Service Plan
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I would say it is a waste of money unless you actually need it. You can add the service plan if you need to when it is necessary. Until then I wouldn't keep it. Now if you need to replace a receiver, you can still do it without the service plan ,but you will pay $15.00 for shipping and handling . IN the end it is your decision. I don't use the plan any longer. I just pay the $15.00 when I have to RMA a receiver or buy a remote control etc. To me that is cheaper than paying $6.00 X 12= $72.00 a year.
If you've had the service plan for more than 5 months, then according to my billing page at Dish's website, there is no charge to drop it.
Just wanted to clarify some things. When you originally setup service with DISH Network, the service plan is free for 6 months. You can remove it at anytime with no charge. If you remove the SP and then add it back, then it must be on the account for 150 days to avoid the $25 downgrade.
As far as the original question, being a waste or not is a matter of perception. I personally believe that my peace of mind is worth $6 a month. I have used it three times in 6 months, once for a tech visit, and twice for replacement equipment. With a tech visit ($15 with it, $95 without it), a replacement remote (normally $20 without it now, free with it) and the replacement receiver (shipping would have been $15 without it, free with it), I feel that the money I have spent over the time I have had it (much longer than 6 months) has saved me a little. I could remove it and only add it when I need it, but there are others in my house who use this system and may not know about the SP, or get offered the SP. To me, it prevents headaches, phone calls about billing, and someone hollering that I need to take care of the issue when I get home. Again, that is worth $6 a month to me.
As far as the original question, being a waste or not is a matter of perception. I personally believe that my peace of mind is worth $6 a month. I have used it three times in 6 months, once for a tech visit, and twice for replacement equipment. With a tech visit ($15 with it, $95 without it), a replacement remote (normally $20 without it now, free with it) and the replacement receiver (shipping would have been $15 without it, free with it), I feel that the money I have spent over the time I have had it (much longer than 6 months) has saved me a little. I could remove it and only add it when I need it, but there are others in my house who use this system and may not know about the SP, or get offered the SP. To me, it prevents headaches, phone calls about billing, and someone hollering that I need to take care of the issue when I get home. Again, that is worth $6 a month to me.
I have to agree with TonyT. I have had two tech visits last year and two 622 replacements. It does give me peace of mind.
I have been with Dish 10+ years. I have NEVER had the Service plan and I have NEVER paid $15 dollars for a replacement receiver to be shipped. Being a long time excellent paying customer has its perks plus I have leverage because I am not under contract.
I have used my service plan to replace bad remotes. To me I thinks it's worth it.
I'm with Tony on this. I figure I'm still way ahead, based on the number of 721 units that went thru my house.
I have had the service plan off and on throughout the years, currently have it on. I am pretty close to breaking even on it with repairs. It would be nice if DIRECTV or Dish stepped up to the plate and included service like cable does. I think it would make a lot of customers very happy, no one likes being told the first time they call in that they are going to have to buy a service plan or fork over cash. Most think of DBS as cable in the sky, and they never had to pay for cable.
In all honesty, I was a cable subscriber for a long while, as I was a contractor for many years. I installed Adelphia, Bresnan, and Comcast (and even AT&T when they were doing @home). I did need a tech visit a few times, and I was not charged for the visit. I also remember the cable bill itself. For a lesser TV package I was paying a lot more per month, which was like paying for a tech visit every month, rather then just when I needed one. I just looked and the prices for programming are a lot higher for a lot less channels, at least in the Denver area. With all my add ons and no discount, I pay 100.99 plus tax for my service with DISH Network. That includes a $14 receiver fee, the Platinum HD pack, the service plan, and the DVR service fee. I just looked and the equivalent programming with 4 TV's (2 HD DVRs and two SD Digital non-DVRs) lists as $142.64 plus tax. I like DISH Networks way better. And they wanna charge me an additional $80 to hook up four TV's (one time charge). Um, no. I would rather pay the $15 when I needed it, as even if I paid it EVERY month, I would be saving $30. I could upgrade to a 922, get more features, and my bill would only go up $7 (still on the short end of that). If I had Americas Everything, HD FFL, a 922/722 install, Platinum HD, Service Plan, $10 account level DVR fee, we would tie in price, but I would have more channels then I would know what to do with. That gives me 4 recording TV's, two HD's, and TV Anywhere. BTW, it was $15 a month per DVR with Comcast, I only put two... Add another $15 to that price for Comcast, just for equivalent capability, and you are still missing channels and no Sling. But hey, the tech visit is free!
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I didn't know people hollered in Colorado. I thought that was just the NC hillbilly thing that I'm used to.
HAHA. I am originally from Texas, and was stationed at Ft Bragg for a while. I know hollering pretty well, and I think I myself or someone close introduced it to Colorado.
I'm a tech, and I'm wondering why I'm paying for the service plan. A tech visit for me = me getting my ass up off the couch and fixing it.
Yes, however there is no problem reconciling a replacement receiver with the warehouse. It just gets RAed through the office. It's the simplest way of doing things, and there is a procedure we have for it. Far, far easier than trying to set up a service call with the call center and (no offense intended, because you seem like a really good one) but trying to convince a CSR that no, I do not need to go through the troubleshooting steps. I've been a tech for nearly a decade, I think I know what I'm doing.
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I have some idea of what you are talking about! Its truly funny (as a member of advanced tech) that I had to call in to get someone with a Satbuddy to lock in my dish. I started the call with "I work with ADVANCED TECH" and still having them ask me to do the steps was interesting, to say the least. I can only imagine how bad it is as a tech in the field.
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