HD upgrade with protection plan

[enricong]

Here is the situation.

Currently: SD subscriber with no contract.
HD for life upgrade offer:
1. Pay $99 to upgrade
2. Pay $15 to upgrade and sign up for the service plan

The service plan agreement says:

New Customer: If You cancel this Plan within the first 180 days after your activation as a New Customer, You shall no longer be charged the monthly service and any applicable New Customer credits for the Plan shall be ended.
Existing Customer: If You cancel this Plan at any time after the receipt of this Plan, You will be charged a cancellation fee of $25.00. If this Plan was inadvertently sold to You (New or Existing Customer) on a Product that was not intended to be covered by this Plan, DISH Network will cancel this Plan and return the full purchase price as applicable of the Plan to You.
IL Residents: Cancellation — This Plan does not cover failure due to normal wear and tear. If You cancel this Plan within the first thirty (30) days of purchase and if no service has been provided to You, You shall receive a full refund of the Plan price. If You cancel this Plan at any other time or if You cancel after service has been provided to You, You shall receive a refund equal to the pro rata Plan purchase price less the value of any service received.

I am curious about #2.
1. Can one just sign up for the plan, pay the $15, get the install then cancel the plan?
2. would I count as a New or existing customer?
3. If I count as existing, would I just have to pay $25, or $25 + $99 or something else? It says "You shall receive a refund equal to the pro rata Plan purchase price less the value of any service received" so I'm not sure if the install fee that I'm saving counts as "value of service received


Thanks, I'm just looking for my cheapest option. I remember being offered an HD upgrade for free in the past.

 

[garys]

1. Yes, but you get charged the $25.
2. You are an existing customer.
3. $15 + $25 cancellation fee + Protection plan is prorated for the time you are signed up.

 

[enricong]

ok so if I cancel the protection plan after install, I get charged the $25 and am prorated from when I sign up, but I do not get charged anything extra for the install. I wasn't sure what "less the value of any service received" meant and if the install would count as a "service" received.

 

[garys]

Usually the csr will not pick up that you had service done or does not pursue that during the cancellation. If it is picked up by canceling too close to the service call (upgrading your dish is definitely considered a service call), you can be charged the $15 (at the time of the call) + $25 cancellation + the prorated monthly fee for the protection plan + $84 at the time of cancellation to make up the value of the service fee. Dish does charge for whatever fees they can so you would probably want to keep the service plan for a little while before canceling. Dish added the fee and the value statement because too many people would add the protection plan, get the work done and immediately cancel the plan. Good luck.

 

[enricong]

I see. Since its a per month fee, I assume if I had it for years and cancel it, they wouldnt go back and charge me for every service. Sounds like its a gamble to go with the $15 for the upgrade.

Also, I noticed you said $84, so they do not subtract the $15 or the $25 from the value of the service fee?

 

[garys]

$99 - $15 = $84.

 

[ClarkGable]

enricong,

Do you have an HD receiver? If not, there is some extra cost whether you buy it or lease it.

I recently did what you are proposing. I signed up for protection plan, was charged $15 for the dish upgrade and $100 receiver upgrade fee for a 722. I ended up going with CC autopay to get the "free" HD for life. I think I will keep the protection plan, though.

 

[enricong]

ok I called up and got a surprise.

I asked if I could immediately cancel the service plan and they said yes and said that I would not be charged anything than the $25. so $15 + $25 + whatever I used out of the $6.

However, now they tell me that I need to pay $50 for an HD receiver upgrade, they never mentioned this before.

I currently have 3 TVs (2 SD receivers). I an HDTV I'd like to add, so I thought I could replace one of the SD receivers with an HD (nonDVR) receiver. However they tell me that because of the area I am in, they have to replace the dishes and I will need all HD receivers. Thus costing me $100 instead of $50. Does that sound correct?

Also, is it correct to charge $7 per receiver and $14 per duo receiver per month? Is the first receiver suppose to be free.

I am a little disturbed that in 3 calls the Dish, my cost has gone from $40 to $90 to $140.

 

[TheKrell]

Well, yes, the receiver upgrades are going to cost you something. If you are in an Eastern Arc DMA, then all receivers on the account must be mpeg-4 capable, since that's all the EA sats broadcast. Agree this is a high hurdle when you have multiple receivers.

You are right on the 1st receiver; it doesn't cost you anything unless it's a DVR.

 

[enricong]

Thanks for the quick reply. It just doesnt seem right to be forced to pay to upgrade SD receivers to HD receivers even though they are connected to SDTVs.

