Dish Protection Plan
- Thread starter Bulldog78
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 19
- Views 19K
Yes. Peace of mind. And I'm probably still ahead for all the 721a, etc that floated thru. Beats a sudden large bill.
I never really used the protection plan but I usually never have had problems with Dish's receivers. I guess you have to look back at your history with Dish's receivers and see if that $6/month is really worth it for you.
I had the protection plan for 3 years straight after I moved, only had to use it once early within the first year. After I upgraded to HD (saving money on the install with the protection plan) and after a few months of receiver stability, I dropped the plan to save money. Not long before I plan to upgrade to the Hopper, I'll add it back, and keep it for the obligatory 5 months. Maybe longer if there are reported issues with the new system. 
From my experience in the field, whether you have the Protection Plan or not, it seems customers have learned that if they gripe enough or threaten to cancel services, Dish will waive any fees and fix the problem or set up a free tech visit anyway. So IMO, its a waste of money.
Box craps out, customer says, "Dish Network......it's your equipment, if you don't fix it for free, I'll cancel". Signal goes out, customer says, "Dish Network....you're responsible for getting me uninterrupted service, fix it for free or I'll cancel". Customer moves rcvrs around, customer says, "Dish Network, you're responsible for keeping me as a paying customer regardless of what I do...if you don't come fix it for free, I'll cancel and go to DirecTV! And while you're on the phone, give me some free HBO and a few PPV coupons". Dish has created this customer mentality of feeling like they can get everything for nothing. Look over most customer's account notes who have called in a service call and you can easily see 'complimentary waived' tech visit fees.
Box craps out, customer says, "Dish Network......it's your equipment, if you don't fix it for free, I'll cancel". Signal goes out, customer says, "Dish Network....you're responsible for getting me uninterrupted service, fix it for free or I'll cancel". Customer moves rcvrs around, customer says, "Dish Network, you're responsible for keeping me as a paying customer regardless of what I do...if you don't come fix it for free, I'll cancel and go to DirecTV! And while you're on the phone, give me some free HBO and a few PPV coupons". Dish has created this customer mentality of feeling like they can get everything for nothing. Look over most customer's account notes who have called in a service call and you can easily see 'complimentary waived' tech visit fees.
Ok, know I'm setting myself up for a whole world of B**ch Slapping but I just can't resist. So Dish has created Democratic users, who feel that they are Entitled to everything for free. Nothing is their own fault and someone else should be responsible for their actions.
In response to the OP as to if DPP is worth the fee. No company sells a protection plan or extended warranty if they are going to loose money on it. For the majority of customers you will pay out more than you will ever recoup in claims. But for those who do need to use it, it can save you quite some cash. Think of it like auto insurance. Most folks will pay month after month, after year, after year and never file a claim. Ok first discount the fact that most states require you to carry auto, but for the most part it's money you'll never recoup. Now should you have a claim well then all of a sudden you think it's a great thing. Same with homeowners. Pay 10, 20, 30 years and never get a dime back, but just once the gods get pissed at you, your house catches fire and some company is writing you a check for a couple hundred K and you think damn that was worth every penny.
It all comes down to your comfort level with the chances you might have to pay a high fee for something unexpected. But at the end of the day the odds are in favor of Dish or any company selling this service.
I just chatted with Dish customer service regarding the $7/month protection plan. She said it gives you $15 technician visits vs. $95 and free shipping on equipment which is a $15 value. She said if the hardware needs to be replaced then there is no charge for the hardware itself. So basically you are spending $7/month to insure against a $95 tech visit and $15 of shipping. Totally not worth it!
If you need more than one tech visit in a year it's worth it. Say you have a problem and you need a service call, that's 95. Then a few months later you decide you want to upgrade your equipment, another $95.
+1. Dish has done away with the 3-4 month minimum to have it without incurring a charge to drop it.
I had DPP for 7 years until it was dropped because I was an RV customer under the new rules.
I went back and calculated that if I had paid for the few times I had Dish service, I would have paid less for the service calls than the DPP fees I had paid.
If I had a choice I would again have DPP because I would rather pay an insurance policy instead of unexpected service call fees.
I went back and calculated that if I had paid for the few times I had Dish service, I would have paid less for the service calls than the DPP fees I had paid.
If I had a choice I would again have DPP because I would rather pay an insurance policy instead of unexpected service call fees.
It depends on your situation.... If you have several DVRs, like I do, it makes sense as the hard drives are more likely to fail than on a 211 that is more reliable (where you are on your own if an EHD fails). Ditto if you have flaky power and don't have your equipment hooked up to a UPS. In ten years I have replaced about 10 STBs (including the infamous 921 - I had one of the first). I've also had a few service calls that would have been chargeable otherwise, so I am ahead of the game....
I have had it since day one and I just sleep alot better with it,but it's each person's choice.
