Dish Network Smart Card Swap Delayed

[peano]

After approximately 10 calls to try and rectify my black screen on my international channels, I was told for the third time today that shipping of "G3" smart cards has been "postponed" until an unknown date.

Two CSRs and and 2nd level tech said I am basically SOL and that I am not targeted to receive new cards before July. They cannot turn the black channels back on. I have to wait for the cards.

BUT, all orders for "Purple cards" have beed delayed. They do not know when they can ship them.

So I guess the card swap has run into a snag. Perhaps they have run out of cards?

I threatened to cancel and they were happy to accomodate me even though I pay over $150 a month autopay on credit card for six years.

 

[harshness]

Two CSRs and and 2nd level tech said I am basically SOL and that I am not targeted to receive new cards before July. They cannot turn the black channels back on. I have to wait for the cards.

Have you contemplated asking for a replacement receiver? Rumor has it that some of the newer models have on-board purple capability.

 

[RandallA]

I was told shipment for my replacement cards had been postponed on Tuesday. I got them in the mail today. I saw channel 998 yesterday and got a message in the phone this morning. This company is in complete disarray and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

What receivers do you have? The suggestion above might work.

 

[peano]

Actually, I was offered all new ViP receivers on one of my first calls.

I should have taken the offer but I didn't want to lose my recordings!

Now they can't send cards and I am fubared.

 

[Lt Disher]

Let me get this straight. You called them 10 times to ask for Smart cards.

On one of these calls they offered you replacement ViP receivers. (Whats wrong with your current receivers?) and you turned them down.

Obviously, not many others are without cards and have had their service cut off, or this board would be lit up like a Christmas tree. Why is Dish picking on you?

There is something else going on here. I'm not saying it is your fault or Dish's fault, but what else are you not telling us?

 

[r10fret]

peano,

Please post satellite location involved (61.5, 148, 118), the model receiver you have and the international package involved.

 

[peano]

Lt Disher,

I guess you work for Dish Network since you keep doubting my posts.

Sorry, but I can only relay my experiences.

r10fret, I have 110, 119, 129 and 118.7 on my Dish 1000+.

International package is Punjabi.

 

[RandallA]

Peano,

When I talked to Dish Network on Tuesday, I was transferred to Tech Support because they can actually send an authorization hit so you won't lose your channels until you receive the cards. At least that's what they told me and the Tech support girl sent a hit to my receivers. You may want to try Tech support instead and explain the situation to them.

 

[peano]

Thanks. I tried that with level 2 Tech. He said he could not restore the International channels I am missing because they are on "G3" encryption.

 

[Lt Disher]

Can anyone else chime in who has had their international or any other channels cut off because they did not have the new Smart card? It would be interesting to know how widespread the cutoffs are?

BTW, I do not work for Dish. No one in my family does either.

 

[r10fret]

peona,

what model receiver do you have? some can't take G3 card and are being retired. That might be why they wanted to give you new boxes.

I can chime in on internationals, some ints are already G3, his are so no hit can be sent to turn them back on other then a hit to a G3 card.

 

[peano]

Two 622s, a 211 and a 411.

 

[Lt Disher]

r10fret,

Thanks for that info. Now we are starting to see some reasons that might be coming into play here.

Peano, perhaps your only choices are to take a new box or wait until July.

 

[Jim S.]

Maybe N3 really has been cracked, and they're going to switch cards again already.

 

[RandallA]

peona,

what model receiver do you have? some can't take G3 card and are being retired. That might be why they wanted to give you new boxes.

I can chime in on internationals, some ints are already G3, his are so no hit can be sent to turn them back on other then a hit to a G3 card.

Both times I called, both times they said that they could re-authorize the receiver even if the channels went to G3. Just relaying the info and maybe it was BS but both times the CSRs told me the same thing.

 

[mike123abc]

I called last week. 3 receivers they sent one card. I put it in my main receiver and got it activated. They gave me 2 more shipping reference numbers last night for 2 more cards. They did not know why only one shipped when I called last week. So, they manually put two separate orders in for my other 2 receivers. It was a 40 minute phone call, but they are supposed to have been successful and I have 2 reference numbers. I will know for sure in a couple days if I have new cards.

