Found a 211k at Goodwill today

[mwdxer1]

I was over at our Goodwill today and found a Dish 211k receiver on the shelf for $15. I jotted down the serial number and called Dish as I have been looking for a spare 211k as my old one has had some issues. I thought if there was no bill against it, I would buy it. I did not find if there was or wasn't a bill against it. I gave the CSR the serial number and I was told that the receiver is a leased receiver by Dish and not owned. It was still in operation at this time. If I bought it, they would not allow me the authorize it. It would have been interesting just to buy it and see what it would get, but I didn't. What a total waste of perfectly good receivers, that end up at places like Goodwill and they just end in the landfill. The CSR said the receiver should have been returned to Dish. I told her where it was, but I really doubt they will ask Goodwill to return it. So there it sits to be junked. If Dish wanted to keep the cost down they should find a way to authorize a used receiver. It would be good for the existing or new customer. If there is a bill against a receiver, in many cases I doubt they will ever recoup that money from the customer anyway.

The CSR did tell me that they could sell me another 211 for $50. That sounded fine, until she told me that they could say what 211 receiver I would receive, the 211, the 211z, or the 211k. I told her that would not do as I need the OTA tuner. Here is a case where if I was using a leased 211k and it died, Dish would replace it but with which model. So I guess if I want another 211k, I will get one from a place like Dish Depot for $100. I cannot understand why I could not get a 211k from Dish, why this guessing game on what model I would get.

 

[boba]

I was over at our Goodwill today and found a Dish 211k receiver on the shelf for $15. I jotted down the serial number and called Dish as I have been looking for a spare 211k as my old one has had some issues. I thought if there was no bill against it, I would buy it. I did not find if there was or wasn't a bill against it. I gave the CSR the serial number and I was told that the receiver is a leased receiver by Dish and not owned. It was still in operation at this time. If I bought it, they would not allow me the authorize it. It would have been interesting just to buy it and see what it would get, but I didn't. What a total waste of perfectly good receivers, that end up at places like Goodwill and they just end in the landfill. The CSR said the receiver should have been returned to Dish. I told her where it was, but I really doubt they will ask Goodwill to return it. So there it sits to be junked. If Dish wanted to keep the cost down they should find a way to authorize a used receiver. It would be good for the existing or new customer. If there is a bill against a receiver, in many cases I doubt they will ever recoup that money from the customer anyway.

The CSR did tell me that they could sell me another 211 for $50. That sounded fine, until she told me that they could say what 211 receiver I would receive, the 211, the 211z, or the 211k. I told her that would not do as I need the OTA tuner. Here is a case where if I was using a leased 211k and it died, Dish would replace it but with which model. So I guess if I want another 211k, I will get one from a place like Dish Depot for $100. I cannot understand why I could not get a 211k from Dish, why this guessing game on what model I would get.

For DISH a 211 is a 211 makes no difference if it is a 211/211K or a 211Z. It is also DISH rules that leased or receivers with balances cannot be activated, the reasoning isn't important RULES are RULES.

I bought a Wally off Ebay that was supposed to be working but missing the remote. It was owned and showed no balance, so I bought it. When it arrived I found a different story, it was also missing smart card and all cables. E bay gave me a refund and told me I could keep the Wally. DISH who has all the spare parts and would probably replace the cables and remote as part of refurbishing it has no interest in recovering the used box.

 

[comfortably_numb]

It's just like when you report a cell phone lost or stolen, or don't pay off the balance you owe your carrier. They blacklist it. Happens all the time- "let the buyer beware!"

 

[joegr]

... If Dish wanted to keep the cost down they should find a way to authorize a used [leased] receiver. It would be good for the existing or new customer. ...

* I added "leased" above.

Wouldn't it increase the amount of fraud where someone sells a leased ( that they don't own and have no right to sell] receiver? I thought the whole point of not reactivating a non-returned leased receiver on another account was to make them worthless to the thief (customer that doesn't return them), the theory being that this would reduce the number of non-returned leased receivers.

 

[comfortably_numb]

* I added "leased" above.

Wouldn't it increase the amount of fraud where someone sells a leased ( that they don't own and have no right to sell] receiver? I thought the whole point of not reactivating a non-returned leased receiver on another account was to make them worthless to the thief (customer that doesn't return them), the theory being that this would reduce the number of non-returned leased receivers.

I believe it would increase the fraud exponentially. If there was no incentive to returning leased equipment, then nobody would. By the way, assuming someone doesn't return a leased receiver but DOES pay the lease termination fee later on, does that then free the receiver to be activated by somebody else? For instance, let's say I have a leased Hopper. I cancel my account. I don't return the Hopper. Dish hits the credit card on file for, let's say, $400 or whatever they assess the value to be. Does that receiver then become free and clear to activate?

 

[Bobby]

Just to add a scenario where this could happen. A subscriber dies. Whoever is taking care of emptying the household sees a 211K receiver and doesn't know what to do with it. They send it, as well as a bunch of clothes, etc. to Goodwill. There is probably a lot of truth to this and it probably happens every day.

 

[pattykay]

I suggested in another similar thread that Dish should pay a bounty to those of us who are willing to do the work to find and return such receivers. As it is, the receivers are no good to anybody else who might want to use them, so why not provide a process where an existing subscriber who finds a (non-obsolete) receiver that cannot be activated, for whatever reason, can return the receiver to Dish so it can be refurbished, and receive some small reward for doing so?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Just to add a scenario where this could happen. A subscriber dies. Whoever is taking care of emptying the household sees a 211K receiver and doesn't know what to do with it. They send it, as well as a bunch of clothes, etc. to Goodwill. There is probably a lot of truth to this and it probably happens every day.

