Help with hopeful upgrade please.. this can't be right.

[inwo]

He is not asking for a free receiver. He don't want to have to pay $200 to add local channels to his package. He stated he is willing to pay for the receiver even though when he signed up he was supposed to get up to 3. He just wants the same deal most other current customers are getting. Is that really too much to ask.

It's olnly $50 for SD upgrade to get locals. It sounds like he does want another rec. for free. If he was willing to pay for a rec. , then the $200 is about right.

A local dealer will come out and fix him up. And he will own the rec.

Where's the beef?

 

[miguelaqui]

Actually, if you want local channels and it requires an additional dish, they HAVE to provide it at no cost. Isn't that called must carry? Shoot, that's even changing towards a 1 dish solution and if they have the channels at 129 they should replace your 500 with a 1000 so you don't need a 2nd dish.

I. Must Carry channels are the ones which are not the main nets; ex: UPN, WB, additional PBS and Spanish language channels...etc.., . He does not fall in this category because his local channels are on the SuperDish and also the Dish 1000.

II. Where did you hear that E* is going to be replacing the existing dishes with the D1000? That would really cost too much. It's not even sure as to whether or not they will offer free Dish 1000's to existing customers with the 61.5 Must Carry channels.

 

[OoTLink]

.. no.. not that way, I was inferring that if he wanted locals and they were at 129, they'd replace the 500 with a 1000 instead of mounting a 2nd 300 or 500.

 

[miguelaqui]

.. no.. not that way, I was inferring that if he wanted locals and they were at 129, they'd replace the 500 with a 1000 instead of mounting a 2nd 300 or 500.

I'm sorry, I thought you were saying that , since he is in an area where all the locals are on 129, they would give him a D1000 for free.

 

[miguelaqui]

The BEST solution I can think of

I would do this.....Call E* and say you want to disconnect. They will send you to customer retention.
Customer retention MIGHT give you something, The truth is that, if your programming package is thust the top 60; they might just tell you goodbye and remind you of the $25 reconnect fee.
Bluntly tell them that you want to disconnect becuase you want an additional receiver for free. They might give you a free remanufactured receiver or offer you a leasing.
You can try to get them to waive the $50 fee for the Superdish fee; I doubt it.
If customer retention does not help, enjoy D* and the remember the 2 year commitment.

 

[BobaBird]

Actually, if you want local channels and it requires an additional dish, they HAVE to provide it at no cost.

That applies ONLY when the channels in a local market come from 2 different dishes (ex: some locals on 110, some on 61.5). Many of the newer added markets have the entire slate of locals on available on 1 satellite, it's just one that cannot be picked up by a Dish 500 (choice of 121 or 129 in the case of Erie).

Must carry does not mean Dish has to give it to you free.

It can (see above) though strictly speaking it's how many stations choose to be included in the LIL package (see below).

Must Carry channels are the ones which are not the main nets

While that turns out to generally be the case, it is not how it's determined. Stations have a choice of negotiating for retransmission consent ("we're so popular we're sure Dish would rather pay us than go to market without us") or demanding Must Carry ("we know you can get by w/o us but we somehow barely manage to qualify as a local broadcaster so you have to").

 

[Van]

Free second dish or upgrade dish under must carry has a time frame on it, also if a customer is offered a MC and they decline it then it will also become no longer a free upgrade. Many stations that are on wing sats dont seem to be popular stations with the majority of theyr market such as a pbs/aviation weather station in the twin cities or with wadl 38 in the mount clemens area of the motor city.

 

[jrf]

Let me add a few things here. I originally became a DHP (Digital Home Plan) subscriber so I didn't have to OWN equipment. I don't mind paying an extra premium per month to lease equipment. I really don't care to own this stuff. It will be outdated in 5 years anyways.

2nd, I've been with E* for OVER 2 years now. I have no problem with a commitment. If they were to add what I asked, I'd easily sign a 2 year contract with them.

While I know THEY don't know this, or maybe can't even trust me. The 2nd line is already run for the 2nd receiver. I ran the lines when I wired my house just for that reason. In fact, when the installer came out 2 years ago, I asked him to hook up the 2nd line to the dish, just in case, I added another reciever down the road. Techinically I didn't want to be pulling apart the dish and connecting wires, especially being on the DHP. However, adding the 2nd reciever (even for me) is less than a 15 minute job. Less if installing a new dish anyways. I do understand they don't know this before they come, and have to pay someone to come out.

