Enough With the Unwanted Phone Calls- Is My Only Way Out to Quit Dish?

[HanoverPretzel]

Once again, two phone calls in two days from Dish reminding me to pay a bill that's not overdue. One the day before the bill was paid, one the day the bill was paid. Both before the deadline for paying (i.e. bill would only be over due if I hadn't paid by tomorrow).

I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but I really don't want these calls, and I get them almost every month now. Is there any way out of them? The DIRT team once told me I couldn't and that this is part for the course on prepaid accounts if you don't pay at least like 3-4 days before the bill is due. Can I change my phone number on my Dish account to some random number without repercussions? Maybe I could list their number and they could call themselves with these annoying messages. Of course, then I might have trouble getting something important done if I need to use the number they have on file as verification, but I don't see any other way.

The other option is to simply quit Dish when my contract expires. It'd seem silly to do that primarily over unwanted phone calls, but I've done silly things before. It's really a customer service issue- I'm their paying customer and they're hassling me for no reason, even though I've told them I want them to stop. Should I start calling them every month to remind them to transmit my channels via satellite? I mean that's the equivalent of what they're doing to me.

And, no, I am not going to start paying earlier in the billing cycle unless I want to do it for other reasons some months.

And, no, I am not going to do auto-pay.

I want to be able to pay when I want and how I want up to the deadline, and not receive phone calls about it.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Other option, list my number as the number for a sex line. When Dish calls to annoy me, their machine can talk to some sex worker for $5 a minute. I'll bet they'd stop calling then.

I hate to have to consider resorting to cheap tactics like this, but whenever I've dealt with any other company that's made unwanted phone calls, I've been able to tell them to stop calling and they've stopped. I've never faced a situation where I've been a paying customer with someone who always pays on time, gotten phone calls regularly I don't want, asked the company to stop calling me, and had the company basically shrug and go "Too bad, we're calling you.". It's a dick move.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Hey, maybe I could list the number to Directv as my number and let them sort it out amongst themselves.

Or the federal do not call list registry number. I'll bet the government would act on Dish bothering their do not call number real fast.

 

[Laddyboy]

Why not pay a couple days earlier and be done with it.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Why not pay a couple days earlier and be done with it.

Why should I have to? I'm the customer, as long as I pay on or before the due date, I should be gold as far as Dish is concerned. Principle of the matter.

Plus, sometimes I literally don't have the money until the due date or very close to it- waiting for more money to come in or for a check to clear or whatever. And, no, I don't have a credit card I could put it on.

Dish should stop the harassing phone calls after I've requested they stop.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Yeah, I just went into my account online and changed both of my numbers to the number they've been calling me with. Hopefully that'll take care of this issue for me. Apparently I now live at Dish Network's telemarketing headquarters, or at least use their phone.

I could see it causing their robocalling computer to go into some of a feedback loop like on those old science fiction shows, though. "Does not compute... error... does not compute... error" as it shortcircuits.

 

[stardust3]

I pay most of my bills at or near the due date, just the way I've always done it. As far as unwanted phone calls it only happens once then it will be permanently blocked. My phone providers are Sprint & Centurylink, blocking a # is very easy to do with both.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

It's a shame because now if they have some legitimate reason to call me, they won't be able to, but they should have thought of that before deciding to send harassing robo calls twice a month that I can't opt out of.

 

[Laddyboy]

I understand your point, but sometimes it's just easier to pay than fight on principle.

 

[3HaloODST]

Have you had issues with paying your bill in the past? Dish never calls me, then again I am on autopay...

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Have you had issues with paying your bill in the past?

Nope. I've always paid on time. They're just being jerks (You know, in a corporate non-personal sense). So from now on they can call themselves since I listed their 800 number as my home phone number. I hope they like talking to their own machines.

I don't mean to be overdramatic. But, seriously, if continuing to call someone after you've been asked to stop isn't illegal, it should be. Bad corporate behavior IMO. Not customer friendly.

 

[n0qcu]

They are being pro-active since you have a prepay account they don't want to have to shut off your service so they are calling to remind you before the due date. In today's busy world people do sometimes forget. (not saying you would)

 

[chicagonettech]

Nope. I've always paid on time. They're just being jerks (You know, in a corporate non-personal sense). So from now on they can call themselves since I listed their 800 number as my home phone number. I hope they like talking to their own machines.

I don't mean to be overdramatic. But, seriously, if continuing to call someone after you've been asked to stop isn't illegal, it should be. Bad corporate behavior IMO. Not customer friendly.

Easy solution: get everything together to document the dates and times of the calls, both the calls to you and the calls you have made to Dish requesting they resolve the issue. Then call the FCC at 888.CALL.FCC (888.225.5322), and ask to file a complaint against Dish's collections department.

Make certain you have all of the facts before you call - including the DATES and TIMES of all calls and a summary of your conversations with Dish.

The FCC does not like harassing phone calls from businesses. Even if this is a mistake on the part of Dish, it is THEIR obligation to resolve the problem, not yours. You may also be able file a complaint with office of the US Attorney in your state.

Collection of outstanding fees is the right of every business, but outright harassment of innocent subscribers is against the law.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Go and file a do not call complaint with your state attorney general, and the FCC.

