Does the Price Increase Apply to New Customers on a Promotional Rate?

[HanoverPretzel]

I'm still in the first year of my Dish Network subscription. Does the rate increase apply to folks like me? I recall that in the second year, the thing said the regular rate applies, so it sounds like the rate increase would apply in the second year, but the advertisements listed a specific price for the first year (Rather than a certain amount off the regular price or whatever), so it would sound like the rate increase wouldn't apply for the rest of the first year. That's my reasoning at least, but I thought it was worth double checking.

You'd think they wouldn't be able to list in bold lettering a price they promise for the first year and then change it, but consumer protection laws are fairly inadequate these days, so who knows what's allowed or not allowed. The reason I switched from cable in the first place was because money is tight and my cable bill was getting too high (Even went a couple weeks without television because I knew I had to cancel the cable whether I could find an alternative or not) -- so every dollar (or $5) counts.

 

[DNS_Tech]

The increase went into effect on 2/1/11. I did an install for a customer today who called on 1/31/11 and was quoted a price. She wanted to downgrade and get a 222 rather than a 722. A CSR advised her of the new monthly rate, which was $5 higher than originally quoted. Long story short, you're subject to the increase as well.

You'll hear this one of you decide to call in, along the lines of, " prices and packages are subject to change at any time."

 

[HanoverPretzel]

The increase went into effect on 2/1/11. I did an install for a customer today who called on 1/31/11 and was quoted a price. She wanted to downgrade and get a 222 rather than a 722. A CSR advised her of the new monthly rate, which was $5 higher than originally quoted. Long story short, you're subject to the increase as well.

You'll hear this one of you decide to call in, along the lines of, " prices and packages are subject to change at any time."

Thanks for the info.

Gotta be honest, I'm not real happy about this. I've paid for two months and they're already changing the deal. I'm sure the ability to change stuff around at random is probably all over the fine print -- of the contract I wasn't given to sign and that was mailed back to me with an installer's mark in the spots where I guess I was supposed to initial had he shown it to me -- but it's bad customer relations. This is on the heels of making me pay for an install and not giving me the free HD for life (or any HD), I guess because of a credit check (but still, not the advertised deal other people get -- forcing me to pay the same thing for SD as other new customers each month pay for HD, and an install fee to start that others don't pay).

Don't get me wrong, there are some good things about dish -- the price is still much better than cable, there are a few neat obscure channels, I like the more extensive account section on the website (the ability to change packages via web is something I've been saying Comcast should add for years), the free year of Starz is a nice unexpected bonus, the installation went smoothly and was within a few days of ordering ( just try getting the cable company to do anything promptly and correctly the first time ) etc.. It's not all bad by any means. But when I'm quoted a price for the first year and make a decision on the basis of it, I expect that price to be, well, the price.

 

[MaryB@SlingTV]

Don't get me wrong, there are some good things about dish -- the price is still much better than cable, there are a few neat obscure channels, I like the more extensive account section on the website (the ability to change packages via web is something I've been saying Comcast should add for years), the free year of Starz is a nice unexpected bonus, the installation went smoothly and was within a few days of ordering ( just try getting the cable company to do anything promptly and correctly the first time ) etc.. It's not all bad by any means. But when I'm quoted a price for the first year and make a decision on the basis of it, I expect that price to be, well, the price.

Hi HanoverPretzel! I would first like to extend a warm welcome to our Dish Network Family and Satellite Guys. I would like to apologize about the timing of your pricing change. We did just raise the price on most of our packages, $5.00 a month. The Starz free for a year is our 30th Anniversary gift. We have also implemented a "Price freeze" for 2 years on our America's Top Packages and receiver fees. I hope it will give you some piece of mind. The guarantee is in effect till February 2013! Again welcome and please let us know if we can ever be of assistance to you! Have a great night!

 

[DGRYAN1977]

Hanover - welcome to the club! I signed up last march and I have already seen 2 price increases. Whoopee..starz free for a year. If I wanted Starz I would already have it.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Hi HanoverPretzel! I would first like to extend a warm welcome to our Dish Network Family and Satellite Guys. I would like to apologize about the timing of your pricing change. We did just raise the price on most of our packages, $5.00 a month. The Starz free for a year is our 30th Anniversary gift. We have also implemented a "Price freeze" for 2 years on our America's Top Packages and receiver fees. I hope it will give you some piece of mind. The guarantee is in effect till February 2013! Again welcome and please let us know if we can ever be of assistance to you! Have a great night!

