About 15 months ago I switched from the 61.5, 110, 119 setup to the Eastern Arc, went from two dishes to just one. The local installer who put up the new dish pulled the lnb's from the old dishes, said Dish required they be returned.
My step-daughter switched from Dish to DirecTv to take advantage of one of D*s special offers last year. We were comparing our monthly bills a couple of weeks ago and she noted that even with the special pricing she was paying more for the same packet of services than I was. She may have gone from the first 12 month period into the second one, I didn't ask, but in any event she is now paying more for services from D* than if she had the same package from Dish.
I'm pretty happy to have more HD from Dish for less money than D* would charge. On the subject of the $15 fee to return a receiver if you use their box, I agree with Claude or whoever it was said that was a very reasonable fee and return mechanism. I don't work for Dish, and there is no way in hades I would engage in a fight with a bill collector over a $15 equipment return fee. First thing you know, you could end up in small claims court and the judge would just order you to pay the fee plus costs, and you're out 2 to 3 hundred. Even if you win, it couldn't possibly be worth the hassle. But each person has a right to do whatever feels best to him or her.
Best regards,
Fitzie