Service Access Fee and HD Enabling Fee?!

[Conjuror]

I have the old Dish HD pack and Voom for a long time and recently both 622 to replace my 811. I used to pay $15 for the above packs plus $6 service access fee for not subscribing to one of their qualified packages. Now I found out they added HD enabling fee to my bill because I do not subscribe to one of the qualifying HD packages!!! What a bs! I have to pay two different fees for not having "two different qualified packages". It makes no sense.

Now with the two above fees plus DVR fee I pay more in fees monthly than for programming?! Not to mention that every year or so I buy new receiver which, in addition to my monthly bill, puts me well above what an average Dish subscriber pays each month. I will drop Dish as soon as Directv or a cable company increase their HD lineup.

 

[miguelaqui]

. I will drop Dish as soon as Directv or a cable company increase their HD lineup.

OK DTV will not even let you do what you're doing now...just get HD. So, you're leaving Dish to pay more...

If you are so upset about it, then get one of their basic packages or just disconnect. The reason why they charge those fees is that they were not making money off you.

DTV started that DVR fee, Dish figured, if people would pay DTV, they would pay them too; Dish was right. Cable companies' DVR fees are also high and I do not think you can get HD only through cable either.

It looks like you are complaining about the only company that will give you what you want.

 

[Conjuror]

If you are so upset about it, then get one of their basic packages or just disconnect. The reason why they charge those fees is that they were not making money off you.

Hmm... I paid for DVR and dish 1000 $515. Add to that $33 dollars monthly and multiply that by 12 months. The total is $899 dollars or $75 dollars per month for the next 12 months. How is that not making money off me? That is much more than what many subscribers pay who take free receivers and installation deals. I think they make too much money off me for what they give me in exchange.

It looks like you are complaining about the only company that will give you what you want.

A year or so ago one could take HD channels only. Even though they charge me 5 dollars for Voom channels I cannot get any of the Voom channels which they added to the Voom lineup later nor I can get ESPN2 and Universal HD. So I called Dish and asked them to give me HD standalone pack for $29.99 in order to get those channels. They said that HD standalone pack is not an option anymore.
Once you become Dish customer they don't care about you anymore. Fees are all over the place.

 

[BrianB]

Hmm... I paid for DVR and dish 1000 $515. Add to that $33 dollars monthly and multiply that by 12 months. The total is $899 dollars or $75 dollars per month for the next 12 months. How is that not making money off me? That is much more than what many subscribers pay who take free receivers and installation deals. I think they make too much money off me for what they give me in exchange.



A year or so ago one could take HD channels only. Even though they charge me 5 dollars for Voom channels I cannot get any of the Voom channels which they added to the Voom lineup later nor I can get ESPN2 and Universal HD. So I called Dish and asked them to give me HD standalone pack for $29.99 in order to get those channels. They said that HD standalone pack is not an option anymore.
Once you become Dish customer they don't care about you anymore. Fees are all over the place.

The DVR you bought (622) is subsidized by DISH assuming you will be subscribing to their new HD services. If you don't want the HD services, then you should have went for the non HD DVR. This has been in place for months.

This is the same thing with any services company (even DirecTV). When new technology comes out, they want you to subscribe to the new packages. You don't think DirecTV will do something similar whenever they release their HD DVR?

 

[yellowcanary73]

They make plenty of money off those units they are made in Mexico people by now its about $75 to $100 a piece

 

[Conjuror]

The DVR you bought (622) is subsidized by DISH assuming you will be subscribing to their new HD services. If you don't want the HD services, then you should have went for the non HD DVR. This has been in place for months.

You didn't read my posts. A long time ago I subscribed to then one and only HD pack plus Voom channels. I still have them.

 

[miguelaqui]

What does that have to do with anything? They would charge a new customer the same as you for what you want.

What happened to your DTV comparison? Did you check with them to see if they would sell you HD only? How much would their HD receiver be?

By the way....I always look at a new dish as an upgrade...you can sell the old one! You can sell the receiver too!!

As far as your cost of equipment.....$515 is not a bad deal. They claim not to make much profit off those receivers due to the fact they will be betting the DVR fee, so they do not need to make a profit from the sale of equipment. Be sure to look around to see how much a DTV HD DVR (owned) would cost and how much cable companies charge for a non-returned HD DVR converter.

I really understand your point of view, but it still looks like you are complaining about the only company that will do what you want, sell you the HD channels only.

 

[Peter Iowa]

IMHO, DISh has too many fees - like that commercial w/pigs.

 

[oljim]

I feel your pain, I have a 921, got the Voom and old HD pack when it first came out.
Never cared much for Voom so I dropped it.
I paid for my 622 when they came out and kept the old HD pack on my 921 and 622.
I have AEP, locals and old HD pk and the hit me for some HD fee of $6 per mo.
I have never had a contract, no freebees,never had a dealer at my home, paid for every dish 2 721s, 921 and 622

 

[Peter Iowa]

So when I still had DISH - Feb. - I would have later paid 6. access and 6. HD fee
- whew! - glad I dropped 'em!

 

[kb7oeb]

For all the fees you might as well upgrade to bronze, your only around $20 away.