International subscribers in our area getting screwed by Dish

[Joeydutton]

The retailer I do installs for sells quite a few international packages. But we have encountered a wonky glitch in the billing that is really unfair to International subscribers.

Case in point, today I set up a Indian family with the 121 dish and a 61.5 dish for them to get the South Asia mega pack. All they wanted was just that package. But Dish also forced them to take the Top 60 channels, PLUS LOCALS.

The top 60 I can understand, but forcing them to pay for locals?? Here's the glitch...

in our area we have to use the 105 superdish to get local channels. So literally, if the customer wanted the South Asia megapack plus local channels they would have to have TWO superdishes on their house!

Other than us eccentric installers would want two superdishes on their house?

Regardless of this glitch, Dish is requiring the customer to pay for locals even though they can't receive them!

Dish does not have a technical solution. The only solution is to put up two superdishes, but naturally Dishnetwork does not offer the second superdish for free. The customer (or retailer) would have to buy a second one.

Not only that, but they would have to purchase a different switch in order to get 121, 105, 119, 110, and 61.5. Dishnetwork doesn't offer any discounts in that area either.

But regardless of the fact Dish does not provide all the equipment for International viewers to get all this programming, they customer is STILL CHARGED FOR IT ANYWAY! Wow, how is that for totally bad business?!

Anyway, I left the Indian family home feeling bad for them. They were paying over $100 for satellite tv when they were only expecting about $55. They got screwed.

 

[yapagaldil]

yes people who want international channels are always screwed. there's never any good deal on dishnetwork and trying to get the customers. i had hell of time trying to get everything working.

but wat can i says our local cable company upgraded their network to digital and promised 999 channels guess what, i am still waiting for them.. most of the channels are still empty and they haven't brought many international channel to their side even though there's hugh international community living in the area.

 

[mudder1310]

How about the 75e FSS standalone dish for 105 and the 121 superdish for the asian megapack (I'm almost positive you don't need 61.5)?

 

[Mr Tony]

I’m confused on the post

So it sounds like they wanted JUST the Asian package? Or did they want Dish Network too? The reason for the AT60 minimum was for the free equipment. They shouldn’t have to take locals if they don’t want them. The rule says “a minimum of AT60”, not AT60+locals.

I think everything on 61.5 is duplicated on 121

Almost sounds like if they wanted the Asian package only, a 30” dish and a receiver purchased outright would have been better option. They could purchase what they wanted and be charged a $5 surcharge…but if you lease the equipment, then AT60 is minimum package

 

[madisondish]

61.5 has french tv5, which is not on the 121
There are also other channels only on the 61.5-I think some muslim channels are there also. We found this out the hard way after installing a 121 superdish then the customer called up and wanted tv5 dish told them there was a charge for this second trip and dish and we were back installing a 61.5 to an irate customer.

And even if you buy your equipment outright you are charged 5.99 a month if you DON'T sub to the the top60 (called an "access fee") oh yeah yu need a socials# to activate- a little ironic considering it is foreign programming-

 

[Mr Tony]

madison
The Asian channels are on both 61.5 & 121...some of the newer ones are on 121 only

the "BS" fee is 5.00..All I have with Dish are locals (and the BS fee). The social wasnt required when I signed up (agiain) 4 years ago

 

[geobernd]

As others have said: It's the customers choice to take AT60 and lease 'free' equipment or not take it and buy equipment. I want the later route and only have the $5 bogus fee in addition to my international package....
I am also pretty sure the whole asian package is on 121 and you don't need 61.5 for that. There might be channles on 61.5 only but none of the asians....
Of course it's a bit late now - but maybe next time someone comes along....
On a related note: As soon as they get a DVR they must have 110 for the EEPG so you can't just put up a dish for 121 (I found that one out the hard way - and I can't get 121 and 110 from the same location in my yard so I have dishes nicely spread out now )....
Some internationals also have better deals if you sign up using special promotional numbers instead of the direct Dishnetwork number. GermanTV/ProSiebenSat1 Welt are two that do have a different signup number and that give you discounted equipment with a committment.
I also am pretty sure you can get around the SSN issue with a valid credit card and maybe a deposit....

