Below is the text of the email I just sent to ceo@echostar.com. We'll see what kind of response I get back, if any:
After nearly six years as a DISH subscriber, I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough promises that aren’t kept. I’ve had enough of CSRs that don’t know as much about my system as I do. I’ve had enough of “upgrades” to my system that cause it to work worse. I’ve had enough of rate increases that make your service more expensive than cable. I’ve had enough of being told that my unhappiness concerns your people, only to have them tell me that they can’t (read won’t) do anything about it. Comcast is going to take my dish and a receiver off of my hands, and I’ll sell the other one on eBay. Want to know the specifics? Try these:
• I’ve been buying your most expensive package for several years. It keeps getting more expensive. Comcast will provide me with 4 receivers, one of them a DVR that actually works like it’s supposed to for about $30 less a month than what I pay you. When I tell this to your CSR, and ask them what they’re willing to do about it to keep this unhappy customer the only answer I get is that they’ll offer me a one-time, $50 credit. Charlie, that’s almost as insulting and lame as the useless free pay per view coupon you send out every time you raise my rates. Am I supposed to just forget about the fact that it will take less than two months to get that $50 savings from Comcast? And I’ll keep getting the price break from Comcast month after month.
• I bought my second 721 about 6 months ago, right before the “upgrade” that ruined my receivers with the infuriating reminder that time-shifted programs would have to be made live before I can change the channel. One of the reasons I bought it was because you promised NBR. And now you’ve pulled that rug out from underneath me. My 721 receivers, which used to be my pride and joy, are now just annoying pieces of junk, thanks to the “upgrades” that your techs keep pushing down. And the one upgrade that I want, that was promised to me, name based recording, will now never happen on my 721. I feel like you lied to me, Charlie. And do you know why? Because you did.
• That six-month old 721 mentioned above is actually the fourth one I’ve had in the last six months. And every one of them craps out. In fact, this one froze up and rebooted on me last night for no reason. After rebooting it twice I finally got it to come back up, after I missed the program that I was trying to watch. Didn’t matter though, since your PVR/DVR receivers just keep getting louder and more annoying. I can’t stand to watch the one in my bedroom for more than a few minutes at a time, because the noise it puts out gives me a headache. Heck, I have to turn the TV up all the way just to drown out the cooling fan and hard drive. Oh, by the way, last time I had the PVR replaced I had your people send out a tech to install the replacement, thinking that maybe he might have better luck, or know something more about installing it than me. Well, two techs showed up, Charlie, and I ended up having to tell them how to install it, because I knew more about it than they did!! Utterly ridiculous.
I keep hearing all of these ambiguous statements about enhancements and service improvements, but they’re like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I keep seeing them out there on the horizon, but they never get any closer. In fact, things just seem to get worse.
There was a time when I told everyone to buy DISH, and I was proud that your satellite dish was on the back of my house. No more, Charlie. I will be telling anyone who asks to avoid DISH like the plague. If you don't care enough about your reputation to protect it, I won't let you ruin mine.
I’d like to believe that DISH still wants to be the best, and that you value my business enough to do what it takes to rehabilitate your reputation in my eyes. If you do, Charlie, please contact me. If not, just ignore this email, and let me become another drop of water in the alarmingly growing flood of subscribers who are seeing the light and leaving DISH for better alternatives. My contact information is below:
After nearly six years as a DISH subscriber, I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough promises that aren’t kept. I’ve had enough of CSRs that don’t know as much about my system as I do. I’ve had enough of “upgrades” to my system that cause it to work worse. I’ve had enough of rate increases that make your service more expensive than cable. I’ve had enough of being told that my unhappiness concerns your people, only to have them tell me that they can’t (read won’t) do anything about it. Comcast is going to take my dish and a receiver off of my hands, and I’ll sell the other one on eBay. Want to know the specifics? Try these:
• I’ve been buying your most expensive package for several years. It keeps getting more expensive. Comcast will provide me with 4 receivers, one of them a DVR that actually works like it’s supposed to for about $30 less a month than what I pay you. When I tell this to your CSR, and ask them what they’re willing to do about it to keep this unhappy customer the only answer I get is that they’ll offer me a one-time, $50 credit. Charlie, that’s almost as insulting and lame as the useless free pay per view coupon you send out every time you raise my rates. Am I supposed to just forget about the fact that it will take less than two months to get that $50 savings from Comcast? And I’ll keep getting the price break from Comcast month after month.
• I bought my second 721 about 6 months ago, right before the “upgrade” that ruined my receivers with the infuriating reminder that time-shifted programs would have to be made live before I can change the channel. One of the reasons I bought it was because you promised NBR. And now you’ve pulled that rug out from underneath me. My 721 receivers, which used to be my pride and joy, are now just annoying pieces of junk, thanks to the “upgrades” that your techs keep pushing down. And the one upgrade that I want, that was promised to me, name based recording, will now never happen on my 721. I feel like you lied to me, Charlie. And do you know why? Because you did.
• That six-month old 721 mentioned above is actually the fourth one I’ve had in the last six months. And every one of them craps out. In fact, this one froze up and rebooted on me last night for no reason. After rebooting it twice I finally got it to come back up, after I missed the program that I was trying to watch. Didn’t matter though, since your PVR/DVR receivers just keep getting louder and more annoying. I can’t stand to watch the one in my bedroom for more than a few minutes at a time, because the noise it puts out gives me a headache. Heck, I have to turn the TV up all the way just to drown out the cooling fan and hard drive. Oh, by the way, last time I had the PVR replaced I had your people send out a tech to install the replacement, thinking that maybe he might have better luck, or know something more about installing it than me. Well, two techs showed up, Charlie, and I ended up having to tell them how to install it, because I knew more about it than they did!! Utterly ridiculous.
I keep hearing all of these ambiguous statements about enhancements and service improvements, but they’re like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I keep seeing them out there on the horizon, but they never get any closer. In fact, things just seem to get worse.
There was a time when I told everyone to buy DISH, and I was proud that your satellite dish was on the back of my house. No more, Charlie. I will be telling anyone who asks to avoid DISH like the plague. If you don't care enough about your reputation to protect it, I won't let you ruin mine.
I’d like to believe that DISH still wants to be the best, and that you value my business enough to do what it takes to rehabilitate your reputation in my eyes. If you do, Charlie, please contact me. If not, just ignore this email, and let me become another drop of water in the alarmingly growing flood of subscribers who are seeing the light and leaving DISH for better alternatives. My contact information is below:
