Need a straight answer about contracts

[jptaylor]

Hello all.
I am getting the dish installed in a few days, but I refuse to do a long term contract since I feel completely insecure signing an 18 month contract for something that I might have problems with. Maybe if I knew it worked good I would get a contract.

So After dealing with blatant liars at one dish retailer i decide to go straight to the source so I call main 1800333DISH number.

She says she can change the order so I am a non - committal customer and don't have to sign a long term contract, can quit any time. She states I have to make sure when i sign the contract the installers bring I abbreviate my initials in a non-committal area.

Has anyone actually done this? or is anyone out there not on some kind of 18 month contract? I have read horror stories of people hoping to get this non commitment deal and end up realizing they signed something wrong and are locked in.

I really don't think she was lying to me about this, obviously I have to be super careful of what I sign...but does this agreement seem possible or is it like wireless companies where everyone has a long term contract?

Thanks very much, any help is greatly appreciated so I don't make a big mistake here.

JP

 

[cparker]

I think it costs you $49 to NOT have the 18 month commitment. Where are you located and what makes you fearful that you "might have problems" with it?

 

[Zero327]

READ BEFORE YOU SIGN!

This will be your ONLY warning.

 

[Ftoutloff]

its true

Yep it's true - I am a tech for dish - when people don't want to sign the 18 month commitment, I have to modify my work order - make sure your tech does this, and then I have them initial the decline box.

Installation will cost you though - don't remember what it is - 49 or 59 dollars. but you aren't under contract and can cancel at anytime.

 

[RockinHARD26]

If you do not accept to sign the 18 month contract, you have to pay $49.99. When people sign it, they get a $49.99 credit. If you cancel within the 18 months, they charge you $13.33 per month for the time you cancelled. Example, my old account I cancelled 8 months into it, so I "had" to pay $130.33. "Had" meaning, if you pay it, then it would not go against your credit.

 

[jptaylor]

thanks..

ok thanks for the responses. In regard to why i'm worried it may not work...i'm in Rochester NY so we get a good deal of snow in winter. Also there are a lot of trees in the area since its a city neighborhood. Our power is also a little old, it might not be grounded properly...And the final reason is I want to be able to get Buffalo Sabres games, and want to make sure that I am in the right MSG region (they split it so people in NYC see rangers games, and people in buffalo / Rochester see sabres games...atleast i hope they do.)

I didnt have the landlord agreement though anyways so they are coming back tuesday. I'll make sure they know i dont want the 18 month and be careful with what i sign. maybe i'll have my lawyer review (kidding, that would be nice though)

 

[boba]

It will cost you $49.99 up front that dosen't get credited back on your bill it also costs you the DHPP service contract that comes with the 18 month commitment. let's see now it takes 4 months saving to offset that $49.99 activation fee and the DHPP would cost $5.99 if you have to pay for it so that $13.33 early cancellation fee is really $7/mo. You might really want to think if that lack of a commitment is really that important. The DHPP takes the worry out of the grounding question and "MOVING" takes care of your worry about the sports address. The trees are fully leafed out now so if you can get a signal now you probably will have a signal for the length of the contract.

 

[Claude Greiner]

See this page and I have a grid of the promotional credits VS going no committment.

BTW, Dishstore has a better deal than 800-333-DISH

Better than Club Dish Promotional DetailsOver $

 

[dishcomm]

Hello all.
I am getting the dish installed in a few days, but I refuse to do a long term contract since I feel completely insecure signing an 18 month contract for something that I might have problems with. Maybe if I knew it worked good I would get a contract.

So After dealing with blatant liars at one dish retailer i decide to go straight to the source so I call main 1800333DISH number.

She says she can change the order so I am a non - committal customer and don't have to sign a long term contract, can quit any time. She states I have to make sure when i sign the contract the installers bring I abbreviate my initials in a non-committal area.

Has anyone actually done this? or is anyone out there not on some kind of 18 month contract? I have read horror stories of people hoping to get this non commitment deal and end up realizing they signed something wrong and are locked in.

I really don't think she was lying to me about this, obviously I have to be super careful of what I sign...but does this agreement seem possible or is it like wireless companies where everyone has a long term contract?

Thanks very much, any help is greatly appreciated so I don't make a big mistake here.

JP

Technician here......If you initial the "decline' area, you will not receive the $49.99 you paid up front in a credit nor will you be eligible for the DHPP unless you agree to pay an additional $5.98 per month..That's all....

 

[cparker]

Rochester? If you go west on 104 past Lockport you'll be at my house. So you're not all that far away. Snow? No problem. I have never... NEVER... in ... oh probably 8 years or more, had to clean snow off my dish. I believe you WILL get the Sabres games. Makes sense since Rochester has the farm club. I think you have to be east, past Syracuse before that changes. If trees are blocking the satellite, the installer won't install and you won't be charged regardless.

