Can you temporary close your account for a few months?

[happy hopping]

say if you were going oversea for a few months, or may be 9 months or even longer, and I've no contracts and on month to month, can I pause (temporary close) the account? And what do I have to do when I login?

Because I don't want to totally close out my account, I could be leaving oversea for a few months, that's all.

And assuming you can pause your account, is there a time limit as to how long you can pause it?

 

[MikeD-C05]

You can pause it for like 6 months I believe, but they charge you $5.00 a month to keep it paused. At least that was what it was back in 08 . I did it for a month back when Hurricane Rita hit and we were in another state waiting to come home.

 

[KE4EST]

Do you own your receivers? If so just call and they will shut it off, if you are on month to month.
If you lease the receivers and contract is up, I believe it is still the $5 a month fee to put it on standby.

 

[dare2be]

If you want to keep your recordings during and after your hiatus, pause is the way to go. If you end up going longer than 6 months then you could switch to the welcome pack to save money during the extra months you are gone.

If recordings are not a consideration, I would cancel and then when you sign back up after 3 months or longer, you would get new customer discounts again.

 

[Scherrman]

I believe the length you can pause an account is 9 months now but I'd have to double check.

Just checked the portal and it's 9 months in a 12 month period.

 

[ChadT41]

Is the equipment leased or purchased?

 

[karspur]

If your account is paused, can you still watch the DVR recordings?

 

[DJdish]

As I remember, I did the Dish Pause for 17 months when I went overseas, and reactivated at the 18th month, they charged me $5 bucks per month.
I did that from late 2008 to early 2010, I wouldn´t know about current criteria for Dish Pause.

 

[Scherrman]

If your account is paused, can you still watch the DVR recordings?

I believe you still have access to your DVR recordings.

 

[happy hopping]

Is the equipment leased or purchased?

it's an old receiver that was purchased. So I'm on month to month w/ an old receiver.

$5 / month on pause is okay for me. Can I do this on the website or call them?

 

[Bobby]

You could do it with a PM (Conversation) right here with DIRT...

 

[4d3fect]

I just finished a nine-month pause, tried charter (ick) and returned to my original dish programming pkg with a temporary promotional discount. Did it through dish website chat. easy. and we had access to our DVR content (well, we only have a 211K w/ EHD) without issue.

 

[Tim42]

If your account is paused, can you still watch the DVR recordings?

WARNING: I just attempted to use "Dish pause" (6/4/2015), for a six month period, for my customer owned VIP 211K+1000.2 with EHD service. The rep informed me that six months is the limit, but you can call in for an additional 3 month extension.
I stated I would be watching recorded Dish programming and OTA channels, she did not inform me of any additional
consequences..

On 6/7/2015, after powering up the 211K, I discovered that Dish had bricked it, EHD disabled, OTA disabled, local tv channel guide non-functional (expected).. nothing but the interactive channels alive(96, 100, 215)... (no free previews, nothing, everything blocked.)

Grrr.. I called up Dish to complain.. Big time..

Cited Federal hacking statues and their criminal involvement..
Unauthorized removal of features & programming I've already paid for.

Ended up being transferred through three reps, the last one in the presidents office.
She informed me that a firmware update had disabled those features if service not active. (note: VIP 211K cur FW ver L558).
I was not a happy customer.
I demanded that Dish restore my paid for EHD and OTA functions.
She informed me that those functions could only only be restored with an active service.
I then asked what was the cheapest package that would restore my EHD, OTA, and was informed that the Welcome Pak would do it.

As a compromise she reactivated my 211K + EHD receiver on the Dish Welcome Pak, and gave me 3months of WP credit, after that I'm back to full price, WP $20+taxes. After a 4 month period, I will be in the hole to the tune of $15, ($20 (WP)-$5(pause)) per month for the remaining 2 months I originally planned..

More disturbingly. I had long anticipated the continued use of my 211K OTA and DVR functions after I ceased using Dish services, it appears that can no longer happen. Should I demand that DISH repurchase my 211K & 1000.2 for the price I paid for it?

 

[navychop]

Pretty clear Dish equipment is for use with Dish services. I don't like it, but it is what it is.

Sell your equipment on eBay or such.

 

[ChadT41]

WARNING: I just attempted to use "Dish pause" (6/4/2015), for a six month period, for my customer owned VIP 211K+1000.2 with EHD service. The rep informed me that six months is the limit, but you can call in for an additional 3 month extension.
I stated I would be watching recorded Dish programming and OTA channels, she did not inform me of any additional
consequences..

On 6/7/2015, after powering up the 211K, I discovered that Dish had bricked it, EHD disabled, OTA disabled, local tv channel guide non-functional (expected).. nothing but the interactive channels alive(96, 100, 215)... (no free previews, nothing, everything blocked.)

Grrr.. I called up Dish to complain.. Big time..

Cited Federal hacking statues and their criminal involvement..
Unauthorized removal of features & programming I've already paid for.

Ended up being transferred through three reps, the last one in the presidents office.
She informed me that a firmware update had disabled those features if service not active. (note: VIP 211K cur FW ver L558).
I was not a happy customer.
I demanded that Dish restore my paid for EHD and OTA functions.
She informed me that those functions could only only be restored with an active service.
I then asked what was the cheapest package that would restore my EHD, OTA, and was informed that the Welcome Pak would do it.

As a compromise she reactivated my 211K + EHD receiver on the Dish Welcome Pak, and gave me 3months of WP credit, after that I'm back to full price, WP $20+taxes. After a 4 month period, I will be in the hole to the tune of $15, ($20 (WP)-$5(pause)) per month for the remaining 2 months I originally planned..

