Dish Programming Changes (Effective August 1st)

[raysmith]

I currently subscribe to Platinum HD and was able to get my bill reduced by $10.00 just a few minutes ago - no problem. In fact I just cut and pasted the request from one of the other conversations in this thread and it worked fine. (Thanks Makman!) Verified it online after about 15 minutes.

(03) Simon V.: Thank you for being a valued DISH Network customer, I will be happy to assist you today. Please give me 2-3 minutes to access your account and review the information you have already provided.
(03) Simon V.: Your patience is greatly appreciated.
(03) Simon V.: I was unable to access your account with the phone number you have provided. Can you please provide a 10 digit telephone number or the 16 digit account number listed on your Dish Network bill statement?
ME: Phone number is XXX-XXX-XXX
(03) Simon V.: Thank you for the information, Ray.
(03) Simon V.: Could you please be more specific about your concern?
ME: I understand that platinum HD is now included with the HD channels at no extra charge. Could you set this up on my account?
(03) Simon V.: Sure, I will be glad in making the changes for you.
(03) Simon V.: Please give me moment.
ME: Great! Thank you!
(03) Simon V.: Your patience is greatly appreciated.
(03) Simon V.: I have made the changes on the account. Please allow 10-15 minutes for the changes to take effect.
(03) Simon V.: Any time you make a change to your programming services, you will see a partial credit for the service(s) you removed and a partial charge for the service(s) you added up to your next billing date.
Ray Smith: OK I understand.
(03) Simon V.: It was a pleasure assisting you!
ME: Thanks for your help!
(03) Simon V.: You're very welcome.
(03) Simon V.: Thank you for chatting with Dish Network, have a pleasant night!

 

[M Sparks]

/\ That's how it should be done.

I don't expect them to do it automatically...it's in their financial interest not to, and there are reasons the customer might not want to switch. But they need to let people know it's an option, and they need to do it without question when asked.

 

[banjodude]

Follow-up to previous post. While I wasn't really expecting a different outcome, I tried another chat tonight. This time the CSR happily added the Platinum channels to my current package (Classic Gold + HD with annual payment for the Classic Gold) with no argument at all. They show up on my receivers and online my account indicates that I now have the "HD&Platinum" add-on.

The CSR said there should be no change in the billing, but I'll keep an eye on that for the next couple days.

 

[dangue]

Just to throw in my two cents: I had classic silver with silver hd and platinum hd before 8/1. I chatted over the weekend and was told by a CSR that she would switch me to the new reduced price package and she threw in an additional $10 credit for 5 months after I asked if there was anything else available to a loyal customer. After reading on here about some of the problems I checked my account online and noticed that no change had actually been made. I went back into chat, argued politely with the CSR that kept saying the website and the other rep was mistaken and that I was not eligible. Ultimately, he made an exception and gave it to me.

Based on reading all 37 pages in this thread and my experience, it seems like everyone has the channels available to them. No new or existing customer is being denied the platinum channels. It just seems like to take advantage of this you have to be NEW TO PLATINUM. Everyone who has had a problem (excluding turbo subs and annual pay subs) has already been paying for Platinum and wants the reduced price. It seems like everyone who only had the $10 hd package has been able to add Platinum for free without a problem. So this isn't a case where people have no access to it. If you didn't have it before, you're "new" and they'll add it (assuming your package otherwise qualifies, sorry again turbo folks). If you already have it, you can keep the channels- you just have to pay, unlike everyone else. NOT FAIR AT ALL, fight for it. But, i don't think this is a case of some subscribers being completely shut out from ever receiving these channels. They're just trying to milk the $10/month out of everyone that was already paying for it.

 

[makman]

Based on reading all 37 pages in this thread and my experience, it seems like everyone has the channels available to them. No new or existing customer is being denied the platinum channels. It just seems like to take advantage of this you have to be NEW TO PLATINUM. Everyone who has had a problem (excluding turbo subs and annual pay subs) has already been paying for Platinum and wants the reduced price. It seems like everyone who only had the $10 hd package has been able to add Platinum for free without a problem. So this isn't a case where people have no access to it. If you didn't have it before, you're "new" and they'll add it (assuming your package otherwise qualifies, sorry again turbo folks). If you already have it, you can keep the channels- you just have to pay, unlike everyone else. NOT FAIR AT ALL, fight for it. But, i don't think this is a case of some subscribers being completely shut out from ever receiving these channels. They're just trying to milk the $10/month out of everyone that was already paying for it.

I already had platinum and they changed it to HD plus platinum for $10, no problem.

Mitch

 

[PHXHoward]

Well I decided to try to get the platinum channels. I called because I like talking to people but the CSR told me that it was for new customers.only.

I hung up and tried chat and the channels were activated in under 1 minute. Definitely do it through online chat.

 

[Kirby Baker]

I have confirmed that it is STILL online at America's Top 100 Package - Over 100 Channels From DISH Network

Keep calling them they need to honor what they advertise.

