DTVPal Digital-to-Analog Converter is Now Available

[dweber]

My Brother's Ordering Experience

My brother tried to order two DTVPAL converter boxes using the web site dtvpal.com. He lives in St. Albans, WV. The web site would not except St. He redid the address as Saint Albans, WV. Initially the amounts did not indicate his 2 converter boxes and 2 coupons. He redid all of the information. When he clicked Submit, he got a message that the Server had encountered an error. A chat box then opened and a DISH employee asked if he needed help. He typed in the problem he had encountered. He then got a message that the session had closed due to congestion. It sounds like DISH is not prepared for the demand. My brother will try back in a few days.

 

[blanquitoman1984]

Is there any work around with the shipping?

Is there any way to find out if our local distributors have the pal already? That way we get it sooner and avoid the shipping fee.

 

[dweber]

Followup on My Brother's DTVPAL Order

My brother called the DISH network phone number to try to finish his order. He talked to a DISH CSR. The DISH CSR found my brother's name and address in their computer but no order information. The DISH CSR was able to successfully input the card information for my brother's one card but the other card showed up as used. The DISH CSR speculates that when the government server crashed during my brother's web order, it charged the card but DISH was unable to place the order in their system.

The DISH CSR told my brother that it has been a long frustrating night. He claims that when the DISH computers try to verify the converter card information, the government site often fails with a server error.

Perhaps, a lot of the problem are due to the government computer verification rather than DISH problems.

The DISH CSR told my brother that he will need to contact the government site to get his coupon reactivated. Hopefully, this will work.

 

[Pepper]

Rhetorical question of the day. How is it possible for a company to be so badly run, yet stay in business and make a profit? Thousands of employees, millions of customers, hundreds of contracts with fortune 500 program sources, company appears to be run out of Charlie and Jim's basement, with a pimply-faced kid designing their nonfunctional websites in his spare time at night, after working all day at the lemonade stand in the front yard.

Business model: build a great product, don't train the sales staff about it, make it near impossible for a customer to buy it. I would love to have a dtvpal, but I dread the experience of actually buying one. It sounds like a visit to the gynecologist (yes I am MALE) would be less painful.

 

[Anole]

Pepper - I couldn't agree more! -

But, knowing months ahead, that theirs was the only unit on the market with a claimed week-long guide, didn't they think maybe that would put at the front of many user's wish list?
The certainly didn't set out from the beginning to build a me-too box!

Only reason I want one, is 'cause of the familiar remote.
- well, maybe the familiar screen interface . . .
- okay, the week long guide has my attention! -

Just hope the hype is worth the hell.

And I'm looking forward to many new users adding tidbits to the review thread, above.
Would be nice to see what they got right, what they got wrong, and what they could have improved.
You do know... the government mandate for these boxes, is that they have a firmware update capability (doesn't specify how).

 

[kb7oeb]

Most stations in my area only send 24 hours, two stations send 3 days worth.

 

[bsexton]

In my previous post in this thread, I indicated that it appears I got the receivers free... Here is a copy of my recent activity with dishnetwork:

06/26 06/26 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE 59.99
06/26 06/26 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE 59.99
06/26 06/26 SHIPPING AND HANDLING 8.95
06/26 06/26 SHIPPING AND HANDLING 8.95
06/26 06/25 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE -59.99
06/26 06/25 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE -59.99

It appears that I do pay shipping but the equipment charges are zeroed. I'm happy!!! I was expecting to get them for $40, use my coupons, and only pay shipping. I was a bit upset when I saw the new $60 price. I received a credit of $60 for each coupon I used, so I'm still happy. I did not ask for any kind of promotion when I called in, this is just what I ended up with on my account.