More disturbingly. I had long anticipated the continued use of my 211K OTA and DVR functions after I ceased using Dish services, it appears that can no longer happen. Should I demand that DISH repurchase my 211K & 1000.2 for the price I paid for it?

You can demand all day long. You will be met with a hard "no" as your demand would be baseless. They do not buy back receivers, and they do not expect return, nor repurchase used satellite dishes. Also, I mentioned this in another thread, whether you own the equipment or lease it, and whether you are in a contract or not, when you use the Dish service you agree to the RSA, and in the RSA it does state that software restrictions are not something that will cause compensation on anyones account. That all said, they wanted to keep your business so they gave you credits as a courtesy, not an expectation. You did not pay to continue using the Dish recordings after service is terminated, you paid for the service only, and once deactivated, it is plainly stated that the service stops as well. Everything is based on an encryption key, and if you are no longer an active customer, for Digital Rights Management purposes, you no longer have an encryption key, and can no longer access Dish encrypted material. If you are wanting to sell your dish and receiver, however, you can to multiple dealers, and Ebay and Amazon are good places as well.

 

[Tim42]

You can demand all day long. You will be met with a hard "no" as your demand would be baseless. They do not buy back receivers, and they do not expect return, nor repurchase used satellite dishes. Also, I mentioned this in another thread, whether you own the equipment or lease it, and whether you are in a contract or not, when you use the Dish service you agree to the RSA, and in the RSA it does state that software restrictions are not something that will cause compensation on anyones account. That all said, they wanted to keep your business so they gave you credits as a courtesy, not an expectation. You did not pay to continue using the Dish recordings after service is terminated, you paid for the service only, and once deactivated, it is plainly stated that the service stops as well. Everything is based on an encryption key, and if you are no longer an active customer, for Digital Rights Management purposes, you no longer have an encryption key, and can no longer access Dish encrypted material. If you are wanting to sell your dish and receiver, however, you can to multiple dealers, and Ebay and Amazon are good places as well.

I warning all potential Dish customers.. I will soon post this tidbit on Avsforum, Dbstalk, and Dslreports.

It might change a few minds if potential customers find out that DishNetwork can screw them over at anytime.. (legal or not).
In my opinion, Dish network actions are violation of both FTC rules and the Federal "Computer Fraud and Abuse Act".

 

[Tampa8]

Good luck with that. You do not own any of the software or system attributes with DISH, Direct TV, Tivo, etc etc...
You own the hardware only, which saves you zero money anyway. You seem to think you have a right to use material and software obtained while a subscriber after cancelling, you don't. In fact DISH and other providers can delete material or make it unable to watch if they choose to, and do in some instances.
Perhaps had you asked here you could have saved the embarrassment.

 

[Ronnie-]

I warning all potential Dish customers.. I will soon post this tidbit on Avsforum, Dbstalk, and Dslreports.

It might change a few minds if potential customers find out that DishNetwork can screw them over at anytime.. (legal or not).
In my opinion, Dish network actions are violation of both FTC rules and the Federal "Computer Fraud and Abuse Act".

You are certainly welcome to do so, however be aware that all you will likely accomplish is wasting your personal time.

There are certainly things that Dish, and every provider needs to improve on. Good luck to you, and welcome to satguys!

 

[JSheridan]

This is a joke right?

 

[ChadT41]

I warning all potential Dish customers.. I will soon post this tidbit on Avsforum, Dbstalk, and Dslreports.

It might change a few minds if potential customers find out that DishNetwork can screw them over at anytime.. (legal or not).
In my opinion, Dish network actions are violation of both FTC rules and the Federal "Computer Fraud and Abuse Act".

I am going to give you a good comparison. You go out and purchase the Star Wars movie on DVD. You own the disk, so you think you can do as you wish with this disk. You decide you want to host a huge party in a public venue, and play the StarWars movie, because you own it and can do whatever you want. 3 months later, you get informed that you are being sued by Disney for Digital Rights Violations in Accordance with U.S. Law(Theft of Digital Rights/Content if I am not mistaken.) You make your case in front of the judge that "I bought it, so I can do what I want and now I am going to make noise about it", and get hit with a slander/libel suit. Can you see the only person being affected here would be you, because you do not own the digital rights, you solely own the physical hardware, and once you are no longer privy to the digital rights, its gone? This is definitely an extreme, but ask bar owners that have been sued by DTV that brought in their personally owned receiver from their house, so they can air Sunday Ticket for their customers. They paid for the ST, they can do as they please. NOPE, that is incorrect. They can locate that receiver in the bar, but the second they hook it up and display it for public viewing, they have now been in violation of Digital Rights Management. I saw one case from an individual that was sued by DTV for $15k for this very thing just about 2 years ago. He only brought in one receiver while his bar receiver was down, and it was only for the one Sunday, but he lost his case, and then had to pay out big time. I beleive his bar went under because of it. I understand you are not a business, but that does not exclude you from the same standards of digital rights. You paid the $40 fee to activate your harddrive with your receiver during Active Subscription Services. As soon as you cancelled, guess what....you no longer have Active Subscription, and not longer can receive or use that service. As mentioned, you could ask here first, or you can be a cowboy and think nobody can touch you, and you are going to waste your personal time and stress about something that ultimately was your fault. Even worse, you sound familiar with the other DBS sites, so this really should not come as a surprise(I do not visit the other sites, but I here they may not be as knowledgeable so that may be why you were misinformed) but I do think you did not even consider asking first. Hope this serves as a lesson for your future, and if you do want to make noise, just know.... likely noone is listening. Nobody has done ANYTHING wrong in this situation across the board....YET.