Why DISH Is Doing So Poorly (Rant Inside)

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It was ERT that returned a call to me in reply to my email to CEO. I would hope they could understand my request if they've had time to ponder my email, which was quite detailed. I would have put the $200 up as a deposit, but not as a non-refundable penalty for not giving them a 9 digit number. I'm sure DirecTV will require a social so I probably will have to play that by ear. I'm not just going to give it to them as a form of surrender. If that's their rules too, then so be it. I have the cable modem so I can upgrade from there. They didn't require a social, just a deposit, but it did take some hair-pulling to get it done.

The most frustrating thing about this is that I don't really even watch that much TV. I could pretty much do without or just go the legal FTA route plus OTA. My roommate wants it but he's burned both services and he will be the one to pay the bill. So this is a lot of hoop-jumping for him and a little hoop-jumping for my wife and her Survivor and House.
 
vegassatellite said:
I just moved in to a new home from an apartment with No Line Of Sight. I have a 722 purchased that I wanted to activate with no Social Security Number given. That was unacceptable to them. I was disconnected twice while trying to have my call escalated to ERT. So I fired off an email to the CEO email address. I explained that I'm aware that their current subscriber acquisition costs are around $600 for equipment and installation but that since I had done all that myself, they wouldn't be laden with that expense. Also, since I wanted Everything Pak with HD, I would be spending up in the $100 month range (roommate is actually paying for it all, I don't watch that much TV). Basically, I should be a dream customer from a financial perspective. I also reminded them that I have DTV and Cable as an option at my home. So I waited for a response to my email.

Well, a response came via a phone call. She told me that I could go without a social security number but that I would have to pay $200 upfront. I asked if this was an advance payment on programming or some sort of deposit. She told me it was a non-refundable fee. I lost it at that point. Why should I pay $200 when they have no risk involved? I'm willing to pay in advance for programming and I understand that is how they do it anyway. I told her I wasn't interested and ended the call right there with no chance for a counter-offer. This is a darn good reason why DISH is taking a beating in the financial press. A customer with a higher than average ARPU who has taken care of nearly all acquisition costs comes their way and they turn them away over a nine digit number that really only belongs for government purposes anyways.

So, I guess I'll probably be calling DirecTV in the next few days. An online comparison has them coming in $30/month cheaper than cable's similar package and with much more HD. Of course, DTV has SpikeHD, which is probably the only channel that would convince me to buy an HD set.
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I would be happy to explain why dish wants an SSN or makes you pay a 200 dollar penalty.

Their are disreputable customers that would activate a 722 and a cheap 2800 on their account No Promotion no SSN. They then rack up a bill of 300 dollar in programming plus another 100 in ppv right before they are shut off they disable the 722 and transfer it to another account....Rinse Repeat. Total losses one 2800 receiver that they got for 10-20 dollars. This customer does it over and over again and dish has no ssn to take to the Credit Bureau and ruin your credit with. They are protecting their loses.....

Moral of the story provide an SSN or they think you are a con job or pay the 200 dollar penalty for no ssn
 
tws101 said:
I would be happy to explain why dish wants an SSN or makes you pay a 200 dollar penalty.

Their are disreputable customers that would activate a 722 and a cheap 2800 on their account No Promotion no SSN. They then rack up a bill of 300 dollar in programming plus another 100 in ppv right before they are shut off they disable the 722 and transfer it to another account....Rinse Repeat. Total losses one 2800 receiver that they got for 10-20 dollars. This customer does it over and over again and dish has no ssn to take to the Credit Bureau and ruin your credit with. They are protecting their loses.....

Moral of the story provide an SSN or they think you are a con job or pay the 200 dollar penalty for no ssn
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Well, I just don't need TV that bad. I don't see how a $200 penalty would be more advantageous to a $200 deposit in the above described scenario. The flake would lose the $200 either way. An Honest Joe could at least receive his money back if he stopped service under good terms. I think $200 would be better spent at Sadoun.
 
vegassatellite said:
Well, I just don't need TV that bad. I don't see how a $200 penalty would be more advantageous to a $200 deposit in the above described scenario. The flake would lose the $200 either way. An Honest Joe could at least receive his money back if he stopped service under good terms. I think $200 would be better spent at Sadoun.
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The problem is they don't trust you if you don't give an SSN. Its as simple as that.

They are not going to make the rules easier for a customer base that is less than 1% of the whole and is notorious for cheating them.

What the big deal with giving out the number. The fact that you are fighting it so hard makes me think you might be one of the bad apple customers.

You already have this purchase 722 are you really going to return it or sell it all on principle over your SSN?

You say "I just dont need tv that bad" but you have already done all the work. All you need to do now is surrender 9 little numbers.
 
tws101 said:
The problem is they don't trust you if you don't give an SSN. Its as simple as that.

They are not going to make the rules easier for a customer base that is less than 1% of the whole and is notorious for cheating them.

What the big deal with giving out the number. The fact that you are fighting it so hard makes me think you might be one of the bad apple customers.

You already have this purchase 722 are you really going to return it or sell it all on principle over your SSN?

You say "I just dont need tv that bad" but you have already done all the work. All you need to do now is surrender 9 little numbers.
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The 722 is a purchase I have because of my work. I can return it in full up until it is activated. This fight has nothing to do with me being a bad apple, it has to do with me having a set of principles and ideological beliefs that keep me from tossing my SSN around as if it has no significance. I've also been the victim of identity theft, so Mujibar in India is not getting that number, period. I've done the work because of all the "boobtube" fanatics in my house. This whole issue has been a real thorn in my side.
 
