Lied To About Contract

[rokaguju]

I've had dish for over a year now...I currently have
-International Package
-AT60
-BasicHD Package

When I signed up for this, I received 2 dish 311 receivers, and 2 dish 811 receivers. The installer told me I had to sign up for one year of AT60 to get the dish 811 receivers for free. Well I completed one year and a few months over, I called dish to cancel the AT60. The CSR tells me that the dish 811's are under a lifetime committment. He says if I cancel AT60, then I would have to send back my dish 811's. I talked to a few different reps and they couldn't help. I tried to contact the installer, he said he'll look into it (3 weeks ago) and now I can't get a hold of him. Does anyone have any ideas what I should do? I received no paperwork from the installer or dish network that stated I was under a lifetime committment for those receivers. I was either lied to by the installer or dish network changed the committment without authorizing it. What should or can I do about this? Thanks for any help.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Sounds like you have leased 811s.

The commitment was to the lease, if you terminated early then you would have had to have paid your way out of the rest of the lease.

Once you fulfill your commitment you can then terminate at any time without penalty, however they still own the 811s, so you have to return them.

So it isn't a lifetime commitment in the sense of having to buy your way out of a lease, but no matter how long you remain a subscriber, you would never own the receivers. The "free" part of the initial deal was that the commitment bought you out of having to pay an upfront lease charge.

Technically, there was probably no lying, just a misunderstanding.

 

[boba]

At-60 is the minimum package required for the lease so cancelling the AT-60 is cancelling the lease. At the time you signed up you had to sign the lease agreement and you should have been given a copy.

 

[Weezknight]

One thing that I learned when it comes to Satellite/Cable companies is if they give you equipment for "free" it is always a lease and they will ask for them back. The only exception is if you win some sort of contest for the receiver.

 

[mikethedishguy]

Sound like a lease, If you dont return them they will charge for the recievers, and they will never be able to be authorized by any one at any time. but they will send you a pre paid box to return them in. The 811 is worthless now any way. If it dosent recieve mpeg4 who would want it.

 

[rokaguju]

ok I see it it sounds like a lease, but does the fact that the dealer signed me up on the premise that I would own the receivers if I signed a one year committment not mean anything here...should I talk to the executive resolution team and file a fraud complaint...I don't think the dealer even has a B&M store...I got the number from the phone book as an authorized retailer for dish...I called the dealer to install 4 standard defintion receivers and he saw I had 2 hdtvs...he told me about he HD package...at first...he said the international package would be enough to get 2 HD receivers as long as I had the HD package...later they call and tell me I have to sign up for one year of at60...then I would OWN the receivers...I asked this question about 15 times..."I don't have to give them back right?" and they said I can keep them after a year even when I cancel AT60...the plan was to continue using them for SD International package and the basic HD pack and OTA

 

[dishdude]

If you didn't read what you signed, there is nothing you can do. Verbal statements mean nothing, only what is written on the contract you signed.

 

[Jared Twomey]

I had an intersting problem about a year ago when I did a dish n it up upgrade to a 522. my original contract was set up for 12 months for a 510 and a 301 under the "Free Dish" promotion. (those recievers I own). well about a month after I do the upgrade and I have to sign a new contract on the 522, I called to shut off the 301. the csr I talked to swore up and down I couldn't cancel the 301 because it was under lease... he said I had 3 leased receivers... a 522, 510, and 301. I explained everything and he said there was nothing he could do. I called abck later, different csr, same thing. one csr even blamed the "installer" for putting it in wrong, she shut up real quick when I told her I was the installer and did my own claim forms. I ended up having to send them copies of my original contract signed and with the original reciever and card numbers on it. dish can be such a pain in the ass sometimes

 

[Claude Greiner]

I have seen Dish treating owned equipment as leased equipment. A matter of fact I have seen customers with owned equipment being sent boxes to send the equipment back as if it was leased!

If your leasing you cannot downgrade below At60, and if you have HDTV receivers I do not think they will allow you to downgrade the HD.

You might have been lied to, and the reason why the installer has not called you back is because he doesn't care since its past his 1 year chargeback and he cannot be penalized!

I hate to say it, you really needed to read your contract. It clearly states its leased equipment and if you downgrade from AT60 they want the equipment back!

Now with that said, if the dealer said it was owned equipment you need to take it up with the dealer. Sure he might have lied, but your equally at fault for not reading the contract!

 

[Mainstreet]

FYI, the new $19.99 DISHFamily package should qualify as minimum qualified programming in your case as well. It's only $15 more than the $5 access fee you'll have to pay if you take international-only programming.

 

[Weezknight]

The 811 is worthless now any way. If it dosent recieve mpeg4 who would want it.

I love the arrogance on here sometimes. Maybe a lot of people are keeping their 811's because Dish has given no compelling reason to pay $49-$299 in fees for a new receiver as well as an extra $10-$20 a month in monthly programming. Are ESPN2-HD and Universal HD really worth it?

On a personal side I'm keeping my 811 right now because I have 4 more months of completely Free HD programming that I would have to forfeit if I upgraded.