Maybe, but I've been through similar scenarios with my grandparents and their estates pay the final bills, which would come with the fee for not returning the leased equipment. Which harkens back to my earlier question: once you pay the fee, does the receiver become free and clear?

 

[Hall]

A subscriber dies. Whoever is taking care of emptying the household sees a 211K receiver and doesn't know what to do with it. They send it, as well as a bunch of clothes, etc. to Goodwill. There is probably a lot of truth to this and it probably happens every day.

Nowadays, most people seem to know you have to return your cable box, cable modem, satellite receivers, etc though. Or, they were just 'sloppy' or lazy....

I know where many come from - homes or apartments where people just up and leave. My parents and brother own rentals and this happens all of the time. My mom has multiple Dish receivers and keeps asking what to do with them ! I don't recall the model # but they're old, too old, and I tell her to recycle them or just put them in the trash.

 

[Hall]

once you pay the fee, does the receiver become free and clear?

You would think it would and should, but I suspect Dish's system is designed such that a leased receiver is always a leased receiver. It can never become owned. The same would apply to receivers after a customer finishes their 1-year or 2-year contract term too, right ?

 

[pattykay]

You would think it would and should, but I suspect Dish's system is designed such that a leased receiver is always a leased receiver. It can never become owned.

The exception to this is if a purchased receiver is mistakenly listed as leased. (I had that happen to me earlier this year when I reactivated a purchased receiver.) If you fight them on it, and speak to someone in the right department, the ownership status can be changed back to purchased. The same type of mistake could happen to a receiver that started out as leased, but in that case the mistake would be in your favor, so there is no need to fight it.

 

[comfortably_numb]

You would think it would and should, but I suspect Dish's system is designed such that a leased receiver is always a leased receiver. It can never become owned. The same would apply to receivers after a customer finishes their 1-year or 2-year contract term too, right ?

I think so. Then, even if you cancel and your term is up, they would still charge you a fee if you don't return the leased equipment. I agree with you though- once you pay that fee, you don't have to return it anymore, so it should be considered a "buy-out"

 

[pattykay]

I think so. Then, even if you cancel and your term is up, they would still charge you a fee if you don't return the leased equipment. I agree with you though- once you pay that fee, you don't have to return it anymore, so it should be considered a "buy-out"

Why would anybody pay the fee in order to "purchase" a leased receiver, when there is no way that they could re-sell it for more than they paid in fees? Even if you pay the fee, Dish will refund that fee if the receiver is later returned to them. Until the receiver is actually returned to Dish, the receiver is still leased and technically still needs to be returned to Dish, even after the non-return fee has been paid. The fee is just a penalty to incentivize customers to return the receivers in a timely manner, and does not constitute a purchase of the receiver. At least, that is the way that I interpreted Dish's lease contract.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Why would anybody pay the fee in order to "purchase" a leased receiver, when there is no way that they could re-sell it for more than they paid in fees? Even if you pay the fee, Dish will refund that fee if the receiver is later returned to them. Until the receiver is actually returned to Dish, the receiver is still leased and technically still needs to be returned to Dish, even after the non-return fee has been paid. The fee is just a penalty to incentivize customers to return the receivers in a timely manner, and does not constitute a purchase of the receiver. At least, that is the way that I interpreted Dish's lease contract.

I'm not saying they'd keep it and pay the fee on purpose, just mentioning the scenarios where they get billed the fee and it is charged to the original credit card on file, which I bet happens more than you might think. I didn't know they would later refund that fee if you sent the receiver in..

 

[pattykay]

I didn't know they would later refund that fee if you sent the receiver in..

Yes, I have had that happen more than once. If you get your account back in good standing (if it wasn't already) and either reactivate the leased receiver on the same account or return it to Dish, the non-return fee will be credited back.

 

[ChadT41]

You can't sell a leased veh because you don't own it. You also cannot buyout the leased veh until the lessor and leasee agree. Same with anything else. It wasn't theirs to donate to goodwill.

 

[comfortably_numb]

You can't sell a leased veh because you don't own it. You also cannot buyout the leased veh until the lessor and leasee agree. Same with anything else. It wasn't theirs to donate to goodwill.

Agree, but I think it would make sense to have a buyout clause like the cellco's do for leased phones.. a path to ownership for something that has potentially little resale value to them anyway

 

[mwdxer1]

Well, Goodwill is, as they may not be allowed to sell it, and the shelves are loaded with both Dish & Direct receivers. The vast majority of them are older receivers. The 211k I found, I had never seen one at Goodwill before.
I did find a new in the box with the remote, cables, etc on e bay for $70. The seller has great marks, so this is my best bet. If a leased receiver can never be activated then again the landfill is where it will end up in time. I do like the idea of Dish offering a bounty on such receivers. But all reality, I doubt Dish wants all of those old receivers back. Like today a friend got a new VIP222 as Dish could not replace the remote on her old unit. In this case the installer did not want the receiver as it is too old. They just left it there.Again it is a leased receiver.

 

[spongella]

Also check out ShopGoodWill.com for online auctions. Money goes to a good cause and they have a good selection of stuff.

 

[Foxbat]

If a leased receiver can never be activated then again the landfill is where it will end up in time.

Please don't trash any unusable receivers! All unwanted and old electronics should be properly disposed of through an E-Waste Recycling drive or other authorized center. http://www.oregon.gov/DEQ/ecycles/Pages/default.aspx