Explain to me the service fee - no telephone

Eric_C

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Apr 18, 2004
360
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I don't have a home phone, never had a home phone. We have cell phones and thats it.

I signed up for Dish again with no phone. As I have signed up with E* and D* in the past. Never had a problem with it and I didn't expect to this time either.

Well the 622 insists on a phone line. So I politely called Dish, explained to them the problem. BTW, the CSR during ordering never did say I had to have one, neither did the installer.

She told me I needed a phone line, BUT if I did not want one, there was a $5.00 service charge for no phone line.

Someone explain this to me. Forget the contract and what they say you have to have. There is something not legal to me in this.

We don't buy PPV, never have, never will. We have a 622 and a SD box.

Phone lines are needed we are told to stop piracy. Well I have two boxes, two TV's, and just installed.

So now they offer a way around the phone line but $5.00?

$5.00 from me is not solving the piracy problem. So what service are they providing for $5.00 a month?

If a phone line is not required for functionality, then obviously my $5.00 is just an excuse to collect.

You see my problem with this? Its like saying if I buy a car and don't store it in a garage I get charged extra.

I plan on writing the CEO over this. I agreed to the charge for the simple fact I wanted to watch TV and the completel lunacy of the charge. I'll take it up with someone else.

I find something seriously wrong with this even to the point of filing a complaint with the AG of Michigan.
 
You either attach a phone line or you pay the fee, been that way for quite a while at Dish. Obviously it is your choice on whether you keep it attached or not, as is it your choice on which receiver you get, which channels you watch, and which provider you get your content from. Basically that is what you are going to here from Dish, your A.G. or anyone else.
 
Thats like saying they are charging me $5.00 because the room is painted blue.

Its a useless charge with no basis.

As far as the AG thing, thats the nice thing about the government, I can do it online, takes me 5 minutes and its what I pay my taxes for.

I've used this before on cellar companies with questionable billing and its amazing the respone you get when you file a FTC/AG complaint.

I totally understand the contract states I need a phone line. Its something ignored by D* completely and E* with single tuner DVR's. So its either a consistent policy, or its not. Their reasons for the phone line are for services that I do not use, so why the $5.00 for a service I'll never use.
 
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Eric_C said:
Thats like saying they are charging me $5.00 because the room is painted blue.

Its a useless charge with no basis.
All their fees are bogus. But, you agreed to it when you accepted the service. Live with it.
 
They aren't providing any service, it is simply a fine.

The $5.00 serves as a stick to "encourage" people to connect the phone line. Having the phone line connected in turn allows Dish to identify mis-matched calling numbers that need followup by the auditing team.

As a consumer you have choices, if Dish doesn't fit your requirements, then consider another provider.
 
So what is the point of the auditing team?


Sounds like $5.00 a month is a fee to buy as many boxes as I want?

Come on, you guys are way way too compliant on this.

You don't see the problem here?

If they said the fee was $50 a month and they said it was to prevent piracy then I'd buy it.

But $5.00, sounds like the amount they think they can get away with because they know there are plenty of people out there who don't have home phones or convienent lines.
 
All the newer dual tuner receivers are charged $5 for the second tuner.

The fee is waived if you connect the receiver to a phone line. They are NOT charging a fee for not having a phone line. That's how they are able to do it legally.
 
That makes a bit more sense on the legality part.

Still, something is not right about it.

I'll see what kind of response I get.

BTw, I never signed a contract. I did last time I had Dish but nothing this time. Just the installers worksheet which has no contract associated with it.

Either way, I have my answer.

I'll take it up with Dish myself. There is always a way and no system is absolute :)

Thanks for everyones responses.
 
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Eric_C said:
That makes a bit more sense on the legality part.

Still, something is not right about it.

I'll see what kind of response I get.

BTw, I never signed a contract. I did last time I had Dish but nothing this time. Just the installers worksheet which has no contract associated with it.

Either way, I have my answer.

I'll take it up with Dish myself. There is always a way and no system is absolute :)

Thanks for everyones responses.


Once you activated programming on your receiver, you agreed to the contract. It's a verbal agreement and is used all the time.

Do a search and you'll find someone <can't remember who> was angry at a web installer for charging him cancellation fees. Same situation, once programming is activated you've agreed to the contract.

Sam
 
The only way E* will cancel their 'extra' fees is if enough people quit buying their receivers with the fees attached. A few emails to them or letters to your State's 'top cops' will be futile at best.
 
This fee is more fair than some of the others E charges. Here is the reason:

Before dual tuner boxes if you wanted service on two TV sets you needed two boxes, and had to pay a $5 mirror fee. If you have more than one box your service agreement requires that you connect a phone line.

Then Dish came out with a dual output box that would run two TV sets, they made a deal, if you plug in the phone line they wave the $5 mirror fee. Basically the same as before but you save 5 bucks.

My friend has a 522 and is able to use vonage to get the fee waived, maybe VOIP would be an option for you?
 
What doesn't work for me is the fact I do not have, nor need a home phone.

We dropped ours 8 years ago in favor of cell phones.

Dish should come up with a way to verify whatever they want to verify via ethernet.

The world is evolving, the number of home phone subscribers are going down everyyear.

Every home is wired for high speed now and to keep a legacy service just doesn't make sense to us.

Like I said, thanks for everyones responses. I'll take it up with Dish and there are two things I know that are true. Where there is a will there really is a way, and there are no absolutes when dealing with any company. Its just matter of the right person to listen to the right concern.

What would work, is a BT module that would let the unit dial out via my cell phone. When the cable system takes a crap thats how we get outside access.

Thanks again
 
Eric_C said:
What would work, is a BT module that would let the unit dial out via my cell phone. When the cable system takes a crap thats how we get outside access.
I remember awhile back on a Charlie Chat they were talking about adding something so you could use a cell phone but I dont think that ever came about. I dont think it went any further then that chat.
 
I found a BT module for my phone that will allow it.

Lets you use any BT phone as a regular phone.

We'll see how this turns out in a few days once they get back to me.
 
Unless you need it for dual tuner mode why not just put it in Single Tuner mode? Phone line fee is not required when in Single mode. Also, single tuner mode lets you record one channel and watch another, unlike the Dual mode.


If the phone line is connected though, the auditing team should never call you.

Hope this works for you. I know it applies to 625/522 receivers. Should apply to 622 receivers as well.
 
JohnTenn said:
Unless you need it for dual tuner mode why not just put it in Single Tuner mode? Phone line fee is not required when in Single mode.
I don't know where you came up with this idea but that is NOT true, It makes no difference whether you use the receiver in dual or single mode. If you want the fee waived you must connect a phone line.
 
THere still lots place that phone line is not available. Did an installation years ago, the whole area has no telephone service, peoples there use cell, it will take them another 5 years may has phone service and maybe not, I went there three times before able to have the dish up and activation, cos electrical service has delay 3 three times.