well afteralmost ten years of being aggrevated with e*, i've decided to give direct a try. the dish installer came out three months ago and upgraded my dish and moved it under a tree. it's worked fine but i knew what would eventually happen. our ice storm this week took out the trre over the dish and then took aout the dish. i called dish as i had already requested that the dish be moved as finding signal wasn't a problem. so when this happened i called and eplained the storm and downed tree. i also explained that i did have the home protection plan. the customer rep told be i was out of luck and i would have to go to a local retailer and pay them for a new dish. after argueing with them for a few minutes i told them just to cancel my service. they sent me to the canellation department. they told my that that wasn't right, that i should be able to turn in my damage under the protection plan. she put me on hold and then told me they don't have anything in the computer that would allow them to fix the dish for free. she told me if i signed up for 18 months they would do it. i simply cancelled. she then replied that they would install without a commitment and i still refused. she then offered me two free months of programming. i still refused as i explained to her, a customer shouldn't have to threaten to cancel before dish"s operators try to work with them. after spending a fortune for the last two years on hd bullsh*t. iv'e had enogh. i singed up with direct and hopelfully i'll be happly. at least right now with direct's price lock, (if you sign up online, with 20$ off a month discount.) i'll spend less money and have a lot mor channels to show for it. sorry to complain, just thought some of you peple might want to know, or might understand. thanks jeffdan