I've never met a person who has a SSN. Every SS Card I've ever seen explicitly reserves the ownership of the card and the number to the SS Administration. It's not your card, it's not your number. Unless of course, your acting as an agent for the Social Security Administration. Then, as an agent, its "yours."

The Privacy Act of 1974 states that you cannot be denied a government benefit or service if you refuse to provide a SSN, especially if you do not have one. These rules however, may not apply for private businesses. Read the Law for yourself, and stop being led around by self proclaimed experts on the SSN. Check out teamlaw dot org for learning assistance.
 
vegassatellite said:
Well, I just don't need TV that bad. I don't see how a $200 penalty would be more advantageous to a $200 deposit in the above described scenario. The flake would lose the $200 either way. An Honest Joe could at least receive his money back if he stopped service under good terms. I think $200 would be better spent at Sadoun.
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Well, you could try the Dish NOW!/YA! prepaid service, which no SS#(or anything else, for that matter, other than your zip code) you are needed to provide.

BUT!!!!(there always is one), there are things this setup CAN'T do that others with providing more info can:

1. No local channels or local Regional Sports Network available. This includes all the Fox Sports affiliates and Big Ten network/South Sports channel to those who qualify.

2. No PPV/VOD/HD available. Period. None.

3. Only available in one room on a DP301 or Phillips3900(although these seem to be gone for the most part). I would say get the DP301 whenver possible.

4. No Superstation Package or Encore movie pack available either. Only WGN and TBS in the AT packs are available, and the only way to get the Encore movie pack is to get AT250.

But you don't have to give them(Dish) anything in order to receive "most"(and maybe more in the future if they expand it.) of their programming off of 110/119.

You control everything, and I mean everything. And you really don't deal with Dish at all.

I should also recommend that you are somewhat of a handy person, and have a clear understanding of how the satellite setup works. You can get the Dish professionally installed if you want, but if you know how to do it on your own, you can save some cash, not have to deal with installing RETARDS, and can PEAK IT to your hearts content.

I like the idea of getting alot of programming without having any dealings with Dish at all.

I am getting HBO, just for tonight and tommorow, which amounts too about $.25/day for the 2 days of service.

You can also get:

1. AT Family Pack/AT100/AT200/AT250/Plus all available Spanich paks
2. HBO/Showtime/Cinemax/Starz
3. Some International channel packages. Although I think you may have to point it at another satellite
4. Some adult channels(Reality TV/Penthouse TV/Playboy)

And you can order just 1 day if you want, and not be forced to order by the month, no matter the programming.

But, do as you will.
 
Dish actually allowed some woman in TN to setup THREE fraudulent accounts without using my social security number.

It was supposedly cleared up and I cancelled. Later, after moving, I called to turn it back on. The rep told me there was already any account with my SS, and it was late.

When I asked how someone else setup an account under my name, she said that Dish did not verify the SS number and added the account to my name.

See where Im going, good, because Im stopping since itd take me three pages to explain. Dish has some stupid policies, prime example is this ViP 722 sitting in my closet for 2 mo's because they wont send me a box.
 
Heres the problem, when DISH didn't require an SSN people where getting a cheap $50 or $99 receiver and setting up a new account with a fake name, address and phone number. They run up a $300 bill, DISH shuts off the account for non-payment and then the customer does the same thing over again.

As it would work out, people would burn through (1) Receiver every 58 days. When you consider the everything package valued at $100 per month, it comes to $25/mo doing it the way I just described!

I don't know what the big deal is, give DISH your SSN and activate the account! If you don't want to give up all 9 digits, give them the last 4 so they can know who they are dealing with!
 
I agree with you Claude - "I don't know what the big deal is, give DISH your SSN and activate the account! If you don't want to give up all 9 digits, give them the last 4 so they can know who they are dealing with!"

However.... A man has got to have principles
vegassatellite said:
The 722 is a purchase I have because of my work. I can return it in full up until it is activated. This fight has nothing to do with me being a bad apple, it has to do with me having a set of principles and ideological beliefs that keep me from tossing my SSN around as if it has no significance. I've also been the victim of identity theft, so Mujibar in India is not getting that number, period. I've done the work because of all the "boobtube" fanatics in my house. This whole issue has been a real thorn in my side.
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Therefore, Vegassatellite - Find service elsewhere. I did!

I had two accounts with Dish in different parts of the country, dropped the first one because they couldn't tell me what the "out of the blue taxes" were for, and would probably have kept the 2nd account - even with cable, but decided it was against my principle to:
- Pay Rent on a DVR that I owned; and
- Pay a HD Enabling Fee for a receiver that I owned.

Anyway, I still drop by Satellite Guys to see how things are going. Sounds like Dish is losing more and more customers.

Thinking back...
The CSR asked if I would like to transfer my owned receiver to someone else's account. I said no, I'll throw it in the garage with other stuff.
Guess she was trying to say, Dish is glad you are leaving and we don't want you back, so you might as well give your receiver to a good home. :)
 
Well, I'm just gonna throw an OTA in the attic and an FTA in the backyard. Kids wanna watch TV, they can learn German while they're at it.
 
That's about the way I feel. And while they're learning a little German and other languages, teach them a little electronics and wave propagation theory. :)

Take care.
 

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