 

[dweber]

Charges for DTVPAL

My recent DISH activity shows that I was charged $59.99 for each DTVPAL.
The coupons were applied as $40.
The shipping and handling was $8.95.
The taxes were $1.38 and $7.58

COUNTY TAX 1.38
STATE TAXES 7.58
06/26 06/26 SHIPPING AND HANDLING 8.95
06/26 06/26 SHIPPING AND HANDLING 8.95
06/26 06/26 PAYMENT - THANK YOU -40.00
06/26 06/26 PAYMENT - THANK YOU -40.00
06/26 06/26 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE 59.99
06/26 06/26 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE 59.99

 

[dweber]

In my previous post in this thread, I indicated that it appears I got the receivers free... Here is a copy of my recent activity with dishnetwork:

06/26 06/26 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE 59.99
06/26 06/26 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE 59.99
06/26 06/26 SHIPPING AND HANDLING 8.95
06/26 06/26 SHIPPING AND HANDLING 8.95
06/26 06/25 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE -59.99
06/26 06/25 DTVPAL EQUIPMENT CHARGE -59.99

It appears that I do pay shipping but the equipment charges are zeroed. I'm happy!!! I was expecting to get them for $40, use my coupons, and only pay shipping. I was a bit upset when I saw the new $60 price. I received a credit of $60 for each coupon I used, so I'm still happy. I did not ask for any kind of promotion when I called in, this is just what I ended up with on my account.

BSexton,
I wonder if your order was cancelled.
My order shows payment of -40.00 twice and it shows local taxes.
See my previous post.
Your account shows the charge for the equipment being taken away.
Thus I wonder if you will receive the units.

 

[bsexton]

BSexton,
I wonder if your order was cancelled.
My order shows payment of -40.00 twice and it shows local taxes.
See my previous post.
Your account shows the charge for the equipment being taken away.
Thus I wonder if you will receive the units.

Checking again... I have the following line:

STATE TAXES 0.78

My state taxes are 6%. This would be on $13, so the numbers don't add up. This is still all that shows on my account. Isn't it nice that Dishnetwork is so consistent in the way the treat their customers.

 

[Anole]

the story with Radio Shack

Just had lunch with my Radio Shack guy.
He went to a Vendor Fair, where he met up with two dozen of their suppliers.

Had him specifically ask the Dish rep about the DTVpal, and here is what was said:
Radio Shack won't be carrying it because they already have a $59.95 unit, and don't need a $79.95 box.
Not exactly a quote, but as close as I could come.

There are enough holes in that story to qualify as Swiss Cheese!

I have about 0% confidence in Dish and Dish reps, so I would suggest we revisit this question in 30 days and see if it's still true.
Heck, it might not be true tomorrow!

But you know . . . R/S does carry Cingular/AT&T cell phones, but doesn't carry their iPhone . . .
So, it's possible they won't have DTVpal, for some unknown reason.

The reason I can think of is that Dish wants to make every sale count, and use it as leverage to sell satellite service.
That's what they told their dealers in the Dealer Chat last week!
Letting Radio Shack sell them would not get the job done.
R/S is selling converter boxes like WalMart - you get delivery of 100, and by the end of the day, they're gone!

So, now I will consider finding a backup plan to get my box.
No hurry, but to cover my ass if R/S doesn't get any, I'll be on the lookout for a local LA dealer who will take my money and coupon.
Calling Dish and getting on their junk-mail and call- list, is NOT a good choice!

 

[Scroll]

Say what?

RadioShack.com - Home Entertainment: Accessories: Video accessories: Converters: GE Smart Digital Converter Box

 

[Mtnbkr]

Dish Network claims that coupons are invalid.

I made an attempt to order 2 DTVPals on-line from Dish this afternoon and was informed that since I was a Dish subscriber, I had to place the order by phone. When placing the order I got as far as the coupon numbers and was then told that both coupons were invalid. I received the coupons in mid May with a valid date thru Aug 20, 2008 and have never been used. The Dish rep made 2 attempts and both times came up invalid. No apologies, no suggestions on what to do next. I contacted a rep at the coupon program center and was told to have Dish call the Retailer Support Center. I am waiting for a reply from Dish. Anyone with similar problems and recommendations? Thanx, Mtnbkr

 

[kkeller83]

FCC Charge?

