External Hard Drive Activation Fee

[jonesy99]

About a year ago, I was tempted to upgrade my 622 to a 722, having been assured by dish that the only difference was the size of the HD, until they told me the price. After being with dish for 12 yrs, they informed me that I would have to pay the difference in market value for the 722. sillyness. I went out the next day and got a 750 gig external and forgot about upgrading.
Now I can tell you from experience that adding a ehd to the 622/722 is NOT the same fee as adding it to the 211 series, was told by a csr that it's a separate code to activate 211 vs 622/722.
So 80 bucks in my case to activate something which imho should be truly ONE TIME.

 

[navychop]

Those are two different animals. There is no internal HDD in the ViP211. When you add an EHD it is treated differently. You can swap EHDs between ViP211 units on the same account. You can swap EHDs between ViP622, 722, 612, 722K and (more or less) 922 units on the same account. But not between ViP211 and the others. Different systems.

This is not new. It's been discussed here many times, and even Dish provides that information.

 

[Awohar]

The more features you choose to have, the more reasons you have to call when those features don't work right. It's the same principle for charging for DVR service, because if that DVR service isn't working, you're gonna want some support on that. Who wouldn't call if their DVR suddenly had error 311? You want more features, you pay for that because you place a greater load on the company.

All the associated expenses with handling calls about EHD, about DVR, about HD, etc are all examples of expenses that someone with a 301 only account shouldn't be burdened with having the distributed expenses placed on them in terms of higher monthly programming rates.

 

[panache70]

so lets see

receiver price say $100 + one time $40 activation fee = $140
But if they do what your post says
receiver price $140 + no activation fee = $140

what is wrong with the picture people?

I realize the totals are the same, but it's the feeling of being nickel and dimed that really gets under my skin. Once I have dished out money for equipment I don't appreciate being asked for more money to use built-in features. I guess it is extra annoying for me, since I have been used to the Canadian providers who never charged for adding an EHD.

People seem to think I am making a big deal about this, but if Dish were charging an extra fee to use certain remote control functionalities or to "activate" the 3rd and 4th receiver outputs on a switch, you would all be screaming bloody murder.

 

[panache70]

About a year ago, I was tempted to upgrade my 622 to a 722, having been assured by dish that the only difference was the size of the HD, until they told me the price. After being with dish for 12 yrs, they informed me that I would have to pay the difference in market value for the 722. sillyness. I went out the next day and got a 750 gig external and forgot about upgrading.
Now I can tell you from experience that adding a ehd to the 622/722 is NOT the same fee as adding it to the 211 series, was told by a csr that it's a separate code to activate 211 vs 622/722.
So 80 bucks in my case to activate something which imho should be truly ONE TIME.

So if I have a 211k and a 722 on my account and I want to add EHD's to both of them, I have to pay 80$ ?? The nickel & diming never stops... Plus, now it seems that Dish is blocking some PPV movies with "limited recording" ... Come on!

 

[Juan]

So if I have a 211k and a 722 on my account and I want to add EHD's to both of them, I have to pay 80$ ?? The nickel & diming never stops... Plus, now it seems that Dish is blocking some PPV movies with "limited recording" ... Come on!

I wouldn't call it nickle and dimeing..more like Highway robbery

 

[n0qcu]

Plus, now it seems that Dish is blocking some PPV movies with "limited recording" ... Come on!

It's NOT Dish, it's the programing providers and it affects all programing distributors.

 

[lakebum431]

It's NOT Dish, it's the programing providers and it affects all programing distributors.

Sadly this is 100% right. This has nothing to do with Dish and is all about the TV/Movie studios. You'll notice that ALL providers are in the same boat on this one (cable, satellite, Uverse, etc.). In order to be able to sell these movies the companies must comply with the "expiration" rules set by the studios. I agree it sucks.

 

[xyz38]

so lets see

receiver price say $100 + one time $40 activation fee = $140
But if they do what your post says
receiver price $140 + no activation fee = $140

what is wrong with the picture people?

