Just Got My Letter From Dish Today

[Scroll]

For all wondering if Dish would have a great conversion deal looks like this is it, for what it's worth.

The wording is kinda silly in one respect, since we all HAVE receivers and it also talks about installing equipment. And of course they claim you get up to $200 incentives by switching to AT100, which includes checking your antennas & equipment, which might benefit 61.5 only users but I don't recall mention of exchanging the antenna or an additional antenna for free. Maybe it does say, but I don't need it. There's also a DVR offer, but again I can't say if those with a current Dish sub can get that or not. This offer appears to me a lot like a new customer appeal, which many of us wouldn't be.

But without reading the needlessly literal tiny fine print on back I'm not sure I even qualify for this "great deal" since I currently sub to Dish Family. BTW now they tell me I am "not qualified" to switch to Dish Essentials but to call them. Why? if I don't qualify. I think I might go ahead and call and just cancel my account or perhaps just keep the locals to keep the PI Pak. My receiver is a 508 fee free DVR so it might be worth it even with the access fee.

I have only 1 guess as to why I don't qualify for the Essentials, that being the SA Pak is a disqualifier, which as we ALL know evaporates in but 3 days. So if that's it they can't just tell me that via email?

I mean they've literally been evasive on the subject of the Essentials, many times answering part of an email and totally ignoring the Essentials question. I just feel uneasy dealing with companies which operate like that, ESPECIALLY when they are also trying to get me locked into a commitment.

So I suppose today is likely my final decision day with respect to my relationship to Dish. Thought I knew how I would proceed but yet again Dish has pulled the rug out from under me without explanation.

 

[catkoko]

Well dish offered me a new dish installed with a new dual receiver , all for no charge IF I signed a 24 month agreement for dish family. In addition I get some sort of insurance for 8? months at no charge.

Initially they tried to play the "you are already a customer game", sorry no offers just keep calling back until you get a person who will give you what YOU want

 

[Scroll]

Well like I say that doesn't excite me. I already have a DVR without paying that $6 monthly fee for it and my antennas still work ok.

As for being stuck for 24 months...if I had a better history with them maybe. My family has been very satisfied with Direct TV and I wouldn't mind being tied to them for 2 years. Then again, somebody new could always buy the thing in the meantime and make me sorry.

But I'm glad you found a deal you like!

 

[BabaLouie]

BTW now they tell me I am "not qualified" to switch to Dish Essentials but to call them. Why?

I have only 1 guess as to why I don't qualify for the Essentials, that being the SA Pak is a disqualifier, which as we ALL know evaporates in but 3 days. So if that's it they can't just tell me that via email?

You are correct. You cannot receive Essentials as long as you have ANY other package, including Sky Angel. The only thing that you can have, along with Essentials, is locals. I confirmed this with an Account Specialist via a phone conversation a few days ago. He told me to call back once Sky Angel DBS goes dark.

BTW, most of the CSR's don't have info on the Essentials package. You have to ask to speak with an account specialist.

 

[Scroll]

Here's the reply I just got:

Thank you for your email. Please be informed that Dish Essential service is a special package and we are not allowed to activate it on your account. You will need to call us at 1-800-333-3474 to further assist you with this package.



Typical Dish nonsense. How hard would it have been to just answer the question? Then to say we're not allowed to activate it - but call anyway??



And really, their reps "should" know about this as it is IMO a last ditch effort to keep a customer interested in keeping the account active while trying to figure out a way to get them to either up their service or spend money some other way.

I just despise the whole phone interaction process, as do many others. It feels like a total waste of time & effort to me for a very simple question not even counting the phone tag & hangups.


I did a quick look into HD service and quickly became disenchanted by all the costs involved in addition to the commitment period. I can see a few ways that I might want to keep just the Essentials while subbing to cable and also so for more than a few people, and as long as that Dish receiver is installed and working it's a lot easier temptation to upgrade than waiting half a day for an installer to maybe show or not. Plus it adds to the all important subscriber base numbers.

I tell you the truth. In my whole history with Dish every time I about get to a comfortable place in my relationship with them they seem to find a way to screw it up. Meanwhile Direct TV has been exactly the opposite to me and my family, providing at least consistent quality customer service (despite a few blips around Holiday periods). And the signal quality problems I have with Dish have been virtually non-existent with the single position Direct TV dish when I have had a sub. But due to my Dish experiences I hesitate to get locked into an HD deal even with Direct TV due to the 5 position antenna, especially with Florida having a fair share of storms.


