Simple request to reaim my dish - BIG PROBLEM

[donsmith1964]

I was on the phone for over 30 minutes schedule a dish re-aim. I have been a dish customer for 9 years and except for upgrading to HD have never had a tech visit. I had to subscribe to their service plan and threaton to leave to get the almost $100 fee dropped. Dish's customer service level has dropped to new lows.

Even telling them of my issues of wind and rain signal loss didn't matter to them.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Any time you have problems with the front line csrs, you need to ask for cancellation department . They will transfer you to the loyalty department , who will then work a deal with you to keep you with DISH.

 

[Scherrman]

Service calls are pretty cut and dry. You pay $15 if on the service plan and $95 if not on the service plan. I don't see what the problem is. If I have a car for 9 years I still expect to have to pay my bill for any service on it.

 

[Yespage]

$95 isn't that expensive to get a tech to your home. Try getting a plumber or electrician to your home for that price.

 

[Scherrman]

If you want a cheaper service call then just add the service plan and then cancel later. I can understand not wanting to pay for service when the same problem keeps occuring but if it's the first time you've ever had to pay for service I'd say you're doing well and should have no problem paying it.

 

[boba]

I guess 9 years without problems spoiled the customer everybody should be so lucky.

 

[3HaloODST]

Just drop the service plan after the $15 tech visit is over.

 

[aquaman67]

The reason a guy I work with has Dish is because Direct refused to align his dish - period. He actually canceled his Direct service and they still didn't care.

Oh, they tried to get him back after it was too late. So I'd say the OP was lucky he's getting what he is.

After they align your dish, take a paint maker and make marks on all the adjustment points. (or ask the tech to do it while he's there)

Don't forget where the dish sits on the pole.

This way you can realign your dish yourself next time...

 

[skierrob]

Yeah, but I think the point is that this is type of charge isn't something people are used to. When one has cable TV service, or FIOS, they don't pay for service visits. If you lose reception, have reception issues, a dead DVR, or whatever, you call the cable company and they drive a truck out and fix the problem. For free.

So the whole 'service visit fee' is foreign to some people unless they have had Dish or Direct for a while.

Of course, then you can start arguing about cable being possible more expensive than Dish (or not as good quality) but that isn't the point. The point is that, with cable tv, there is no such thing as a fee for service calls.

PS -- this also explains why some people wonder why they would have to PAY an upfront cost to lease / buy equipment. Dish will happily charge me $200 to get a Hopper and then another per-month rental fee. The cable company would never charge me to collect the receiver -- they will just charge me a fee to use it on a monthly basis (just like Dish does).

And, before anyone says "but the first receiver is free with Dish and not with cable", that isn't true. Both Verizon FIOS and my local cable company are offering a free HD DVR for the first receiver.

Robert

$95 isn't that expensive to get a tech to your home. Try getting a plumber or electrician to your home for that price.

 

[3HaloODST]

Actually a lot of cable companies have inside wire maintenance fees, where if the problem is in your house then they charge to fix it if you don't pay the monthly fee.

 

[R0ss]

Actually a lot of cable companies have inside wire maintenance fees, where if the problem is in your house then they charge to fix it if you don't pay the monthly fee.

Just like the phone company...

Ross

Sent from my rooted DROID RAZR Maxx using SatelliteGuys

 

[navychop]

....When one has cable TV service, or FIOS, they don't pay for service visits. ..... you call the cable company and they drive a truck out and fix the problem. For free.

....... The point is that, with cable tv, there is no such thing as a fee for service calls.

Surely you JEST! I went with Dish due to poor service from the local cableco and charges for service calls. Multiple visits to my house, making me take off work, when the problem was outside the townhouse. The last straw came when they sent out notices stating that not only would you have to be at home, they would charge for each visit, regardless of the problem. And you need a new box- you drive to their store, and wait wait wait to exchange the box, hoping they have a functional one of the correct model. You want it delivered, installed or not? $ure they'll do that!

And BTW, that cableco had two pages of various fees, far more than Dish.

 

[R0ss]

Surely you JEST! I went with Dish due to poor service from the local cableco and charges for service calls. Multiple visits to my house, making me take off work, when the problem was outside the townhouse. The last straw came when they sent out notices stating that not only would you have to be at home, they would charge for each visit, regardless of the problem. And you need a new box- you drive to their store, and wait wait wait to exchange the box, hoping they have a functional one of the correct model. You want it delivered, installed or not? $ure they'll do that!

And BTW, that cableco had two pages of various fees, far more than Dish.

The last time we had cable was 8 years ago, had it for a year, AT THAT TIME, we did not have to pay for any service calls and we had quite a few. All had to do with COMCAST's lines. Of course we had to take the STB back to them when we discontinued service. Have no idea if they have service fees now.
Now that you can add and cancel the protection plan at will, again, it shouldn't be a big deal except moat folks don't know about these things unless they hang out here.

Ross

Sent from my rooted DROID RAZR Maxx using SatelliteGuys

 

[TheKrell]

Navy, why don't you just name the **** cable company in question?

 

[Sac79348]

I was on the phone for over 30 minutes schedule a dish re-aim. I have been a dish customer for 9 years and except for upgrading to HD have never had a tech visit. I had to subscribe to their service plan and threaton to leave to get the almost $100 fee dropped. Dish's customer service level has dropped to new lows.

Even telling them of my issues of wind and rain signal loss didn't matter to them.

Sounds like par for the course to me. I haven't found good customer service with any tv provider. They are great when you start up but terrible once you become an existing customer. Dish, DTV, Comcast are all basically the same in my experience.

 

[navychop]

Navy, why don't you just name the **** cable company in question?

There's only two in my general area. Mine, at the time, rhymed with a male appendage. Quite appropriately so. Yes, I'm still peeved at them.

Too many promises that "you'll have digital cable in your area Real Soon Now" and other BS. Wife snapped at a trade show, saw a local dealer (since departed) aimed at the Hispanic market, not us, but with a big sign "Dish for one year for $9.99 per month." That's what we did. Two 301s. Coming up on eleven years now.

 

[gpflepsen]

There's only two in my general area. Mine, at the time, rhymed with a male appendage. Quite appropriately so.

Cable service by... Mulva? Deloris? Wait, wrong sex... Don't know what you're hinting at.

 

[navychop]

Really?

Nice counterpoints, though!

 

[3HaloODST]

Cable service by... Mulva? Deloris? Wait, wrong sex... Don't know what you're hinting at.

I believe he meant "homophone" and I believe the answer is Cox .

 

[navychop]

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a WINNA!