New Equipment Fees & Lease Fees

[davec111]

Disgusted with DISH

I called DISH CSR to inquire about the line item on my invoice - Lease Fee $7.00. Have a single 622. 10 year customer. According to their web site under Q&A, the lease fee is included in the programming package. After 20 minutes was told that at the time I initiated the lease in 98(?) there was a monthly fee. This fee was later dropped meaning more recent subscribers are not charged for this. Bottom line is that I will be charged $84.00 per year FOREVER where current customers will not. They suggested that I sign up for a 2 year commitment & get another receiver. I refuse to be blackmailed into this. They obviously have no regard in saving a long term customer. So prior to 1/31, I'll cancel. Fortunately I have DIRECTV and FIOS as a backup. So much for Customer Service.

 

[KAB]

I called DISH CSR to inquire about the line item on my invoice - Lease Fee $7.00. Have a single 622. 10 year customer. According to their web site under Q&A, the lease fee is included in the programming package. After 20 minutes was told that at the time I initiated the lease in 98(?) there was a monthly fee. This fee was later dropped meaning more recent subscribers are not charged for this. Bottom line is that I will be charged $84.00 per year FOREVER where current customers will not. They suggested that I sign up for a 2 year commitment & get another receiver. I refuse to be blackmailed into this. They obviously have no regard in saving a long term customer. So prior to 1/31, I'll cancel. Fortunately I have DIRECTV and FIOS as a backup. So much for Customer Service.

That's just not right...meaning the CSR is wrong. Time to play roulette.

 

[JayStil]

That's just not right...meaning the CSR is wrong. Time to play roulette.

CSR roulette won't help him. I've been as far as executive resolutions with the same issue with my mom's single receiver. They will issue you a $7 monthly credit to offset the fee, but it'll only run for a year. When the year is up you need to beg them to issue the credit again. They claim the fee is permanently tied to the receiver and the system won't allow them to remove it. The only way to get rid of the fee is to change receivers.

What a screwed up system if that's the really the case.

 

[KAB]

I called DISH CSR to inquire about the line item on my invoice - Lease Fee $7.00. Have a single 622. 10 year customer. According to their web site under Q&A, the lease fee is included in the programming package. After 20 minutes was told that at the time I initiated the lease in 98(?) there was a monthly fee.

There was no such thing as a VIP622 in 1998. Not until '06 I believe. I still suggest trying again.

 

[JamesJ]

Kab, I think he meant he started with dish in 98, not that he has had the 622 since 98, I could be wrong but thats the way I took it.

 

[Stargazer]

I think a lot of people on the boards knew that Dish was going to eventually add more fees / increase pricing somehow seeing how they have done in the past. Dish knew they could not add additional fees on top of fees so they put it all in one.

Watch what they will do next. We will see fees on top of these $14/$17 fees on the bill after people get used to the $14/$17 fee. I do believe that this will not end until they see some substantial subscriber loss over it.

 

[davepo]

Just got my bill with a new $7 lease fee for my leased 622........only real increase.

 

[sbsi]

Currently, I have 2 Duo receivers connecting to 2 TVs each, total of 4 TVs.

The first receiver is included, the second receiver is $5.00

My question is how the heck did the second receiver fee increase 3 times more to $14.00?

If they are charging $7.00 per TV, it is time to switch to Direct TV.

 

[MikeD-C05]

JUST wait till next months bills are finally generated with the new increases. The amount of churn in quarter 1 and 2 will be substantial for DISH. Look out here we go BACK down to 13 million subs and dropping. The funniest thing is that all DISH is doing is combining their miscellaneous fees , THAT THEY CREATED JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN. BUT perception is everything. What used to be small little fees sprinkled in their bills will now be a glaring BIG ASS EQUIPMENT FEE of $17.00 per duo tuner dvr ,after the 1st of course. Imagine even the high end subs with 5 or 6 duo tuner dvrs , seeing their bills go up $85.00 ( 5 x 17.00=85.00).

 

[Stargazer]

Their bills would not go up $85, they would go up the difference between $17 and $5(MPEG-2) $7(MPEG-4) for a difference of $10-12 which is still substancial for AEP customers, a difference of $6 less than that for a total of $4-$6 for those not on AEP, for receivers beyond the first, for each receiver. A customer on AEP with 6 duo receivers would see their bill go up between $60-72. Still very bad no matter how you look at it. Keep in mind that there would be very few customers with that many duo receivers.

