Frustrated Dish Owner - I cant be alone on this!

When you get your direct tv let me know how the whole house dvr works out. Seems like this might be a one up on Dish for know, until the sling box comes out, but then you still have o buy one for each tv.
 
The only thing that seems slightly suspect to me is the OP ran here to post his complaint, but didn't know enough to seek advice here for a 5 HD setup before calling DISH. I know people in general like to post complaints more than anything else, but still . . .

Anywho, hope DirecTV works out for you rich. As they say "it's only TV". ;)
 
Those factors aside, I have just never gotten any feeling that they wanted me or cared to do any work to keep me and my money. If I knew I could talk to someone who would at least make a good faith effort to keep me I would make the call.

I see the same comment you make in all the "I canceled Dish" threads, and I am willing to bet that they are also in the "I canceled DirecTV" and "I canceled Cable" threads.

Each of these corporations has thousands of representatives that talk to thousands of customers every year.

The idea that we should be getting caring and attention from these people is a strange distortion of reality.

You should be getting caring and attention from your wife and mother, not from a corporation.

PS For the $600 mentioned, you can get 3 211k's from dishstore.net and 3 external USB drives for newegg.com to make them into DVRs. Each one only has a $7 per month fee rather than a $17 fee, when it is converted to a DVR.

No one at any corporation will ever give a flying f___ about you and me, so get over it.
 
By the way, for those interested, the scientific basis for the above is:

- Human beings for millions of years lived in tribes of 150-200 people, so our instincts are programmed to only trust a) people we know personally, and b) no more than 200 people. So, strangers are always mistrusted, and are always "them" and not "us" - that is the automatic emotional response of human beings. Big corporations have far more than 200 customers, so no matter what the marketing spin says, they really cannot possibly treat customers as "us" - humans are just not wired to do that.

- Money is a measure of status in society. Someone who can spend $50,000 on a luxury, thereby expects to be treated as a high status individual. Dish Network does not offer such distinctions amongst customers. I seem to remember seeing a feature on a TV news program about some sort of ultra-high-end DirecTV service for high rollers, I cannot remember if it was offered by DirecTV themselves, or a third party... but that is clearly what OP is looking for - being treated as a high roller...
 
What's up w/ the 3 leased boxes now? I hadn't heard that, thought it was still 6 leased tuners (which is 3 boxes w/ DUO units)... why not lease 5 211's & get the EHD activated, you can record on any of the 5, move the EHD to what ever set you want to watch???

I do see it's moot now 'cause he's gone to direct, but why wasn't it mentioned before???
 
You can't lease more than 3 receivers. The business rules state that you can lease 3 receivers up to 6 tuners. Anything more than that would have to be purchased.
 
By the way, for those interested, the scientific basis for the above is:

- Human beings for millions of years lived in tribes of 150-200 people, so our instincts are programmed to only trust a) people we know personally, and b) no more than 200 people. So, strangers are always mistrusted, and are always "them" and not "us" - that is the automatic emotional response of human beings. Big corporations have far more than 200 customers, so no matter what the marketing spin says, they really cannot possibly treat customers as "us" - humans are just not wired to do that.

- Money is a measure of status in society. Someone who can spend $50,000 on a luxury, thereby expects to be treated as a high status individual. Dish Network does not offer such distinctions amongst customers. I seem to remember seeing a feature on a TV news program about some sort of ultra-high-end DirecTV service for high rollers, I cannot remember if it was offered by DirecTV themselves, or a third party... but that is clearly what OP is looking for - being treated as a high roller...
It was called the Titanium package and back in 2006 it offered:

DIRECTV TITANIUM provides select customers the most unlimited entertainment experience the industry has ever seen. An annual subscription fee of $7,500 affords distinct subscribers the ultimate fantasy package for those who enjoy using the newest, best, and most expensive gadgets and services. Included in the package are:

  • Unlimited access to all of DIRECTV's programming - every channel
  • 24-hour concierge customer service
  • Unlimited access to all pay per view movies, events and sports packages
  • Priority "white glove" service and immediate VIP installation
  • The best HD channels available anywhere and the leading DVR in the industry
  • Up to 10 receivers including HD/DVRs.
Not sure if it's still offered, maybe stonecold would know....

DIRECTV, Inc. - DIRECTV to Unveil New Elite Titanium Package as Title Sponsor of the World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Superman Returns"
 
You should be getting caring and attention from your wife and mother, not from a corporation. No one at any corporation will ever give a flying f___ about you and me, so get over it.

Perhaps caring might have been a poor choice of words, but most people would understand that I really do not want a hug from them ;).

Most people would also be able to deliniate the difference in the type of caring that a company might give a leaving customer to retain them (that is after all why they have retention departments) versus the caring my family provides !sadroll.

But I digress...

The point I was making that was either lost or most likely that you just wanted to make a witty jab (I did laugh), was that from a PURELY financial perspective, a company might want to do a little more than Dish did to investigate options that might keep their subscription. I was not a low ball type of customer who was not or would not have been unprofitable to Dish. If I was willing to pay a $195 termination fee and $400 in new DTV hardware, it is pretty clear that profit was there for me to stay.

