Two Year Contract Buyouts- Consumer Beware

[Tampa8]

I like my dish setup a lot...........but I do experience more rain fade on EA than I did on WA, but I do not enjoy the continuous programming fights. My local cable company rarely has these

True and true. I have long said there is more rain fade with EA though still not often in the big picture. And overall true up to the last year or so Cable rarely if ever dropped channels in dispute. That has changed some now however. But.....there's literally a price to pay for them simply paying and of course that's you paying more than generally with DISH.

 

[Spike]

Just so I can understand the reason for this thread, you decide to break your Dish contract and leave early then you are pissed because they don't make it easy for you to get your money from whatever company you switched to? Do I have it correct?

Nope! I just was telling people that switching from Dish to Cable by way of a buy out plan may not be the way to go. They may want to think long and hard before doing so. And if they do do it, it's not an easy thing to accomplish. I have too many medical problems to be getting angry about the struggles that come from this change. Kind of got my hands full with other things. Posting here is just fun. It gets my mind off of my pain. And if posting here might help someone, all the better. Have a great day!

 

[JTBenson]

I can tell you that if I switched where I live, cable (Suddenlink) does not have Viacom. The Turner channels being out has been pretty much a non-event. If Viacom channels were gone, it would be a mass riot. Nick is the most watched channel in our house and it is not even close.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I sell for Time Warner Cable, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Brighthouse, Suddenlink, and Mediacom and the only provider doing a contract buyout is Charter.

Its up to $500

 

[Juan]

Enjoy cable. I'd rather have a commitment with Dish or DirecTV.

I would rather watch CNN

 

[Deadlocked]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[SomeDishGuy]

I opted out of my dish network Contract sometime around two months ago. If you do the same, do so with your eyes wide open. In my experience, up to this point, it has been impossible for me to get Dish to send me an itemized bill stating the buy out amount. On numerous occasions I have asked for an itemized bill to be sent either by way of email or mail. And I have received nothing from them at all. I believe they MAY BE doing this, because Dish is well aware that some cable companies are offering potential customers a buy out program, where they are willing to pay the remaining early termination fees in order to get customers to switch over to their service.

I don't know if it is Dish's policy to make a buy out opportunity as miserable of an experience as possible for customers, who decide to leave them or not, but, I do think it is in people's best interest to know that this whole thing is an extremely difficult experience. I have had my cable company document every time that I have attempted to get this buy out documented and in my hand. It appears that Dish may have dragged their feet every step of the way up to this point in my opinion. If you are wanting to buy out of your contract, think long and hard before you do so. You will probably end up paying the fee first and then having the cable company refund your cost well after 30 days of your leaving Dish. This is costly at least for a time, since Dish will take the funds from your credit card account, if you are on the auto pay plan. And you will be out the buy out cost until Dish eventually MUST send you a bill. It's just the way it is. I am not the only one having such a hard time getting Dish to cooperate. The customer service agent from the Cable company that I am now with dealt with 4 people today that are in my exact same situation as me. Please, if you are leaving Dish for the sake of a buy out program BEWARE. You will probably be making a great many phone calls to Dish to get this thing done. It is not an easy to accomplish task. Yet, the good news is, eventually it does get done! It's just a pain getting there.

The cable companies that promise this buyout are specific in what they expect from you, knowing full well that Dish does not provide the contract information in the way THEY want. That is a way for the cable company to find a way to not have to pay the ETF after all, saying the presented format does not match what they asked for. And yet you blame Dish for this, instead of the legalese of the company you switched to, with them knowing that they were going to try to get out of paying your ETF.

 

[Spike]

Oh, I'm not blaming anyone for anything. I'm just stating the way the situation has unfolded. What you say may be and could be true. I guess I will find out. But wow, anger, blame, spite, etc. Why? Over a choice made about which t.v. subscription service a person uses? Really? I just don't get it. Is living really that bad? I choose not to live my life that way. For me, today is a great day, period, regardless of the hardships of illness, regardless of it being difficult to participate in this buy out program fully, regardless of the fact I could stand to lose another 10 to 15 pounds, regardless of everything!!! Life is what you make it. And I choose not to go down that road. Please stop trying to insist that I'm one angry blame filled, etc. etc. guy over this, when I'm not. In the end it will work out and either I'll be stuck with an early termination fee or I won't be. If I am not stuck with it, that would be great. If I am stuck with it, lesson learned. I have a feeling there will be a few more lessons in life that I must learn along the way too. That's just the way life goes sometimes. At least that is the way my life has gone anyway. I'm far from perfect. And I don't have a crystal ball to predict for me the outcome of every situation of my life. I've had to live it to see what happens at times.

 

[bigjohnok]

Oh, I'm not blaming anyone for anything. I'm just stating the way the situation has unfolded. What you say may be and could be true. I guess I will find out. But wow, anger, blame, spite, etc. Why? Over a choice made about which t.v. subscription service a person uses? Really? I just don't get it. Is living really that bad? I choose not to live my life that way. For me, today is a great day, period, regardless of the hardships of illness, regardless of it being difficult to participate in this buy out program fully, regardless of the fact I could stand to lose another 10 to 15 pounds, regardless of everything!!! Life is what you make it. And I choose not to go down that road. Please stop trying to insist that I'm one angry blame filled, etc. etc. guy over this, when I'm not. In the end it will work out and either I'll be stuck with an early termination fee or I won't be. If I am not stuck with it, that would be great. If I am stuck with it, lesson learned. I have a feeling there will be a few more lessons in life that I must learn along the way too. That's just the way life goes sometimes. At least that is the way my life has gone anyway. I'm far from perfect.

