Dish tells me it's $200 plus $15 to upgrade to HD. Is this good?

[Scherrman]

I agree KAB. And the customers getting the great deal now will be complaining in a few years too when they want the new lastest and greatest thing. It's a viscious circle I guess.

 

[txcoonass]

Apparently the free 722 upgrade was before the free HD for life. I have been on the phone with multiple CSR and Loyalty reps and they will not do free upgrade. Best they said they could offer was $100 for 722k and $50 for 211k. I told the loyalty rep that it appeared new customers were more important than existing customers and he replied it appeared that way. He did offer me 3 months HBO/Showtime and claimed a new customer could not get that deal only existing customers and I should be happy with that.

I thought the reason for the upgrade denial was related to having the older 522 Duo DVR, but sounds like only one promotion at a time and I missed my chance for free upgrade.

My issue has been that I was told, as I did research, by a CSR that I would be able to upgrade to 722 from 625 with no upgrade fee. Just 24 month committment, etc. Then when I go to pull the trigger and actually request the upgrade a week later, I am told that I must pay a $100 upfront cost. I talked and chatted with numerous CSRs including Loyalty Desk to no avail. I am now a new DirecTV customer.

 

[aquaman67]

Don't forget, we were ALL new customers once.

"yes, but he's NEWER..."

Like that bank commercial with the kids and the free icecream for the new kid only.

 

[sundrop]

"yes, but he's NEWER..."

Like that bank commercial with the kids and the free icecream for the new kid only.

This is all I managed to think about while reading the whole discussion.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl67TNDW-0Q]YouTube - Ally Bank "Ice Cream"[/ame]

 

[JeremyL]

As a retailer, I will say it sucks dealing with customers that think they deserve everything for free. I know most of the CSRs do not know much and don't always do a great job but I feel bad for them sometimes. That is one of the biggest complaints, "Why do new customers get the best deals and I get screwed?" I get tired of it. I think everyone should be on the business end of things once just to see what it's like trying to make people happy. Rant over. Thanks for listening. LOL

I agree with what you're saying about customers wanting something for free being wrong.

The problem is Dish and Direct both advertise saying how much better they are than cable and how everyone should switch. Then they "lease" them equipment to receive the signals. Well, the old cable company leased them equipment, too. The difference is when the cable equipment broke they could either drive it over to the cable office and pick up a new box, or call the cable company to come out and repair it ... all free of charge. On top of it, they would get the latest and greatest box being used by the cable company.

That causes a pretty big disconnect with sat. customers. They lease the equipment, so why can't they exchange it every so often for the newest model ... it all belongs to the sat. company, right?

 

[whatchel1]

How many times

My issue has been that I was told, as I did research, by a CSR that I would be able to upgrade to 722 from 625 with no upgrade fee. Just 24 month committment, etc. Then when I go to pull the trigger and actually request the upgrade a week later, I am told that I must pay a $100 upfront cost. I talked and chatted with numerous CSRs including Loyalty Desk to no avail. I am now a new DirecTV customer.

How many times you gonna come here drying about this? You been there done that now please move on. You got a new customer deal with D* be happy with that.

 

[jtravel]

As a retailer, I will say it sucks dealing with customers that think they deserve everything for free. I know most of the CSRs do not know much and don't always do a great job but I feel bad for them sometimes. That is one of the biggest complaints, "Why do new customers get the best deals and I get screwed?" I get tired of it. I think everyone should be on the business end of things once just to see what it's like trying to make people happy. Rant over. Thanks for listening. LOL

Well I think it sucks that a 6 year SD customer would have to pay a $100 to $200 equipment upgrade fee and be locked into a new 2 year contract just to move upto HD.
You don't even own the equipment only lease it from Dish.
If that same leased equipment breaks Dish expects you to pay to fix their equipment or buy insurance to cover it.
Then on top of that they want to charge you a bull**** monthly DVR fee because the receiver has a harddrive inside that you can record video to.
Lets not forget the ripoff fee to allow you to use a external harddrive on the receiver.
My six year old 522 no longer records video properly. The harddrive is basically at it's ends of life but the box does still function properly as a receiver. Lets look at just the $6 monthly DVR fee dish has been charging me to use the harddrive in this 522, Dish has collected $360 over 6 years just on that DVR fee alone.
Now dish wants me to pay $200 to replace this end of life equipment and sign a new 24 month contract for the honor of being one of their customers.
To make matters worse I know of people who were upgraded for free and were customers for much less time than 6 years with Dish.