In the end, they are very inflexible, which is in all probability indicitive of Mr. Ergen and his business policies more so than that of the people I dealt with.

In fact, I can almost guarantee that Dish employs a very solid top down business strategy and model that proves, on the whole, that these limitations, higher than normal service/lease fees and inflexible policies do indeed provide Dish more profit from those that agree to stay and pay than Dish might lose from a customer like me.
 
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Complaining about the cost of programming for seven 60"+ HD TVs/projection systems is like buying a Hummer and then complaining about the price of gas.

Very flawed logic...

So you own a hummer (I have a suburban does that count?) you are driving by lets say Shell (D*) and Texaco (E* - see I refrained from using BP here :D) who were right across the street from one another. You see you need gas and notice that one station is charging $2.69 for 92 octane while the other is charging $3.09 for 89 octane.

Which do you buy?

Well unless you are blindly loyal and a bit dim, you are going to buy the less expensive gas if all else is at least equal. So anyone stating that just because I can afford a hummer means I should settle for far less value is either using flawed logic or just not thinking clearly.

How do you think people get to a place where they afford a hummer? In most (not all) cases it is because they are fairly smart with their money.

Let me add that I understand my scenario can also be overly simple since many layers of complexity for choice and fit would be required to make it stand on its own. My point is that just because you can afford to be fleeced or get less value does not mean that one is smart or wise to do so.

Also note that I did not list which "station" was higher in my metaphor. For some people Dish would clearly be the better choice and I acknowledge that. My loyalty lies with my bank account and my experiences, not with a company (whichever one you use) that just wants your money.

On that we do indeed agree.
 
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The only thing that seems slightly suspect to me is the OP ran here to post his complaint, but didn't know enough to seek advice here for a 5 HD setup before calling DISH. I know people in general like to post complaints more than anything else, but still . . .

Anywho, hope DirecTV works out for you rich. As they say "it's only TV". ;)


In my initial post I explained that when we signed up for Dish 9 months ago it was a package deal for DSL/TV and that we had not yet finished our basement or built a theatre room. In fact, I clearly stated in my initial post that 2 HD signals and 2 SD signals from the Duo were adequate at the time we built and moved into our new home.

I also was not aware of this fine site at the time, but am glad I am here now!
 
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well u could have opened a "second" account under your wife's name and save a bundle of cash..but its too late now
 
I have a customer that has a house that sounds like yours. They bought 12 TVs from us and have everyone hooked up to Dish. They have two accounts for their house. They only have 2 HD receivers I believe. Now there is a house that is a little overwhelming.
 
Perhaps caring might have been a poor choice of words, but most people would understand that I really do not want a hug from them ;).

Most people would also be able to deliniate the difference in the type of caring that a company might give a leaving customer to retain them (that is after all why they have retention departments) versus the caring my family provides !sadroll.

But people in the thread have delineated many different ways that you could have stayed with Dish Network, and had 5 different HD feeds with DVR features on all 5.

All of those cost roughly the same as you are paying to change providers.

So when you say:

chargerrich said:
Those factors aside, I have just never gotten any feeling that they wanted me or cared to do any work to keep me and my money. If I knew I could talk to someone who would at least make a good faith effort to keep me I would make the call.

- Wanted you
- Cared to do any work to keep you
- Good faith effort to keep you

None of those are either:

- 5 HD feeds
- Money

Since we know that it is not a problem to get 5 HD feeds on Dish Network, then the only possible remaining factors are:

- Financial

OR

- The emotion of feeling that your status as a high end customer is being recognized by the company.

Since you spent $50,000 on your home theater, and you are spending $600 to change providers, it seems unlikely that you are moving due to financial costs.

And, strangely enough, the $20,000 a year guys who post "I just left Dish" also express dismay that "Dish did not make a big effort to keep me".

So, in both cases, it is an emotional feeling.

Perhaps Dish needs to train their phone reps to make a big deal verbally about "wanting to keep you" -- while giving the same deals as before...
 
Perhaps this is where Dish and I got "off the rails".

Maybe that is unreasonable to some, it just seems to me that in 2010 when you barely even find a non HD set anymore that having 5 TVs you want in HD (we actually have 7 rooms with HD TVs) is quickly becoming common place with each passing day.

5 HD signals may sound like a lot, but in a 5000 square foot home, it really is not from my perspective.

How many people live in your home?
 
The business rules state that a customer can only lease 3 receivers or 6 tuners. So the maximum you could lease from Dish is 3 dual tuner receivers. This does not stop you from purchasing extra receivers though.

"Purchase" There is the rub. Time and time again, customers will swear up and down that the perosn they spoke to pn the phone said the customer could have X number of receivers ( above the promo limit) for free.
Numerous times I pre called customers to read the info on their work order. The number of receivers on the work order was according to the customer not sufficient. I tell them that is the limit of the promotion and there is nothing i can do about it because we are just the install company.
If the customer is willing and calm I would go to bat for the customer to see what I can do. Too often the CSR would tell me the customer had to talk to Dish.
Dish is not inclined to provide extra receivers without an out of pocket expense.
 

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