The worst customer service I have ever experienced.

[Spatch]

Put these two phrases together:

COMING SOON IN SPRING 2009… GREAT NEW HD CHANNELS ON THEIR WAY INCLUDING: Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, CMT, Spike TV, VH1 and BET.
Go to DISH Network to get updates on when these
channels will be available and in which packages they’ll be available.

TurboHD Bronze includes only the HD channels in Classic Bronze 100 package, as indicated by HD.
» TurboHD Silver includes only the HD channels in Classic Silver 200 and Classic Bronze 100 packages,
as indicated by HD.
» TurboHD Gold includes only the HD channels in Classic Gold 250, Classic Silver 200 and Classic Bronze
100 packages as indicated by HD.

Now, I consider myself a smart, prudent person. When those two phrases are included on the same flyer, right next to each other, one would think that the phrase "and in which packages they'll be available" would mean those channels would be spread out over the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages.

If your mind automatically leads you to think that phrase means that they will be left out of the TurboHD packages that include ALL the HD in the classic metal packages... Well, I can only assume you are one of the reasons we had to suffer through 8 years of GW Bush.

Smart? Prudent?... Maybe, but not great at reading comprehension. In the first phrase it states :
"Go to DISH Network to get updates on when these
channels will be available and in which packages they’ll be available."

Which leads my mind to think it may not be in Turbo HD. That is why I waited to decide if I should switch to Turbo.

The second statement corresponds with the channel list in the ad. What channels are you not getting that are listed in that ad? If you answer that you are getting them all then you have no complaint about the ad.

 

[claytonboen]

Was the promise verbally from the CSR the same wording as that flyer, if so you haven't been lied to. You just took it a different way then it was said.

No, I asked the CSR, "If I subscribe to the TurboHD packages will I receive all the new HD channels"?

CSR responded: You are considering TurboHD Silver, so you'll receive all the new HD channels in the Silver packages, but you won't receive the ones in the Gold packages.

 

[bebop]

I'll give that a go, but I doubt it'll work considering I am under contract. They have me by the balls. Either I pay to get out of the contract and they lose me, or they keep me for another year and a half and then lose me. Either way it's kind of a win for them and a loss for me, provided I am an unhappy customer the entire time.

The crappy thing about it is that I don't WANT to switch. I love the ViP722 DVR! I just want to get what I was promised.

I understand life is full of disappointments. I might have to just let them run over me, but I won't let them do it easily.

I think it's unrealistic to get what you were incorrectly promised.

If I offered you a ride to the moon in a spaceship for $100 and then took you to a cardboard moon in my backyard - would you still unrealistically expect the ride to the actual moon for only $100? I hope not.

I hope you do give it a try, without loosing your cool. Maybe have your spouse call (or someone pretending to be you who won't get PO'd if they start giving you the scripted answers until you get transferred to the right person).

You'll be wishing you had the 722 if you switch, and you'll be paying more anyway - because E* still has better prices (at least after the promotion).

You don't have to let people run over you in the first place if you do your homework. There are a lot of people who will be willing to promise you the whole world if you'll pay them, but none can deliver on that.

 

[Spatch]

No, I asked the CSR, "If I subscribe to the TurboHD packages will I receive all the new HD channels"?

CSR responded: You are considering TurboHD Silver, so you'll receive all the new HD channels in the Silver packages, but you won't receive the ones in the Gold packages.

That isn't a lie. You do receive all the new channels. The ones from when you ordered. You should have asked if you would receive all of the upcoming new HD channels.

 

[hyperguy]

Your forgetting the most important line in any of the D* or E* contracts " all programming subject to change without notice" So they changed that the turbos were not getting all the HD available in the regular packages

 

[chainblu]

Well, I can only assume you are one of the reasons we had to suffer through 8 years of GW Bush.

Whatever his beef is, with the unnecessary injection of politics into this thread, all credibility of the OP go right down the drain.

So...

I don't have a complaint so I won't file one

 

[claytonboen]

Smart? Prudent?... Maybe, but not great at reading comprehension. In the first phrase it states :
"Go to DISH Network to get updates on when these
channels will be available and in which packages they’ll be available."

Which leads my mind to think it may not be in Turbo HD. That is why I waited to decide if I should switch to Turbo.

The second statement corresponds with the channel list in the ad. What channels are you not getting that are listed in that ad? If you answer that you are getting them all then you have no complaint about the ad.