Eventhough they have the right to call you because your a customer, it will still create a problem with them having to respond to the complaint, and im sure they will then find a way for the calls to stop.

Dish is required and will respond to each complaint, wether its ligitiment or not. Trust me, I know because as a retailer I had the complaints forwarded to me when they involved my customers. It didn't matter if the complaint was valid or not, I still got it and had to respond and provide a resolution.

 

[dare2be]

Just don't complain that your service got shut off because you were a day or two late paying and they couldn't reach you to resolve the past due bill.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

They are being pro-active since you have a prepay account they don't want to have to shut off your service so they are calling to remind you before the due date. In today's busy world people do sometimes forget. (not saying you would)

That's a good reason for them offering it as an optional service. Heck, even make it the default. But if the customer says he/she doesn't want it and asks them to stop, they should stop. I mean that's to me where Dish is sort of crossing a line here- not that they do it, but that there's no way to get them to stop no matter how much you want them to.

Like if you were my buddy and called me every month to remind me about something, that'd be fine. But if I asked you to stop, you'd probably stop, because you're probably a good person and would respect me as your friend and my wishes. I mean, of course, with Dish, it's just corporate policy, it's not personal, but the same basic principle applies. If I ask them to stop and they don't stop, they can't claim to be doing me a favor anymore. It's not a favor anymore if I proactively say "Stop it." and they don't.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Easy solution: get everything together to document the dates and times of the calls, both the calls to you and the calls you have made to Dish requesting they resolve the issue. Then call the FCC at 888.CALL.FCC (888.225.5322), and ask to file a complaint against Dish's collections department.

Make certain you have all of the facts before you call - including the DATES and TIMES of all calls and a summary of your conversations with Dish.

The FCC does not like harassing phone calls from businesses. Even if this is a mistake on the part of Dish, it is THEIR obligation to resolve the problem, not yours. You may also be able file a complaint with office of the US Attorney in your state.

Collection of outstanding fees is the right of every business, but outright harassment of innocent subscribers is against the law.

You know, that is probably not a bad idea. I might do that.

I'd rather not have to go to that kind of trouble over something like this, though, and, frankly, I don't even really want to give Dish a hard time that way and turn it into some kind of a legal thing.

It'd be nice if it could just all be resolved simply and amicably. I say stop calling, they do it. Easier on both parties.

Maybe this number change thing will work. That'd be simple enough. But it's really not I know what Dish wants- they understandably want to be able to call customers if there is really a true problem at some point. And ithem being totally unable to call me isn't even really what I want- I want Dish to be able to contact me in unusual situation or to be able to use my phone number to verify my identity if I need to call them to discuss a billing issue or cancel or upgrade/degrade to something I can't upgrade/downgrade to online, or whatever at some point.

It'd be nice if Dish simply had a little option online that said contact to me by phone for the following reasons with check boxes, and you check the boxes where you'd want them to contact you and uncheck the options where you'd not want them to contact you. Like if they need to call me because I'm having signal loss, or my bill is a day overdue, totally fine, even something I'd want to hear from them about. But don't bother me about a bill if it's not overdue.

 

[dare2be]

I still don't get it. If as you say you are never late and pay off your bill very close to the due date but always on time, why don't you sign up for auto-pay? You will always get your bill paid on the due date, not even a day before. That will turn off the calling automatically.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

I still don't get it. If as you say you are never late and pay off your bill very close to the due date but always on time, why don't you sign up for auto-pay? You will always get your bill paid on the due date, not even a day before. That will turn off the calling automatically.

A few reasons:

1. I hear from friends who do auto-pay with various companies that it frequently gets screwed up- double billing, etc..

2. I want to be able to see my bill and make sure the charges are right before I pay. Like if I see an extra $15 for HBO and I don't subscribe to HBO, I don't want that $15 auto-withdrawn from my account due to an error (and then maybe risk not having that money that I might need for other things, or even risk an overdraft fee). I want to be able to sort it out with Dish beforehand and pay what I really owe. I like to see my charges before it actually gets charged to me and make sure everything is as it should be before I authorize it.

3. I like the freedom to pay early if I notice I'm getting the money early. To be honest, if I could, there are times when I might even pay a couple months ahead if, like, say, I had the money then but thought things might be tight in the months to come. Dish, like most companies doesn't allow that, which is fine. But I do like to at least be able to pay a week or two ahead right when I get my bill if it makes financial sense to me-- and I'm glad Dish and others allow me that at least that level of flexibility.

4. To be honest, I'd also like the freedom to maybe pay a day or two late if I ever absolutely have to-- i.e. a check or whatever doesn't clear and it's either pay for food so I don't starve or pay the TV bill. Never had that scenario, hopefully never will, but if it one day happened, I'd sure be kicking myself while I was starving to death because I signed up for auto-pay. Again, to be clear- I have never paid a Dish bill late. I never plan to. But in a rare emergency, I might theoretically have to prioritize food, rent, being able to buy a medicine I need, or whatever. Probably never would happen, but I like to be on the safe side where I know there's no way that bill is getting paid until I click submit online or mail a check or whatever.

 

[Neutron]

Hmm... I need to do this for our Conn's Credit account as well. They like to start harassing me the day the bill is due even though they know I pay it on the day it's due. I usually get 4-5 calls a day from them.