My Dish'n It Up Experience

[jbcheshire]

I just got off the phone with a CSR and Sprvsr at E* and told me I don't qualify for the new 522 promo!!!!! I am so mad!!!!

I got a new HDTV before Christmas so I had them send me the 811 HD receiver so I could get their HD channels. At that time they told me that I qualified for their Dish'n it up promo for the 811 so it would only cost me 24.95 for shipping and then I had the $5/mo lease fee. I said that was fine since I would be trading it for one of my 301s. I knew that the 522 was coming soon so I asked them if I would be able to lease the 522 when it came out this spring. They said that since I had another 301 receiver that I could trade it in for the 522 when it became available. I said good then I would get the 811 then. However, if they had told me the truth then I would have waited.

Today they tell me that once I dish it up it is for my whole account regardless of how many receivers i have. I told them that the 811 they sent me was a bunch of junk and that I would be returning it. I have had it barely a month. The supervisor told me that was fine but that didn't matter they still couldn't help me, basically i was SOL!!!

Well, that is the final straw. If they are going to treat their current customers this way then I am going back to cable regardless of how bad cable is and then wait for D* new deals this summer when they start rolling out their new PVRs. Heck I might even go over to V* since they are still on the air and advertising for new customers.

 

[korsjs]

welcome to dishnetwork. sorry you had to go through all of that.

 

[royalstation]

jbcheshire relax.
I called them this morning for this promo too and was told that because I upgraded in Sept. that I'm only allowed 1 upgrade per year. I don't qualify for the 522. No big deal, I'm gonna keep calling until I get someone nice or naive enough to give me the upgrade.
Sat. companies are like cell phone companies - existing customers get s**t while new customers get the best stuff at that time. After awhile that new customer tries to get a new phone or someting - that's when they realize that the companies treat existing customers like crap!
But it's nothing to bitch over.

 

[keith]

...However, if they had told me the truth then I would have waited...

It could be that the CSR was misinformed, or the terms of the Dish'n It Up promotion have changed. Or perhaps they flat out lied.

This is why I want to know what will happen in the mpeg4 transition before I commit to staying with Dish when my contract expires in May. Existing customers could get a far worse deal than new customers. Anyway, it's a bad time to be spending money on receivers until we get more mpeg4 information. Dish are going to need to show their cards or else I'll be switching to cable.

By the way, the 811 is indeed junk. Mostly it seems to be software problems rather than hardware, so there is always hope that it will be fixed. I've had one since December 2003 and Dish are still banging away on the software. To date, they haven't had even one release that could be considered production quality. But it is getting better, little by little.

 

[jbcheshire]

Rather, it should be good-bye dish network... I have been a customer for 2 1/2 years. But not any longer...

 

[tlbrewer]

Told me the same thing. When I told the CSR that I wanted to talk to a customer retention representative, they sent me to cancellations. They can have their pos 811 back. Hello cable.

 

[jlhugh]

yeah, I had a feeling that this was going to happen to us that upgreaded loast year with the Dish'n it up program. Thanks for nothing dish.

 

[n0qcu]

You know IF you would have READ the details of the dish'n it up promo, when you upgraded previously, you would have known that it's ONE upgrade per year. They clearly stated that in the rules.

 

[jbcheshire]

Yeah that would have been nice if I had access to them, at the time I didn't and was told by the CSR something different!!!

 

[Zookster]

I assume all this means I'll be SOL when the 942 is available for lease since I Dished it up for the 811 in Dec. 04. Which could actually be a blessing, perhaps they'll have their MPEG 4 house in order by Jan. 06, or if history is any indication the 942 won't really be out until then anyway.

BTW, as a lease customer (my initial contract was done over a year ago) who just Dished it up for the 811, would it be possible to downgrade my status with Dish to only one receiver (the 811) and the HD pack, which was part of the 12 mo. upgrade deal I just signed? That way I could return all other receivers (301 and 508) and drop my AT120, making signing up for cable more economical for me.

 

[jbcheshire]

Yes, they will let you send back the 301 and 508 if you are on the leasing program. If you keep the 811 you must keep the HD pack. This what I was told this morning by a supervisor and 2 different csr reps. However, I do not know if you can do this AND drop the AT120 programming. Your best option is to call and ask..

 

[GaryPen]

You know IF you would have READ the details of the dish'n it up promo, when you upgraded previously, you would have known that it's ONE upgrade per year. They clearly stated that in the rules.

That's right. And, nowhere did it state that the upgrade had to work! Boy. These crazy customers and their demands.

 

[Zookster]

Maybe I should just check my contract then. You never know what story you'll get from a CSR.

Only problem with downgrading my Dish as far as I can tell, is if I want to come back to take advantage of some future upgrade promotion. Retailers have often told me that customers are graded according to level of programing, longevity, Club Dish status, paying bills on time/being on auto pay, and that "Grade A" customers in turn get the best upgrade deals. In which case, having minimal programing might adversely effect one's rating.

 

[skidog]

Where can you read the rules of Dish N it up, because I don't see anything on their website or in the residential agreements.

 

[royalstation]

Who's gonna call and challenge this? Dish SHOULD have it in a contract I would think.

 

[jlhugh]

You know IF you would have READ the details of the dish'n it up promo, when you upgraded previously, you would have known that it's ONE upgrade per year. They clearly stated that in the rules.

IF your statement is true then as long as someone didn't upgrade in January this year then they should be able to upgrade now since we are in a new year.

 

[jbcheshire]

Hey JL... I like your way of thinking!!!!

 

[snowcat]

I am getting worried about the 942 upgrade myself.

SInce I upgraded to the 811 in September through the Dish it Up promotion, I may not be eligible to lease the 942.

I am torn about what to do. I really want an HD-DVR, but I don't want to pay $550-$750 for an obsolete one. My Comcast provider has an HD-DVR and cheaper price overall price (at least for year one), but it doesn't broadcast FOX or WB in HD (Sinclair-owned). I could take the $250 I would have spent and buy an HD STB for FOX and WB, but I don't have any free inputs on my TV.

 

[DWS44]

Here's my concern...I've been considering leasing a 942 when they come out. I've been on DHA since March 04...so far they havent let me upgrade or lease anything that I've tried since then. Assuming I have to wait till March for the 1 year song and dance, and they let me have a 942, that will probably mean no more upgrades till March 2006.

Welp...does that mean that if they manage to stumble thru MPEG4 in the fall sometime, that I will have to wait until March 2006 to upgrade to it?!?

 

[Timmernator]

Does the "one-per-year" restriction mean calendar year, or 1 year from previous upgrade?