Line Insurance?

Wen Valley

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
May 1, 2008
27
5
What's the general consensus on the $7.00 per month insurance program? Worthwhile?
 
I've kept it since I signed up with Dish. Peace of mind, no playing games. But I might have to rethink that. Some pay, some don't, it's not like there's an absolute correct answer. I figure I'm still way ahead, considering how many 721s went thru my home.
 
I have it for peace of mind too. When you need a replacement receiver it gets shipped FAST to your door. It also covers tech visits and your whole installation. (They charge $15 per visit instead of $95) with the insurance I believe.


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I had it for peace of mind too, until I learned here that I still have the peace of mind knowing I can add it when needed at the drop of a hat before setting up a service call, which has the same benefit as having it for months on end. Then I can remove it after 4 months. Never again will I keep it on my account.
 
I had it for peace of mind too, until I learned here that I still have the peace of mind knowing I can add it when needed at the drop of a hat before setting up a service call, which has the same benefit as having it for months on end. Then I can remove it after 4 months. Never again will I keep it on my account.
Second that. You can add it to your account and schedule repairs on the same phone call.
 
I find it to be a waste of money, especially since Dish allows you to add it whenever it's most convenient for you. I myself don't have it but I'm able to service my own equipment and replace it if I need to.
 
I would never pay for the service plan and never have.

Ignoring the fact you can add it when needed, over a two year commitment it would cost $168 to protect $500-$1000 of equipment at retail prices. Would you pay for a 2 year warranty on a TV at those kind of expense ratios? Unless you purchase the receivers, you are never looking at that total retail cost. Even if over that two years you need to ship two receivers and have a service call, you would only be looking at a cost of around $150.00, basically break even with the cost of the plan.

Add in the fact you can add the plan when needed, and it makes no sense to pay for it continuously.

Anecdotally over the years, I've had a couple of replacement receivers shipped, several upgrades (including SD to HD and VIP to Hopper), plus a "mover" visit and never paid a penny for shipping or a tech visit. Luckily I've never had to have a purely service visit.
 
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NEVER have had a "protection plan" & never will; IMHO there is NO need to & like most "extended insurance" policies, not a good deal:

- I cannot even tell you the last time I had a receiver go bad; leased or owned
- Anything else above a receiver going bad, I can & do fix myself
- I've always kept all my receivers on UPS's; probably why I seem to not have them go bad
- If they do go bad, then the normal lease fee DOES include FREE replacement; as far as paying S&H, many people have NO trouble getting E* (or even D* for that matter) to waive the S&H charge
- Even if you DO pay S&H, & you would only average replacing 1 receiver every year, you're still $$$ ahead NOT paying the service plan
 
OK, I'm seriously rethinking paying for the plan. I suppose it helps make me an "A" plan customer, but......
 
so people pay $84 in protection fees for maybe one $95 tech visit a year?

We've had zero tech visits in the last two years on the hopper. After being a dish customer so many years without out, we are ahead hundreds of dollars. The only type of people I could see it being worthwhile is for those that need tech visits to replace batteries in their remote.
 
Great input. Much appreciated. So, when we upgrade from a 622 and a 722 receiver, will Dish try and charge me for a tech visit? We are not currently under contract, and I would re-sign for two more years. If I added the line insurance to cover the cost of the visit, how soon could I cancel the insurance?

Again, thank you for your time....
 
I would think they would just ship you the new receiver, under the circumstances, and instructions on returning the old in the box.
 
The last time I got Dish DNS channels I also lost the ability to have the Insurance plan because I had an RV. Now I already knew that Dish service reps wouldn't take service calls in a house with wheels (only independent sellers would), but I preferred to have it. At that time, I went back and added up the service calls and other items covered under insurance and found that I had paid about $10 more in insurance fees. I would prefer to have the insurance.
 
Just cancelled mine. The past year used Dish Mover, a service call to get things rearanged after we finished moving in, an upgrade from 2 H2k to 2 HWS.
Now that we are settled in and everything is working, I doubt will need the insurance. If I do I can start it up again.

I dod not know the would send a tech to change the batteries in the remote, do they supply the batteries?
 
I dod not know the would send a tech to change the batteries in the remote, do they supply the batteries?
I think i read it on this forum where it's a misdiagnosed trouble call and the tech gets dispatched. Tech ends up showing to find some very minor issue like no batteries in remote.