Hi everybody! Long time, lurker, first time poster... great to be here.
I own two Dish Network receivers, a 942 and a VIP722, that were purchased from DishStore.net (an excellent customer experience, I might add, that I hope to be able to use in the future). The 942 replaced a leased VIP211 in a bedroom with just a single cable run to it.
I decided it would be WAY too much work to run a second cable to the bedroom, so I went on eBay and bought a new-in-box DPP44 switch for $95 shipped, from a highly-rated seller who seemed to be moving a lot of Dish Network equipment.
Anyway, I finished the installation of the switch and everything was working great. Then I cleaned up my mess and returned to the televisions, only to discover the receivers were receiving no signal at all. This is maybe 90 minutes after successful check switch tests on both receivers, etc. I was sure the DPP44 had failed.
I hastily reinstalled the DP34 (successfully, which in my mind further implicated the DPP44), then brought the new unit in so I had unit serial #s, etc., available when I called Dish Network for help -- which is exactly what the instruction manual says to do if you run into trouble.
The CSR was unpleasant from the get-go, which is a bit unusual in my (now, nearly 11 years') experience with Dish Network. She asked my why I bothered to replace the switch in the first place, as if that was relevant to the situation. Then she came right out and asked: "So you're calling to see if there is a warranty on the unit?" I replied, "I guess so," (though I really wanted some help understanding why the install might have failed) and she put me on hold.
When she came back, she told me she "even spoke to her supervisor," but the switch is not warranted by Dish Network since I did not purchase it from Dish Network.
This surprised me, because there is no indication in any of the printed materials I have received from E* over the years -- and especially in the DPP44 package itself -- that supports this policy. It is especially troubling because I own both of my receivers (which, fortunately, have had no major problems to date, knock on wood). What happens if they go bad?
The CSR said I had to take it up with whomever I purchased the switch from. If they're willing to warrant it, then good for me. As far as she was concerned, Dish Network had washed their hands of this matter.
(Full disclosure: I reinstalled the DPP44, checked my wiring, and discovered I had inadvertently crimped the power inserter cable while I was cleaning up my mess, which caused the switch to fail. I re-ran that coax and now everything works just as it should.)
Still, the experience worried me a great deal. I prefer to own and install my own equipment, but if Dish Network doesn't warrant equipment purchased from 3rd party vendors, I might have to reconsider my longstanding relationship with them.
Is this policy (as retold here, by me, who heard it from a surly CSR) accurate? Has anyone else had problems with equipment purchased from 3rd parties? Thanks in advance for your advice.
I own two Dish Network receivers, a 942 and a VIP722, that were purchased from DishStore.net (an excellent customer experience, I might add, that I hope to be able to use in the future). The 942 replaced a leased VIP211 in a bedroom with just a single cable run to it.
I decided it would be WAY too much work to run a second cable to the bedroom, so I went on eBay and bought a new-in-box DPP44 switch for $95 shipped, from a highly-rated seller who seemed to be moving a lot of Dish Network equipment.
Anyway, I finished the installation of the switch and everything was working great. Then I cleaned up my mess and returned to the televisions, only to discover the receivers were receiving no signal at all. This is maybe 90 minutes after successful check switch tests on both receivers, etc. I was sure the DPP44 had failed.
I hastily reinstalled the DP34 (successfully, which in my mind further implicated the DPP44), then brought the new unit in so I had unit serial #s, etc., available when I called Dish Network for help -- which is exactly what the instruction manual says to do if you run into trouble.
The CSR was unpleasant from the get-go, which is a bit unusual in my (now, nearly 11 years') experience with Dish Network. She asked my why I bothered to replace the switch in the first place, as if that was relevant to the situation. Then she came right out and asked: "So you're calling to see if there is a warranty on the unit?" I replied, "I guess so," (though I really wanted some help understanding why the install might have failed) and she put me on hold.
When she came back, she told me she "even spoke to her supervisor," but the switch is not warranted by Dish Network since I did not purchase it from Dish Network.
This surprised me, because there is no indication in any of the printed materials I have received from E* over the years -- and especially in the DPP44 package itself -- that supports this policy. It is especially troubling because I own both of my receivers (which, fortunately, have had no major problems to date, knock on wood). What happens if they go bad?
The CSR said I had to take it up with whomever I purchased the switch from. If they're willing to warrant it, then good for me. As far as she was concerned, Dish Network had washed their hands of this matter.
(Full disclosure: I reinstalled the DPP44, checked my wiring, and discovered I had inadvertently crimped the power inserter cable while I was cleaning up my mess, which caused the switch to fail. I re-ran that coax and now everything works just as it should.)
Still, the experience worried me a great deal. I prefer to own and install my own equipment, but if Dish Network doesn't warrant equipment purchased from 3rd party vendors, I might have to reconsider my longstanding relationship with them.
Is this policy (as retold here, by me, who heard it from a surly CSR) accurate? Has anyone else had problems with equipment purchased from 3rd parties? Thanks in advance for your advice.
