Just noticed HD Enabling Fee on my bill from Dish

[jeslevine]

It is 7 bucks. They indicated it is because I have a 622 and 722 receiver, even though I do NOT subscribe to their HD programming

They told me that took effect in May

Frankly Dish is really starting to piss me off with the nickel and dime they have been doing.

 

[jcrandall]

Actually it took effect a long time ago, they just weren't billing you.

 

[jwfgeol]

It is 7 bucks. They indicated it is because I have a 622 and 722 receiver, even though I do NOT subscribe to their HD programming

Yes, you should have been charged this. If you have an HD receiver but do not have HD programming, they charge the fee.

 

[Pepper]

Why should they provide a more expensive HD receiver if you're not going to sub to the HD programming. You can get what you're subscribing to on a cheaper SD box. That's the justification they use for the fee (even if you bought it outright at full retail price, which I would challenge by the way if that's the case).

 

[JohnL]

If you order the HD Essential package it is only $3.00 more than paying the HD Enabling fee and you get every HD Version of Channel(s) you receive in SD if available in HD.

For $3.00 more you will get alot more HD Channels and you will avoid the $7.00 fee, seems like a no brainer to me.

Just as other posters have remarked, Dish has always had a policy of Charging an HD Enabling fee if subscribers do NOT subscribe to an HD package if they have HD Receiver(s).

I don't understand why ANY HDTV owners with Dish Network don't subscribe to packages that get them more HD channels, when they have Dish HD receiver. Even if the HD version of a Network does not have HD Content on all the time, there is vastly less compression hence a much better Picture on the HD channel even if that channel has only SD content on instead of viewing that same content on the SD version of that channel.

John

 

[Smith P.]

Like a fee for do not pack you into train ( as doing in Japan).

 

[kstuart]

To summarize, if you have 622 and 722, but do not subscribe to HD programming, then Dish is providing you a couple of $500 HD receivers instead of $300 SD receivers, so the $7 fee is to make up the difference.

If you buy a 622 or 722 from a dealer for $500, then you don't have to pay the $7 fee.

To clarify what was said about HD Essentials, you can watch some additional channels like "HD-Net", even though you don't have an HDTV.

 

[Mauiguy]

"If you buy a 622 or 722 from a dealer for $500, then you don't have to pay the $7 fee."

Except that when I cancelled all of my programming with dish except for the Japanese channel, they charged me the enabling fee. The CSR said the computer will not let them remove that charge.

I own all of my receivers, and just as soon as Directv gets the Japanese channel, it will be aloha to any remaining dish subscription I have.

 

[Allin4greeN]

What I recently found interesting about the "HD Enabling Fee" is, even though I placed my account on "Dish Pause," as I'm in the middle of a move that's going to take several weeks to complete, they're charging me the fee...

I'd otherwise be annoyed with this but, the Acct Specialists I worked with managed to work some magic in the system that partially mitigated the cost. Still, I'd imagine anyone who's on pause and expecting a $10 bill while receiving a $17+ bill would be slightly miffed.

 

[jeslevine]

Excellent point

If you order the HD Essential package it is only $3.00 more than paying the HD Enabling fee and you get every HD Version of Channel(s) you receive in SD if available in HD.

For $3.00 more you will get alot more HD Channels and you will avoid the $7.00 fee, seems like a no brainer to me.

Just as other posters have remarked, Dish has always had a policy of Charging an HD Enabling fee if subscribers do NOT subscribe to an HD package if they have HD Receiver(s).

I don't understand why ANY HDTV owners with Dish Network don't subscribe to packages that get them more HD channels, when they have Dish HD receiver. Even if the HD version of a Network does not have HD Content on all the time, there is vastly less compression hence a much better Picture on the HD channel even if that channel has only SD content on instead of viewing that same content on the SD version of that channel.

John

I don't know why I didn't consider it. Sometimes the obvious just isn't obvious to me

Thanks

 

[jeslevine]

I own my 622s, but they are still charging me the fee

"If you buy a 622 or 722 from a dealer for $500, then you don't have to pay the $7 fee."

Except that when I cancelled all of my programming with dish except for the Japanese channel, they charged me the enabling fee. The CSR said the computer will not let them remove that charge.

I own all of my receivers, and just as soon as Directv gets the Japanese channel, it will be aloha to any remaining dish subscription I have.

