Dish Does Not Care for my $130/m, Would Rather have $15 One Time

[R0ss]

I agree that $15.00 is small change for a service call. Hell I pay $85/hour for refrigeration repair (at work), and thats before parts! However the issue is Dish made a decision to launch additional HD channels on a satellite that, they contend only "a small number" of subs don't see. I don't know what their definition of a small number is but In my neighborhood there are a lot of 110/119/61.5 set ups but only one 1000.4. Of course how many folks know they are missing new HD's unless they read this forum! I know I wouldn't have.
The bottom line is if a sub needs additional equipment to receive what they are paying for then Dish should provide it at no charge without all the hassles of making several calls or several on line chats....I bet the only reason that folks aren't calling their State Attorney General is either they don't know they are missing channels or when they call they figure $15.00 is cheap to get the upgrade.
Several years ago, 7 or 8 I think, dish put some of our locals (sd) on 61.5. At the time all we had was original Dish 500 (110/119). Long story short Dish sent a tech to put up the 61.5 dish, no charge, no contract extension etc, no hassles to set up appointment etc. Current situation is much the same....

Ross

 

[oldave]

They are putting mine on 77 as well... Of course, I will just buy a 1K4 Dish and install it myself. I would rather do that than stay at home for 4 hours and wait for someone.

I could buy one as well, and for less than they're wanting for a "tech" to come install one.

This past August was the first time I've had them insist that they had to do a professional install, and the first time I've had one. In the past 12 years, I've always done my own installs.

Except for the NASCAR races all being on cable channels the rest of the year, I frankly find that we don't watch much of anything at all, so it's getting harder and harder to justify pay TV. The DVR is nice for time shifting Camping World Trucks and Nationwide series races occasionally, but we could do without that, too.

 

[cditty]

My 722 does more dvr on the locals than anything else.

 

[xyz38]

From a business perspective, a line has to be drawn as many have said. If they bait-and-switched you, that's an issue. But if it's a case of miscommunications in that there's no fee for the upgrade, but there's a fee for the truck roll, then $15 I feel is quite reasonable.

But that doesn't seem to be your point. Your point (to me) seems to be, even if the $15 is legit, Dish should waive that fee because you've been a good customer and you're paying for a lot of stuff.



In my opinion, his point is that he was lied to by several people about the charge.

 

[luvluynette]

I feel the same way you do. (especially if they tell you its no charge etc..) Since Feb.2/2010 we changed our business rules. Yes with the service plan (formerly called dhpp) it drops the tech visit from 95$ down to 15$ (but like you said its not the money its the principle.. and as a person i get that). But since they dropped the fee so low, we are never allowed to waive that fee..As it goes right now as of Feb. I have not been able to make an adj. on a customer's bill, (whether it be right or wrong) since then. Literally we can lose our jobs !! And then it hurts you, and us.. We get scored by the survey they do on othe call back and if the cust is not happy, even if it is not our fault , we get screwed and can even lose our jobs. so no one wins here ...

 

[xyz38]

I feel the same way you do. (especially if they tell you its no charge etc..) Since Feb.2/2010 we changed our business rules. Yes with the service plan (formerly called dhpp) it drops the tech visit from 95$ down to 15$ (but like you said its not the money its the principle.. and as a person i get that). But since they dropped the fee so low, we are never allowed to waive that fee..As it goes right now as of Feb. I have not been able to make an adj. on a customer's bill, (whether it be right or wrong) since then. Literally we can lose our jobs !! And then it hurts you, and us.. We get scored by the survey they do on othe call back and if the cust is not happy, even if it is not our fault , we get screwed and can even lose our jobs. so no one wins here ...

If you are a Dish CSR, do not lie to customers as some others do.

They should loose their jobs when they lie to customers and maybe cause them to cancel their service, not when they tell the truth and say that there will be a $15 charge.

 

[radtech]

The bottom line is if a sub needs additional equipment to receive what they are paying for then Dish should provide it at no charge without all the hassles of making several calls or several on line chats..

Bingo! I agree. Anytime a service company makes a change to their system which obsoletes the equipment they have provided for reception of such services, then the service company should provide without charge the necessary equipment to receive the services the customer is paying for. In fact as has been previously mentioned, I can not believe that there is not some law on the books to that effect. Most certainly the state attorney general's office would be interested in that.

Ed

 

[cditty]

I ask that you do not flame me for this opinion...

How much is your time worth? By the time you have called, chatted, posted on here, wrote a letter, got attorney generals information, etc... Was the 15 bucks more important than the time with your family? The missed work? The stress? The time you weren't watching the tv you paid for?

I'm all for principle, but there comes a point to pay the fee or do the work yourself.

None of this is meant harshly and obviously is just my opinion. Please don't take it personally.

 

[sbsi]

Too many hidden service charge these days.

 

[Zero327]

I ask that you do not flame me for this opinion...

How much is your time worth? By the time you have called, chatted, posted on here, wrote a letter, got attorney generals information, etc... Was the 15 bucks more important than the time with your family? The missed work? The stress? The time you weren't watching the tv you paid for?

I'm all for principle, but there comes a point to pay the fee or do the work yourself.

None of this is meant harshly and obviously is just my opinion. Please don't take it personally.

Principle and ego tend to be too easily confused these days. You'll find most "issues of principle" are "exercises of ego". I don't understand why anyone would have a feeling of entitlement beyond the minimum for which they pay a service. If you get more, great, but when you start asking for more that's when bad things start happening.

Of course as is the case of the above, "customer service" in most peoples' minds translates to "gimme free or else!" so...