See, this is the problem. It's too full of technicals. You are saying that if I am getting all the channels listed on the rate card itself, then TECHNICALLY I am not getting screwed. Well, If I left a loaded hand gun on my kitchen table and my 5 year old son wandered over and shot in the head with it, TECHNICALLY I didn't kill him.

But the law states otherwise.

TECHNICALLY the channels are listed on the rate card. TECHNICALLY the language states they will be included in packages. TECHNICALLY I receive 3 more channels now than are listed on the rate card...

So TECHNICALLY I am not receiving what they claim.... But you had me thinking. So I decided to do an experiment:

I just called Dish Network as a new "Interested" subscriber. I told the sales CSR that I was interested in the TurboHD packages, but I wanted to be sure to get every HD channel available, including the new Viacom ones I heard they recently added.

The CSR told me that if I subscribe to TurboHD Gold plus Platnum then I would receive every national HD channel they offer.

TECHNICALLY I was just offered, over the phone, exactly what I am asking for. TECHNICALLY I wouldn't receive it. But according to you, TECHNICALLY they are in the right.

You don't make any sense to me.

 

[bebop]

That isn't a lie. You do receive all the new channels. The ones from when you ordered. You should have asked if you would receive all of the upcoming new HD channels.

Good point. That's why I brought up the point about being sure to mention 'from here on out'.

'New' can mean more than one thing in that case. Either the 'newly' available channels, or the ones that have yet to come out and that will be 'new' when they do.

 

[claytonboen]

Your forgetting the most important line in any of the D* or E* contracts " all programming subject to change without notice" So they changed that the turbos were not getting all the HD available in the regular packages

Yup. That's where they get you.

But that doesn't mean you can't fight back.

I am amazed by the lack of support. TurboHD subscribers are getting screwed, end of story. Any argument otherwise is just plain wrong.

Why can't you just let me try to fight back? Why do I have to fight against you all as well?

 

[bebop]

The CSR told me that if I subscribe to TurboHD Gold plus Platnum then I would receive every national HD channel they offer.

Maybe you will, someday SOON.

 

[jdmacor]

I am a Turbo Gold subscriber, and I definitely sympathize with the OP here. I disagree with others basically saying, take Dish's crap and smile about it; if not switch providers. To the first point, you should never have to just take a company ripping you off. You are more than entitled to complain, put up a defiant website, share your story with others, and generally make a stink; you are paying for the service and should be free to critique it without having people telling you to shut-up. This leads to the second point, which is switching providers. If you are a Turbo subscriber and didn't sign up like a month ago, you have to be a new sub, meaning you have a contract that is still warm from the printer, meaning you would have a massive cancellation fee.

On the other hand, I don't know if this is Dish's worst sin. Their problem overall is just customer service though. Plenty of people on this site have had CSR chats telling them precisely one thing, but it turns out to be a lie ($20 credit, free upgrade, all the HD in the Turbo packages). They don't keep their website up to date, yet I have had a CSR tell me many times that the website is the best place for up to date programming information; it makes you wonder what the worst source is... the CEO probably... Then there was that really fun time when they added Fox News and Business HD to the website under the Turbo packages, clear as day, only to take them off several hours later (God help you if you were so unlucky to sign up during the hours that the website was like that, only to find you had truly been duped). I think the crappiest situation has been CSRs telling absolute subs that if they switch to a Turbo package and pay oodles more, they will get all the missing HD channels; whoops...

All in all, I think we can all agree that the Turbo subs got bent over on this one, and it has not been fun. I think I speak for the OP when I say that we are all frustrated and feel powerless. If he needs an outlet, I think this website is as good as any; in fact, that is what makes this site great, compared to "the other guys;" there is no censorship and you should feel free to criticize all you want. If the OP wants to go to the BBB, then by all means, let him go. If they find no wrong doing, then nothing will be done about it; no big whoop.

 

[hyperguy]

So why not switch to the turbo gold plus platinum and be done with it.

 

[nelson61]

Put these two phrases together:

COMING SOON IN SPRING 2009… GREAT NEW HD CHANNELS ON THEIR WAY INCLUDING: Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, CMT, Spike TV, VH1 and BET.
Go to DISH Network to get updates on when these
channels will be available and in which packages they’ll be available.

