Dish 622 - $99 Upgrade Details

[CDH]

My call at 1pm EST had no hold time, and I got a competant CSR who took my information in a few minutes and set a 4/23 install date.

She said that I could ask an alternate installer to pull the job from the system if I wanted them to do it - I'm going to try that because I like the local guy rather than the regular folks (Suburban) that seem to be sent out for Dish contract installs.

I'd rather have them re-aim my 61.5 to 129 than a D1000 if necessary, and I'd rather keep 61.5 (which I know works!) than have to re-aim. *Best case* I'd like a DPP44 to enable both a D1000 (adding 129) and keeping my existing 129. There are a couple of must-carry locals on 61.5 for now that will be moving to 129, but who knows where Greenville, SC's HD-LiLs will be located. (Having NYC on 61.5 and ATL on 129 makes no sense!)

CDH.

 

[rjruby]

Does anyone have any idea why Dish wants to pay to send out an installer to swap a box out? If we already have a 921 or 942 which we have to in order to take advantage of this offer when we are already ready to install the 622 by just unplugging the 921 or 942 and putting the 622 in its place, right?

I agree 100%.
I installed my own dishes, switches and receivers.
Why should Dish waste time and money sending someone to swap out my 921 with a 622.
I hope this restriction will be lifted.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I think they want to make sure you get your dish upgraded to the Dish 1000 so you will be set for the hd locals in your area when they become available. OF course if you have no dish to 61.5 and it is needed for hd and hd locals for your area they want to install it too they won't have to come back out again in the future. This saves all the future customer bitching about another installer $ 99.00 charge when and if they have to come out again if you don't take the install now with the 622 upgrade.

 

[socalpanman]

Called at 8:30 pacific time. One dropped call within 1 minute, second call got through and done in about 5 minutes.
4/23 earliest install. Will send an empty box then the 622. Last month I had the 811 swapped out for the 211 and the D1000 installed so I just need the receiver. However as it's been said before no way to replug the cables from my 942 to the new box myself. Must wait and have an installer do the connection or void the warranty.

It's still hard to see how this is a great bottom line way of doing things but what you gonna do. I liked the part where the CSR reads and if the installer must plug in VCRs or other home theater system connection it's another $50. I'm in the wrong business.

BTW: At the end I asked if there were any problems should I call back on this special number. She was confused and asked what special number? She was at the usual 800 line. She was completely unaware that the 888 number existed.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

That isn't quite true either. For instance, DoyleS has a leased 622, and he doesn't subscribe to a metal package, he has AT180 + Old HD Pack. It is effective on 4/1 that you have to subscribe to a metal package if you lease.

If he was able to do this then he slipped one past a CSR. The metallic requirement has been in place from Day 1 of all 622 leases. A leased 622 carries a commitment to 18 months of at least HD Bronze.

This has been discussed in dozens of threads over the past two months. Here is but one of them:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=57642

 

[seandudley]

I think they want to make sure you get your dish upgraded to the Dish 1000 so you will be set for the hd locals in your area when they become available. OF course if you have no dish to 61.5 and it is needed for hd and hd locals for your area they want to install it too they won't have to come back out again in the future. This saves all the future customer bitching about another installer $ 99.00 charge when and if they have to come out again if you don't take the install now with the 622 upgrade.

Not in my case. I specifically asked the CSR if they would be upgrading me to Dish 1000 or leaving my current setup of Dish 500 and a Dish 300 pointed at 61.5 and was told they would leave my current Dish setup. So, all the guy would be doing would be unplugging the 942 and plugging in the 622.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I wouldn't let a local Dish installer into my HT equipment rack. If I ever pop on the 622 lease, I would put it into my rack on the morning of the install and then allow the installer to call it in for activation.

 

[TheForce]

Tom- I pretty much did that the first time an installer was forced upon me with my Voom installation. He shows up and I greeted him with a smile and said this will probably be your easist installation you have ever done. Then I said see, the 61.5 dish is already in place and working. We went inside and I said see, here is the place on the rack where the receiver will go and all your cables are there, active. All labeled for you. I even labeled the power outlet with 120VAC and the phone line with "Phone line (904)" etc. In five minutes he was bragging to his boss that contrary to his last call he is now ahead of schedule! It took 30 minutes of activation on the phone and he was out of there. His boss called me back about an hour later and I bragged oon him how fast and efficient his guy was!


Anyway, back to Dish lease deal.

Got curious so I decided to check out the online details since there are very confusing reports here and other forums. I looked for what would work for me.

This is what I think is right.

I own a 921. I have a single HDTV hookup in the HT room and have a Dish500 and a Dish for 61.5 with an SW64 switch I have a separate VHF/UHF antenna for OTA.

If I opt for the lease deal (seems to make economic sense) Here is what I see-

HD Platinum $99
Locals $5
10 month credit @ -$10

Total for the first 10 months $94 plus tax

There was no lease or HD fee on the Platinum package and it includes everything, all premium movie channels excepting foreign specialty channels and the maximum HD channels offered by E*.

I get the VIP622 for $299 and if I send back the 921 in the offered carton, I will get a $200 credit in 6 weeks on my bill until used up.

All requires an 18 month commitment which is no problem for me

Now it seems to me- I paid for the 921 $1000 when it first came out. I continue to get everything that the 921 had plus some additional features and channels for slightly less monthly payment than what I was paying.

So what am I waiting for?

Two things-
1. The current reports on the forums about the performance of the current 622 is not, (IMHO) good. Too many spontaneous reboots and audio dropouts that would annoy the heck out of me since my 921, today, has none of these intolerable bugs.

