Right, but the HD PPV movies were still available. It just wasn't as convenient to order them. This is more of a problem with Dish's website, rather than an actual requirement to have HDFFL in order to be able to order HD PPV.
I don't know if it would have worked if I had called or not. The CSR on chat didn't have a clue. I'm not convinced that the phone call would have been any different.
I went back as far as I could online (Sep 2014) and HDFFL wasn't listed so there's no telling when they removed it.
I seldom use PPV anyway. It was just to use the free movie they offered.