Newb here....contract with Dish expired, but they said we don't have any offers, what is everyone el

[doodlebugger]

Our two year contract is up, has been for a few months. We have unsuccessfully tried negotiating a new contract with some sort of perks, but they say we have no offers available to us. The last rep dh spoke with said it was because we got the Starz credit (in lieu of Starz free for a year? or something like that). We really need to upgrade our HD receiver, and would like to get the Hopper and two Joeys. They said they would have to charge us $100 for the Hopper, and who knows what they will charge for the Joeys. Then, dh asked about a discounted rate on our programming, and they again denied us.

So, I am just wondering if they don't care about keeping us as customers, and if it's better to just move back and forth between Dish and Directv or what. We really like Dish and have been impressed with the service we received. We really want to stay, but our receiver is consistently freezing up and having issues now......

I've read a few comments about how the "DIRT" team can help here...but I have no idea who or what a "DIRT" team is. Can they help me figure this out??

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Dish Internet Response Team

I would try contacting a member first. If I recall correctly, their names are in red and have something like @Dish or Dish Network behind their user names. You can PM them here, or I believe that you can e-mail them.

If that is unsuccessful, try contacting the Loyalty Department at Dish either online or by phone. They may offer a discount like $10 off for 6 months or for a year.

 

[MattG@DISH]

Our two year contract is up, has been for a few months. We have unsuccessfully tried negotiating a new contract with some sort of perks, but they say we have no offers available to us. The last rep dh spoke with said it was because we got the Starz credit (in lieu of Starz free for a year? or something like that). We really need to upgrade our HD receiver, and would like to get the Hopper and two Joeys. They said they would have to charge us $100 for the Hopper, and who knows what they will charge for the Joeys. Then, dh asked about a discounted rate on our programming, and they again denied us.

So, I am just wondering if they don't care about keeping us as customers, and if it's better to just move back and forth between Dish and Directv or what. We really like Dish and have been impressed with the service we received. We really want to stay, but our receiver is consistently freezing up and having issues now......

I've read a few comments about how the "DIRT" team can help here...but I have no idea who or what a "DIRT" team is. Can they help me figure this out??

I'm part of the DISH Internet Response Team (DIRT). Our user names show in red so we are more easily indentified.

Will you please send me a private message with your phone number or account number?

 

[Albiondon]

The only thing I get from Dish is a bill for 130.05 every month

 

[Slamminc11]

The only thing I get from Dish is a bill for 130.05 every month

I would think for that 130.05 they would also give you maybe some channels to watch when you turn on your tv(s), maybe a receiver to watch them from, maybe a dish outside your house to received the signals...but I guess since all they give you is a bill you are getting ripped off pretty big time!

 

[doodlebugger]

I guess the days of negotiating a good deal to retain a customer are over.....basically because we accepted $10 off for that Starz promo, they can't offer us anything.....if we want to upgrade our receiver to the Hopper/Joey, we have to pay a $100 upgrade fee, and agree to a 24 month contract. Guess it's time to see what the competition is offering......

 

[mdavej]

The competition always has the best deal since you're a new sub to them. Problem is you'll lose a ton of HD and a responsive DVR. You couldn't pay me to switch at this point. A hopper and 3 joeys isn't a bad deal. You can also probably get BB@Home if you ask.

 

[Claude Greiner]

If Dish won't give you the special offers, then its time to switch to Directv.

 

[twilliam66]

If Dish won't give you the special offers, then its time to switch to Directv.

And then when Directv won't give you anymore free stuff then you can come back to Dish and see what they offer you. I mean it's ridiculous that Dish would actually make you pay what everybody else has to.

 

[boba]

Our two year contract is up, has been for a few months. We have unsuccessfully tried negotiating a new contract with some sort of perks, but they say we have no offers available to us. The last rep dh spoke with said it was because we got the Starz credit (in lieu of Starz free for a year? or something like that). We really need to upgrade our HD receiver, and would like to get the Hopper and two Joeys. They said they would have to charge us $100 for the Hopper, and who knows what they will charge for the Joeys. Then, dh asked about a discounted rate on our programming, and they again denied us.

So, I am just wondering if they don't care about keeping us as customers, and if it's better to just move back and forth between Dish and Directv or what. We really like Dish and have been impressed with the service we received. We really want to stay, but our receiver is consistently freezing up and having issues now......

I've read a few comments about how the "DIRT" team can help here...but I have no idea who or what a "DIRT" team is. Can they help me figure this out??

WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL THAT RETAIL PRICES ARE TOO HIGH FOR YOU TO PAY?

 

[mcintire123]

The competition always has the best deal since you're a new sub to them. Problem is you'll lose a ton of HD and a responsive DVR. You couldn't pay me to switch at this point. A hopper and 3 joeys isn't a bad deal. You can also probably get BB@Home if you ask.

Lose a ton of HD? What planet are you on? You are talking about Dish right?

 

[Ronnie-]

I guess the days of negotiating a good deal to retain a customer are over.....basically because we accepted $10 off for that Starz promo, they can't offer us anything.....if we want to upgrade our receiver to the Hopper/Joey, we have to pay a $100 upgrade fee, and agree to a 24 month contract. Guess it's time to see what the competition is offering......

That does not sound like a terrible deal, but since you are out of contract, by all means, check with the competitors. You will surely find a better deal as a new customer than what you can get as a current sub. Good luck either way.

 

[Islandguy43]

WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL THAT RETAIL PRICES ARE TOO HIGH FOR YOU TO PAY?

