Eliminating leased receiver fee

[kwindrem]

I've had a ViP 622 for a couple of years and noticed I was still paying the $7 leased receiver fee when others were not. I talked with Dish and they said the fee would remain until my receiver was upgraded. So I asked what it would cost to swap out to a ViP 612 since I didn't need a second TV connection or PIP. Answer: FREE! Two year commitment applies but that's not an issue for me. Seems like a no brainer.

Dish offers a shipped receiver option for some upgrades but not the 612. A service tech has to come to install it. It was a good experience, the tech was pleasant and called to schedule a time that worked best for me (rather than the noon to 5 you get from Dish). The swap took less than an hour.

It cost me a few hours of shuffling programs to an external drive and reprogramming timers and preferences to save ME $7/mo.


Seems like E* could save money by offering a shipped receiver swap on all receivers, or simply doing some account shuffling to simply remove the $7 fee. Every customer pays for inefficiencies like this. I guess the focus is on simplifying the call center options rather than saving money on the actual transaction.

 

[dangue]

You'll still have to pay a leased receiver fee on the 612. Maybe you're thinking of the TV2 second tuner fee that can be waived if the receiver is plugged into a phone or ethernet connection. That will disappear with the 612, because while it does have a second tuner, it only outputs to one TV.

 

[Rey]

the only way to eliminate that lease fee is if you actually own the dvr. at least that was my case before i left in 2008. for directv it's different.you would still pay a fee even if you own the equipment.they just give the fee a different name (lease fee or mirroring fee). not worth owning anything with D* but E* i think it is.if i'm wrong someone will correct me.

 

[KAB]

for directv it's different.you would still pay a fee even if you own the equipment.they just give the fee a different name

Same with E*.

 

[Rey]

Same with E*.

oh ok. thanks KAB

 

[megamike]

Is the 622 your only receiver?
Some people were having to pay a lease fee on their first receiver, is that what you are talking about?

 

[JayStil]

You'll still have to pay a leased receiver fee on the 612. Maybe you're thinking of the TV2 second tuner fee that can be waived if the receiver is plugged into a phone or ethernet connection. That will disappear with the 612, because while it does have a second tuner, it only outputs to one TV.

Nope, not if it's his only receiver. The first lease fee is now included in most programming packages. Didn't used to be, so the OP must've gotten his 622 before it took effect. Went through the same thing with my mother's single 211.

What I find hard to believe is the fee is somehow hard married to the receiver. Not even Charlie himself can make it go away. My mother's receiver still is charged the fee, but gets a credit to offset the fee. The credits only last a year, so it's a annual exercise getting the ceo office to reissue the credit. As the OP stated the only way to make the fee go away permanently is to swap out the receiver.

 

[dangue]

Nope, not if it's his only receiver. The first lease fee is now included in most programming packages. Didn't used to be, so the OP must've gotten his 622 before it took effect. Went through the same thing with my mother's single 211.

What I find hard to believe is the fee is somehow hard married to the receiver. Not even Charlie himself can make it go away. My mother's receiver still is charged the fee, but gets a credit to offset the fee. The credits only last a year, so it's a annual exercise getting the ceo office to reissue the credit. As the OP stated the only way to make the fee go away permanently is to swap out the receiver.

Wow, I had no idea a replacement receiver was required to fix such a problem. I stand corrected.