Dish Network lays off 90 in El Paso refurbishing plant

bluegras

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Apr 18, 2008
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Dish Network confirmed that it’s laying off 90 workers at its El Paso, Texas, manufacturing plant as demand for the refurbishment of customer equipment decreases. Spokesperson John Hall told local broadcast news outlets that the plant’s third shift will be consolidated into the first and second.
The move comes as Dish is seeing the rapid migration of its customer base to its Sling TV virtual MVPD service.
Dish reported gains of 16,000 subscribers in the third quarter, but it doesn’t provide transparency on Sling TV gains and satellite TV losses. Leichtman Research Group estimated that Sling TV added 240,000 users in the third quarter, offset by the loss of 224,000 satellite users.
Dish is hoping to better monetize the low-margin vMVPD business going forward with advancements in addressable advertising.
Dish Network lays off 90 in El Paso refurbishing plant | FierceCable
 
I can't prove it of course but I don't believe the story. I don't think it has much to do with Slingtv, much more likely it is the end of the VIP series being installed in homes because every VIP receiver being installed was a refurbished one. Reading carefully it seems to me the writer on their own is making the SlingTV link...
 
as demand for the refurbishment of customer equipment decreases
Find this part questionable - since when do customers request refurbished equipment ?

the plant’s third shift will be consolidated into the first and second.
This is a big surprise. That is, that Dish needs (3) shifts of workers to do this refurbishing work. They also do refurbishing in South Carolina too, I presume, because they ship units from there. It would be silly if receivers are returned to SC, sent to TX to be worked on, then sent back to SC.
 
Find this part questionable - since when do customers request refurbished equipment ?

This is a big surprise. That is, that Dish needs (3) shifts of workers to do this refurbishing work. They also do refurbishing in South Carolina too, I presume, because they ship units from there. It would be silly if receivers are returned to SC, sent to TX to be worked on, then sent back to SC.
Maybe this is referring to Dish's own "demand" for refurbs? It seems like that's all they use for defective replacements. I've had fits with my H3 this past year. I'm on my third and every replacement has been a refurb. I certainly didn't request it, but they don't ask. If I have to send this one back, I'm sure going to try for a new replacement, but I don't know if I'll get it. When I started, I paid for a brand new unit.
 
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very good question more and more people are starting to be cord cuttters nowadays too.
And in a few months realize they took a lot of things for granted, especially technical/equipment aspects, and come back ( to Dish, Comcast, whoever), tails between legs. With the resurrection of Flex Pack, Dish apparently is aware of the cycle and addressing it.
 
I'm on my third and every replacement has been a refurb. I certainly didn't request it, but they don't ask. If I have to send this one back, I'm sure going to try for a new replacement, but I don't know if I'll get it. When I started, I paid for a brand new unit.
Within a certain time frame, I don't think a customer should have their equipment replaced with a refurbished piece of equipment. For example, someone gets a brand new "x" and after (5) months it dies. Give them a NEW device. If you get a refurbished device, it could be 1 month old, 1 year old, 2 years old, etc, etc. Now, after some period (I'm not sure what that time frame should be or is justified), but if a 2-year old device dies, expecting a brand new replacement is out of line to me.... If you get a replacement that's 9 months old, 12 months old, 18 months old, you got something newer than what you had. How is that wrong ? Granted, the replacement could be older too though.
 
We're watching the slow decline of Dish, it's like looking at every news story about Sears for the last 30 years...only difference is Dish doesn't have Sears cash and assets.
 
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Find this part questionable - since when do customers request refurbished equipment ?
I agree with xfoneguy. Also, it could simply mean that Dish is getting fewer receivers back to refurbish, since they are now telling subscribers with ViP receivers to keep them, or recycle them.

And in a few months realize they took a lot of things for granted, especially technical/equipment aspects, and come back ( to Dish, Comcast, whoever), tails between legs. With the resurrection of Flex Pack, Dish apparently is aware of the cycle and addressing it.
...the resurrection of advertising for Flex Pack...
Flex Pack itself was alive and well, the entire time.
 
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We're watching the slow decline of Dish, it's like looking at every news story about Sears for the last 30 years...only difference is Dish doesn't have Sears cash and assets.
There will come a time when Dish will have contracted enough to be considered a bargain for some other company to acquire. Dish will never go out of business, it will likely be merged into another company.
 
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Maybe this is referring to Dish's own "demand" for refurbs? It seems like that's all they use for defective replacements. I've had fits with my H3 this past year. I'm on my third and every replacement has been a refurb. I certainly didn't request it, but they don't ask. If I have to send this one back, I'm sure going to try for a new replacement, but I don't know if I'll get it. When I started, I paid for a brand new unit.
DID you pay for a new Hopper? All you did was lease a receiver that DISH owns.
 
Maybe this is referring to Dish's own "demand" for refurbs? It seems like that's all they use for defective replacements. I've had fits with my H3 this past year. I'm on my third and every replacement has been a refurb. I certainly didn't request it, but they don't ask. If I have to send this one back, I'm sure going to try for a new replacement, but I don't know if I'll get it. When I started, I paid for a brand new unit.
You have had 3 replacements in the past 12 months has DISH looked for some other problem in your system? Refurbished equipment is more thoroughly inspected than new receivers, yes some bad units do get back out. Those are intermittent problems that may take time to be eliminated.
 
Find this part questionable - since when do customers request refurbished equipment ?

This is a big surprise. That is, that Dish needs (3) shifts of workers to do this refurbishing work. They also do refurbishing in South Carolina too, I presume, because they ship units from there. It would be silly if receivers are returned to SC, sent to TX to be worked on, then sent back to SC.

It’s almost all recycled refurbished equipment these days.
 
I can't prove it of course but I don't believe the story. I don't think it has much to do with Slingtv, much more likely it is the end of the VIP series being installed in homes because every VIP receiver being installed was a refurbished one. Reading carefully it seems to me the writer on their own is making the SlingTV link...

Exactly!

Since everything is a hopper, Joey or Wally there is no reason to continue to referb VIP equipment.

With the way Dish is dealing with excessive churn there is probably enough kangaroo equipment sitting in the warehouse to last several months

It really gets to the point, how many years are you going to continue to recycle the same garbage? Most of the vip stuff is like 10+ years old
 
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I take offense at you calling my 722k's and 211k's garbage.:heartbeat2:biggrin2 They have been rock solid for almost 10 years.
Not a lot stuff you can say that about anymore. IMO way better than the comparable D garbage.
 
The Same thing has been said about my Vizio tv's. "garbage" But i am looking at my first Vizio 32" that I got with my first 722k that I re-purposed as my PC monitor.
Sure my friends Samsungs look a little better but I have replaced capacitors on all of them
My friend bought 3 hatachi's for his menu board from Sams or Costco and all 3 lasted 18 months or less.
 
...

It really gets to the point, how many years are you going to continue to recycle the same garbage? Most of the vip stuff is like 10+ years old

I'll quibble over that... :) The VIP series was ahead of it's time so much so it isn't till very recently cable box offerings caught up. And my 612's are faster than the first two Hoppers and have a couple of features that I don't think they have I do use. I say quibble and not argue because it is time however to move on for DISH.
 
I'll quibble over that... :) The VIP series was ahead of it's time so much so it isn't till very recently cable box offerings caught up. And my 612's are faster than the first two Hoppers and have a couple of features that I don't think they have I do use. I say quibble and not argue because it is time however to move on for DISH.

I completely agree except I do want to argue for the same reasons you stated above. And to add an important one available on my 722 is Dish Anywhere playback of programs from my EHD. Can any marsupial crap do that?
 
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