DISH Network to pay $5.99 million in settlement

[Rey]

They do. I've done de-installations for customers who have been let out of their contracts for valid reasons. In fact, Dish is very good about letting servicemen out of their contracts if they get deployed, or transferred to an overseas assignment. They're not completely heartless. There are exceptions made. And don't pay attention to Zero. He's not very good at trolling. He needs a lot more practice. Look back through his posts. He can't decide weather or not he's a socialist or a free-market capitalist. It depends on the thread he's trolling. Don't let him get to you.

I disagree with this, sprint at one time had a program where you paid full price for your cell phone and had no monthly contract and it worked great but for what ever reason they went to strictly contracts and free phones.

The problem here is that you as the customer have to do more than just say " hey I got downsized" or this or that happened, you have to prove it and outside of the hoops that dish makes you jump through to prove the death of a loved one who's name the contract was in I haven't heard of anyone getting out of a contract for anything else but that's not to say that it doesn't happen. I'd like to get out of my D contract due to repeated bad equipment issues and shoddy work by mastec and because of a pay cut after a transfer in my company but there's no legit way to go about it so I'm stuck with them till March of next year.

Here is the problem with that...

17 years ago my office caught on fire, we had no insurance and had to pay out roughly $50,000 to do all of our own repairs. It took us for just about everything we had, almost lost the business and almost lost our house over this.

Nobody came to us and said "Im sorry you had a fire, here let me help you out with some of your bills" As far as the people I owed money to for bills, they wanted their money and they wanted their money now.

I had a simmilar situation at my house 4 years ago when my house burned down. We did have insurance, but still nobody offered to help me with paying some of my bills. Everyone wanted their money, and when some of the contractors found out insurance was involved they wanted even more money. Sure insurance paid for everything, but I never got any special treatment from anyone.

All my receivers burned up that I had for DISH Network, do you think I went crying to DISH Network asking for them to be replaced for Free like everyone else? I ended up buying all new equipment, and then turned the bill into the insurance company which is how it was susposed to work

Why should anyone be given a special exception from their contract just because of their situation? They signed the agreement, I expect these customers to keep their agreement.

The only ones that should be let out of their contract are the ones who get deployed over seas to serve our country and who die, or have a well documented installaton issue that cannot be resolved after several attempts.

I even dissagree even over letting a customer out of their contract over a line of site issue if they move and their new house is blocked with trees. Maybe not the entire cancellation fee, but the customer should have to pay something and have to consider it a part of their moving expenses. Its not DISH Networks fault you moved to the middle of a forrest or to the wrong side of the building.

The thing that irritates me the most is customers who loose their Job, and the first thing they do when they get home is cancel everything that they think they can live without to cut on expenses. These people cancel their DISH Network to try to save $50 per month, yet end up oweing a $200 cancellation Fee. The smart thing to do would have been to downgrade to the welcome package at $10 per month, get some basic Tv back in your house and then when you get another Job go and up the package back to what you had before. So thats really smart, you loose your Job and have no money, yet spend $200 to cancel your Dish to save $50 per month when all they needed to do was downgrade their package.

thanks for answering my question guys. :up

 

[jacmyoung]

Here is the problem with that...

17 years ago my office caught on fire, we had no insurance and had to pay out roughly $50,000 to do all of our own repairs. It took us for just about everything we had, almost lost the business and almost lost our house over this.

Nobody came to us and said "Im sorry you had a fire, here let me help you out with some of your bills" As far as the people I owed money to for bills, they wanted their money and they wanted their money now.

I had a simmilar situation at my house 4 years ago when my house burned down. We did have insurance, but still nobody offered to help me with paying some of my bills. Everyone wanted their money, and when some of the contractors found out insurance was involved they wanted even more money. Sure insurance paid for everything, but I never got any special treatment from anyone.

All my receivers burned up that I had for DISH Network, do you think I went crying to DISH Network asking for them to be replaced for Free like everyone else? I ended up buying all new equipment, and then turned the bill into the insurance company which is how it was susposed to work

Why should anyone be given a special exception from their contract just because of their situation? They signed the agreement, I expect these customers to keep their agreement.

The only ones that should be let out of their contract are the ones who get deployed over seas to serve our country and who die, or have a well documented installaton issue that cannot be resolved after several attempts.

I even dissagree even over letting a customer out of their contract over a line of site issue if they move and their new house is blocked with trees. Maybe not the entire cancellation fee, but the customer should have to pay something and have to consider it a part of their moving expenses. Its not DISH Networks fault you moved to the middle of a forrest or to the wrong side of the building.

