Receiver "Rental Charges"

[jbryant789]

First off, I've been a Dish America's Everything customer for almost 3 years now, and I have three receivers (508, 510, 811), and I have locals and the HD package (not the zoom package, though). So, I'm paying 119.26 every month.

My 508 went bad, so when I called, I asked if they could replace it with the 510. They couldn't, unless I paid them fifty bucks, which I wasn't up for at the moment. During the same conversation, they also refused to allow me to pay 250 to upgrade my 811 to the 942, considering that I'm an old customer and they already have my business. Obviously new customer's are more important. But all of that is beside the point. They wouldn't upgrade me to the 510, so they shipped me another 508.

In the meantime, a friend of mine was cancelling his E* account so he could go over to DTV and get hooked up with the NFL Ticket. Somehow, and he doesn't know how this happened, but they said that he had actually purchased his 510, so he didn't need to send it back. So, like a good friend should do, he gave it to me. So I called them up and said they could have their 508 back, because I now own a 510. I figured this would save me a $5 lease charge.

I was wrong.

Now, instead of charging me the 5 bucks "rental charge", as it's stated on our invoices, they are charging me a 4.99 "additional outlet programming access fee". So they're getting their 5 bucks no matter what.

What's the point in people buying the receivers if they can't save on the bill monthly? The CSR said that if I cancelled my account, then I wouldnt' have to send in my box. BIG WHOOPTIDOO!! Why would I need it then, if I didn't have an account?

Little things like this, where they are going to get your money no matter what, really annoy the crap out of me.

 

[boba]

Maybe you should do your homework before you jump into things. That 510 you own will also cost you a $4.98 VOD fee if you drop your programming below the level of Americas Everything Package. The 508 would not have the VOD fee, both use exactly the same software.

 

[Juan]

If you lease a receiver its a 5 dollar lease fee..if you own the receiver its a 5 dollar mirror fee

 

[andrews777]

Its the "because we can" fee! :/

Brad

 

[SimpleSimon]

If you lease a receiver its a 5 dollar lease fee..if you own the receiver its a 5 dollar mirror fee

The different names are probably just because of dumping revenue into different accounting buckets. Beancounters are weird people, and so is the tax code.

 

[Van]

Ok, so go to cable then, oh yea and be sure to request a digital box for all your tv's, just keep in mind that you will pay between $4.95 - $9.95 for each box including the very first box. If you want free tv then drop dish and get an antenna is all I can tell you, service providers have to make money if they are to provide you and me with programming and to stay competitive in the market.

 

[jpezz]

Ok, so go to cable then, oh yea and be sure to request a digital box for all your tv's, just keep in mind that you will pay between $4.95 - $9.95 for each box including the very first box. If you want free tv then drop dish and get an antenna is all I can tell you, service providers have to make money if they are to provide you and me with programming and to stay competitive in the market.

You missed his point. He asked to what advantage would be the purpose of buying to him when he pays the same. I think we all understand why the companies come up with all sorts of fees. Can someone who has a purchased one answer the question? Why would you purchase rather than lease in this situation?

 

[DishDave]

Ok, so go to cable then, oh yea and be sure to request a digital box for all your tv's, just keep in mind that you will pay between $4.95 - $9.95 for each box including the very first box. If you want free tv then drop dish and get an antenna is all I can tell you, service providers have to make money if they are to provide you and me with programming and to stay competitive in the market.

I wonder if you are the next employee

 

[chaddux]

You missed his point. He asked to what advantage would be the purpose of buying to him when he pays the same. I think we all understand why the companies come up with all sorts of fees. Can someone who has a purchased one answer the question? Why would you purchase rather than lease in this situation?

There is NO advantage to owning a receiver. If you lease it, the $5 fee is a lease fee. If you own it, the $5 fee is an additional receiver fee.

 

[Liquidforce88]

Whats the advantage? If you cancel dish you can sell the receiver. If you lease you have to send it back.

There is no difference in service cost, and there never was. What made you think that there was?

 

[Van]

I wonder if you are the next employee

Ive been employee'd by dish for 5 and a half years now, didnt get service from dish until last summer. Am I a company man....... not fully no, Im more of a customer before the company guy. When I come to your home to put up a system I talk to you, find out how many tv's, where theyr at in the home, I look for the best way to run coax and the best place to mount the dish to keep it from being an eye sore. But I also look for ways to save you money, lets say you have 3 tv's but ones rarely used in say the basement, its smarter for me to recommend to you that tv 3 is part of the back feed off your dual tuner thusly saving you $4.99 a month.

See for me its about the customer service within reason, Im not going to come to your home and force the install nor will I do a ghetto install on your home and if you have tree's and can have signal but will loose it in a year or two I'll tell you about this and make the recommendation that its not the best of idea's to have it installed then. Yea Im an employee but not at the expense of my customers and not at the expense of my morality.

 

[SimpleSimon]

... When I come to your home to put up a system I talk to you, find out how many tv's, where theyr at in the home, I look for the best way to run coax and the best place to mount the dish to keep it from being an eye sore. But I also look for ways to save you money, lets say you have 3 tv's but ones rarely used in say the basement, its smarter for me to recommend to you that tv 3 is part of the back feed off your dual tuner thusly saving you $4.99 a month.

See for me its about the customer service within reason, Im not going to come to your home and force the install nor will I do a ghetto install on your home and if you have tree's and can have signal but will loose it in a year or two I'll tell you about this and make the recommendation that its not the best of idea's to have it installed then. Yea Im an employee but not at the expense of my customers and not at the expense of my morality.

Kudos to you, Van :up

There's not enough like you & me out there installing.