It's funny. I fell out of contract with Verizon two months ago. AT&T has new iPhones coming. I didn't wring Verizon for all they're worth (best equipment, lowest price, their eternal soul) just for a new contract. I'm still out of contract, no perks and I just pay. I don't have any more or less loyalty to them than I did under contract. If I don't like their service, I go elsewhere; but the mind games have got to go. If you screw with a business, can you really blame them in an advantageous situation when they bend you over and screw you harder?

 

[radtech]

Principle and ego tend to be too easily confused these days. You'll find most "issues of principle" are "exercises of ego". I don't understand why anyone would have a feeling of entitlement beyond the minimum for which they pay a service. If you get more, great, but when you start asking for more that's when bad things start happening.

It has nothing to do with EGO or SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT. If a company sells a service and then changes the delivery system by which they distribute the service, the company is obligated to provide the means to receive the service.

This is no different than when my cell company converted to digital transmission. Since my analogue cell phone was no longer usable, the cell company provided me with a new digital phone so that I could continue to use their service. Not only is this common sense, but I'm sure their are laws governing this.

But, I also have to agree with CDITY.

How much is your time worth? By the time you have called, chatted, posted on here, wrote a letter, got attorney generals information, etc... Was the 15 bucks more important than the time with your family? The missed work? The stress? The time you weren't watching the tv you paid for?

In other words, 'pick your battles'. I would probably not waste my time for the $15 service charge either.

Ed

 

[mthr1]

Lot of good valid points here. Although I have chosen my battles, I feel that no closure over the whole situation. I never like to consider myself one with blinders on, going through life accepting things for what they are despite what is really right and what they want to tell you is right. However, I work a lot, I have a family w/3 kids, and lots of bullet points on my "project and to-do" board. I cut my losses, gave Dish their $15, and continued living my life.

Was it the right thing to do? All things being considered...yes. Did the correct principle prevail? Negative. Like the others here, I agree that Dish's inability to live up to providing what many of us subs are paying for, due to their own hardware obsolescence, should not have to be shouldered by the customer. If you are paying a full asking price for your 160+ channels, then Dish needs to provide whatever functional hardware and it's subsequent install to effectively deliver it's end of the arrangement.

The idea that, "hey, it's only a lousy $15 charge, so just suck it up" is just downright insulting. But in the end, many choose the path of least resistance.

For those that have the time and mettle to fight against the machine, then I wish you all the very best of luck. I wish I could join you, but for me...the sting of missing out $15 will go away, I have 20ish more HD channels to distract me now, and life will go on. Everything went according to plan...their plan. What happens when the next migration comes along?

Kumbaya.

 

[Zero327]

It has nothing to do with EGO or SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT. If a company sells a service and then changes the delivery system by which they distribute the service, the company is obligated to provide the means to receive the service.

Not according to DISH's terms of service; read the agreement.

This is no different than when my cell company converted to digital transmission. Since my analogue cell phone was no longer usable, the cell company provided me with a new digital phone so that I could continue to use their service. Not only is this common sense, but I'm sure their are laws governing this.

Isn't assuming fun? If common sense usually had backing of law, Macintosh would be out of business. And come to think of it, Judge Judy would be much less entertaining.

That would be the sense of entitlement I was talking about by the way. Live examples are much better than pop-up books or powerpoints.

 

[Bob Haller]

the thing about fees like this.

it pre ticks off the customer, so when the next issue occurs they are more likely to cancel.

if any company has a happy customer spending big bucks its best to keep a low profile, and dont hit them up for small amounts of money the jeporadizes the big bucks of continued customer.

its like the added E fees, sure they are getting more money, but its pre pissed customers, who will say this is the 2nd time, no more.

the 15 bucks is a excellent way to increase long term churn

 

[radtech]

Not according to DISH's terms of service; read the agreement.



Isn't assuming fun? If common sense usually had backing of law, Macintosh would be out of business. And come to think of it, Judge Judy would be much less entertaining.

That would be the sense of entitlement I was talking about by the way. Live examples are much better than pop-up books or powerpoints.

Well then, at least this is where good 'ole' capitalism comes into play. If the law fails to dictate common sense, then competition in the market most surely will. If E* will not provide the means to receive their signal without charge, after making changes to their transmission scheme, then most certainly I have the option to purchase pay tv from one of the other pay tv providers serving my area.

You can call it Sense of Entitlement or by any other name if you want. And E* can put anything they want in their 'terms of service' agreement. But what they can not dictate is what happens when their is competition in the market place.

Also, on many occasions, 'terms of service' agreements have been struck down by courts because they have been deemed illegal. Just because some attorney has written some ridiculous terms into an agreement which are favorable to the company selling the commodity, does not mean that said 'terms' will stand if challenged in court. This is where the state attorney general's office comes into play.

Anyway, this a free country and a free society. And yes, you are Entitled to your own opinions on the matter, just as I am mine.

Have a good day.

Ed

 

[TooConfused]

I will be calling DISh in the next day or two to move mine. I have had DISH HD since day one. I don't care if they try and charge me $1 I will cancel on the spot and go Direct or U-Verse. I have no problem switching. They get my $100 bucks a month or they don't. Their choice..

have a good one

 

[KAB]

I will be calling DISh in the next day or two to move mine. I have had DISH HD since day one. I don't care if they try and charge me $1 I will cancel on the spot and go Direct or U-Verse. I have no problem switching. They get my $100 bucks a month or they don't. Their choice..

have a good one

You better do your homework about other providers, or you might really BE in a spot if you cancel on the spot. Research first, knee-jerk after.

 

[Awohar]

Charlie plays a good game of poker. If you plan to bluff, be prepared to be called. No one is allowed to waive the $15.

 

[truckracer]

I read these stories all day long about both pizza dish providers. I don't mess with them fta and ota for me except some alacarte 4dtv