I think it is amazing the way Dish always comes up with innovative ways to swindle money out of new people. A few months ago I read about the Dish Now promotion. Buy a $99 receiver, dish, and lnbf, a $20 self-install kit, and a $30 pre-paid card, and you can get Dish Latino or AT60 for a month. A friend of mine was interested in service but he travels all the time. I told him this would be perfect. Well, recently he came back from a trip and had the system. I went over to set it up and the "refurbished 301" had a dead smartcard reader. The place he bought it from refused to take it back since it had been more than five working days and since he didn't pay for the install from them (They are about an 8 hr drive and it would cost more money to mail it anyway) He paid in cash (which is the market this system was built for) so he can't stop charges on his credit card. And Dish will not talk to him because he has no account number. They refer him to the dealer and say they do not "run" that promotion. I feel bad because I recommended it to the guy, now he is out about $150 bucks total. Why would Dish provide a service with no support? Any ideas on what we can do?
New ways of screwing people
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Doesn't sound like Dish was providing the promo. Its been quite awhile since Dish directly offered a self install promo.
Sounds like the retailer was doing a cash and carry to clean out some inventory. I would check around there's probably a municipal law or something that states at minimum the retailer has to swap the dead receiver out under a 14/30/90 law or similar.
Another option maybe is get the system setup and get on the DHPP and get the receiver swaped out.
Sounds like the retailer was doing a cash and carry to clean out some inventory. I would check around there's probably a municipal law or something that states at minimum the retailer has to swap the dead receiver out under a 14/30/90 law or similar.
Another option maybe is get the system setup and get on the DHPP and get the receiver swaped out.
your argument is not with Dish, it is with the Retailer. Dish CSR's don't have any way of doing anything for you or your friend, and most of them don't even know enough about the Pre-Paid deal to even discuss it with you. So it isn't Dish ripping your friend, it is the retailer.
Well it was a Dish retailer selling Dish products for Dish programming and you don't think Dish should take some of the blame? The fact that they only provide a number to activate the service but no number to talk to a CSR? The fact that they "refurbished" the 301 but provide no warranty for it? The fact that they encourage retailers to sell these systems as "hassle free" with no support except to keep selling the customer pre-paid cards after the initial system sell.
The PrePaid Dish is actually a DN promotion. We are selling these pre-packed systems (see D-2 system here ).
The $99 prepacked box includes:
1x Factory refurbished Dish 301 receiver and IR remote
1x New Dish500 antenna
1x New DishPro Twin LNBF
Not knowing the exact circumstances, and if you can't get through to DN return dept, I think the retailer you bought the receiver from should honor an exchange for the bad receiver. The retailer should be able to swap it or get it fixed under warranty with DN.
The $99 prepacked box includes:
1x Factory refurbished Dish 301 receiver and IR remote
1x New Dish500 antenna
1x New DishPro Twin LNBF
Not knowing the exact circumstances, and if you can't get through to DN return dept, I think the retailer you bought the receiver from should honor an exchange for the bad receiver. The retailer should be able to swap it or get it fixed under warranty with DN.
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The retailer is definately in the wrong here, BUT...
This is the sticky grey area they (DISH AND DirecTV) are going to get into if they insist on making their own equipment. They don't consider you a customer until you activate, but you HAVE bought their equipment. If the retailer won't make good, than they must. (And I suspect they eventually will...after all, they want your money.)
"Back in the day", I had a DirecTV receiver made by RCA and a DISH receiver made by JVC. And I bought them both at major consumer chains. If they had been defective, I would have either taken them back to the store, or sent them to the manufacturers, probably with little fuss. Now, it seems like you have to go though a dealer no matter what. No offence to the dealers here, but all my local shops seem a little shady. I do have a friend who is a dealer on the side (he does security systems) that I can trust, but if I didn't know him it would seem a little sketchy. (A small warehouse in the industrial part of town is not where I usually go for consumer electronics.)
Sears may be a crappy store, but at least you know you can trust it.
This is the sticky grey area they (DISH AND DirecTV) are going to get into if they insist on making their own equipment. They don't consider you a customer until you activate, but you HAVE bought their equipment. If the retailer won't make good, than they must. (And I suspect they eventually will...after all, they want your money.)
"Back in the day", I had a DirecTV receiver made by RCA and a DISH receiver made by JVC. And I bought them both at major consumer chains. If they had been defective, I would have either taken them back to the store, or sent them to the manufacturers, probably with little fuss. Now, it seems like you have to go though a dealer no matter what. No offence to the dealers here, but all my local shops seem a little shady. I do have a friend who is a dealer on the side (he does security systems) that I can trust, but if I didn't know him it would seem a little sketchy. (A small warehouse in the industrial part of town is not where I usually go for consumer electronics.)
Sears may be a crappy store, but at least you know you can trust it.
You could just activate the receiver and then RA it through the normal DNS process. They do set up DHPP for this promo as we just ran on a TC from this promo today. Once you activate it you will then be asigned an account number and tech support can then help you.
Just an idea.
BTW I agree the retailer is wrong, but in this case, sounds like if he doesn't try something, he's just out 150.00. My activation idea sets him back no further with the money, and I'd like to believe dish will credit the account for the days lost.
