Annual Subscription to Packages

[TazmanianD]

I'm curious to see how many of you here subscribe to one of the annual packages that Dish offers. At one point these were advertised on their website, but I don't believe that are anymore. Despite that, I have been able to continually renew mine. I think the annual subscription gets you something like a free month which seems pretty worth it to me.

So, how many of you have an annual package and those of you who don't, why not?

 

[bobvick]

I would like to subscribe to Dish annually, but I don't really want to have to shell out $1320 at one whack. I pay them $120 per month so if you get a month free, that is what my annual subscription would be.
I can remember in 1995, when I had C-Band, I got all of the basic channels, the superstations, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Encore and Starz! for $550 for a year. That is hard to believe now.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I pay day by day, and I like it that way. Probably not going to last forever though.

 

[mike123abc]

I have subscribed in the past, but now just do AEP, a few years ago there were somethings in AEP that you could not annually sub to.

 

[stone phillips420]

annual payment used tobe great, they use to charge for 11 months giving 12th month free but no longer do the this.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I used to pay annually all the time and loved it! The 1 month Free discount on the package made it well worth it to pay in advance.

The problem is when they started selling the Evething pack, and the DVR advantage plans there is no longer an incentive for paying for an entire year. When you ask any of the CSR's when you got the everything package for example if there is a discount for paying annually, their typical responce is that your already getting a discounted price because of the package.

So then the other way around it would be to just figure in what 12 months of programming costs and pay the entire year.... Then when you try to do it, the CSR then fights you on that saying your price is no longer locked in anymore, and its suject to change, Yadda Yadda Yadda...

Its at the point at my house I just go on credit card auto-pay with "PAPER" billing. I wanted to do the Cinemax for a penny offer also, but was told that would not qualify aas it would mess up the discount I get from getting the everything pack.

So pretty much Dish screwed these discounts up so bad its not worth paying for a year anymore, I signed up for credit card autopay and put it on paper billing so they can cut down a few trees to make the paper to print my bill and send it to me.

I'll be glad to go to paperless billing, just split the costs of me of thr stamp, the envelope and the cost to pay the little girl working in the sweatshop somewere in he Phillipines to stuff the envelope with all those crappy promotional offeres..

I look at my bill online every month, but for no incentive they can keep mailing me the hard copies!

 

[Islandguy43]

Claude with you being a Dish Retailer, and if we didn't know better, it would seem that you have some deep issues with Charlie and E*.

 

[Laddyboy]

I always paid annually up until I switched over to HD a year and a half ago. Pay for eleven and get 12 is a good deal. When I switched I was told I could no longer be an annual subscriber. I never understood why I could not.

 

[TazmanianD]

I would like to subscribe to Dish annually, but I don't really want to have to shell out $1320 at one whack.

It wouldn't be that high since, as far as I know, only the Classic packages can get such a discount. The premium channels, locals, DVR fees, and the HD addons are still charged at the regular monthly amount.

The problem is when they started selling the Evething pack, and the DVR advantage plans there is no longer an incentive for paying for an entire year.

It sounds like you're saying that the AEP isn't worth it, but what about the other packages? I only have the Classic Gold 250 package.

 

[rjruby]

I would go for annual but only if you get 12 months for the price of 11.

 

[empiretc]

I'll be glad to go to paperless billing, just split the costs of me of thr stamp, the envelope and the cost to pay the little girl working in the sweatshop somewere in he Phillipines to stuff the envelope with all those crappy promotional offeres..

I look at my bill online every month, but for no incentive they can keep mailing me the hard copies!

I feel EXACTLY the same way. All companies are trying to guilt you into paperless by saying GO GREEN, yada yada yada.

They save $$$$$$$$$$$$$ big time with paperless. Sprint makes me laugh with their ONE TIME $5 credit for going paperless. If it was $5/month I would do it. You need to watch dish, because mine got mysteriously changed on my online account a couple times.

I would do the annual thing if it was worth it and still available. My car insurance is almost $500 less by paying a full year.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

No, Because I like to change my package from time to time, plus I don't see any point and Giving E* $1500-2000 at 1 time when it can sit in my bank account and make intrest for me, instead of making E* intrest off of my money.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

My car insurance is almost $500 less by paying a full year.

WOW, What State and who do you have for Auto insurance??
I would pay the year in full as well if I could save $500.
$64 is what I would save with Geico to pay the year in full.
Not worth it IMO.

 

[equinoxman]

I always paid annually up until I switched over to HD a year and a half ago. Pay for eleven and get 12 is a good deal. When I switched I was told I could no longer be an annual subscriber. I never understood why I could not.

I have been an annual subscriber for 14 years and I had switched to HD in March of 2008 and was able to keep annual sub. Last May I changed from Classic 200 to 250 the CSR I spoke to gave it to me for free until my renewal. I also read a post that annual subs could not get hd plus platinum without going annual, at first that is what happened then transfered to supervisor in Colorado and they took care of that. I was told that this is new and CSR have not been briefed on the proper way to do this.
Sorry for rambling on.
Forgot to mention that I only pay annual on classic package, pay monthly for locals and hd pack.

 

[empiretc]

WOW, What State and who do you have for Auto insurance??
I would pay the year in full as well if I could save $500.
$64 is what I would save with Geico to pay the year in full.
Not worth it IMO.

I'm in TX . Ins w/ local agent that sells RDY.

 

[theoak]

No, Because I like to change my package from time to time, plus I don't see any point and Giving E* $1500-2000 at 1 time when it can sit in my bank account and make intrest for me, instead of making E* intrest off of my money.

By not paying for a month you save around 8% ...

8% is really a pretty good rate of return if you think about it ... certainly much more that you would get sitting in a savings account ...

 

[Ilya]

I subscribe to an annual package and consider it a great deal: Cinemax for 1 cent!

 

[Hemi 6.1]

By not paying for a month you save around 8% ...

8% is really a pretty good rate of return if you think about it ... certainly much more that you would get sitting in a savings account ...

Prove this statement that I will save 8% per month on my Bill. I've never see E* even offer this to me.

 

[TazmanianD]

Prove this statement that I will save 8% per month on my Bill. I've never see E* even offer this to me.

As I said in my first post, they used to be advertised but aren't anymore. One person in this thread did say they don't do this anymore but he wasn't clear if you really can't do it or if they just don't advertise it anymore. I think you have to just call them to find out.

If anyone does call, let us know what happens.

 

[TazmanianD]

Actually, I think the discount might be even higher. I was charged $638 in April for "Annual Class Gold 250". I'm not sure if the monthly rates have gone up since then (I thought they went up in March), but the current rate is $62.99/mo or $755.88/year. That gives me a savings of $117.88 or almost 16%.