I wanted the 18 month commitment

[kskimmel]

E-mail I sent today to CEO@echostar.net

I am a new Dishnetwork customer and had my equipment intalled 9/1/07. I used the Dish Builder on the web site and agreed to the 18 month commitment with autopay along with my programming and equipment packages. In August, the $49.00 activation fee was charged to my credit card. This month I signed onto My Account to review my current billing and noticed that payment had not been posted after the 9/21/07 due date. I assumed that the system may be running behind until I checked again today, and no payment was posted. I called billing to inquire about this and talked to two CSR's Both said that the contract paperwork indicated that I declined the commitment. I pulled out the paperwork and there it was, my initial next to the option to decline. I told both CSR's that this was a mistake on my part caused by an installation that was five hours past the original appointment and the rush to get all of the paperwork done. Installer said to initial where he had placed an "X" and sign below, etc.

The response from both CSR's (and one supervisor) after I asked for the 18 month commitment was that I signed to decline and that was it. Both also hung up on me.

So now I am asking myself why I should stay with Dishnetwork since I have no commitment and have experienced very quickly the customer commitment of Dishnetwork's CSR's.

Since alot of people like me also read the DBSTalk and Satellite Guys forums prior to signing up for services, a copy of this E-mail will be posted in both. I will also post your replies if you wish.

Regards,

 

[rcdallas]

So why leave? I'd be tickled to not have a commitment, though that's me.

 

[Rlanham]

I think I would rather eat the $49 than have the committment, even though I don't plan on going to D* or cable.

 

[Jordan420]

I really don't understand, what is the problem?

 

[Claude Greiner]

The issue is that this customer does not get his $49.99 credit for the activation fee, Free DHPP for 12 months, and FREE 6 months HD and movie packages free for 3 months!

I see this happen about 3-4 times per week at my office.

Here is the issue, the customer gets ready to sign the contract and they have 2 options...

A) Accecpt 18 month committment
B) Decline 18 month committment

The customer then usually tries to be a smart ass and declines the 18 month committment, since afterall who wants to sign an 18 month committment if they don't have to.

Then what happens is that about a week or 2 weeks later they get their first bill in the mail and call in and complain because its incorrect because they are not getting any of the stuff they where promised for FREE.

We then pull the paperwork and see they declined the committment, and when we make the customer aware of this. They all of sudden say it was a mistake, blame it on the installer and try to get us to change the promotion codes on the account.

Not saying that this paticular poster did what I just said, and I was probably an honest mistake but I have had to change promotion codes on about 50 accounts for this very same reason and its the same story just about everytime, how the no committment option got initialed on the contract.

The solution to this whole mess is when an account is setup as an 18 month committiment not to have the option on the contract to decline the committment!

 

[heywire]

The issue is that this customer does not get his $49.99 credit for the activation fee, Free DHPP for 12 months, and FREE 6 months HD and movie packages free for 3 months!

This is only partially correct. If he talks to an "account specialist", he can get the 6 mo free HD and free movie packages without any kind of commitment. I got 10 mo of $10 rebates, 6 mo free HD without the 18 mo commitment.

 

[jmnstevens]

I had this same problem I called them on it, when I saw my bill was crazy and they added the commitment and the discounts showed on the bill right away. They were very nice about making this change and apologized for the problem.

 

[mdonnelly]

...
So now I am asking myself why I should stay with Dishnetwork since I have no commitment and have experienced very quickly the customer commitment of Dishnetwork's CSR's.
...

If you're not happy now, you'll find more reasons to be unhappy later. Drop Dish now, and save yourself some aggravation.

 

[rcdallas]

I didn't think you could reverse the 18 month commitment once it was installed, I also didn't know that declining you'd loose out on 3 months of a premium channel, nor the 6 months, and I thought it was 18 months of DHPP, unless it changed to 12.

I've had plenty of people who signed up with 18 months, then start feuding with me saying they are not signing this, I'm just like look I'm not a lawyer, sign here.

 

[rcdallas]

If you're not happy now, you'll find more reasons to be unhappy later. Drop Dish now, and save yourself some aggravation.

It's usually somewhat easier to find reasons to be unhappy vs the opposite

 

[kskimmel]

Here is the issue, the customer gets ready to sign the contract and they have 2 options...

A) Accecpt 18 month committment
B) Decline 18 month committment

The customer then usually tries to be a smart ass and declines the 18 month committment, since afterall who wants to sign an 18 month committment if they don't have to.

The installer and I had no discussion regarding whether or not I wanted the 18 month commitment. He had already assumed that I did not and x'ed the line for me to initial while we were flying through the paperwork.

Then what happens is that about a week or 2 weeks later they get their first bill in the mail and call in and complain because its incorrect because they are not getting any of the stuff they where promised for FREE.

I never got a bill in the mail.

We then pull the paperwork and see they declined the committment, and when we make the customer aware of this. They all of sudden say it was a mistake, blame it on the installer and try to get us to change the promotion codes on the account.

Is there some benefit to an installer for this commitment to be declined?

The solution to this whole mess is when an account is setup as an 18 month committiment not to have the option on the contract to decline the committment!

I fully agree to this.

kkimmel

 

[Mr. Kennedy]

I told both CSR's that this was a mistake on my part caused by an installation that was five hours past the original appointment and the rush to get all of the paperwork done. Installer said to initial where he had placed an "X" and sign below, etc.

So you didn't read what you were signing/initialing? And that's the installer's fault how?

 

[rcdallas]

Installers have zero benefit of customer declining 18 months.

 

[skottey]

I didn't think you could reverse the 18 month commitment once it was installed, I also didn't know that declining you'd loose out on 3 months of a premium channel

I signed up with Dish in spring of 2007 via phone after reviewing my options online. I refused the 18 month contract, which cost me $49... no big deal, I wanted the option to cancel if I didn't like it or if FIOS came to my area sooner than I'd thought it might. I got Starz free for the first three months even without a contract. I also got a deal where I am getting $200 back in the form of $20 off a month. Obviously, I need to stay for 10 months to get the full $200 back, but I can bail anytime I want with no penalty (I'm not in a contract). There are too many options for TV to sign a contract this day in age. In my area alone there are BHN, Knology, Verizon FIOS Tv, Dish, and Direct.... why lock yourself in. What is $50 for an install? If you are that tight on money you might want to consider OTA and a cheap media center PC as a DVR or a better paying (or second) job.

I am happy with Dish though and am in no rush to leave, but I am glad I have the option by not signing their contract.

 

[cobra55]

I think I would rather eat the $49 than have the committment, even though I don't plan on going to D* or cable.

i agree