Its called competition and not only for dollars but programing. When my two year deal with TWC was up (I left Dish after 5 years); I told them they were crazy if they thought I was gonna pay retail for their offerings when I could switch to Directv for video and stay with TWC for internet and still be $50 less per month than their retail pricing. They immediately dropped their pricing, upgraded me to whole house dvr and upgraded my internet speed to 20,000 mps at no cost to me, price guaranteed for two years and no committment on my part. So basically I pay $114 a month for whole house dvr, over 100 HD channels (I get everything but HBO, Starz, Showtime, etc) and turbo roadrunner. And to be honest with you; if Dish had never screwed with MSG and the New York State RSN's, I would have still been with them for video and TWC for internet; because i loved their equipment. It's obvious what Vendors appreciate their subscribers.

 

[Yespage]

WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL THAT RETAIL PRICES ARE TOO HIGH FOR YOU TO PAY?

Well, they noted that "We really want to stay, but our receiver is consistently freezing up and having issues now......". So it sounds like they need their receiver replaced... though I don't know whether they have to upgrade to the Hopper. Probably can make with a replacement 722k for free.

The whole discount on programming after having been around for two years get tiring. I remember asking Directv for an upgrade to a DVR, no DVR fee for six months, and a $5 discount for six months after being with them for several years (and they ponied up). Some people think being with a company for couple years makes the company betrothed to them.

 

[DodgerKing]

WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL THAT RETAIL PRICES ARE TOO HIGH FOR YOU TO PAY?

I read nothing in his post that makes me think he believes he is special.

Like everyone else in a free market, he is free to try to negotiate a deal with a business. The business is free to offer him a deal or not in order to keep him as a customer.

If you were to buy a house are you simply going to pay exactly what the owner is asking, or are you going to try to negotiate a lower price? The same when you buy a car. Does it make you "special" if you believe that you are within your right to negotiate the best deal you believe the house or car is worth?

 

[Tampa8]

Judging from posts people are both more savvy about finding out about getting a lower price for watching TV, and often are feeling the economic pinch. I'm not clear if making someone wait to come back to get the lower price is worth it to the company or not. I don't see how that kind of turnover is good, yet they keep doing it. I will throw in Cable does often give discounts if you ask, for a short term like 3 or maybe 6 months. That may sound good, but first realize their price is most often quite higher to begin with, the discount just gets you closer to the Dish or Direct price.
So I don't claim to have a good answer, Dish and Direct are stuck in offering a lowball price to new customers, one they can't keep giving to keep someone. I have to think they rely on upgrades and other perks to keep customers. For many that is enough if they are happy and not willing to switch every two years. But it does seem there is a growing amount of posts of people who can't pass on the savings of switching.

 

[mdavej]

Lose a ton of HD? What planet are you on? You are talking about Dish right?

Here's what you lose if you switch to DirecTV here on planet earth:

BBCA
Bloomberg
Centric
Cooking
DIY
G4
Gala
GSN
H2
HLN
Hub
ID
LMN
Logo
Mav
NatGeo Wild
OWN
Pixl
RFD
Sportsman
Style
TCM
Veria
Epix1
Epix2
Epix3

That's something like 25% of the basic lineup, so it's a pretty big hit, even in terrestrial terms. Of course you gain Disney and some sports channels.

But getting back to the original topic. Everyone complains their provider won't give them the new customer deals. I don't like it that I can't get the new customer deals either, but that's the way it is. The OP will be posting the same thing in the DirecTV forums 2 years from now and switch back. If you don't care about content and just want the biggest discount. You have no choice but to switch every 2 years.

 

[Tampa8]

To be fair I do actually watch many of those channels and it is part of the decision for some of us. Just as leaving Direct and losing the emphasis on sports would be for some.

 

[Neutron]

Our two year contract is up, has been for a few months. We have unsuccessfully tried negotiating a new contract with some sort of perks, but they say we have no offers available to us. The last rep dh spoke with said it was because we got the Starz credit (in lieu of Starz free for a year? or something like that). We really need to upgrade our HD receiver, and would like to get the Hopper and two Joeys. They said they would have to charge us $100 for the Hopper, and who knows what they will charge for the Joeys. Then, dh asked about a discounted rate on our programming, and they again denied us.

So, I am just wondering if they don't care about keeping us as customers, and if it's better to just move back and forth between Dish and Directv or what. We really like Dish and have been impressed with the service we received. We really want to stay, but our receiver is consistently freezing up and having issues now......

I've read a few comments about how the "DIRT" team can help here...but I have no idea who or what a "DIRT" team is. Can they help me figure this out??

Hopefully the DIRT team will be able to help you out. They are awesome at customer service. I sure wish the rest of DISH would do that.

By the way, let me be the first to WELCOME you to Satelliteguys!!

 

[Scherrman]

I read nothing in his post that makes me think he believes he is special.

Like everyone else in a free market, he is free to try to negotiate a deal with a business. The business is free to offer him a deal or not in order to keep him as a customer.

If you were to buy a house are you simply going to pay exactly what the owner is asking, or are you going to try to negotiate a lower price? The same when you buy a car. Does it make you "special" if you believe that you are within your right to negotiate the best deal you believe the house or car is worth?

That does make sense when you are first buying a house. I compare this situation more to this: He negotiated and got a great price for the house when he started. Now he's had his house for a few years and decides, hey, I don't want to pay this much anymore. Now he says, can I have my house cheaper?

This may not be the best example but everyone knows what the prices are going to be when they sign up. You got a great deal when you signed up now you need to pay the regular price. If that is not exceptable then you have the right to switch providers, but don't expect to get more and more discounts just because you want them. It's hard enough running a business.