2. MY personal schedule is way too busy right now to look at having an install near the end of April. Mid May is better timing and hopefully the mentioned bugs will have been resolved.

Atmitted these are strictly personal reasons for my delay, but IMO, the Dish Lease offer with rebate tradein seems to be the sweet deal for it's HD customers we have been waiting for. To wish to keep the 921 / 942 with it's known obsolescence for HD is, not very smart. It may be stubborn but I really can't see the economic advantage, especially if you are one who is used to spending about $100 per month for service. IF so, then get the Platinum HD package and get your lease free!

Am I off base on this? Please correct me if I added it up wrong or the website is inaccurate...

 

[rjruby]

There was no lease or HD fee on the Platinum package.

I'm confused about the lease fee since it appears some people are getting charged the $6/month even with the HD Platinum package.

The DISH'n It Up agreement states that a $6 per month equipment rental fee will be charged for all leased 211s and 622s.

Can anyone confirm that there is no lease fee on the first receiver with the HD Platinum package?

 

[teachsac]

"10 month credit @ -$10"

Where is the $10 credit coming from? If you got this from the Dishbuilder website this applies to "new" customers that sign up.

I don't think you're going to get $200 credit ("rebate") and $10/mth credit for 10 months.

Anybody get any deals?

 

[dont24]

Called the special number. Upgrading my leased 942 to a 622. Took about 15mins.
I did ask about leasing a 2nd 622. Not at this time, according to the rep. 4/23 install date.

 

[rjruby]

Called the special number. Upgrading my leased 942 to a 622. Took about 15mins.
I did ask about leasing a 2nd 622. Not at this time, according to the rep. 4/23 install date.

Are you paying a $6/month lease fee on the 622?

 

[dont24]

Are you paying a $6/month lease fee on the 622?

Yes. Since I already have AEP w/ locals and Voom, my monthly charge is basically the same. Upgraded to the HD Platinum package w/ locals.

 

[lsdavinci]

I called at 12:15am Friday night and got a very friendly and helpful CSR who put me on hold to find out if I was elegible for the $200 rebate at that time. Thankfully I was and the process went smoothly. Got a 4/11 date and upgraded to the PlatinumHD package with locals for 110.99 That includes the 6 lease fee for the receiver which, ultimately, I don't mind being I'm comfortable with the fact if there still is an issue with the HDMI or if the thing blows up, I can get it replaced. And besides, with how fast technology is changing, I can assume that I'll be upgrading again in 2 years. $6 X 24 = $144. That's still not a bad investment IMO.

 

[jsanders]

BTW: At the end I asked if there were any problems should I call back on this special number. She was confused and asked what special number? She was at the usual 800 line. She was completely unaware that the 888 number existed.

Here is something to think about....

Do you think we've been snookered somehow? Dish gives forum members a "special" number to call, and we of course feel special about that.

Then, some CSRs are not aware of any special number, and it appears that the number we called was just routed through the normal paths. If it was a special number, just for the specific purpose of forum members to upgrade their 921 and 942s to a leased 622, then why would we need to go through any menu options at all? If there is one purpose, then, there doesn't need to be any choices. Why start by asking us, "If you already have Dish Network service, press one. If you are new to Dish Network, Press two." There is no need, we are all dish network customers with 921s and 942s that want to upgrade to a 622 lease. Funny thing is that it isn't that hard to route us through directly to the right place, without the need to make choices on the phone.

Ask yourselves then, "Why are they doing this?"

Any thoughts as to why?

I think they are using this number as a turnstile of sorts to count how many forum members are calling. Not sure why they would want to know that number though.

 

[riffjim4069]

Maybe they are using this "special number" to identify that we're SatelliteGuys and then add us to Charlie's Black List...:devil:

 

[jsanders]

I just thought of another purpose, even more devious. When you call an 800 number, you can't block caller ID. Your name and number is transmitted to the person paying for the call. In this case that is Echostar. Also, when you sign up for the upgrade, they also know who you are, because you have to give account information to upgrade. They separated us from the other users and identified which customers are members or lurkers of this forum. It is a way of collecting information about us, and making up a demographic of their customers. It also might be helpful for them when they screen calls for upcoming Charlie Chats. I don't think that Charlie wants any SatelliteGuys members calling in to ask a question in his chat. This would be a good way to screen those calls. That obviously isn't the only reason they are doing this, but I suspect E* isn't doing this "out of the goodness of their heart". I think they are doing it because it benefits them.

 

[gbjbany]

So are you saying there was no benefit to the phone number ? I have seen very very few complaints about this special approach and number, it really seemed like a success for you all to me. Maybe a poll would help on the value of this to forum members.

 

[jsanders]

So are you saying there was no benefit to the phone number ? I have seen very very few complaints about this special approach and number, it really seemed like a success for you all to me. Maybe a poll would help on the value of this to forum members.

That is not at all what I am saying. If people got what they wanted, then they benefited from calling that number. I am saying that Echostar also benefitted from that number by identifying certain customers as forum members. I am also saying that you would have received the same benefit of service by calling the number that everyone else called, namely, 800-333-3474 (DISH).

Your poll has no meaning unless you had two groups of people call. One calling the "special number", the second group calling the normally published number. Time both groups and see who got through faster. They both have the same menus to get through, they both had to wait on hold. The downside is that special number identified some of Echostar's customers as members of some forums. It allows them to put this in their database and create customer demographics.

 

[gbjbany]

ok thanks for clarifying. The poll refers to this approach versus other upgrades they have performed so it may have some value. i let you decide.