Wow terrible service with Dish moving to Directv

[ncted]

I have no doubt that Dish uses analytics to decide who to audit. I am sure they gather all sorts of information to help them find the customers most likely to stack. I've never had an audit, but I would understand it if they called me up to confirm what I was paying for was legit.

 

[Hall]

Here's a post from @JasonS@DISH, https://support.dish.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3984, that says "As a general rule, DISH will not call you and ask you for personal information". Some might consider those numbers on their screen to be "personal information".

Another post from @maryb@Dish Network here, https://support.dish.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4873, that she states the same thing.

 

[ChadT41]

I posted last night, just on the one account that was mentioned that was positively stacking, was costing dish over $10k per year. Just one account. Would you say it is safe to assume there are more than 100 people doing that cross the country? That's over $1m /year. I think that's why they know they need to go after them. Now I know for a multi billion dollar company, it doesn't seem like much, but that's your increase in price each year, for all those that are completely against the audit. Also, the comparison has come up that fire tv doesn't do the audit, but if you look, their prices are continually higher on everyday comparable pckages. So, all in all, the audit does seem necessary, and helps keep prices as low as can get them.

 

[dare2be]

I posted last night, just on the one account that was mentioned that was positively stacking, was costing dish over $10k per year. Just one account.

That's assuming that all 5 people would sign up with Dish at the quoted subscription level if they weren't stacking. I think that loss number estimate has to be cut by way more than half.

 

[MikeD-C05]

So, you are saying that before I can become a Dish customer, I have to have a land line phone or an internet connection? I've had neither for over six years and don't plan to have either anytime soon. I'm on public wifi now and when I can't find it, I tether to my cell phone. I know lot's of others like myself.

Did you read where I said that you can have either one receiver on your account or one hopper/joey combination on your account if you didn't have either a phone line or internet connection?

 

[ChadT41]

The actual loss for what hey are currently stealing is hat loss. What they would sub to would be irrelevant. I agree that lost revenue would be different, but they are currently stealing over that $10k/month.

 

[dare2be]

All the auditing does is force people into a choice between cutting the cord or switching to DTV. No wonder they have so many more subs and (slightly) higher prices.

 

[Scherrman]

All the auditing does is force people into a choice between cutting the cord or switching to DTV. No wonder they have so many more subs and (slightly) higher prices.

I honestly think that has nothing to do with their subscriber numbers. Just as many people leave DirecTV and get Dish because of shady practices. The reason DirecTV has more customers is because of brand awareness and sports offerings. When it comes to customer service you'll generally find that they come in pretty equal to each other.

 

[KazooGuy]

I sometimes wonder if cable is a better value. I am paying 66$ a month for Internet. (Comcast) DSL is unacceptable. Dish bill 144$. Never checked, but wonder if combining the two would be cheaper. You have no 2 year contracts, but I like Dish's technology. Haven't had cable in years. Don't know if I would regret the move back to cable. I'm between a rock and a hard place when my contract expires this Spring.

As I posted earlier, I just get fed up with the cost of all this. I probably watch only a dozen channels on my 250 channel plan. They put the desirable channels in the higher tiers.

I also mentioned dumping it all and use my antenna and Netflix. There was a few negative comments about Netflix, but my son and Grandkids love it. Then there is the fear if Comcast gets mad at Netflix, throttling will start again. I also heard rumors of shutting down Over The Air TV. Oh well, done ranting. I get like this every once in a while.

For my area, Kalamazoo MI, cable is currently a better option than DISH. I left cable 11 years ago and went to DISH for better pricing and PQ. Since my departure Charter has made great strides in services offered and PQ. With the advent of Switched Digital Video, which allows Charter to ONLY sent the one channel or channels the cable box is tuned to down the wire, their PQ is amazing. I pulled the plug on DISH this past summer and have been spending time at my buddy's to watch some sports channels. We have the exact same television and I cannot tell any difference in PQ than what I was getting from DISH on his set. Also, he had many channels in HD that DISH does not offer in HD and he has Charter's Silver package which includes HBO. Cinemax and Showtime and many more channels that DISH does not offer at all. I cannot imagine any person needing their Gold package, because their Silver package is better than DISH's AT-200. And all he pays for the Silver package is $59.99 a month. He is bundled with their Internet and phone service. I have had their Internet and phone for the last two years and am very satisfied with it and am seriously considering for their lowest package just to pickup some of the channels I am missing since I dropped DISH and went to OTA only. With Charter's promo pricing I would get it for $29.99 for 12 months, no contract and HD included. So yea, cable in my area is a much better value!

 

[dare2be]

I'm not talking about customer service. I'm talking about account stackers who would not in any circumstances pay full-price for pay TV. I know of 2 stackers on DTV within my immediate family/friends, and none on Dish.

Because it's easier to do with less chance of reprisal, I'm sure the DTV account stacking problem is 10x worse than Dish's, but they do just fine without an active residential audit dept.

