Another Awsome Screwup

Quantum

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jun 23, 2008
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After much consideration I thought I'd give Dish another chance. So I signed up for the standalone Gold HD with HBO, Starz, etc.

But I told them to BE SURE that my receiver is marked as PURCHASED (owned) on my account, as I've read too many stories here about them magically getting switched to leased. Yes, she said, I've marked your receiver as purchased. I asked her to make sure that it's marked, and she said she did and also made a Permanent Note in my file that this is a Purchased Receiver. I asked her to also put the R00 number in that note; she said she did.

So about an hour later I called back and checked to make sure this was done properly. Whups, it was marked as Leased (godammit), although she had in fact put the note in my permanent file that it is Purchased. No R00 number though...

Fix this, sez I. Make this receiver as owned by me. "Do you have proof that you own this receiver sir?" I told him I've already proven ownership once and I'm not going to do it again. They said they can't fix this now, and it will have to be fixed when the tech comes out to install. Well I was afraid this would be too late, so cancel this call and log another one showing I OWN this receiver, sez I. They can't, supposedly, but the tech will be sure to fix this when he comes out. Hours on the phone, finally I got emphatic assurances from a supervisor that she had put her own "supervisor's note" in my permanent notes that I own this receiver, along with the R00 number of my owned receiver.

So I waited with trepidation until the install today. Went uneventfully, with them connecting my receiver and an additional leased receiver. When the tech called in he asked them to mark my receiver as Owned, ie Purchased by me beforehand. Ostensibly they did, and he left.

So an hour later I called in and checked to make sure this was done, and sure enough a receiver was marked as Owned, but it was the wrong one! (This matters because I have made modifications to mine) So I asked them to fix this. Well, they can't they say. OK, cancel me and come out and get this sh*t I say.

So they went to ERT, who said it will take them 48 hours to fix it. No, because by that time I will be outside my 3 day Right of Rescission. He said they often waive the cancellation fee, even up to a month after signing up!

Yeah sure, haw haw.

He offered to fax me a letter to that effect... but I don't have a fax, so can they email it? (Another 15 minutes of checking) No, they can't email me because everyone's name is on their email account, and can't use that "for security reasons". From the sound of it, it's actually because nobody wants to be held accountable.

Cancel my account and come out and get this sh*t. OK, sez they, but if I send back the one they think is owned (the actual leased one) they may charge me for the receiver!

Catch 22. They've got me trapped no matter what.

So cancel me, and I'll sue if they screw me like that. They're sending the boxes, and I now have no signal.
 
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Yeah, no response from the ceo email address after two days. I guess they're embarrassed. But I still have no TV.
 
Yeah, no response from the ceo email address after two days. I guess they're embarrassed. But I still have no TV.
Wow does that suck. Sorry to hear that.
Did you happen to keep the name of the installer? Get a business card? I made sure I got a business card from my dish installer in case something went wrong I could prove I knew who did it. If you did, you might need to refer to him as to which room he installed the "leased" unit it. He should have written that down on the form. Just a thought. Good luck
 
Thanks. The installer was a one-horse company here, and I have the paperwork with name/number. Not his fault and I don't want to cost him a chargeback, but true he could be a witness.

I just called a special number I have, which is deep within upper levels of Dish (I am an ex installer), and they claim to have fixed this. It'll take 24 hours to gel, so I'll call tomorrow. They apologized and said it's a fluke; that this is well documented, so I 'shouldn't have a problem'.

My blood pressure is down a few points now.
 
Dish Network does not care that much anymore about making things right and treating the customers very fairly about certain things. I paid for a receiver (721) and they forced all the owners of those receivers to take a leased receiver in which they will want back if you cancel the service. That receiver cost $550.

One of many bad things I am seeing from Dish Network lately. Probably one of many reasons why Dish Network has lost subscribers instead of gaining them the last two quarters and I expect the same in the upcoming quarters too. You can't keep customers if you treat them this way especially when the economy is bad and DirecTv and cable/FIOS have their promotions.
 
Dish Network does not care that much anymore about making things right and treating the customers very fairly about certain things. I paid for a receiver (721) and they forced all the owners of those receivers to take a leased receiver in which they will want back if you cancel the service. That receiver cost $550.

One of many bad things I am seeing from Dish Network lately. Probably one of many reasons why Dish Network has lost subscribers instead of gaining them the last two quarters and I expect the same in the upcoming quarters too. You can't keep customers if you treat them this way especially when the economy is bad and DirecTv and cable/FIOS have their promotions.

You did not give them your purchased 721 receiver did you? I wouldn't have. I would have taken their leased receiver but required compensation for the $550 cost of 721 they now want back.
 
You can't keep customers if you treat them this way

Actually, you can. You can when the competition is equally as callous and uncaring.

Frustrating? Absolutely. Alas, I've decided to just assume companies will crap on you as a customer, and then I can at least be happy when the rare company does good.
 
Whups, problem NOT fixed today.

Called my number today (Win Back) and they don't understand why it wasn't fixed. They offer to send an email to "Promotions" who can supposedly fix this, but that would take a couple days. So I asked for the ERD.

The ERD rep gave me his name and number, which was a good sign. I explained the whole situation for the sixteenth time, and he said this is not something they have authority to fix. (WTF does ERD stand for?! "Executive Resolutions Department". Are they fscking with me?) But he can send an email to the "Promotions" department, and ostensibly they have the authority to change it.

Another two days.
 