The thing that irritates me the most is customers who loose their Job, and the first thing they do when they get home is cancel everything that they think they can live without to cut on expenses. These people cancel their DISH Network to try to save $50 per month, yet end up oweing a $200 cancellation Fee. The smart thing to do would have been to downgrade to the welcome package at $10 per month, get some basic Tv back in your house and then when you get another Job go and up the package back to what you had before. So thats really smart, you loose your Job and have no money, yet spend $200 to cancel your Dish to save $50 per month when all they needed to do was downgrade their package.

Sorry for your loss.

I am sure had you asked for help, many people with good heart would have offered help, either by donating money, or goods, or labor. People are not obligated to help, but they help anyway.

Is it so out of the line to expect the companies behave somewhat like average people?

 

[Voyager6]

Is it so out of the line to expect the companies behave somewhat like average people?

I guess that if you had performed work and provided equipment for someone that promised to pay you in 24 monthly payments and then decided after a few months to stop paying, you would just say "No problem" and let them slide. I don't think so. You would want what was owed to you. These companies do provide an out from the monthly payments. It is called the cancellation fee.

 

[Van]

I've asked for program assistance in the past when faced with financial issues and the companies I was dealing with willingly offered up several options to facilitate an amicable solution with the only one that was a pain to work with was the bank. The key part of this is swallowing ones pride and taking a step forward to say " hey look, I've ran into some problems and rather than be irresponsible and abandon my responsibilities I was wondering if there is any way we could work out a payment plan or solution so that I can still maintain what I have to take care of?" but some either have to much pride or just abandon their responsibilities all together.

 

[Noryn]

Well one major problem is that they lock people in to contracts with early termination fees then begin to provide subpar service. It happened with me when I had Dish about 5 years ago and I have read a few stories from people with Directv.

My service would go out multiple times during the day, I contacted Dish and the local installer who made 1 visit to adjust the dish but it did not help. They just would not fix it and a few reps did hold the contract over my head. In all fairness I think at that time though if you returned the equipment you were not charged anything.

But there should be some type of consumer protection involved. Dish network was awesome 10 years ago. I reactivated with them back in February and love the channel lineup and equipment but their customer service is just horrid. They continue with deceptive practices, they offered me a free installation and receiver only to state that it would be 100 dollars the next day with a 2 year contract.

So I will likely file a complaint with my AG. I don't want any money and will tell them I don't want any type of settlement. I would just like for them to be more clear and up front with their practices.

 

[KAB]

Bumping this up so we don't get a 4th or 5th post on this.

 

[BusterC]

People need to remember, chances are better than NOT they made a lot more money
than the Fines they Paid. Its a Good business Practice to cheat because there fines Never
fit the crimes. That's becomes the Government is in Bed with these Companies. Government
is Becoming More and More the Problem. They Really don't look after the People Only the
Money Big Money. There Little Fines are just for Show................

 

[Slamminc11]

People need to remember, chances are better than NOT they made a lot more money
than the Fines they Paid. Its a Good business Practice to cheat because there fines Never
fit the crimes. That's becomes the Government is in Bed with these Companies. Government
is Becoming More and More the Problem. They Really don't look after the People Only the
Money Big Money. There Little Fines are just for Show................

umm yeah...okay...

 

[Van]

Well one major problem is that they lock people in to contracts with early termination fees then begin to provide subpar service. It happened with me when I had Dish about 5 years ago and I have read a few stories from people with Directv.

My service would go out multiple times during the day, I contacted Dish and the local installer who made 1 visit to adjust the dish but it did not help. They just would not fix it and a few reps did hold the contract over my head. In all fairness I think at that time though if you returned the equipment you were not charged anything.

But there should be some type of consumer protection involved. Dish network was awesome 10 years ago. I reactivated with them back in February and love the channel lineup and equipment but their customer service is just horrid. They continue with deceptive practices, they offered me a free installation and receiver only to state that it would be 100 dollars the next day with a 2 year contract.

So I will likely file a complaint with my AG. I don't want any money and will tell them I don't want any type of settlement. I would just like for them to be more clear and up front with their practices.

I'm still dealing with problems on my D service and under contract so yea it does happen on the other side of the fence as well.

 

[Van]

People need to remember, chances are better than NOT they made a lot more money
than the Fines they Paid. Its a Good business Practice to cheat because there fines Never
fit the crimes. That's becomes the Government is in Bed with these Companies. Government
is Becoming More and More the Problem. They Really don't look after the People Only the
Money Big Money. There Little Fines are just for Show................

Bad attempt at trolling.

 

[Noryn]

I'm still dealing with problems on my D service and under contract so yea it does happen on the other side of the fence as well.

Yeah I have heard similar stories and I think there is a lawsuit against them now. But this was a relatively minor fine it seems (for a company of this size) so there is a good chance these practices have more than paid for themselves.

 

[DodgerKing]

It does not. What do you know about libel or marketing?

Agreed...For the first time Dish finally has creative and effective advertising that gets right to the point, "More HD for less money". Nothing false about that.