But here's the real rub for me. Outside of Faith based programming (which Dish really isn't carrying my favorites anyway) and locals and movies I really never watch more than about 10 channels period no matter where I am and have available to view. So schemes to get me to all said & done pay over $50+ a month to get those 10 channels in HD quality (and about that even in SD) to me is excessive. I still remember the early claims that cable would eliminate commercials. And most people know there are packages and installs that exceed $100 a month for this commercial based programming, not even counting some of those "absolutely everything we got including PPV" inclusive packs for the very well to do. They don't talk much about them so much anymore that I am aware of though.

But that's the game all the providers seem to play. Make you over subscribe just to get the channels you really wanted in the 1st place.

Oh, guess I just needed to vent.

But I really do hope Congress or the FCC will figure out a way to eliminate the unchecked ability of media companies from forcing bundled contracts on to media service providers like DBS & cable and get a bit closer to us then instead paying for a number of channels, kinda like Dish's long extinct "Pick 10 for $10 Pak." So perhaps that's why I want the Essentials. Well that and the fact that it's just $3 higher than paying the $6 access fee to get my locals on the 508 receiver and has more channels I actually want to watch than does Dish Family.

 

[chapelrun]

I got the letter too...

I even read the small print on the back.

DISH is not offering anything that you can't get from their webpage!

I finally decided today. When Sky Angel goes dark, that DISH comes down and another Fixed FTA dish goes in its place.

 

[catkoko]

True, just like the IPTV offer sent to lifetimers eg free box w/18 month comittment was no different that the one online or by phone.

Of course my dish offer came after I ordered but thats no surprise. hey I have already been put on hold and even disconnected by dish. boy are we off to a good start...........

I would love to see alacarte tv. IN the long run I bet some would spend even more if they could choose which channels they want. dish could always have a 10 chanel minimum for $10 and then add additional channels for a bit less, say .50 a channel. If we can order PPV individually it could easily be done

 

[BabaLouie]

Well, I called the account specialist at 1-888-773-2162 and added the $9.99 Essentials package today. My Sky Angel channels were turned off, but they go dark in a couple of days anyway.

Besides the channels listed in the Essentials Package thread, I get CNN, Headline News, Cartoon Network, Discovery, and C-Span2. I also get TBN, Angel One, KTV, Angel Two, 3ABN, and EWTN. For $9.99, I am very happy! Not sure if all of these extra channels will stay (or if you will get them with your Essentials pack), but I'm going to enjoy them while I can!

 

[Wescopc]

Well, I called the account specialist at 1-888-773-2162 and added the $9.99 Essentials package today. My Sky Angel channels were turned off, but they go dark in a couple of days anyway.

Besides the channels listed in the Essentials Package thread, I get CNN, Headline News, Cartoon Network, Discovery, and C-Span2. I also get TBN, Angel One, KTV, Angel Two, 3ABN, and EWTN. For $9.99, I am very happy! Not sure if all of these extra channels will stay (or if you will get them with your Essentials pack), but I'm going to enjoy them while I can!

If you are signed up (no extra charge) to the public interest (or public access) channels this link will show you what you will get in addition to those on the Essentials package:
Free Public Interest Programming Package
Bob

 

[Scroll]

Funny thing. In an email response I finally got from Dish as to what other programming you could have with Essentials instead of answering IF you could also get the PI Pak with it, and I cited CSPN as being in the PI Pak, I was only told C-Span is not in the Essentials Pak. Not the question I asked. So now it turns out you get C-Span2 in it?

I have been a CSR rep before, not with Dish of course. It really isn't THAT hard to have accurate information more accessible to reps. But that's a whole topic in itself.

 

[Scroll]

I also get TBN, Angel One, KTV, Angel Two, 3ABN, and EWTN. For $9.99, I am very happy! Not sure if all of these extra channels will stay (or if you will get them with your Essentials pack), but I'm going to enjoy them while I can!

As to whether they stay it might depend on which channel you get them on. Currently I have 3 of the SA channels listed under 3 channel numbers, as discussed in the other thread.