Got a compass? Go outside and look at about 165 degrees magnetic. Elevation about 37 degrees. That would be about where the 61.5 satellite is. Some locals and HD content on that one. Now turn and look about 235 degrees magnetic. Elevation about 30 degrees. That's where the 110 and 119 satellites will be. If you're scratching your head about the 30 degrees part.... go to the corner Walgreen's or Office Max or something and pick up a cheap drafting triangle. Should be 30-60-90 degrees on that. You'll be able to eyeball it pretty close by sighting up the 30 degree side while keeping the bottom side relatively level. I did this years ago for my initial install which was a self install. I don't even think they HAD installers when I got my first dish.

Keep in mind you'll probably have 2 dishes. One for the 61.5 satellite and one that will see both the 110 and 119. And they don't necessarily have to be right next to each other. As long as there is a spot where they can see their respective birds, you'll be all set.

Old, mature trees are a better situation than lots of new, young trees in a brand new development. Why? Because young trees grow quickly and old, mature trees generally do not. If you have mature trees and you have satellite today, you'll probably have satellite for a long time. I have 60 foot maples and pines to shoot over. Actually for my 110/119 birds I'm shooting a gap. If you held 2 soccer balls at arms length, eye level, and touched them together side by side.... see that empty "V" above where they're touching? That's my 110/119 shot. Been that way all these years. They were there when I first installed and none of them have fallen down, but they also haven't grown or changed enough in all these years to have become a problem.

Any of this makin ya feel better?

 

[Claude Greiner]

Other thing to keep in mind is that if they install the Dish and you get treed out in the spring due to a poor installation, its very easy to get out of your contract.

Even if you move you can still get out of a contract as long as you schedule a move and the technician calls No Line of Site due to Trees.

The only time they burn you on the contract is due to the following...

A) You call and cancel with no reason
B) You don't pay your bill
C) You move and refuse a Dishmover

The biggest issue I have with people is that they move to an apartment and automatically want to cancel without even attempting an installation. My advice is to take the Free Dishmover, and they either install it and your watching Tv or they call NLOS and you can get out of the contract.

The Mover thing and the NLOS thing is not written in the contract for obvious reasons

 

[prithive]

What if you move to an apartment where the landlord refuses to give permission to install the Dish ?

 

[jptaylor]

Thanks again.

Thanks for those resources and all the responses, wasn't expecting that big a response.

cparker...nice to meet someone from the area here, i am over on alexander and east in downtown area by those bars kinda.

I do feel much better about it now. The first dish 'assocaites' (mydishnow) i talked to seemed a bit 'sharkish.' I just had a few questions and i guess once a salesmen gets me on a hook its hard. I think some of those third party places will say anything. I called later and asked if I could try it for 30 days, she said yes, which was BS considering i had the contract set up in the install order.

Another stretching of the truth came when i called the dishnow people too, they told me to just write on the letter from my landlord (permission to install) that I give them permission (basically id be signing as the landlord..which im not). I was tempted to do this, but thought better of it.

The people i talked to at 333dish were much better, She helped me out I think because I was having difficulties with others and was able to credit me ahead of first bill for rebates and such. Well Tuesday is the day for install, I have visibility of right areas so lets hope it goes smoothly

 

[jptaylor]

i almost forgot about a few other rants i have about mydishnow...(read above post for problems i had with false answers / shady requests)

So they had me do the 'free' credit report check, i get my report, but now I have to go cancel thing or I will get automatically billed. I'm no senior executive but I'm pretty busy and don't want to waste my time on this.

So a free iPod shuffle with my dish order great! to bad shipping and handling is $25 and you can find iPod shuffles for around $60. it must be a heavy bugger.

After going through the contract and several other special offers (my brain is nearing the state of jello at this point) apparently I qualify for a free vacation so i listen to another persons 10 minute promo! to bad I have to supply airfare and food, and two days worth of park admission. But its ok they can lock me in now. the phrase theres no such thing as a free lunch becomes more and more obvious when i deal with these people. After 3 or 4 tries he finally gets the idea that I don't want to buy two tickets two your damn theme park! I mean i know there are impulsive people out there and he had me so tempted, but give me a break people

 

[cparker]

All those "free vacation" and "iPod" promos didn't come from DishNetwork did they? I've never had them pull that crap with me. If they did I'd probably cancel on the spot. If they have an offer directly related to my service, that's one thing. But all that other stuff is just too "sharky" and I won't stand for it.

 

[jptaylor]

dishnow?

No, it was the mydishnow people (sales affiliates of Dish?) Be careful of those guys...

Now i have a new problem though, i should probably post it in a new thread...my landlord is afriad of allowing this, however there is an existing DirectTV dish that isnt being used. If they could reuse the mount for it my landlord would be ok with it, but I have no idea if they are the same. They are coming by tomorrow, but all i can really do then is ask if it will be compatibile, then they will have to come back again when i get the actual paper work saying they can

 

[cparker]

You have a balcony that is your private space? The DirecTV dish shows he has allowed it in the past. I think the mast may be the same size but the dishes are different. They could also just remove the DirecTV dish, mount and all, and replace it with the DishNetwork dish. Tell the landlord that in the event that you move, you'd be willing to leave the dishes installed so the next tenant would only have to sign up and get a receiver.

The fact that Dish ENCOURAGES you to leave teh dishes behind doesn't need to come up in conversation.