That would be charging everyone an extra $40, even though everyone might not want to use an EHD.
Don't tell Charlie to do that.

 

[xyz38]

When he used the word 'creative' he owned up to the fact that he could get the EHD for free by telling the folks at Dish that his DVR was pooping out. The word 'creative tells me that, in fact, his DVR wasn't pooping out at all. He simply pulled one over on Dish. If that isn't lying I don't know what is.....

Sorry, I thought that you were talking about the original poster.
That is who I was talking about.
I went back and found the one that you wrote about and you are correct on that one.

 

[harshness]

So if I have a 211k and a 722 on my account and I want to add EHD's to both of them, I have to pay 80$ ??

They could adopt the D* MRV model and charge you $3/month in perpetuity if that's more to your liking. Before they gave it a six bit misleading name, they weren't charging for it at all.

We understand that you don't understand.

 

[TNGTony]

DirecTV has a $3/mo "because we can fee". Dish Network has a $40 one time "because we can" fee". Both companies are charging the fee because people will pay it and no other reason no matter what the rationalizations posted by those who paid the 'because we can" fee. Neither "because we can fee" is justifiable for any reason.

Of course I pay a $10 because we can fee for DVR service ($7 for the account and $3 for the extra cost on the additional receiver with DVR service) when it used to be free. So I guess the EHD fee is just where I drew the line. But I recognize the DVR fee as a "because we can" charge and nothing else!

 

[panache70]

Makes you wonder why Canada does not have any of these fees (nor do they have the "limited PPV recording").

Are they simply clueless as to how much more money they can bleed out of their customers, or do they actually have someone in charge who knows when to draw the line when it comes to such ridiculous charges?

 

[peano]

Don't give Bell any ideas.

 

[Ghpr13]

Makes you wonder why Canada does not have any of these fees (nor do they have the "limited PPV recording").

Are they simply clueless as to how much more money they can bleed out of their customers, or do they actually have someone in charge who knows when to draw the line when it comes to such ridiculous charges?

Well, considering Canada has Free Health Care for their citizens, I think they lack the corporate gene for getting every penny out of a person.

Ghpr13

 

[lakebum431]

Considering Canadians come to the US to get healthcare on a timely basis let's not use that as an example to say why it is better than the US

 

[mnevar]

so lets see

receiver price say $100 + one time $40 activation fee = $140
But if they do what your post says
receiver price $140 + no activation fee = $140

what is wrong with the picture people?

Better yet, do it with 2 DVRs:

receiver price say $100*2 + one time $40 activation fee = $240
But if they do what your post says
receiver price $140*2 + no activation fee = $280

 

[Bobby]

Better yet, do it with 2 DVRs:

receiver price say $100*2 + one time $40 activation fee = $240
But if they do what your post says
receiver price $140*2 + no activation fee = $280

No activation fee but a $17 a month fee for the second DVR.....

 

[Derwin0]

Makes you wonder why Canada does not have any of these fees (nor do they have the "limited PPV recording").

Because they charge a hell of a lot more for the receiver in the first place.

Unless of course you lease it, in which case the monthly lease fee makes Dish's 922 lease fee look cheap. Bell's HDDVR lease fee was $25 last I looked.

I can buy a 722 from Dishstore.net for $319, Futureshop sells the 9241 (Bell version of 622) for $499

So Bell is buing 622's from Echostar for under $300, and selling them for $499, and you complain about Dish charging only $40? When Bell is profiteering for $200?

Bell also sells the 6131 for almost twice what Echostar sells the 211.

 

[Mr Tony]

Better yet, do it with 2 DVRs:

receiver price say $100*2 + one time $40 activation fee = $240
But if they do what your post says
receiver price $140*2 + no activation fee = $280

No activation fee but a $17 a month fee for the second DVR.....

wouldnt the 2nd 211 be only 7 bucks? I thought the 211 wasn't considered a DVR like the 622/722's are