NEW HD IN OCTOBER

[Scott Greczkowski]

With the way Jim Defranco was talking today on the retailer chat he made it sound like new things would not be coming until around the beginning of the year.

Grrrr...

Sometimes I feel like BOTH COMPANIES keep stringing us along.

[STL]

That doesn't really matter because I would not believe anything Jim Defranco says when it comes to adding HD. He is the clown that proclaimed the $10 price hike to TurboHD packages would be worth it because of all the new HD channels they were going to add (to the TurboHD packages). Instead Dish Network keeps making excuses why they cannot add all of the new HD channels to the TurboHD packages, but they have yet to offer to reduce the price hike those packages received (and they never will I'm sure) -- and IMO that makes their supposed excuses quite suspect.

[MikeD-C05]

So NO new BBC America in hd in October now. First it was July, then September , then October and now first of the year? Seems short sighted of DISH not to put all the hd they can up while Directv is sitting idly by.

[espaeth]

Instead Dish Network keeps making excuses why they cannot add all of the new HD channels to the TurboHD packages, but they have yet to offer to reduce the price hike those packages received

Dish abandoned those packages and left them to fade away. If they work for you, great. If not, change plans already and stop bitching about it.

[STL]

Dish abandoned those packages and left them to fade away. If they work for you, great. If not, change plans already and stop bitching about it.

If you don't like my posts then stop ready them already!!! Last time I checked this was a free country, and I was allowed to speak my mind.

The entire reason I remain upset is because DISH specifically used these TurboHD packages to lure away DirecTV customers (with half truths and outright lies -- like from their Executive Vice President Mr. DeFranco) and now that these new customers are under contract for well over a year, they conveniently decide to abandon them.

[stone phillips420]

now that these new customers are under contract for well over a year, they conveniently decide to abandon them.

not the first time this has been done, im sure it wont be the last either

[espaeth]

The entire reason I remain upset is because DISH specifically used these TurboHD packages to lure away DirecTV customers (with half truths and outright lies -- like from their Executive Vice President Mr. DeFranco) and now that these new customers are under contract for well over a year, they conveniently decide to abandon them.

You're still getting more channels in that package than when you signed up, and as for the rate hikes -- every company has them. Some plans got hit harder than others, but TurboHD had the same rate hikes as folks with "Classic" packages with DVR Advantage. ($5 - $8) Yes, the traditional classic packs got hit with a smaller price increase, but their channel package already had costs factored in for the Viacom channels while those were brand new to TurboHD.

Buying something based on future value is always going to have the potential to lead to disappointment, be it a console game that promises more expansion packs later, software that promises feature upgrades, stock that promise to increase in value, or channel packages that promise to continue adding programming.

My point was simply this: the situation is what it is, the only choice you have now is how you're going to react to it. If you're unhappy with the channels you receive, then change your channel package. The TurboHD plans aren't going to change, no matter how many posts you make here about it.

[STL]

espaeth,
Well even with the rate hike being about equal, the TurboHD packages only rec'd 3 new HD channels while the Classic+HD subs got 11 new HD channels. I understand rate hikes are part of it, but DISH management (mis)lead everyone to believe the large hike was needed specifically to cover the many new HD channels coming to the TurboHD packages. Now they claim they really intended to give us those channels, but the content providers will not let them. So even though they based their TurboHD rate hike on the package getting 11 new channels and they now know they can only really add 3 of them, they don't try to make the situation "right" by rolling back some of the rate hike. With DISH only being able to provide about 25% of the new channels they intended, you think they could at least roll back the price hike 50% -- instead they just seem to be ignoring the issue and shunning their new TurboHD customers. I fully realize that making a purchase decision based on future value is risky, but in this case EVERYONE (their website, their CSRS, and mostly importantly their Vice President) was saying all the new non-premium HD channel coming soon would be added to the appropriate TurboHD package.

I've learned my lesson though; the misleading statements from DISH are more than just "uneducated" CSRs -- the misleading starts at the top with this company. And I would switch packages if my didn't raise my bill a whopping 36%! Lastly, I don't think I have brought this up recently (at least not within the last month or more), but when I saw that clown's -- or should I saw liar's -- name in Scott's post I felt like responding so I did.

[yaz96]

Don't hold you breath, and you won't pass out!

[TazmanianD]

chuck you can only string along customers so far, before the string runs out!

Not if you tie the string into a loop.