MSNBC and Cooking in Dish America Gold?

Given up!!!

Well after twenty different stories, TWO new receivers and three hardware swaps over two weeks and four hours with a technician at my house, I've given up on a resolution to this problem and just threw money at DN for a fix. I just paid $20 more and got the 250 package with HD. What a way to run a business - deny the customer what they paid for and then suggest that if they want a fix they have to upgrade.

I used to get mad, or switch companies, but now I've found out its better to stay with DN and become one of their bitchy long-term customers. They loose more money dealing with my problems and listening to me than if I just got mad and I left their service. So far I've tallied up over seven hours on the phone with them, two receivers that they had to pay shipping for and one service technician that spent four hour at my house without a resolution, and two weeks later - still no resolution.

Working for DN at $11.50 and hour seems like a good deal, you don't even need to know the answer to a problem, BS is enough. How do I know, because I gotten nothing from CSR's or the technical people, other than BS, lies and wrong solutions. An honest answer that would make me believe they know why the problem exists or how to fix it would be better than the old song and dance, that says they are looking into it or we'll fix it - just be patient and wait - "or if you want to pay more money - we'll fix your problem. This one suggestion from a CSR at DN borders on bait-and-switch tactics.

The thing that really bugs me is when they say they are SORRY. If they are so sorry, how about showing it in some meaningful way, like a credit or free year of service or ???

Charlie should take note here, because if these types of complaints keep up, the FCC WILL get involved in the future and make him and his company more responsible to their customers in the same way broadcaster have to be.

See, this is much more fun than getting mad and quitting DN. Winning the HEARTS AND MINDS of customers is done in a two fold method, keeping up the pressure on DN while making a lot of noise that potential customers see on forums like this.

Good customer service is something DN should try and resolve and follow Zappos's business plan, that says they are a "service industry" first and they sell shoes as a sideline.

Love you guys, just wish you had better managers to resolve issues like this.:mad:
 
I'm going to assume that renofranks issues go above and beyong Cooking Channel HD and/or MSNBC HD. Those two channels have been stated (several times now) to not be equipment issues or isolated issues (everyone with DA that would be eligible is, in theory, affected). The rest of the channels he mentioned pages back were a handful of channels that included public interest channels. That said, you really should quit dealing with Chat or phone CSRs. Dish IRT is here, and if your issues are more than just those two channels, bring it to their attention - if it's just those two, put the phone down and wait for the resolution here. :)

Channels noted by renofrank:
209 MSNBC (Dish IRT has engineering working on it)
113 Cooking Channel HD (again, Dish IRT has engineering working it)
9710 Three Angels Broadcasing Network (moved to 9393?)
9402 Health & Human Services
843 HITN
9413 Alma Vision Hispanic Network
439 Big Ten Network (are you eligible for this? It's an RSN)
9406 Classic Arts Showcase
704 KBS World
9405 Pentagon Channel
9418 Florida Education Channel
 
Last edited:
Just to be fair, and to help out those who are still bothered by this problem, and maybe help the IRT's, I provide the following information:

Initially, I did not get the channels listed below. After seven phone calls I did get someone who appeared to be more interested in resolving my problem than placating me. He was able to send a activation code to my receiver that activated three of the eleven channels, 9406 - Classic Arts, 9405 - Pentagon and 9710 -Three Angels Broadcasing Network. Then he suggested the receiver solution, which resulted in two receivers being sent to my home - one of which gave pixelated images and was finally deemed DOA by the home technician, which resulted in more calls that ended in another receiver being sent. Upon receiving the second receiver, reading this forum, and additional talks with two phone techs I gave up and had to make a choice - do I keep up this dance with fools and fairy tale stories, or do I find another way to solve the problem. I was getting down to a deadline where a family member was to be interviewed on MSNBC and it was of utmost importance to record the program. So I chose the only option open to me, UPGRADE. Even one of the DN techs on this forum made a comment the he could get MSNBC on his American 250 option - alluding that there was a way I could get it - JUST UPGRADE.

My suggestion to make a "top customer" happy (which they call me every time I call), would be to upgrade me to a package where I can get the channels I was promised. It would not cost much extra, it would make a customer happy until the problem was solved and you would have a customer who would praise the efforts of DN to really help. The hollow phrase of 'I'm sorry" would actually have some meaning.

I can not see why DN is always so confruntational with the very people they want to help. It seems like it is a mindset of everyone at DN to make the customer regret they ever called. This is detrimental to the entire company. When I watch Charlie on his monthly help channel and see all the helpful tech's answer questions that customers send in I see a helpful company, but in actuality I have never received good tech support from DN, and that's after six years of service.

Why don't I switch, I guess I like to bitch! And I keep hoping that Charlie will someday see the light of day and make customer service the most important issue his company can address. This is the type of issue that makes America less competitive and makes workers care less about who they work for. Remember an old sales axiom, it take only one unhappy customer to cancel out nine happy customers.

And as for waiting for a solution, two + weeks is more time than I would allow for one of my managers to resolve an issue at my company. At the very least I would give a more informed response to the customer as to the problem, why it can't be fixed, and when to expect a solution while providing an alternative solution. In this case, the customer seems to be the last person who is getting helped.