TurboHD Bronze includes only the HD channels in Classic Bronze 100 package, as indicated by HD.
» TurboHD Silver includes only the HD channels in Classic Silver 200 and Classic Bronze 100 packages,
as indicated by HD.
» TurboHD Gold includes only the HD channels in Classic Gold 250, Classic Silver 200 and Classic Bronze
100 packages as indicated by HD.

Now, I consider myself a smart, prudent person. When those two phrases are included on the same flyer, right next to each other, one would think that the phrase "and in which packages they'll be available" would mean those channels would be spread out over the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages.

If your mind automatically leads you to think that phrase means that they will be left out of the TurboHD packages that include ALL the HD in the classic metal packages... Well, I can only assume you are one of the reasons we had to suffer through 8 years of GW Bush.

If Turbo had all the HD metals, you have a good point. But, the BBB is not the place to complain. You need to go to FCC and file your customer complaint there including what they advertised and what they are really doing.
FCC Consumer Complaints

 

[bebop]

Yup. That's where they get you.

But that doesn't mean you can't fight back.

I am amazed by the lack of support. TurboHD subscribers are getting screwed, end of story. Any argument otherwise is just plain wrong.

Why can't you just let me try to fight back? Why do I have to fight against you all as well?

He is letting you 'fight back', he's merely reminding you of something we all seem to forget that is right there in small print.

Clayton - the whole world isn't fighting against you. Settle down.

How is it that I can read his post and see the assistance he's trying to offer, but when you read it - he becomes your adversary?

 

[jdmacor]

So why not switch to the turbo gold plus platinum and be done with it.

The point is that the CSR was either wrong or just lying... I have that exact package...

 

[Spatch]

See, this is the problem. It's too full of technicals. You are saying that if I am getting all the channels listed on the rate card itself, then TECHNICALLY I am not getting screwed. Well, If I left a loaded hand gun on my kitchen table and my 5 year old son wandered over and shot in the head with it, TECHNICALLY I didn't kill him.

But the law states otherwise.

TECHNICALLY the channels are listed on the rate card. TECHNICALLY the language states they will be included in packages. TECHNICALLY I receive 3 more channels now than are listed on the rate card...

So TECHNICALLY I am not receiving what they claim.... But you had me thinking. So I decided to do an experiment:

I just called Dish Network as a new "Interested" subscriber. I told the sales CSR that I was interested in the TurboHD packages, but I wanted to be sure to get every HD channel available, including the new Viacom ones I heard they recently added.

The CSR told me that if I subscribe to TurboHD Gold plus Platnum then I would receive every national HD channel they offer.

TECHNICALLY I was just offered, over the phone, exactly what I am asking for. TECHNICALLY I wouldn't receive it. But according to you, TECHNICALLY they are in the right.

You don't make any sense to me.

TECHNICALLY you are still wrong and just afraid to admit it.

My whole point is you can't use that ad to go to the Better Business Bureau and complain you are not getting what it says. Because you are getting what it says and more.

 

[richiephx]

If you think the BBB can do anything to a company you are very naive.

 

[bebop]

To the first point, you should never have to just take a company ripping you off.

Where is the rip off? E* is offereing him the same package and pricing that is available to anyone else.

You are more than entitled to complain, put up a defiant website, share your story with others, and generally make a stink; you are paying for the service and should be free to critique it without having people telling you to shut-up.

I agree, but no one is telling him that.

If he needs an outlet, I think this website is as good as any; in fact, that is what makes this site great, compared to "the other guys;" there is no censorship and you should feel free to criticize all you want.

Right on. But we should be able to bring someone back to reality (or at least reading a flyer without assuming something it doesn't conclude).

 

[hyperguy]

I have dealt with many customers that when I go to start the install I let them know Locals are not available in this area and they cancel and I tell them all the time that remember the guy (girl) that signed you up is a salesman paid to sell it to you no matter what. Usually its a retailer but I have even had customers show me it was dish CSR that lied to them

 

[bebop]

I have dealt with many customers that when I go to start the install I let them know Locals are not available in this area and they cancel and I tell them all the time that remember the guy (girl) that signed you up is a salesman paid to sell it to you no matter what. Usually its a retailer but I have even had customers show me it was dish CSR that lied to them

Do you ever show them what an OTA antenna can do? A lot of times it can pickup channels that might not be available - and they can still see those local channels (minus the guide of course).