However, someone just pointed out that I just subscribe to their minimum HD for 10 bucks, and for 3 bucks more I get some HD programming

 

[Jim5506]

I don't believe owning an HD receiver vs leasing exempts you from the HD enabling fee if you do not sub to a HD package.

I think the enabling fee is for enabling your HD OTA locals without a Dish HD package.

 

[Mauiguy]

However, someone just pointed out that I just subscribe to their minimum HD for 10 bucks, and for 3 bucks more I get some HD programming

The HD service offered to Hawaii is simply not worth the price. We do not get anything close to what y'all get on the mainland

I have moved to a different provider and only keep Dishnetwork to provide the Japanese channel as I have no other way of receiving it.

The point of my original post was to simply state that the enabling service charge is charged to us whether or not we want HD programming.

 

[DishSubLA]

Why should they provide a more expensive HD receiver if you're not going to sub to the HD programming. You can get what you're subscribing to on a cheaper SD box. That's the justification they use for the fee (even if you bought it outright at full retail price, which I would challenge by the way if that's the case).

Charlie says that Dish/Echostar subsidizes the boxes at even the full retail price. Try not to get upset at me; I'm just telling what Chuck says.

 

[DishSubLA]

"If you buy a 622 or 722 from a dealer for $500, then you don't have to pay the $7 fee."

Except that when I cancelled all of my programming with dish except for the Japanese channel, they charged me the enabling fee. The CSR said the computer will not let them remove that charge.

I own all of my receivers, and just as soon as Directv gets the Japanese channel, it will be aloha to any remaining dish subscription I have.

Yes, all ViP STB's will be charged the HD enabling fee even if the box is owned. In other words, if you have a ViP box and you don't subscribe to any HD programming, you will be charged. However, when you subscribe to HD programming, the $7 HD Enabling fee is eliminated. It is either or, not both fees.

 

[DishSubLA]

What I recently found interesting about the "HD Enabling Fee" is, even though I placed my account on "Dish Pause," as I'm in the middle of a move that's going to take several weeks to complete, they're charging me the fee...

I'd otherwise be annoyed with this but, the Acct Specialists I worked with managed to work some magic in the system that partially mitigated the cost. Still, I'd imagine anyone who's on pause and expecting a $10 bill while receiving a $17+ bill would be slightly miffed.

Charlie wants his money back on his subsidy of the ViP's NOW, not later. I'm giving you Chuck's view on this, not mine.

 

[DishSubLA]

I don't believe owning an HD receiver vs leasing exempts you from the HD enabling fee if you do not sub to a HD package.

I think the enabling fee is for enabling your HD OTA locals without a Dish HD package.

NO. The HD Enabling fee is to recover Charlie's subsidy of the ViP, owned (still subsidized, Charlie says) or leased if you do not subscribe to HD programming.

 

[DishSubLA]

Regarding Chuck's HD Enabling fee: Let's all keep in mind that the Tivo Series 3 HD DVR (the closest like-model to the 722) is MSRP at $799.99 (really $800). The series 3 has less capicity, no sat tuners, no PIP, much slower, guide and menu operations etc., while the 722 has all this and faster operation, and Dish retail on the 722 is about HALF (can be found at $425-$450) the price of the Tivo Series 3. Even if one is a Tivo fanatic, one cannot deny the much lower cost of the 722 and NO additional $13 per month charge by Tivo to keep the Series 3 from being a doorstop.

Charlie says he is subsidizing the cost of the 722 for both leased and retail owners. Considering the cost of the Tivo Series 3, Charlie's claim could very will be true. From Charlie's POV, that is why he is charging the HD Enabling fee if you do not subscribe to HD programming. Subscribe to HD programming, and the HD Enabling fee goes away. Chuck wants his subsidy back in some manner, by programming preferred because you are getting something (HD programming) in exchange for returning his subsidy. Charlie hopes you stay with Dish Network for a long time, that is how gets the subsidies back.

 

[Smith P.]

Don't need to bring the MSRP price here - it's meaningless for your defense of Dish prices.

 

[harshness]

Frankly Dish is really starting to piss me off with the nickel and dime they have been doing.

The fee is $9.99 per month with DIRECTV.

Very few companies want to offer you HD equipment if you don't subscribe to HD programming. Imagine how expensive it would be had you chosen to go the TiVo route.