Bottomline:
If Dish expect a exisiting customer who completed their contract to sign a new 24 month contract then they should also be offering them the same deal that is offered to a new customer signing the same 24 month contract. That seems only fair to me.

 

[Slamminc11]

Well I think it sucks that a 6 year SD customer would have to pay a $100 to $200 equipment upgrade fee and be locked into a new 2 year contract just to move upto HD.
You don't even own the equipment only lease it from Dish.
If that same leased equipment breaks Dish expects you to pay to fix their equipment or buy insurance to cover it.
Then on top of that they want to charge you a bull**** monthly DVR fee because the receiver has a harddrive inside that you can record video to.
Lets not forget the ripoff fee to allow you to use a external harddrive on the receiver.
My six year old 522 no longer records video properly. The harddrive is basically at it's ends of life but the box does still function properly as a receiver. Lets look at just the $6 monthly DVR fee dish has been charging me to use the harddrive in this 522, Dish has collected $360 over 6 years just on that DVR fee alone.
Now dish wants me to pay $200 to replace this end of life equipment and sign a new 24 month contract for the honor of being one of their customers.
To make matters worse I know of people who were upgraded for free and were customers for much less time than 6 years with Dish.

Bottomline:
If Dish expect a exisiting customer who completed their contract to sign a new 24 month contract then they should also be offering them the same deal that is offered to a new customer signing the same 24 month contract. That seems only fair to me.

You don't want to do it, you do have the option to go somewhere else.
My cellphone contract is coming up. Guess what. If I want the latest and greatest phone, I don't get it for free, I have to pay $$ to get it, plus agree to another 2 years of service to get the phone I want.
Dish's service, Dish's option to sell it, handle it, run it the way they choose. It's your choice whether to sign up for it or not.

 

[radtech]

This topic has been discussed here many times. I too think that is is wrong to give new customers a better deal than loyal long term customers. Obviously this policy must produce acceptable account churn rates or these companies would not do it. I am not for certain, but I believe D* uses the same business model?

Anyway, the point I want to make here is that few people take the time to read the terms of the DHA 24 program. Prior customers qualify for the DHA24 program after 90 days of lapse in service.

Subscriber Eligibility: Services and equipment must be ordered, installed and activated between and including June 3, 2010 and
September 28, 2010. Only 1 participant per household. This offer may not be combined with any other offer. This offer is limited
to: (A) new, first-time residential DISH subscribers; and (B) former DISH subscribers who (1) previously maintained an active
DISH account in good standing for at least 6 consecutive months; (2) voluntarily disconnected all prior DISH accounts; (3) paid
all balances owing under their prior DISH account(s) in full; and (4) have not received any DISH service during the 3-month
period prior to activation under this plan (“Former DISH Subscribers”). No new, first-time residential DISH subscriber or Former
DISH Subscriber shall be eligible for this plan unless such subscriber: (a) resides in the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico, the US Virgin Islands, or certain areas in Alaska; (b) provides DISH with a social security number and a valid major credit
card or debit/check card number, each issued to the customer who signs this Agreement; and (c) receives credit approval. If you
reside in Alaska, you represent that you have confirmed that your residence is eligible for this plan. DISH will determine
eligibility and may deny eligibility for any reason.

So, if you want the new customer deal, drop your service for 90 days and sign back up. It is that simple. You will get new installation, new equipment, $15 per month credit for 12 months, free HBO and Showtime for 3 months, and free DHPP for 6 months. What could be better?