And its still there at 8:30am EDT. Not to mention if you click the left side links for and of the other core packages (Bronze plus, Silver, Gold, AEP) it still shows the same graphic for Platinum being included with any HD package, and no footnotes about 'new customers only'.

 

[mike123abc]

What Dish probably intended to do and should have done was make it a new customer special offer for 6 months, then no existing customer would have complained. Then in February (6 months from now), when they redo their packages and pricing, is then eliminate the platinum from all the existing subs, giving good news for plat subs their bill goes down a bit instead of up with the price increase. Dish would have had all sorts of good word of mouth, they lowered the bill instead of the domination of the price increase in discussions.

This is probably what they planned to do (eliminate the Plat tier), they decided it would be a great promotion for 6 months, but then completely botched doing it.

 

[tasmithe]

You can always tell you're talking to an Indian call center because everything they do, they ask you to wait 2 to 3 minutes. It seems to be a standard Indian thing. GET BACK TO AMERICA!

 

[KAB]

You can always tell you're talking to an Indian call center because everything they do, they ask you to wait 2 to 3 minutes. It seems to be a standard Indian thing. GET BACK TO AMERICA!

Reports of customers reaching the Indian call center have become fewer and far between.

 

[MikeD-C05]

So the question remains. If PlatinumHD is no longer available as an add on and they only want to give "HD + Platinum" to new customers, how do the millions of existing customers gain access to those 9 channels?

Yes ,I asked that question in a thread I started yesterday. This whole HD + plat pack thing is a fiasco. How can you have two different price structures for new subs vs existing. IF you have in the past it has been only because of a limited amount of time like 6 months or 12 months promotion. Does DISH intend to keep this two tiered system forever or is it till next February when they hike the new combined pack to 15.00 or God forbid 20.00?

 

[gjh3260]

I already had platinum and they changed it to HD plus platinum for $10, no problem.

Mitch

When I called the CSR originally told me for new subs only but after a few minutes i got the reduced price even though I had platinum. It also was reflected on my account activity the following day when I checked my statement online.

 

[KKlare]

I have confirmed that it is STILL online at America's Top 100 Package - Over 100 Channels From DISH Network

Keep calling them they need to honor what they advertise.

I tried the chat and got a CSR that insisted this is only for new customers and pointed to turbohd/default, which does not have anything about Platinum.

Tried the phone and got the $10 dropped, although "really" because I have AEP+GoldHD+Plat and been with them for more than 7 years on auto-pay. I gave the rep the above address. And she gave me $10 for some time, too. The total for say Silver (to get TCM) and HD+Plat+Locals+3 DVRs would be about the same as I now pay, if not more, despite penny Cinemax.

The phone was faster than the non-productive chat. They are not listening.

-Ken

 

[OrlandoSGM]

Worked for me too.....did the on-line chat...then asked if I could also get the HBO/Showtime pkg, but was told that I already had the HBO/Starz pkg so I didn't qualify. I asked again and they are giving me the two channels FREE for the three months now!

 

[angiodan]

Well, I decided to try chat once more, and even though it is not showing it in my online account yet, the csr told me that I do have Platinum and Gold HD for $10.

So, I'll check it again tomorrow, and when the bill comes in.

As of this morning, my account now shows HD & Platinum for $10. So all is good with me.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I just did another MultiChannel about this... I hate to write about the same thing 3 times in a week, but honestly how stupid can a company be.

Charlie needs to fire some people and fire them NOW. (And I am not talking about the teenager who updates the website, he only does as hes told.)

Dish Network is a Fortune 500 company but is managed like its run out of someones garage.

 

[Bob Caruthers]

Presently, my programming is listed as Classic Gold 250 ($57.99) and Gold HD ($10.00).

Pardon my ignorance, but will they sooner or later automatically change my programming or am I supposed to contact them directly and ask them to add the Platinum channels?

Right now, I'm in the waiting-them-out mode.

tia,
Bob

 

[Laserich]

Instead of calling or using chat I tried adding the platinum programming using my account at the Dish website. I already have HD programming, so I had to untick the (Gold) HD addon option, then click review. The next screen showed the HD & Platinum programming as an option so I selected it and saved the changes. The platinum channels were instantly available at my house.

So there is further evidence that each hand doesn't have a clue about the other. What a fiasco for Dish. Is all of this some elaborate marketing ploy?

 

[jdmart]

Today's August 5th, the day reportedly that the Classic package with HD customers are supposed to get the new "HD & Platinum" automatically. Any signs of this actually happening?

EDIT: Just now saw the above post after posting this; that's great news even if it's not automatic!

 

[Laserich]

Presently, my programming is listed as Classic Gold 250 ($57.99) and Gold HD ($10.00).

Pardon my ignorance, but will they sooner or later automatically change my programming or am I supposed to contact them directly and ask them to add the Platinum channels?

Right now, I'm in the waiting-them-out mode.

tia,
Bob

Well, don't ask Kstuart for his latest advice.

You might try using their website to change programming, but be aware you might get hit with the 5$ fee for downgrading programming. Although my interpretation makes me think that we're actually adding programming (HD & Platinum) instead of removing programming (HD).