Hindi Mega Pack changes and bad DISH customer service

[hvarma2008]

Looks like DISH is slowly removing hindi channels from the 61.5 satellite location.
They have now removed Sahara Samay (584) yesterday, and no longer available to people like me that have internationals coming in from 61.5. THen they added a new channel on 573 ( SANSKAR) on satellite 118.7 but not on 61.5, so I don't get it either.

I have been in touch with DISH CSR and Tech support about this issue. They finally agreed that I need a DISH pointed to 118.7 to get internationals. But they want a $95 tech site visit fee. Now that would be ok if I wanted them to come and do work for me at my request or for an upgrade at my option.

In this case, DISH is making changes and I subscribe to a package that includes channels that are no longer available to me due to changes made by DISH without even communicating to their subs. To add insult to injury, they want to charge to fix the problem they created. The DISH tech had the guts to say that the DISH re-pointing/replacement was free, but I stiill had to pay for site visit.

Now I am not surprised that DISH is going down in customer satisfaction. The sad thing is, Directv is probably worse!!

 

[DishSubLA]

If you are a current subscriber to any International channel that is migrating, Dish will upgrade your system at NO CHARGE so that you will continue to receive the same services you do today. HOWEVER, Dish notifies you by mail of the free upgrade. If you want it done BEFORE you receive official notice, AND if your account has not yet been approved for the upgrade, then YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY for the upgrade, and or tech visit. There is NO tech visit fee if for the FREE upgrade if you are calling because you have received a letter from Dish or have approval on your account.

In other words, you are best waiting for Dish's official notification. However, you can call a CSR to see if it has already been approved on your account.

The key is you MUST be a current subscriber to the channel that will be migrated.

I, and other have been upgraded FREE of CHARGE, once we have been either notified or approved.

In other words, if you are trying to upgrade, but the channels you SUBSCRIBE to are still available at 61.5, Dish is not going to upgrade you until they are ready to do so, but it will be BEFORE the channels YOU SUBSCRIBE to are taken down from 61.5.

There have been some people on this board who have "jumped the gun" and requested an upgrade BEFORE it is necessary, and are told they must pay for the upgrade.

Finally, if you are, indeed, a paying subscriber to an international at 61.5, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED FOR YOUR FREE UPGRADE by Dish. Just be patient, and you will be upgraded for free, otherwise you will have to pay for the upgrade and tech visit.

If you are a paying subscriber to an intentional that has been taken down from 61.5 and migrated to 118, then you are entitled to a FREE upgrade and NO CHARGES what so ever to allow you to see all the same programming you were paying for before the channel was taken down. The CSR was mistaken is saying you have to pay the tech visit fee in such a situation. Try again, and go to Executive Offices if necessary.

As a note: Dish came and took my old Dish 500 and other Dish 500 reflector with a single LNBF looking at 148 and replaced it with a brand-new Dish 1000 Plus (I hope I got that right) that looks at 110, 118, 119, 129, and they also added a DPP44, and they replaced the old cable from the roof to the switches located under the house, and they properly ground it, and, overall, did an excellent install and clean-up (he was a Dish company installer, and they are the best) all at NO CHARGE for ANYTHING. It was all covered in the upgrade to 118 for internationals. Cost $0. Nada.

Good luck

 

[hvarma2008]

Thanks for information. I guess I should patiently wait for them sort it out. I spoke to another tech this evening, she claimed the two channels are gone from the hindi mega pack, and told me some story about a channel can be on 118.7 that does not mean it is available to anyone etc etc ( you get the picture, another clueless DISH tech)

 

[DishSubLA]

Yes, the point is that Dish will pay for free upgrade if one is LOSING a channel, not because Dish adds one at a different location. Everyone who is looking at internationals at 61.5 will get the notice from Dish for the free upgrade to 118, so all will soon be getting all new channels added to any existing packs when does comes out to upgrade you. Just be patient. It makes no sense for Dish to add any new channels to 61.5 as that is no longer the international sat and it is in the process of migration. Keep on eye on your mail for the letter from Dish. Yes, clueless CSR's are a plague.

Good luck.

 

[r10fret]

Call up and demand to speak to loyalty dept, they will get you over to 118 for free or a fraction of the cost $15.

 

[DishSubLA]

Call up and demand to speak to loyalty dept, they will get you over to 118 for free or a fraction of the cost $15.

Dish may not budge on this because they can be STUPID sometimes. Dish already has a list of customers they are upgrading, and Dish can't realistically do them all at one time. That is why each account receives approval over time as they make room for more free upgrades and try to get to everyone in an orderly fashion before the channel is taken down. In the meantime, Dish is, as it often does, going to continue to add more international channels, but at the new location. If the OP can wait for his time to come, he should, rather than risk a really upsetting, confrontational exchange with people who may not be able to force the software to put him at the head of the line for upgrades and that may just have him leave for less greener pastures. He will get his free upgrade, but this isn't truly a big deal to cause more exasperation so that one can leapfrog to the head of the line putting someone else who does have approval further down the line. I was in his situation, and I got my notice soon enough and all was well, and not worth dealing with dopey CSR's and transferred calls. My time was more valuable than that. It's was coming to me for free anyway.