Now the old dishes are on the roof now, can't they just leave those dishes there connected to my existing SD receiver, and then add the HD dish and only connect it to the HDTV?

 

[TheKrell]

Now the old dishes are on the roof now, can't they just leave those dishes there connected to my existing SD receiver, and then add the HD dish and only connect it to the HDTV?

As a matter of fact, this can be done. I had some arguing with my EA dish installer because they all believe they're supposed to remove the old dishes. But I now have a D500 on 110/119 and a 1000.4 on 61.5/72/77.

 

[enricong]

As a matter of fact, this can be done. I had some arguing with my EA dish installer because they all believe they're supposed to remove the old dishes. But I now have a D500 on 110/119 and a 1000.4 on 61.5/72/77.

Hmm, so I should tell the CSR I only want to upgrade one box and have the install the dish and hook it up and have them not touch the other SD box or the old dish.

I'll see if the CSR will go along with this plan. Did you have to do anything special the CSR?

 

[R0ss]

Hmm, so I should tell the CSR I only want to upgrade one box and have the install the dish and hook it up and have them not touch the other SD box or the old dish.

I'll see if the CSR will go along with this plan. Did you have to do anything special the CSR?

Might work, if it doesn't you could discus this with the installer, CSR's usually read off a script and set things up by standard configurations. It is more work for the installer to climb up and take down your existing dish 500 set up so he might just be talked into leaving it where it is. You might try helping him out with the install, holding stuff helping with cable etc and then let him know you want the dish 500 left behind for you non MPEG 4 receivers.

Just a thought

Ross

 

[enricong]

Might work, if it doesn't you could discus this with the installer, CSR's usually read off a script and set things up by standard configurations. It is more work for the installer to climb up and take down your existing dish 500 set up so he might just be talked into leaving it where it is. You might try helping him out with the install, holding stuff helping with cable etc and then let him know you want the dish 500 left behind for you non MPEG 4 receivers.

Just a thought

Ross

Yeah, I figured it would be easier for the installer to leave everything where it is. One less dish to take down, one less receiver to hook up. I just wanted to make sure, that the access cards wouldn't suddenly get canceled out on the old ones or something like that. I just don't want to get into the situation of paying for the install then having a problem on install day

 

[harshness]

Thanks for the quick reply. It just doesnt seem right to be forced to pay to upgrade SD receivers to HD receivers even though they are connected to SDTVs.

Would you expect Chevrolet to replace an old S10 pickup with a Suburban for free simply because you're going to park it in the same garage?

 

[enricong]

Yes, absolutely. If I promise to keep paying to park in their garage for the next 2 years, I'd expect something for that loyalty. But to speak to what you quoted, regarding having to change SD receivers connected to SDTVs, thats like Chevy telling me that the old S10's aren't supported anymore and forcing me to buy a suburban when I don't want one.

 

[harshness]

Yes, absolutely. If I promise to keep paying to park in their garage for the next 2 years, I'd expect something for that loyalty.

No, it is your same tired old garage. The shiny new SUV with a much greater hauling capacity is what you think they owe you.

But to speak to what you quoted, regarding having to change SD receivers connected to SDTVs, thats like Chevy telling me that the old S10's aren't supported anymore and forcing me to buy a suburban when I don't want one.

It isn't that they aren't supported. It is that if you want the latest and greatest, including access to channels only available in HD, it is you that is going to have to step up. Revelation: They don't give out prizes for standing still in a march into the future.

Unless you're locale is being converted to a setup that requires MPEG4, you don't need to upgrade to continue to get the same basic services you get today. If you do need to upgrade to continue to receive the services you currently subscribe to, they'll happily do it for free.

 

[yaz96]

No, it is your same tired old garage. The shiny new SUV with a much greater hauling capacity is what you think they owe you.It isn't that they aren't supported. It is that if you want the latest and greatest, including access to channels only available in HD, it is you that is going to have to step up. Revelation: They don't give out prizes for standing still in a march into the future.

Unless you're locale is being converted to a setup that requires MPEG4, you don't need to upgrade to continue to get the same basic services you get today. If you do need to upgrade to continue to receive the services you currently subscribe to, they'll happily do it for free.

They sure as hell didn't for 61.5 customers now, did they?

 

[harshness]

They sure as hell didn't for 61.5 customers now, did they?

Leaving alone that your post is off topic, 61.5W customers already have MPEG4 equipment.

The issue you speak of may be straightened out within the week if all goes well with Echostar 15. No, I don't know of DISH plans to move some of the non-61.5W content to 61.5W, but it seems reasonable given the way things have shaken out.