HD Only Subscriber - Do new HD Packages Affect Me?

[Offroad]

In late February 2008, I converted my programming to the HD Only package. My bill currently shows it as:

DishHD Absolute with Locals - 34.99
Dish Network DVR Service Fee - 5.98

With Dish changing their HD programming again, will I get to keep this package? If not what will it convert to, and what if any will be the difference in price? I should be on an 18mo commitment from September of 2007 when I got the 722.

Thanks.

 

[KAB]

You are good until Feb '09. Then you will need to choose one of the Turbo HD packages.

 

[Offroad]

You are good until Feb '09. Then you will need to choose one of the Turbo HD packages.

Looking at the Turbo packages it appears I would lose channels I now have unless I paid more money. They won't let me stay on Absolute HD after Feb 09?

 

[Hall]

You are good until Feb '09. Then you will need to choose one of the Turbo HD packages.

Why do you say that ? I've heard nothing about HD Absolute "ending" Feb '09. Supposedly current customers will be able to switch to the Turbo packages then, but they don't have to.

 

[Offroad]

Also, if you have "moved" and have to "move" back temporarily for a receiver failure is that considered a change to my account that would cause me to lose HD Absolute?

 

[Hall]

I'm not sure that losing the HD Absolute package is as risky as people alluded to previously. Anything equipment related really shouldn't affect your programming options though. I'm on HD Absolute and was told by customer service that I can enroll in auto-pay and in turn get Cinemax for $0.01 for a year and not affect HD Absolute.

I also asked in another thread, and no one knows, what package do we get bumped to if they kick us out of HD Absolute ?

 

[Offroad]

I also asked in another thread, and no one knows, what package do we get bumped to if they kick us out of HD Absolute ?

Looks like anything that includes all the channels in Absolute would be more expensive!

 

[KAB]

Why do you say that ? I've heard nothing about HD Absolute "ending" Feb '09. Supposedly current customers will be able to switch to the Turbo packages then, but they don't have to.

It's been in responses from ceo@..........

 

[Miggity]

Looks like anything that includes all the channels in Absolute would be more expensive!

Yeah best I have figured is it would be around $55 for the equivalent package but you would GAIN your RSN. Only difference. Oh and you could add multisports pack etc if you wanted to.

I could be wrong.

And I too was told the package was only good through Feb 09 when I signed up for it.

 

[Offroad]

Yeah best I have figured is it would be around $55 for the equivalent package but you would GAIN your RSN. Only difference. Oh and you could add multisports pack etc if you wanted to.

I could be wrong.

And I too was told the package was only good through Feb 09 when I signed up for it.

My 18mo commitment should be up in March, if they force me to something more expensive I'll be looking at the competition.

 

[popechild]

I'm getting a little worried about this. I just signed up the last week of July for a two year committment to Ultimate HD ($30+$5 locals). Are you saying that in Feb '09 they're going to force me to a different package, which will cost more for the same channels?

I'm kicking myself because I could've sworn I saw something in all the online material for Ultimate HD I was reading about having the price "locked in" for the two years since I was signing up for the 2-year contract. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I definitely should have printed it out if that's the case...

 

[dolmar]

Well I was told by Dish that I would get all new HD channels added between now and Feb 1st. After Feb 1st I could choose to stay on HD absolute package but I might not continue to get all new HD channels added or I could choose to switch to one of the new HD Turbo packages. If I choose to stay on HD absolute package my price for the HD Absolute package would not increase but my local, DVR fee and extra box lease fee could increase.

Hopefully I was not lied as I would be pissed as HD Turbo package in my opinion sucks compared to D* $29.99+$9.99 package as D* has more channels in the lower tiers than E* than I like like which would have meant D* overall would be cheaper for me.

 

[popechild]

I've been googling around for info and so far haven't found much beyond the standard "Dish can raise prices whenever they want" info. Does no one else remember seeing info on their website about some sort of rate lock for signing up for the 2 year contract? Everything on there related to DishHD is gone now. Anybody know how to pull up a good cache?

Maybe it's just me and everybody else is used to being pissed on by Dish in this regard, but as a newcomer it sounds absolutely ludicrous that they could sign you up for a contract under one price, then raise the price at their will with no recourse. Even the evil cell phone companies don't go this far. What's to prevent them from running a "Everything under the sun for $.99/month" promotion, signing up a bazillion people, then changing everyone's price to $50/month and telling them they have to stick to their contracts? How is this possibly legal?