 

[madisondish]

No getting around the ss# - Just tried one last week-best they will do is the last 4 for digits for an extra 1 time $50 fee- and that was for an international only cust with their own equipment.

 

[geobernd]

No getting around the ss# - Just tried one last week-best they will do is the last 4 for digits for an extra 1 time $50 fee- and that was for an international only cust with their own equipment.

That's just plain stupid of E*... I was an expat from Germany - I didn't have an SSN for 3 years because I was on a business assignment, paid and employed in Germany, traveling with the appropriate visa...
I got US POTS, I got a cellphone (the first one I had to give Nynex/BellAtlantic a $500 deposit - but they had to pay a nice junk of interest on it by law so I got that back after paying my bills on time for 4 month in a row), rented Appartments, had Electricity, Cable TV, the list goes on... Anyone that asked for a SSN immediately was ok with me being an expat.... That was about 7 years ago (that's when I decided to stay here and got my SSN and employed directly in the US)

I am sure they are loosing a significant number of potential customers for their international programs that way....

 

[Derwin0]

but forcing them to pay for locals??

Are they leasing? I believe the DHA plans include the locals in the price.

 

[TNGTony]

Fer-ners (Foreigners) and legal U.S. resident workers are issued a IRS tax number that would also work in the place of the social security number.

The French language channels are not yet available to subscribers at 121° for some strange reason. However they are uplinked to channel 731 and 732 transponder 27 at 121° so at least Dish WANTS to put them there. My guess is that RFI and TV5 have other ideas.

Here is the South Asian channel situation now:
121° 148° & 61.5° Prime TV
121° 148° & 61.5° Geo TV (Urdu)
121° 148° & 61.5° Ary Digital USA (Urdu)
121° ONLY Ary One World (Urdu)
121° 148° & 61.5° Zee TV (Hindi)
121° 148° & 61.5° TV Asia (Hindi)
121° 148° & 61.5° Sony Entertainment TV (Hindi)
121° 148° & 61.5° Zee Cinema (Hindi)
121° 148° & 61.5° Bollywood 4U (Hindi)
121° ONLY **Doordarshan India ** Uplinked, but not available
121° 148° & 61.5° SET Max (Hindi)
121° 148° & 61.5° Sun TV (Tamil)
121° ONLY Kondattam TV (Tamil)
121° ONLY Gemini TV (Telugu)
121° ONLY Surya TV (Malayalam)
121° ONLY Kairali TV (Malayalam)
121° ONLY Teja TV (Telugu)
121° ONLY Udaya TV (Kannada)
121° ONLY NTV Bangla
121° ONLY TARA TV (Bangla)
121° ONLY Channel i (Bangla)
121° ONLY **Zee TV Punjab** Uplinked, but not available
121° ONLY **Zee TV Gujarat** Uplinked, but not available
121° ONLY South Asia FM (English)
121° ONLY South Asia World (English)
121° ONLY American Desi (English)

See ya
Tony

 

[hraner]

It's extremely hard to get rid of the local channels if you are on DHA. I tried twice(I'm using a leased 811 and can get locals in HD), basically CSR just said "NO", you "HAVE TO" get it.

 

[bleodler]

It's extremely hard to get rid of the local channels if you are on DHA. I tried twice(I'm using a leased 811 and can get locals in HD), basically CSR just said "NO", you "HAVE TO" get it.

Locals are free on DHA, but the package includes a $5 lease fee for the first receiver so it's the same price as non-DHA with locals.

 

[Mr Tony]

bleodler

Did nto know that...so for AT60+locals its
31.99 if you own (26.99+5.00 locals)
31.99 if you lease (26.99+0 for locals+5 fee)?

 

[bleodler]

bleodler

Did nto know that...so for AT60+locals its
31.99 if you own (26.99+5.00 locals)
31.99 if you lease (26.99+0 for locals+5 fee)?

Exactly. Under the old promo, free dish, mirror fees are charged for each receiver after the first one. Now under DHA every receiver has a $5 lease fee, including the first one. Since they make the locals free it evens out. That is why there is no option to opt out of locals because the extra $5 is actually going to lease the primary receiver.

 

[Mr Tony]

gotcha