I was under the assumption with the DHP plan I could add recievers (not buy them) at any time. Possibly with an install fee, although when I joined they made it seem like it would be free. This was over 2 years ago, and I can't be certain. I'm sure it was sales talk.

Also, I want to UPGRADE my package. I have the top 60 now, I want to go to the top180. PLUS add locals and a receiver fee. So really I'm asking to pay a whole lot more money a month than I already am. And willing to commit to it.

I'm also already on CC autopay, from what I hear is something they like.

What am I asking for "free"? I am willing to pay a maximum of $50 to have someone come out and replace the dish and add a reciever. I don't really want a dish, but I'd like my locals. They are offering that for $50, I'm ok with that. I'm not OK with them additionally charging me for adding the receiver, and for the reciever itself. I don't feel I should have to pay $50 for the right to lease a receiver. As pointed out, I could buy one for that.

BTW, the money breakdown was $50 to install new dish. $100 to install new reciever. $50 receiver fee.(not to own)

For that I'm willing to upgrade my package with locals and commit to 1 or 2 years with CC autopay.

Am I really asking too much?

I'm really not trying to piss anyone off. I'm a bit surprised at this thread to be honest. I guess I was just a bit surprised considering the competition that seems to be out there for these guys. I can easily and at no cost to me, switch to D* right now and get everything I want, minus the locals, AND for a cheaper rate. After 2 years, I could call back E* as a new customer and also get everything I'm asking for now for free. I don't believe for a minute that with a 2 year commitment that E* would not make up the money spent in leasing me a reciever and a new dish. In fact it is pretty obvious they would since that must be built in to a new subscriber commitment for 1 year with all that free equipment.

I've just about got everything compared with D* and E*. My last effort will be when I call to cancel with E*. I will give them 1 more chance. I have no loyalty to either one to be honest, and if digital cable wasn't so darn expensive here, they would be in the mix also.

I do apprecaite some of the good advice, thanks.

 

[BobaBird]

Free second dish or upgrade dish under must carry has a time frame on it, also if a customer is offered a MC and they decline it then it will also become no longer a free upgrade.

Which part of the law allows either exception?

 

[OoTLink]

Sounds fair to me, but remember you're talking about installers here, some of which feel quite offended when the possibility of chargebacks (not likely), and getting less jobs done in 1 day.. lol.

What I find strange is they gave you a DHA plan without locals!

Not too unbelievable, IIRC that was an option when I signed up too! Either way, have you explained to the CSRs that installing the 2nd receiver wouldn't be necessary?

 

[jrf]

After a lot of comparing and talking with the wife, decided that we could and would switch to D*, but I would give E* one last chance. If E* wouldn't give in at all, off to D* we would be. Found out install times and everything. Even went to local electronic chain to play with D*'s DVR.

Called E* and got the same answer $200 for what I wanted. I told them I wanted to cancel. Got transferred to a different department. He said I had been a customer for 2.5 years and what was the problem. I told him I wanted to upgrade service and add locals and a receiver and was told it was going to cost $200. That I compared with D* and I could get what I wanted with free equipment. Without even hesitating he said "What if I give you the equipment you want for free?"

You can guess the rest of the story. Install is this week. I just don't know why I had to go through so much to get to that point. All he wanted was a 1 year commitment. Simple and done. I just wish the regular CS reps were able to do that. I just left me with a bad taste. He turned on the 180 package for me yesterday and the locals when the dish comes.

 

[OoTLink]

Glad to hear that

At least you only get stuck with a 1 year contract, not 2

The thing that annoys me about directv is they don't give you more than 1 free tivo, the rest you have to buy or something! So when I see "Free DVR on 4 TVs!" I think false advertising now :\

 

[inwo]

It makes the dealers and csrs look bad when this happens. Dish should not let the cry babys get away with this. Just let them walk!

In my experience customers will want more and more. Once the commitment is up they will think of some other issue to whine about, and switch anyway.

 

[OoTLink]

Oh stick a sock in it, he's paying like $80 a month for his new programming! The least they can do is replace his 500 *dish* with a 1000 one (this is considerably easier than putting up an entirely new dish), and stick a 522 or 322 on the other end of the cable coming from the dish.