Thinking of switching from Directv to Dish - Any tips?

[taappel]

Hi,

My contract with Directv is up in like 2 months and I have some questions about Dish. First of all, who should I go through to get the best deal on signing up for new Dish service? I was thinking about cancelling now and paying the ETF. Do I cancel now, wait until the end of my contract, or get a better deal with Directv? I'm not completely unsatisfied with Directv, but I like the Hopper DVR and Sling Adapter that Dish provides. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[StanUbankit]

I wouldn't cancel with only 2 months left (well, that's because I'm cheap and to me it doesn't make sense to pay $xx times the remaining months on the contract), just use the remaining time to figger out who has the best deal for your viewing habits. I'm thinking about looking at Dish in mid January when my Direct contract is up, I'm more likely to do the "satellite shuffle" since Dish has AMC again. I'll see if Direct will give me a deal on an HR34 to replace the HR24, if not I'll look into a 722K from Dish. (I'm only feeding one tv but I'd love to have the additional tuners either from the HR34 or the 722K, this would let me get rid of the Dish DTV-DVR that I use for OTA and consolidate to one box).

 

[Tampa8]

Wait for your contract to end.

 

[inazsully]

If you know someone that has Dish ask them to show you everything they know about operation. If you don't know anybody make sure you ask the installer to spend enough time with you to explain the operation features. They generally forget to do a thorough orientation.

 

[KAB]

Gong back to who to contact....a DIRT member.

 

[garys]

New customer's get the same deal not matter who you talk to.

 

[dare2be]

They may get the same deal, but usually they'll get better and more accurate service with DIRT.

 

[dolfantiger]

I signed up on dish.com and a great hookup experience

 

[jevans64]

I'd wait until your contract ends. Might even want to wait until early March. Dish hasn't increased their programming packages for TWO years. My bill still managed to go up though because of changes in premium channels and splitting off of some, like Encore. It was an 8% hike two years ago, so expect another 8% to 10% hike in February. The " normal " yearly price hikes before then was 2.5% to 3% with premiums going up a buck or two per group.

 

[darrengs]

I made the switch in April,and have been very happy. I went with Hoppers & Joeys and a sling adapter, and the customer service and technology is way ahead of what I had with DirecTV.

 

[Dishman-n-nc]

If you know someone that has Dish ask them to show you everything they know about operation. If you don't know anybody make sure you ask the installer to spend enough time with you to explain the operation features. They generally forget to do a thorough orientation.

Yell, as a installer seeing 8 out of 10 customers give me the deer in the head light look when i start by explaining that their tv is now on HDMI 1 instead of ch 3, then you would understand the 10 min new Dish receiver education i give. I dont have 2 hours to teach someone how to use the volume button and so on!

 

[KAB]

Yell, as a installer seeing 8 out of 10 customers give me the deer in the head light look when i start by explaining that their tv is now on HDMI 1 instead of ch 3, then you would understand the 10 min new Dish receiver education i give. I dont have 2 hours to teach someone how to use the volume button and so on!

Absolutely. You are being paid to install, not teach a **101 class. That's what users manuals (or give them the links to, ie, Hopper) are for. But alas, some have to be spoon fed...and not your job.

 

[lucky86]

Actually, giving a quick run through and ensuring the customer is confident in using their new system is part of the installation process, not just installing. That is part of the whole customer experience, which is what dish is trying to be all about.

 

[oldengineer]

I switched from D* to E* a year ago. At the time I got the standard deal but also got a $200.00 Amazon gift card. If you do switch try googling for things like that before you do.

 

[rajmarie]

Currently all new customer have the same deal no matter who give you. Wait for your 2 month to expire...& then contact DIRT here in January to set you up.

 

[taappel]

Thanks for all of the input. I was a Dish customer a few years ago before switching to DirecTV, so I am familiar with their equipment. One of the reasons I want to switch back is because I like their DVRs much better than DirecTV. I've also seen deals online where you can get a $150 visa gift card for signing up on top of the regular new customer deal. Is this legit, or am I better off going directly through Dish?

 

[Scherrman]

Sign up through DIRT on here or through a local retailer for the best chance at good service. As for customer education, it is part of the install but he is right in saying he doesn't have 2 hours to do so. I think 10-15 minutes is enough time then the installer must be on his way to get other work done. There are plenty of resources available to learn how to use the Dish system.