I remember when I got my first ViP211 in 2006. The installer did not let me keep the HDMI cable that came with it because I did not have an HDTV yet. (I got the ViP211 to get grandfathered for the national feed of CBS HD, since the ViP211 can down-convert HD channels to watch them on analog TV's. The grandfathering became a moot point later that year when Dish lost the ability to offer distant networks. If I had known that I would lose CBS HD that quickly, I probably wouldn't have bothered to upgrade my receiver at that time.) I have gotten more than enough free HDMI cables from Dish since then, to make up for them not letting me keep the first one, though.
We leave an HDMI wire even if they have an old TV. Hopefully they'll buy that new TV from us.