No go again today. Called ERD and found the correction had still not been made. She said that indeed they do not have the authority to make a change like this, and that only the 'back office promo dept' can. And that from the time ERD sends an email to back-office, it can take up to two weeks to take effect! Yesterday it was two days, today it is two weeks.

She offered to turn on my TV, but no way I'm committing to two years unless they can fix this. If I hadn't already spent almost $1,000 in equipment for Dish, I'd chuck them right now.

Still no TV.
 
No go again today. Called ERD and found the correction had still not been made. She said that indeed they do not have the authority to make a change like this, and that only the 'back office promo dept' can. And that from the time ERD sends an email to back-office, it can take up to two weeks to take effect! Yesterday it was two days, today it is two weeks.

She offered to turn on my TV, but no way I'm committing to two years unless they can fix this. If I hadn't already spent almost $1,000 in equipment for Dish, I'd chuck them right now.

Still no TV.
I dumped DISH for AT&T U-verse and couldn't be happier. Customer service between the two is like night and day. Calling AT&T I always get csr's who speak english and go out of their way to help you out. I even had one tell me I was entitled to an additional cash back after she had taken care of my original call. DISH is being run by a bunch of clowns and idiots.
 
I dumped DISH for AT&T U-verse and couldn't be happier. Customer service between the two is like night and day. Calling AT&T I always get csr's who speak english and go out of their way to help you out. I even had one tell me I was entitled to an additional cash back after she had taken care of my original call. DISH is being run by a bunch of clowns and idiots.

I'm glad you had a good experience with AT&T customer service. Perhaps they send all the good Customer Service Reps to the U-Verse areas? I have had nothing but trouble with them, and all I have is DSL. It's up down up down all the time, I drop my connection to my MMPORPGS, and every time I call in they have to forward me around 10 times before they even get me to the right department. Then they get it back up and running after two hours on the phone (BTW, it has always been something needs to be reset at their end, etc...) Very similar experiences to this poor guy here: Techdirt: Has Anyone At AT&T Ever Called AT&T Tech Support? (In fact you can see one of my first rants further down in the coments, nothing but problems since)
 
Update: Called in again today to check the status, and the leased receiver is still marked as owned, and the owned receiver is still marked as leased. Fail. The ERT rep assured me that it takes two weeks for the Promotions Dept to fix things, and that ERT is the right contact point for this.

She tried again to get me to activate the account, but I told her that Dish has to fix all the problems first. She told me that I have already been advised that the cancellation fee would be waived if I subsequently cancel, but I told her that I must have evidence of this (as outlined above), since nothing they've promised so far has turned out right.

But WHUPS, she found that I had already been charged the cancellation fee back on the 11th! It had been deducted from my credit card. Even though I canceled ONE HOUR after activation!! Even though I canceled because they screwed up my account!!

Oh, this is dishonest. Two days ago I had asked them if I've been charged anything to this point, and they said, "Your account has a zero balance." Oh, this is incredibly dishonest, because yes I had a zero balance, but after they'd knocked my credit card for the $hundreds in cancellation fee!!

I am not worried about the cancellation fee though, as under our state law we have a three day Right of Rescission. I'd have to sue for it, but Dish wouldn't fight it. Nevertheless, she says she reversed the cancellation fee.

I told her I only have two weeks left because Dish is supposed to be sending the mailers to return the leased receiver, but if I return the true leased receiver I am told I'll be charged as Dish thinks that's the owned one. That I'm in a Catch 22. She said I should call back Monday, and that it should be fixed by then.

My God, I am alarmed now about subscribing again, after the clearly dishonest way they've treated my account from the first minutes I was a customer. It's not just negligence, but now is confirmed to be dishonesty.

What am I supposed to think about this people?
 
The whole point (which for some reason you miss Jim5506), is if you just do right then there wouldn't be any dirty dealings nor embarrassing screwups to be exposed to the public.

I am glad I'm not your customer too.
 
I had some problem also when I upgraded to HD back in August. I was told there would be no "upgrade" charge, but sure enough, I was charged $200 for the 722 & $59 for installation. It took me 3 months & many phone calls to clear this up. The sad thing is that before I upgraded, I had auto pay, but somehow they screwed that up too. No way will I allow auto pay again.
 
You have to actually read the thread, to understand.

What happens when Dish audits my account in six months, and finds this ostensibly 'owned' receiver is actually leased? That's right, they'll charge me. Will they find my actual owned receiver is mine even as it's marked leased? No, they'll give themselves the benefit of the doubt.

So 585960, you approve of them whacking me with the cancellation fee in these circumstances, and stealing the receiver I own. Since that's the case, your opinion is worth nothing to me.

You and your "birfday" can live with crappier and crappier treatment as you seem to prefer. Good luck with alll that...

I'm not playing.
 
Quantum, I have no doubt that you are in the right in this situation. That being said, you have been told by at least two Dish reps that the problem may take two weeks to resolve. Yes, it should be taken care of faster but, no, it isn't going to happen. I think the negative comments you've received here are due to you providing hourly (a slight exaggeration) updates on a problem that you have been told will not be resolved for quite some time.
 
Quantum, I have no doubt that you are in the right in this situation. That being said, you have been told by at least two Dish reps that the problem may take two weeks to resolve. Yes, it should be taken care of faster but, no, it isn't going to happen. I think the negative comments you've received here are due to you providing hourly (a slight exaggeration) updates on a problem that you have been told will not be resolved for quite some time.

:up:up
 

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