--my brother has 4 boxes active in his home. My brother knew that the 622 was an HD box and told the guy that he doesn't subscribe to HD, but the installer said that his SD channels would "look better." My brother thought something seemed funny about that and asked some questions--expecting to be charged the higher box lease fee for the 622 while not subscribing to any HD services--and the installer said that Dish had approved this exchange and he had the work order from Dish Network, itself. Well, my brother telephoned me as he was LOST about all this, and I determined the guy was a contractor (he didn't want to answer that question), but in the end he got really angry and stomped out of my brothers house.
After that episode my brother contacts Dish Network directly, and he asks them about this and Dish said they have NO work order, no "approval" for anything and absolutely no work pending for his account. In other words, Dish completely agreed that the contractor installer should not have contacted him repeatedly and should NEVER have tried to persuade my brother to accepts a 622--which she said Dish would have increased his monthly fee for that box nor done anything that he did and certainly had no business trying to get back a DPP44. In fact, all 3 people he spoke to up the ladder apologized profusely and the last person he spoke with at Dish, a high level someone wanted all the information and the they (Dish) would investigate this, as these attempts indicated to them the contractor may not have only violated practices, but even their agreement with Dish, and that he agreed that the contractor was after that DPP44 that had been installed, and the he should have
never attempted to get it back. That's what what Dish said.
That is just the latest in numerous negative experience I and others I know have had with contractors/retailers, and since this metro area easily has more Dish retailer/contractors in a one mile radius (I can walk just a few blocks to 3 of them) than exist in, perhaps, a 20 mile radius in most of the country, these bad guys ruin the curve for those contractors in the many other parts of the country who have good grades when we are grading the US in general.
There are some good retailers out there, but I think you really don't know how REALLY good and extremely competent, and safety conscience (all wear hard hats etc, the Dish company installers are here. And they all have done aesthetic PERFECT installs and won't give up until it is done right and all working well while being extremely polite and they install the right external switch for the job and have NEVER tried to lobby for an "unnecessary" 2nd or 3rd dish, and we are talking about WA installs. That can not be said for all but one of all the contractors who have done installs. I have used the one really good contractor a few times, and he is great, but that's it.
Sorry, but I just relay the info. I know the retailers on this forum are all top flight, so it is not about you, but about those who may give you a bad name.