Thank you for the welcome, but I'd like to illustrate what this "Two year price freeze" really means for me:

January 2011: $39.99 for America's Top 200 (plus $100+ install fee)

Less than 2 months later: $5.00 a month rate increase

10 months after that: $15.00 a month rate increase (end of promotional rate)

12 months after that: Rate increase TBD (End of "price freeze" -- meaning they'll almost certainly hike rates again).

That's a *freeze*? Maybe technically, but my rate is going to go up throughout that time period in reality.

Dish markets itself as a value alternative to cable and Directv, but is raising rates for people well beyond the rate of inflation while raking in big profits. With the DOW getting up to 12000 again and corporate profits on the rise, it'd be nice if for once a company said "Hey, we know unemployment is 10% and wages are stagnant, as the value providers we're going to *cut* your rates and give you a share of these big profits we make". Yeah right.

I don't want to have a negative attitude towards the businesses I pay to provide services to me. I want to have warm fuzzy feelings about Dish. But raising my rates right out of the gate like this doesn't help. I saw an ad that told me $40 a month with free HD and free install, and within two months I've got $45 (plus tax) a month with no HD and a $100+ install. 10 months from now, it'll be $60 a month plus tax, still with no HD.

One thing Dish should really keep in mind is that many of it's customers are coming to them in the first place because they can no longer afford cable or Directv or whatever -- people at the very margins of society for whom every penny counts. The attraction is *value*. In general, you've probably got a very price conscious group of people. That's something Dish should appreciate -- after all, Dish is always in the news for playing hardball fighting rate increases that it doesn't want to pay when various channels want to raise the fees they charge to Dish Network. And, hey, I don't mind that -- if those savings are passed along to the customers. No 12%+ price hikes in a recessionary period.

I'm under contract, so I'm stuck, but when my contract expires, I'll be keeping in mind the price hikes I'm paying now. If companies want customer loyalty, they have to be loyal to their customers.

 

[DGRYAN1977]

Thank you for the welcome, but I'd like to illustrate what this "Two year price freeze" really means for me:

January 2011: $39.99 for America's Top 200 (plus $100+ install fee)

Less than 2 months later: $5.00 a month rate increase

10 months after that: $15.00 a month rate increase (end of promotional rate)

12 months after that: Rate increase TBD (End of "price freeze" -- meaning they'll almost certainly hike rates again).

That's a *freeze*? Maybe technically, but my rate is going to go up throughout that time period in reality.

Dish markets itself as a value alternative to cable and Directv, but is raising rates for people well beyond the rate of inflation while raking in big profits. With the DOW getting up to 12000 again and corporate profits on the rise, it'd be nice if for once a company said "Hey, we know unemployment is 10% and wages are stagnant, as the value providers we're going to *cut* your rates and give you a share of these big profits we make". Yeah right.

I don't want to have a negative attitude towards the businesses I pay to provide services to me. I want to have warm fuzzy feelings about Dish. But raising my rates right out of the gate like this doesn't help. I saw an ad that told me $40 a month with free HD and free install, and within two months I've got $45 (plus tax) a month with no HD and a $100+ install. 10 months from now, it'll be $60 a month plus tax, still with no HD.

One thing Dish should really keep in mind is that many of it's customers are coming to them in the first place because they can no longer afford cable or Directv or whatever -- people at the very margins of society for whom every penny counts. The attraction is *value*. In general, you've probably got a very price conscious group of people. That's something Dish should appreciate -- after all, Dish is always in the news for playing hardball fighting rate increases that it doesn't want to pay when various channels want to raise the fees they charge to Dish Network. And, hey, I don't mind that -- if those savings are passed along to the customers. No 12%+ price hikes in a recessionary period.

I'm under contract, so I'm stuck, but when my contract expires, I'll be keeping in mind the price hikes I'm paying now. If companies want customer loyalty, they have to be loyal to their customers.

I would vote for you if you ran for president!

 

[panache70]

Just curious, do you have to be an active sub on 2/1/11 to get the 1 yr free premium, or do all new customers get it?

For example, if someone subs in April 2011, will they also get the free 1 yr premium?

 

[Mr Tony]

We have also implemented a "Price freeze" for 2 years on our America's Top Packages and receiver fees.

OK yeah you "froze" the prices til 2013 but raising them $5 this year and 0 supposedly next year makes Dish's pocket book bigger than if you raised them only $3 this year and next year $2.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

I would vote for you if you ran for president!