Ed

 

[jtravel]

You don't want to do it, you do have the option to go somewhere else.
My cellphone contract is coming up. Guess what. If I want the latest and greatest phone, I don't get it for free, I have to pay $$ to get it, plus agree to another 2 years of service to get the phone I want.
Dish's service, Dish's option to sell it, handle it, run it the way they choose. It's your choice whether to sign up for it or not.

Bad example,
once off contract I have always been offered new phones for free or a very reduced fee depending on phone type same as a new customer would get if I agree to sign a new contract.

 

[Yespage]

My issue has been that I was told, as I did research, by a CSR that I would be able to upgrade to 722 from 625 with no upgrade fee. Just 24 month committment, etc. Then when I go to pull the trigger and actually request the upgrade a week later, I am told that I must pay a $100 upfront cost. I talked and chatted with numerous CSRs including Loyalty Desk to no avail. I am now a new DirecTV customer.

Why in the world did you have to wait to pull the trigger on such a good deal? I was prepared to spend $100+ to make that same upgrade. When I was told it would be free, plus $15 for installation, I upgraded immediately. It was a no brainer.

 

[dangue]

You don't want to do it, you do have the option to go somewhere else.
My cellphone contract is coming up. Guess what. If I want the latest and greatest phone, I don't get it for free, I have to pay $$ to get it, plus agree to another 2 years of service to get the phone I want.
Dish's service, Dish's option to sell it, handle it, run it the way they choose. It's your choice whether to sign up for it or not.

Awful example since you own both your old phone and the new one that places you under a new contract.

 

[KAB]

Awful example since you own both your old phone and the new one that places you under a new contract.

But buy the time you get your new latest and greatest phone, your old one is pretty much worthless. So, I don't see the difference.

 

[Scherrman]

So when you want to upgrade to the latest and greatest phone you get it for free? Every phone company I have seen makes you pay a discounted price for those. The only phones you get for free are the cheap ones. Just like Dish, they will let you upgrade to a 311, 322, or 625 for free. If you want the best equipment some kind of price needs to be paid.

 

[jtravel]

So when you want to upgrade to the latest and greatest phone you get it for free? Every phone company I have seen makes you pay a discounted price for those. The only phones you get for free are the cheap ones. Just like Dish, they will let you upgrade to a 311, 322, or 625 for free. If you want the best equipment some kind of price needs to be paid.

Thats True about the top of the line smart phones. I can however get a pretty decent non- Smart Phone for free with contract extension.
The main thing is the cell phone companies pretty much treat existing customers the same as new customers if they extend their contract or sign a new one.

 

[Unclebob9]

these things are for sale on EBAY and Craigslist. I picked up a 1000.2 dish with a 722 today for $20 on Craigslist. (I know it was a steal, I only was looking for the dish).
Now I am wondering since I have the equipment, what would be the cost If I set it up to get the 722 activated and send back the 211 they gave mw when I signed up last Nov.?
Bob

 

[KKlare]

I would say it is a steal, i.e., stolen or left by a walk-away. In either case Dish will not activate the receiver AFAIK. I hope it was not a stolen dish, which someone had to pay to replace and that you were encouraging theft.
-Ken

 

[txcoonass]

Why in the world did you have to wait to pull the trigger on such a good deal? I was prepared to spend $100+ to make that same upgrade. When I was told it would be free, plus $15 for installation, I upgraded immediately. It was a no brainer.

Because I was trying to get all of the movies off of the 625 DVR first. The CSR even suggested to wait on upgrade until I got movies off of DVR. Then when I had them off and called to arrange upgrade, $100 fee. My mistake for waiting.

 

[billdz]

Just curious but how do you become on the "A" or "B" plan, whats the difference?

Just found this thread and it appears this question was never answered. What is the difference between Plan A and Plan B? How does one become a Plan A customer?

Thanks,
bill

 

[n0qcu]

Just found this thread and it appears this question was never answered. What is the difference between Plan A and Plan B? How does one become a Plan A customer?

Thanks,
bill

The simple answer is nobody really knows.