 

[thesandman]

DISH doesn't know what they are doing. When I got my first smart cards back in January, neither card worked. In fact, I lost everything and had a black screen. Finally, I got a sup who was able to send a hit to get my channels back without a smart card. I have a 622 box.
I was told not to worry, my receiver will keep working until they find a smart card that will work in my receiver. So, I stopped worrying, until last week.

I got the Warning Message that I will lose all my HD channels by April 8th if I don't install a new smart card. After one day, the popup Warning Messages stopped until yesterday. Now it just comes on some of my HD channels and says I need a new card by April 16 or I won't be able to get those channels. HERE IS MY PROBLEM. My 622 receiver cannot, for some reason, read the smart card, which is why I get a blank screen. So, what does DISH tell me. They say I have a bad receiver and they will send me a new one. They don't care what that means. It means the 30 hours of programming I have recorded to watch at a later date, things like 5 hours of Friday Night Lights, 4 hours of House, 3 hours of Desperate Housewifes etc. etc. will be lost and I won't be able to watch them. I've also got an external Hard Drive, which works fine, but it's half filled with mostly music concerts and it would take hours to try and move programs from my 622 to my External Hard Drive.

I cannot believe DISH cannot stop this security stuff until all their equipment works properly. I've been thinking of moving to Direct TV, mainly for the NFL and MLB but didn't want to lose all my recordings. Now, I guess the only good thing is if I am going to lose my recordings because DISH cannot stop my receiver from not working, at least I can move to Direct TV and get the sports I'm missing now.

 

[Lt Disher]

DISH doesn't know what they are doing. When I got my first smart cards back in January, neither card worked. In fact, I lost everything and had a black screen. Finally, I got a sup who was able to send a hit to get my channels back without a smart card. I have a 622 box.
I was told not to worry, my receiver will keep working until they find a smart card that will work in my receiver. So, I stopped worrying, until last week.

I got the Warning Message that I will lose all my HD channels by April 8th if I don't install a new smart card. After one day, the popup Warning Messages stopped until yesterday. Now it just comes on some of my HD channels and says I need a new card by April 16 or I won't be able to get those channels. HERE IS MY PROBLEM. My 622 receiver cannot, for some reason, read the smart card, which is why I get a blank screen. So, what does DISH tell me. They say I have a bad receiver and they will send me a new one. They don't care what that means. It means the 30 hours of programming I have recorded to watch at a later date, things like 5 hours of Friday Night Lights, 4 hours of House, 3 hours of Desperate Housewifes etc. etc. will be lost and I won't be able to watch them. I've also got an external Hard Drive, which works fine, but it's half filled with mostly music concerts and it would take hours to try and move programs from my 622 to my External Hard Drive.

I cannot believe DISH cannot stop this security stuff until all their equipment works properly. I've been thinking of moving to Direct TV, mainly for the NFL and MLB but didn't want to lose all my recordings. Now, I guess the only good thing is if I am going to lose my recordings because DISH cannot stop my receiver from not working, at least I can move to Direct TV and get the sports I'm missing now.

Moving to Directv will also result in losing your EHD recordings since they won't play on anything but a DISH player. I don't have an EHD but do you have to transfer programs 1 by 1 or can you do a mass copy. If you can do a mass copy set it up to run over night. Computers and hard disks fail. That's a fact of modern life.

 

[harshness]

It means the 30 hours of programming I have recorded to watch at a later date, things like 5 hours of Friday Night Lights, 4 hours of House, 3 hours of Desperate Housewifes etc. etc. will be lost and I won't be able to watch them. I've also got an external Hard Drive, which works fine, but it's half filled with mostly music concerts and it would take hours to try and move programs from my 622 to my External Hard Drive.

Not to excuse the rest, but you've known for how long that your ViP622 was going to have to be replaced?

Transferring 30 hours should take less than a day and it should not interfere with the ongoing use of the DVR. I can't really say I feel like you're in real trouble.

 

[Lt Disher]

Not to excuse the rest, but you've known for how long that your ViP622 was going to have to be replaced?

Transferring 30 hours should take less than a day and it should not interfere with the ongoing use of the DVR. I can't really say I feel like you're in real trouble.

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