Just an idea.
BTW I agree the retailer is wrong, but in this case, sounds like if he doesn't try something, he's just out 150.00. My activation idea sets him back no further with the money, and I'd like to believe dish will credit the account for the days lost.
JohnTenn said:You could just activate the receiver and then RA it through the normal DNS process. They do set up DHPP for this promo as we just ran on a TC from this promo today. Once you activate it you will then be asigned an account number and tech support can then help you.
Just an idea.
BTW I agree the retailer is wrong, but in this case, sounds like if he doesn't try something, he's just out 150.00. My activation idea sets him back no further with the money, and I'd like to believe dish will credit the account for the days lost.
With DishNow there is not account number activated. This is a pre-paid deal. Customer buys the dish, receiver, self install kit outright ($99+ install kit) and then they buy a $30 pre-paid card which they activate over the phone (automated) which gives the receiver 30 days of programming (AT60, DishLatino, or Ten) at the end of 30 days they either need to get another card or their system goes dark. No talking to a CSR, no account, no credit check, the person is not in the Dish system what so ever. Nice try though. (by the way, it cost the retailer $49 for the system, not $150)
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Thanks Sadoun for clarifying that, it must be a promo thats done in partnership with the dealers or retailers. Dish initialy stopped selling the system in a kit about 5 years ago from what I remember on the grand scale of things and you could only find kits like this at Pilot truck stops and TA truck stops.
Slamminc
In addition to the cost of goods, you have to add
So I would say true cost is not only the cost of good
In addition to the cost of goods, you have to add
- Shipping costs from supplier to retailer
- Warehousing and carrying cost
- Variable overhead (including labor)
- Marketing and advertising
- Credit cards and bank charges
- etc.
So I would say true cost is not only the cost of good
Sadoun said:Slamminc
In addition to the cost of goods, you have to add
- Shipping costs from supplier to retailer
- Warehousing and carrying cost
- Variable overhead (including labor)
- Marketing and advertising
- Credit cards and bank charges
- etc.
So I would say true cost is not only the cost of good
System cost to retailer from Dish=$49.99
MSRP=$99.99
Self install=$10.00
MSRP=$19.99
Activation card=$25.00
MSRP=$30.00
$64.99 profit to retailer off point of sale.
This wasn't put together for the retailer to get rich, but if the retailer does a good enough job of selling the system then he could pull in a good chunk of extra change. As far as your "extra costs" if you are a decent retailer then selling your "regular systems" would more than do the job of covering those costs.
Back to the original post. Dish did not sell him the system, the retailer did. Dish does not have THIS promo set up in their system to help or deal with the customer. Again, that is the retailer's job. I'd say the retailer blew it on this one plain and simple.
You forgot about the customer who thought he could install it himself calling the retailer 3 or 4 times looking for advice.
I know a dealer who sold a unit, the customer went home tried installing it, called the retailer twice for advice, when he had it hooked up and seeing signal he called Dish and punched in his code from the pre paid card it told him the activation would happen in a couple of minutes... BOOM his power went off, when it came back on no programming, when he called Dish they told him they could not send the authorization signal again, if he wanted to activate the system he would need to buy another $30 card.
Only place it seems this pre paid system is doing good is near the boarders, where people are coming in from outside the US buying the equipment and cards and are then watching Dish outside the country.
Dealers are NOT liking this new pre paid system because of the headaches, on paper it sounds good but in the real world it stinks.
I know a dealer who sold a unit, the customer went home tried installing it, called the retailer twice for advice, when he had it hooked up and seeing signal he called Dish and punched in his code from the pre paid card it told him the activation would happen in a couple of minutes... BOOM his power went off, when it came back on no programming, when he called Dish they told him they could not send the authorization signal again, if he wanted to activate the system he would need to buy another $30 card.
Only place it seems this pre paid system is doing good is near the boarders, where people are coming in from outside the US buying the equipment and cards and are then watching Dish outside the country.
Dealers are NOT liking this new pre paid system because of the headaches, on paper it sounds good but in the real world it stinks.
Yeah - Scott's right (as usual).
We are not going to touch this plan with a 10-foot pole.
IF E* had some kind of support to deal with failed activations, we might reconsider.
We are not going to touch this plan with a 10-foot pole.
IF E* had some kind of support to deal with failed activations, we might reconsider.
All of the shortcomings of the plan aside, I'm still of the mind that if this is an official Dish installer and they sold the customer a Dish receiver, even if refurbished, then Dish is on the hook for the warranty. Some refurbished gear has shorter warranties, like only 90 days.
If I went to my local Denon retailer and purchased a refurb Denon receiver at a good deal and it was DOA, then Denon still services the unit.
I agree that Dish has no responsibility in paying for the cost to make the install work correctly, as in if labor is required to align the antenna or replace coax, etc., however that doesn't get them off the hook for an under warranty equipment failure.
If I went to my local Denon retailer and purchased a refurb Denon receiver at a good deal and it was DOA, then Denon still services the unit.
I agree that Dish has no responsibility in paying for the cost to make the install work correctly, as in if labor is required to align the antenna or replace coax, etc., however that doesn't get them off the hook for an under warranty equipment failure.