I just ordered my 2 DTVPAL units from Dish network and still wonder why I continue to do business with them. My experience in brief:

1. Went to website, entered in all my info (including 2 coupons), Order Calculator was still at $0.00, so I called "Not finding what you're looking for? Please call 1-888-825-2557 for assistance" as this was the number that appeared within the Order Calculator box. Got some chick from Bangladesh on the other end who, when I inquired how much the units were, put me on hold for 5 minutes while breaking in every 30 seconds to say "Please hold". When she finally came back on the line for good, she kept trying to sell me a new Dish network receiver, until I finally got her to realize that all I was wanted was the price of the DTVPAL, not to order anything.

2.Went back to the website, hit "submit" and was given a message that my session had expired, which erased all my info.

3. Re-entered all my info again, hit "submit" and was taken back to same page with message that my billing address had been corrected. What? Only difference was that address info was now all in caps and the Order Calculator showed a sum of 59.99+59.99+8.95+8.95+9.30(tax)=$147.18 as my coupon info had disappeared.

4. Re-entered coupon info, Order Calculator now read $67.18 (147.18-80.00), hit "submit", and was taken back to same page with message that I would have to call in since my address was listed as already having Dish Network (which is correct), but...what the heck??!

5. Now called "Not finding what you're looking for? Please call 1-888-638-9912 for assistance." as this was the latest number to reveal itself in the Order Calculator box. Went the route of indicating I was a current Dish customer, and gave the guy (a U.S. citizen to boot!) all my info, only now when he gave me my total, it came to $71.58. When I asked him how he arrived at the total, he said the tax was $13.70. When I asked him why it was so much more than what it should be according to my local tax rate and the website, he put me on hold only to return and tell me that it was probably "prorated starting from the 5th of the month." When I questioned him about how could anything be "prorated" as there was no monthly service fee associated with it, he hemmed and hawed some and then told me that I could buy the unit cheaper at Walmart!!! When I pressed him about the availablity of the DTVPAL at Walmart and not some other brand, he assured me that his local Walmart had them, but they were "flying off the shelves". Since he ACTUALLY LIVES in the same local area that I do, I got the specific Walmart he was referring to, and when I called it and another one closer to me I was informed that the only units they sell are by Magnavox.

5. Called the 1-888-638-9912 AGAIN, only this time went the "not a Dish customer" route and this time got a girl who came up with the same price of $71.58. When I questioned her about the tax rate, after being put on hold YET AGAIN, she returned with the answer that there were FCC taxes on top of the sales tax. When I said that didn't seem right as I wouldn't have to pay FCC taxes if I purchased a unit from the store, she was pretty insistent that I would. Having now spent the better part of an hour talking to 3 clueless Dish employees and dealing with a twitchy website, I gave up and agreed to the $71.58. (I had purchased 2 other brands over a year ago at over $100/each, so $36.00 each didn't seem like THAT bad of a deal....)

We'll see what ( if anything) shows up in 7-10 days.

(And all because I don't want to have to remember to set a specific channel before I leave the house!!!)

 

[Pepper]

Dish Network New Employee Orientation Video
[YOUTUBE]kIk4ZLVGIC8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[jegrant]

Ew! Does anyone have a good experience to report? Sounds like it might be more trouble than it's worth.

 

[DK_Sat]

I got 2 Digital Stream 9950 from Radio shack the box has the pass through analog. Nice menu, Guide works fine good Audio / Video .

 

[Zorak]

I've played with 4 different boxes so far and like the Digital Stream the best so far for features and sensitivity.

 

[pabeader]

I got 2 Digital Stream 9950 from Radio shack the box has the pass through analog. Nice menu, Guide works fine good Audio / Video .

cool that way when they get the good boxes in you can exchange them

 

[Scroll]

I got one too. Seems to work. Not sure what you mean about trading up though since this IS the new model. If you return it don't you lose the $40 coupon?