209 MSNBC (Dish IRT has engineering working on it)
113 Cooking Channel HD (again, Dish IRT has engineering working it)
9710 Three Angels Broadcasing Network (moved to 9393?)
9402 Health & Human Services
843 HITN
9413 Alma Vision Hispanic Network
439 Big Ten Network (are you eligible for this? It's an RSN)
9406 Classic Arts Showcase
704 KBS World
9405 Pentagon Channel
9418 Florida Education Channel
 
And as for waiting for a solution, two + weeks is more time than I would allow for one of my managers to resolve an issue at my company

I fully agree - I'm not sure why fixing these two channels is taking so long. It's not like these channels are brand new to this package. I'm a little suprised noone before dlharm or I had reported this. That said, I think it's obvious that dealing with the chat or phone CSRs is going to get you nowhere (sad but true) which your experience illustrates. I think the fact that the first success you had was after the Dish IRT team made sure that it was communicated on the call system reflects that they've done more for resolution to that end. If you have a better idea, by all means, share it. No, I'm not willing to switch packages, though I'll gladly pester them about it until there is a resolution :)

And as far as your other channels, I believe you noted to me that they'd fixed a few - but you need to realize that is a seperate issue totally from the two channels in this thread. So whatever they do to fix those (other than getting you off the package) is likely NOT going to solve the problem with these two (nor are these two channels' issues an equipment problem).
 
Last edited:
I am a new customer to Dish. It was installed this past Sunday, March 6th.
All day Sunday I was able to get MSNBC as part of my Silver Package.
The next day, I could not get it. I have a new receiver I plugged in today. Still can not get it.
So there you have it.
I get it for ONE day, and the rest of you in here cant get it at all because of authorization issue?
Something smells rotten.
A tech is coming here Saturday. If he cannot fix it then I will start the consumer complaint process.
Do any of you find it ..ODD...that I could get MSNBC for only ONE day...the same day all of you could not get it, and the next day
I could not get it?
My receiver is VIP222k
 
Any new developments? We have to keep this issue to the fore, or Dish will hope we forget about it. They need to get MSNBC & Cooking Channel on the package. They can do it!!!
 
Hate to do this guys, but apparently some information has changed from what I can tell. I am working on getting it 100% clarified BEFORE I commit to another answer. Whatever I find out for certain, rest assured that the information will be changed on the website to be accurate and the issue with the missing channel(s)should be resolved quickly. I apologize for the conflicting information and I have already escalated the issue with that information up the chain as well.

Also, anyone with these DA packages missing some PI channels like Pentagon, etc., please PM me a phone number and I should be able to fix that problem very quickly for you.
 
Last edited:
I've had what is now DA Gold almost since the HD-only packages were first introduced. I have never received MSNBC and I recollect that when this channel was added in HD, there were posts on threads that complained, as was the case with many other HD additions, such as Fox News, Speed, etc., that MSNBC HD was not included in the DA packages.

I think you - Anthony Thomas - gave away the ultimate answer raised by the question in this thread in your latest post. You state that "information will be changed on the website to be accurate". Since the website shows MSNBC HD and Cooking HD as included in DA Gold, apparently a change to the website is what is needed to reflect reality.

It wouldn't take the amount of time this thread has been open to "fix" this "problem" if MSNBC HD and Cooking HD are supposed to be included in DA Gold. Apparently the delay in addressing this issue probably involves how to craft a palatable response explaining that the website has contained this error for such a long period of time.

I hope I'm wrong.
 
Hate to do this guys, but apparently some information has changed from what I can tell. I am working on getting it 100% clarified BEFORE I commit to another answer. Whatever I find out for certain, rest assured that the information will be changed on the website to be accurate and the issue with the missing channel(s)should be resolved quickly. I apologize for the conflicting information and I have already escalated the issue with that information up the chain as well.

Also, anyone with these DA packages missing some PI channels like Pentagon, etc., please PM me a phone number and I should be able to fix that problem very quickly for you.

So whats what?
 
I'm a little suprised no one has asked about Cooking Channel until only recently (seems to have been advertised as part of DA Gold since it was picked up by Dish for carriage). If it being documented as included was a mistake, that's be disappointing. It is an easily correctable error and inexcusable that it was wrong for so long. Compounding the confusion is the fact that programming has at least once confirmed its availability.
 
Here is a bit of current information: Some of the channels brought forth by RenoFrank are actually part of the Public Access Channels. It is a simple change on the account and there is no charge associated with adding it. It will correct issues like the Pentagon channel missing. It should correct the majority of missing channels. Other channels in that lineup are not advertised as part of the package from what I could see, so they will not be corrected by this additional "tag". Please PM us a phone number or account number and we can correct those for you.

Correct information regarding the two channels at the start of the thread, MSNBCHD and COOKING CHANNEL HD, should be available to me today, and I will post it the minute I get it. Thanks for your patience and again, I apologize for the delay.
 
Update on the current information I have. As of right now, I will categorize this as tentative, pending the possibility of a change.

MSNBCHD is included in DA Silver and DA Gold.
Cook HD is not available in any DA package.

Again, this is still "pending". Could anyone post on here if they have access to 209 and are subscribed to a DA package??
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)