I do believe that companies gradually increase prices and add fees and see what the public will tolerate and keep on doing it.

 

[sbsi]

$14+ for any duel receiver. It just like subscribing to Direct TV when they charge 2nd,3rd,4th and 5th+ TV receiver $5.00 each.

Dish is still cheaper with the price increase, but if you add a little more, Direct TV or cable will be a better deal. For cable, you do not need 4 cable boxes to get TV. You still get the basic channels from 2-80+, not the 100+ channels without the box.

 

[Suppafreak]

I am OK with the price increase for content, but charging fees for each box is outrageous.

If I buy a cell phone or two or three I only pay for the phones ones and then I only pay for minutes (content). I do not pay the lease fee or equipment fee for using the phones. The phones on the account using the same minutes. Just like the Dish boxes on the same account and showing the same content on all the TVs.

Now if I want to add my own receiver, I have to pay anywhere from $7 to $14.

I would gladly change the DISH to some other provider, but in my opinion all of the are as bad as their competitors. All will nickle and dime you, if not at the beginning, then later.

 

[mrschwarz]

When you make a 2-year commitment for a cell phone, they also commit to the price. When you make a 2-year commitment to Dish, you commit to the service and they commit to nothing. Doesn't seem fair.

 

[R0ss]

...I do believe that companies gradually increase prices and add fees and see what the public will tolerate and keep on doing it.

You are correct all businesses raise prices, however it is usually in small increments over time. Think about your favorite restaurant. I'm sure that they have raised prices but it was probably a nickle here and there and unless you ate there every single day you may not have even noticved the increase, but if your favorite steak dinner all of a sudden went up $4.00 you would. I think the difference here is that Dish is changing the actual pricing structure not just raising prices. Many will see just a $1.00 increase, I am seeing a $4.00 increase. With the economy in the toillete I beleive most folks are paying closer attention to where their dollar is going and that may have a lot to do with the negative impact this increase is generating. Dish has done nothing to (at least I have seen nothing) to explain the increases to subs. If it wasn't for this forum I would have no clue about the increases. The other thing buisness often do when they raise prices is to priovide some perception of added value or increawe in service. Frankly these things usually don't cost them much and may already be part of their service but they market it like it is new and makes most folks feel like they are getting something more so the price increase is OK. I don't see any of that here. As a matter of fact Dish does not do much ( in my opinion) to keep customers, just to get new customers.
Another example: My celll provider (verizon) has changed the plans they offer new customers several times in the last 10 or 12 years. However no matter how many times we upgrade our phones our basic plan has remained the same. As a mattter of fact the plan we have is not even offered at all any more. They provide upgrade pricing and even the primary phone is allowed a $100.00 extra off the upgrade price. Of course they have this all figured into their pricing structure but ir makes teh consumer "feel" like they are getting something "extra".

Just my $0.02

Ross

 

[agfcnissan]

phone

So let me get this striaght - I have no home phone.. I just signed up last week. I was told they would fine 5 dollars.

SO THERE IS NO INCENTIVE TO HOOK YOUR PHONE TO THE RECIEVER>>

I DONT WANT PAY PER VIEW> OR CALLER ID>>

SO I AM NOT GOING OUT AND GETTING A PHONE FOR JUST THIS..

 

[Stargazer]

Nope, no incentive, other than not having to deal with audit nazzi's if you have multiple receivers. If they contact you then you will get harrassed by them and maybe have your receivers shut off and they cannot be reactivated unless you want to put them on another account of your own to pay a full bill for on each one.

 

[whatchel1]

i-net

So let me get this striaght - I have no home phone.. I just signed up last week. I was told they would fine 5 dollars.

SO THERE IS NO INCENTIVE TO HOOK YOUR PHONE TO THE RECIEVER>>

I DONT WANT PAY PER VIEW> OR CALLER ID>>

SO I AM NOT GOING OUT AND GETTING A PHONE FOR JUST THIS..

hook up a net connection.

 

[Bob Haller]

the pop ups are very annoying, they can no doubt make them much more offensive

FIOS LOST A FEE NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR HIGH DEF PROGRAMING

just the package price