Thanks.

 

[Bobby]

OK yeah you "froze" the prices til 2013 but raising them $5 this year and 0 supposedly next year makes Dish's pocket book bigger than if you raised them only $3 this year and next year $2.

Yeah, that means Dish is going to make an extra $24 over that two year period.....

 

[Mr Tony]

uh try again Bobby

$5 x 24 months is 120 bucks
$3 x 12 months is 36 bucks (if they went 12 months and raised rates 3 bucks)
$2 x 12 months is 24 bucks (if next year they raised rates 2 bucks for 12 months)

dish is getting an extra $60 out of folks over two years

 

[Bobby]

Uh no Ice, think about this one more time.

Yes, the over all for the 24 months at $5 is $120.
Yes, $3 for 12 months is $36.
Yes, $2 for 12 months is $24.

But, remember that the second year must include that $36 that you got the first year.
So, you can only exclude that $2 for the first year and that means $24 total for both years.

 

[Mr Tony]

yeah you're right...but its still extra money in Dish's pocket

 

[cs550ds1]

Just think over the 24 months if dish made $120. more per subscriber and they have 14 mil. subscribers they will make an extra $16.8 mil. . My math may be wrong. A lot of zeros.!sadroll

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Just think over the 24 months if dish made $120. more per subscriber and they have 14 mil. subscribers they will make an extra $16.8 mil. . My math may be wrong. A lot of zeros.!sadroll

It is wrong. It's already been established that it would be $24 in that example over the two years and at 14M subs, thats $336M!!!

 

[Jhon69]

Thank you for the welcome, but I'd like to illustrate what this "Two year price freeze" really means for me:

January 2011: $39.99 for America's Top 200 (plus $100+ install fee)

Less than 2 months later: $5.00 a month rate increase

10 months after that: $15.00 a month rate increase (end of promotional rate)

12 months after that: Rate increase TBD (End of "price freeze" -- meaning they'll almost certainly hike rates again).

That's a *freeze*? Maybe technically, but my rate is going to go up throughout that time period in reality.

Dish markets itself as a value alternative to cable and Directv, but is raising rates for people well beyond the rate of inflation while raking in big profits. With the DOW getting up to 12000 again and corporate profits on the rise, it'd be nice if for once a company said "Hey, we know unemployment is 10% and wages are stagnant, as the value providers we're going to *cut* your rates and give you a share of these big profits we make". Yeah right.

I don't want to have a negative attitude towards the businesses I pay to provide services to me. I want to have warm fuzzy feelings about Dish. But raising my rates right out of the gate like this doesn't help. I saw an ad that told me $40 a month with free HD and free install, and within two months I've got $45 (plus tax) a month with no HD and a $100+ install. 10 months from now, it'll be $60 a month plus tax, still with no HD.

One thing Dish should really keep in mind is that many of it's customers are coming to them in the first place because they can no longer afford cable or Directv or whatever -- people at the very margins of society for whom every penny counts. The attraction is *value*. In general, you've probably got a very price conscious group of people. That's something Dish should appreciate -- after all, Dish is always in the news for playing hardball fighting rate increases that it doesn't want to pay when various channels want to raise the fees they charge to Dish Network. And, hey, I don't mind that -- if those savings are passed along to the customers. No 12%+ price hikes in a recessionary period.

I'm under contract, so I'm stuck, but when my contract expires, I'll be keeping in mind the price hikes I'm paying now. If companies want customer loyalty, they have to be loyal to their customers.

Did you know if you buy your equipment there is no 24 month commitment? or that you don't have to subscribe to any package?.This is just one of the other options with Dish Network and why it's the most versatile satellite service I have ever had.

 

[flody1]

yeah you're right...but its still extra money in Dish's pocket

I agree with you Ice. I am a person that has had C-band for years untill it died. When I paid for a year w/them , that was it( no new fees every 3 months)..I've been w/Dish since May of last year. A couple rate hikes already-

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Did you know if you buy your equipment there is no 24 month commitment? or that you don't have to subscribe to any package?.This is just one of the other options with Dish Network and why it's the most versatile satellite service I have ever had.

Probably too pricey for me, and I'm already on-contract, which I assume I am locked into regardless now. Just curious, though -- what kind of ball park are we talking about to buy your own equipment?

 

[TheKrell]

That number highly depends upon the specific receiver you buy. Search Ebay for prices, once you settle on a model.