 

[dare2be]

Also, consider this. Account stacking I think hits the content owners' pocketbooks harder than the MVPDs, since the majority of the subscription fees go to the channel owners anyway, while a stacked account would actually generate additional receiver fees for the MVPD to partially offset the loss in subscription profit. Oh, and the MVPD saves money on upfront installation/acquisition costs as well.

 

[ncted]

I'm not talking about customer service. I'm talking about account stackers who would not in any circumstances pay full-price for pay TV. I know of 2 stackers on DTV within my immediate family/friends, and none on Dish.

Because it's easier to do with less chance of reprisal, I'm sure the DTV account stacking problem is 10x worse than Dish's, but they do just fine without an active residential audit dept.

This just makes me less interested in ever switching back to D*. Why should I pay more, just so other people can steal service? I'd rather deal with the audit and know that at least Dish is trying to keep people to the terms of their contract.

 

[Scherrman]

I'm not talking about customer service. I'm talking about account stackers who would not in any circumstances pay full-price for pay TV. I know of 2 stackers on DTV within my immediate family/friends, and none on Dish.

Because it's easier to do with less chance of reprisal, I'm sure the DTV account stacking problem is 10x worse than Dish's, but they do just fine without an active residential audit dept.

Would it be safe to say that DirecTV just considers it a cost of doing business and just figures they need to recoup that money a different way, such as high fees and programming?

 

[rvvaquero]

Your point is invalid.... Do retail stores randomly walk up to people and search them for items they've hidden ? They don't - they wait until they have proof (via security camera, undercover person, detectors at the door, etc). What the audit team does it based on speculation or suspicion. I say that based on members here who claim to be on the up and up who are audited, mind you.

My point is still valid. The purpose of the security measures are to catch people stealing, same as the audit. If you're not familiar with these measures when you enter the store, you should be since they've been around for decades.

yes but the surveillance camera is "invisible" to the customer, they don't feel accused of theft by being on camera, most don't even notice they are on camera. Dish needs to make their audit calls more customer friendly so every audit doesn't seem like an accusation.

Invisible? Really? If you aren't offended by surveillance cameras everywhere, uniformed security officers, and alarmed exits, then why are you offended by Dish's inquiry? Every single time you use your credit card, the seller runs your numbers by a security check to see if you are stealing. They are presuming that some customers are thieves. If you don't know that, you're in denial.

That's assuming that all 5 people would sign up with Dish at the quoted subscription level if they weren't stacking. I think that loss number estimate has to be cut by way more than half.

So if five people steal a new car from the dealership, the dealer only is losing the price of two because the other three wouldn't buy a new car anyway? Dish is delivering a product, theft of which is a loss.

Did you read where I said that you can have either one receiver on your account or one hopper/joey combination on your account if you didn't have either a phone line or internet connection?

So, you are saying that if I want to have a hopper/joey and a 211 receiver I have to buy a landline phone or internet service? Not an enforcement Dish needs to get into. They just simply ask that you not steal their service.

 

[dare2be]

So if five people steal a new car from the dealership, the dealer only is losing the price of two because the other three wouldn't buy a new car anyway? Dish is delivering a product, theft of which is a loss.

Bad analogy. One person buys the car, but multiple people can't drive the car at the same time.

A better analogy (on a smaller scale) would be renting a DVD, watching it, then a neighbor pays you half the rental price to watch it before returning it the next day.

 

[dare2be]

This just makes me less interested in ever switching back to D*. Why should I pay more, just so other people can steal service? I'd rather deal with the audit and know that at least Dish is trying to keep people to the terms of their contract.

True. I wouldn't switch to DTV unless I planned on stacking.

 

[Teehar]

For all the people who say they won't put up with it, and will take it to court, just one thing. You do have the option of not having dish. A luxury service. You can go to DTV, you can go OtA, but the AG and the courts will find that with you knowing this is an option before you enter a relationship with Dish, again a luxury service, that your case is invalid.

Yea sure its a luxury, having bill paid in full should entitle the customer to their full programming on all receivers.Furthermore I have read the tos agreement, and see no mention of Dish Nazis listed, imo dish is skating on thin ice with these tactics.One of these days they will piss off the wrong person.

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[Scherrman]

Yea sure its a luxury, having bill paid in full should entitle the customer to their full programming on all receivers.Furthermore I have read the tos agreement, and see no mention of Dish Nazis listed, imo dish is skating on thin ice with these tactics.One of these days they will piss off the wrong person.

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I will agree that the audits are a little invasive and they may be rude but I'm pretty sure Dish isn't breaking any rules by doing them. I have to assume they they have every right to make sure the customer is using Dish's equipment the way it is intended for.

 

[Hall]

The purpose of the security measures are to catch people stealing, same as the audit.

The purpose is the same, yes. The methods are vastly different. Sad that you can't see that....

 

[Ronnie-]

I have been through one before, and while I do understand WHY they feel the need to do it, it was unpleasant enough that I personally will not go through another one.
They could easily set this process up so as to not leave a sour taste in the mouths of those that are not doing anything wrong and have been unlucky enough to have their account pulled.