Free HD for Life without commitment or $99

[kyoo]

I've seen a few threads on this, and some say you can be grandfathered in to Free HD for Life if you're a HD Platinum subscriber, etc..

I just called in to Dish to see about this, and the bubbly CSR was not helpful in the least.

I'm currently paying $54.99 for AT200, $10 for HD 200, and $10 for HD Platinum.. and have been for years now.

Is there a way for me to get the free HD 200 pkg for life, and remove the HD Platinum at the same time without committing for 24 months or paying the $99 fee? If so, how? I'd prefer not to play CSR Roulette.

Thanks!

-kyoo

 

[r10fret]

Call up the dish jockeys and recite the following (see picture), its from the back of your statement every month, they should transfer you to loyalty dept.

 

[kyoo]

I did find this quoted in certain places.. of course not on dishnetwork.com, though.

Most official page I found it on was http://dishnetworkdeals.us/

Existing customers who were subscribing to the $10/mo. HD & Platinum package prior to June 3, 2010, will be automatically grandfathered into HD Free for Life without being required to enter into a 24-month "HD Free for Life" commitment OR pay the $99 HD Programming Upgrade Fee.

Now I just need to find a CSR that will oblige.

 

[peano]

You weren't grandfathered because you didn't have HD and Platinum for $10. You are paying $20.

 

[kyoo]

So I'm being screwed over because I was over paying? That's awesome.

 

[Scherrman]

I don't see any reason why they can't get you on the HD Free promotion. You will have to sign up for autopay and paperless billing though.

 

[kyoo]

Well, I tried again last night, and they still wouldn't do it.. it appears since I was paying an extra $10 per month, that I don't qualify.. that makes no sense!

But it does beg the question of why my father and me are paying $10 for HD 200 and $10 for HD Platinum separately..

 

[Scherrman]

The requirements are that the customer has a 24 month and autopay.

 

[kyoo]

well, I already autopay and get e-bills.. but I really don't want another 2-year contract just for this.. something I should have been grandfathered into already!

 

[Scherrman]

The only way you would have been grandfathered into it was if you were getting HD and Platinum together for $10.

 

[kyoo]

That is how it is "written".. but it doesn't make any sense... I really should have been grandfathered into the "HD and Platinum" package when it came available because I paid for the two of them separately. But noooo.. those bastards wanted to keep charging me $10 more a month until I wised up.. and they screw me over on the next money saving opportunity, to boot.. that's $20/month that they've managed to screw me over on..

Not to mention the 6 months of SHO/HBO that they charged me for that they were supposed to auto cancel after the 3 months free.. argh..

 

[KAB]

Not to mention the 6 months of SHO/HBO that they charged me for that they were supposed to auto cancel after the 3 months free.. argh..

Just a wild idea...you might want to start looking at your bills.

 

[krauser1]

It is very weird how this works. Back in the day I was one who complained to Dish that they were including Platinum channels with HD so they gave me those channels at no charge which was the promo months back.

When Dish launched the free HD, my bill then changed to reflect a $10 a month charge for platinum and HD200 free. I spoke online with a CSR yesterday and asked that very question - if I remove platinum, will I still get HD free? She said yes. I was hesitant, but had her remove the platinum and checked online today. I received the credit for Platinum and still have HD200 free on my account.

Not sure if it was luck, but I am not paying for HD, nor platinum now. Sounds like you got shafted since you are paying $10 for HD and $10 for platinum. I did not have to sign a new contract or do autopay whatsoever.

 

[kyoo]

Just a wild idea...you might want to start looking at your bills.

Good point.. I've realized now that the e-bill solution was deployed to make sure your bill ends up in your spam folder and that you never look at it.. and thusly miss out on cost saving opportunities..

 

[KAB]

Good point.. I've realized now that the e-bill solution was deployed to make sure your bill ends up in your spam folder and that you never look at it.. and thusly miss out on cost saving opportunities..

Right! And if that's the case, you also need to learn how to manage your mail account.

 

[trumanhorn]

I'm wondering if the OP could be helped out more by executive customer service--ceo@echostar.com; this seems like a perfect problem for them.

 

[kyoo]

I've sent a note there.. I'm in the waiting period..

 

[tigershere]

Glad I came here to check the latest
I did the Free for life and lowered the bill by 10

Lady CSR actually read me the other channels that are costing me the other 10 dollars and if I wanted to get rid of them
MGM, flix, Epic1, etc
I have never watched ANY of them but I decided to not change those yet. It's kinda stupid to keep HD you never watch just because it's HD and I want as much HD as I can get.


Since I am not goig anywhere i figured no reason to pay 99 bucks and take away a year of savings, well, almost a year.

Bill is still around 100 bucks after the damn change.

 

[dlsnyder]

Interesting. About 4 months ago I spoke with retentions and was able to get them to throw in the HD + Plantinum for no charge for 3 months. As of today those channels are still on and I am still not being charged. On top of that I still have my penny Cinemax. Maybe somehow I slipped under the radar...

 

[kyoo]

Well, my letter to CEO@dishnetwork.com paid off.. I found a very reasonable and rational human that called me back and understood my issue. He signed me up for Dish HD Free for Life w/ no commitment or fee.

Thanks Dish! I just wish it wasn't so painful in the mean time.