Suprise... DISH Changes Fee Policy in customers favor!

[kstuart]

In my online account programming page:

A service change fee is applied when you remove services within 30 days of adding them.
$5 for non-Adult services †
$20 for Adult services (includes Playboy) †
$25 for Service Plan when removed within 5 months
† Waived for new customers in their first 60 days of service

longer version posted on another site:

Updates for Certain Customer Fees – Effective September 29, 2010

-Service Change Fee – The customer fee that was formerly called a “Transaction Fee” will be updated to be called the “Service Change Fee” effective September 29, 2010.

-How the “Service Change Fee” will be Charged Effective September 29, 2010 – Prior to September 29, 2010, customers were charged $5.00 ($20.00 for adult programming) whenever they changed the programming they were subscribing to on their account. Effective September 29, 2010, we will change the way customers are charged for this fee to help provide them with more flexibility.

-Within the First 60 Days of Customer Account Activation – Please note that a Service Change Fee will NOT be charged to a customer account within the first 60 days of activation.

-After the First 60 Days of Customer Account Activation – A customer will be charged the $5.00 Service Change Fee (or $20.00 for adult programming) if they change the programming on their account when they were only subscribing to it for 30 days or less. Customers who change their programming when it has been on their account for more than 30 days will not be charged a “Service Change Fee.”

-Service Plan Cancellation Fee – An existing customer who adds the Service Plan to their account will be charged a $25 Service Plan Cancellation Fee when the customer cancels the Service Plan from their account and has had the Service Plan for 150 days or less. An existing customer who adds the Service Plan to their account will not be charged a Service Plan Cancellation Fee if the customer cancels the Service Plan after having the Service Plan for more than 150 days.

 

[TheKrell]

What the... Dish is actually being nice for a change?

 

[satjay]

Not a Dish sub....But none the less a nice move!

 

[kstuart]

This is how the downgrade fee should always have been.

The original point of the fee was to prevent people from adding HBO for one movie and then dropping it the next day.

If you add a package for 30 days, Dish has collected enough revenue so that a downgrade fee is not necessary.

In fact, it might encourage some people to temporarily add premiums more often...

 

[Bobby]

Getting better all the time....

 

[OneFore9]

Dang! I should have waited 9 more days to switch programming. Maybe if I ask Charlie real nice, he'll give me my 5 bucks back.

 

[ardeel]

service change fee

Im not jumping for joy just yet. No where in the service update does it specify that this applys only to programming down grades

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

This is a good first step.

 

[Hall]

-Service Plan Cancellation Fee – An existing customer who adds the Service Plan to their account will be charged a $25 Service Plan Cancellation Fee when the customer cancels the Service Plan from their account and has had the Service Plan for 150 days or less. An existing customer who adds the Service Plan to their account will not be charged a Service Plan Cancellation Fee if the customer cancels the Service Plan after having the Service Plan for more than 150 days.

I went around and around with Dish on this one a few days ago... My receiver died last week. I called in, rep said it's dead, need to get a replacement. Said "you don't have the service plan, would you like to add it ?". I said, "no, Dish changed the policy and I'll have to keep it for six months before I can cancel it". $6/mo x 6 months = $36 ... or $15 shipping fee and cross my fingers. She said, "that change doesn't go into effect until the 29th". I said "add it".

Fast forward to two days ago, I call to cancel the service plan and am told it will cost me $25. I said "no it will not" and the fun began. In the end, I got the "as a one-time courtesy" they'd waive it.

 

[cjwct]

I could be wrong, but wonder if this has anything to do with HBO. In recent cable reports, HBO subscriptions have been poor and maybe if sat/cable companies are told to bend, I am sure they will bend

 

[DishSubLA]

This smells like Dish is trying to make adding NFL RedZone more appealing by allowing a good many people who see no value to the RSN's the rest of the year, but will gladly add NFL RedZone each season, then cancel it. Sounds fair. Good change is fee policy.

 

[empiretc]

This smells like Dish is trying to make adding NFL RedZone more appealing by allowing a good many people who see no value to the RSN's the rest of the year, but will gladly add NFL RedZone each season, then cancel it. Sounds fair. Good change is fee policy.

+1. I bet this is what they are hoping for. Either way, that was my plan.

 

[Stargazer]

Looks like a little bite to see reaction to this. I notice in 150 days (5 months) is $30 for service plan where to drop the plan is $25. This guarantees them at least $25 one way or another.