Dont let the Dish kool-aide drinkers get you down.

 

[Stargazer]

This reminds me of when Adelphia cable had a special promotion for satellite (maybe specific to Dish Network can't remember). Dish Network fought back stating that they would give Adelphia cable customers free system and installation (back when they were not free) and perhaps something additional to that like programming credits. I switched some of those customers over to Dish Network until Adelphia decided to quit putting everything on their bill that Dish Network required to switch them over such as the address under their name on the bill or vice versa. I can't remember how that got resolved or if I had to quit switching customers over as a result.

I also remember switching Primestar customers over and it stating on the Primestar bill to be aware of Dish Network dealers trying to switch them over to their service.

 

[Scherrman]

I would rather watch CNN

One channel is not worth the pain to switch providers and give up my two Hoppers, Wireless Joey and regular Joey. It would have to be a very special channel that offers content that no other channel can offer. ESPN is close to being the channel for me but I can use a friend's password and watch a game online if need be.

CNN offers nothing special that I can't get from other stations or online. Even if I did care about the news and CNN it's not a channel worth switching over and it seems the majority of Dish customers feel the same way.

 

[Juan]

One channel is not worth the pain to switch providers and give up my two Hoppers, Wireless Joey and regular Joey. It would have to be a very special channel that offers content that no other channel can offer. ESPN is close to being the channel for me but I can use a friend's password and watch a game online if need be.

CNN offers nothing special that I can't get from other stations or online. Even if I did care about the news and CNN it's not a channel worth switching over and it seems the majority of Dish customers feel the same way.

True..its not just one channel. Its a pattern.

 

[bigjohnok]

One channel is not worth the pain to switch providers and give up my two Hoppers, Wireless Joey and regular Joey. It would have to be a very special channel that offers content that no other channel can offer. ESPN is close to being the channel for me but I can use a friend's password and watch a game online if need be.

CNN offers nothing special that I can't get from other stations or online. Even if I did care about the news and CNN it's not a channel worth switching over and it seems the majority of Dish customers feel the same way.

I think Turner isnt banking on CNN or Cartoon Network for leverage, what I think they are doing is stalling so they TBS and TNT contracts drop dead, and with the NBA season in full swing they feel they will have more leverage with millions of angry NBA fans raging.

 

[Scherrman]

I think Turner isnt banking on CNN or Cartoon Network for leverage, what I think they are doing is stalling so they TBS and TNT contracts drop dead, and with the NBA season in full swing they feel they will have more leverage with millions of angry NBA fans raging.

I can see there being a lot more turnover if TBS and TNT go. Those channels seem to be a lot more important to the majority of customers out there. I myself would hate to see those go but I still wouldn't switch. There's nothing on those channels right now that I would miss out on other than reruns of Seinfeld and Big Bang Theory.

 

[Scherrman]

True..its not just one channel. Its a pattern.

I just don't see it being better with any other provider. The only other provider I could ever seeing myself switch to is DirecTV but then I'd be spending even more money to duplicate my current set up. I'd rather cut the cord than switch to Mediacom which is the only other provider in my area.

 

[Juan]

I just don't see it being better with any other provider. The only other provider I could ever seeing myself switch to is DirecTV but then I'd be spending even more money to duplicate my current set up. I'd rather cut the cord than switch to Mediacom which is the only other provider in my area.

Comcast with internet is 70 bucks for 2 years..then threaten to quit and get same deal

 

[Scherrman]

Comcast with internet is 70 bucks for 2 years..then threaten to quit and get same deal

I don't have Comcast as an option here and I still would not want cable TV. I wouldn't mind the internet though.

 

[ohioankev]

I can't imagine why, unless you like rain fade

I find this hilarious because when I lived with my mother and we had Charter they upgraded our whole area for digital cable (early 2000s) and they would run those ads about dish service and rain fade. Hilariously it was always the cable's advanced services going out every time it rained so no guide info, digital cable or internet for two to three hours.

 

[Scherrman]

I find this hilarious because when I lived with my mother and we had Charter they upgraded our whole area for Digital Cable (early 2000s) and they would run those ads about Dish and Rain fade. Hilariously it was always the cable's advanced services going out every time it rained so no guide info, digital cable or internet for two to three hours.

Those ads are so contradicting. Amazing how they always fail to mention to their customers how they get their own programming, SATELLITE. I love the DirecTV ads that always bash cable. DirecTV has the best marketing department.

 

[Grandude]

I love the DirecTV ads that always bash cable. DirecTV has the best marketing department.

Wow, those current DirectTV ads are the sleasiest ads ever. Rob Lowe should be ashamed of himself for being in them.
(and I'm not a prude) Wife said the same thing to me without me bringing up the subject.