What's the deal with leased receiver fees?

[TazmanianD]

I have been trying to follow the long thread on the price changes from Dish this past month but I'm afraid I'm still quite confused as to where the leased equipment fees are supposed to fall into this mess? I didn't hear anyone say they were supposed to go up and some people have suggested they should go away and be merged into some other fee.

I have a lease for a single 622 that I have had for a number of years and have been paying $7/mo for it. This past month, my bill has a charge of $9 for the receiver but there's also a -$7 and -$2 adjustment for it.

I think the adjustments may be a result of the $10/mo promotion I signed up for a few months ago. The adjustments for that and the 3 months of HBO and Showtime have been frankly bizarre and never as simple as $22 and $10 off on my bill. Whoever designed dish's billing system is nuts. I get adjustments for seemingly random things and for seemingly random amounts (not even whole numbers). I didn't even have any adjustments the previous two months.

So my question is, should my lease fee have gone up $2/mo or should it now be free?

My previous bill:
Leased Receiver Fee 7.00
DISH Network DVR Service Fee 5.98
Locals 5.99
HD & Platinum 10.00

My current bill:
Locals 5.99
Existing Customer Leased Primary HD Receiver 9.00
Additional Outlet - Adjustment -7.00
Additional Outlet - Adjustment -2.00
DVR Service 6.00
HD & Platinum 10.00

 

[aquaman67]

I thing existing customers will get credit until July.

This is from a website about the changes.

"CREDITS TO YOUR ACCOUNT

You have participated in a long-running promotional offer where you received discounted pricing on your 2-TV receivers by connecting them to a phone line. That promotional offer expired on January 31st. Because you are a valued customer, we have provided receiver credits on your account for six months."

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I have been trying to follow the long thread on the price changes from Dish this past month but I'm afraid I'm still quite confused as to where the leased equipment fees are supposed to fall into this mess? I didn't hear anyone say they were supposed to go up and some people have suggested they should go away and be merged into some other fee.

I have a lease for a single 622 that I have had for a number of years and have been paying $7/mo for it. This past month, my bill has a charge of $9 for the receiver but there's also a -$7 and -$2 adjustment for it.

I think the adjustments may be a result of the $10/mo promotion I signed up for a few months ago. The adjustments for that and the 3 months of HBO and Showtime have been frankly bizarre and never as simple as $22 and $10 off on my bill. Whoever designed dish's billing system is nuts. I get adjustments for seemingly random things and for seemingly random amounts (not even whole numbers). I didn't even have any adjustments the previous two months.

So my question is, should my lease fee have gone up $2/mo or should it now be free?

My previous bill:
Leased Receiver Fee 7.00
DISH Network DVR Service Fee 5.98
Locals 5.99
HD & Platinum 10.00

My current bill:
Locals 5.99
Existing Customer Leased Primary HD Receiver 9.00
Additional Outlet - Adjustment -7.00
Additional Outlet - Adjustment -2.00
DVR Service 6.00
HD & Platinum 10.00

Whats your equipment?

 

[tnsprin]

I have been trying to follow the long thread on the price changes from Dish this past month but I'm afraid I'm still quite confused as to where the leased equipment fees are supposed to fall into this mess? I didn't hear anyone say they were supposed to go up and some people have suggested they should go away and be merged into some other fee.

I have a lease for a single 622 that I have had for a number of years and have been paying $7/mo for it. This past month, my bill has a charge of $9 for the receiver but there's also a -$7 and -$2 adjustment for it.

I think the adjustments may be a result of the $10/mo promotion I signed up for a few months ago. The adjustments for that and the 3 months of HBO and Showtime have been frankly bizarre and never as simple as $22 and $10 off on my bill. Whoever designed dish's billing system is nuts. I get adjustments for seemingly random things and for seemingly random amounts (not even whole numbers). I didn't even have any adjustments the previous two months.

So my question is, should my lease fee have gone up $2/mo or should it now be free?

My previous bill:
Leased Receiver Fee 7.00
DISH Network DVR Service Fee 5.98
Locals 5.99
HD & Platinum 10.00

My current bill:
Locals 5.99
Existing Customer Leased Primary HD Receiver 9.00
Additional Outlet - Adjustment -7.00
Additional Outlet - Adjustment -2.00
DVR Service 6.00
HD & Platinum 10.00

My adjustments show 1 of 6. So first of 6 months. I have decided to leave DISH for FIOS.

 

[TazmanianD]

I thing existing customers will get credit until July.

This is from a website about the changes.

"CREDITS TO YOUR ACCOUNT

You have participated in a long-running promotional offer where you received discounted pricing on your 2-TV receivers by connecting them to a phone line. That promotional offer expired on January 31st. Because you are a valued customer, we have provided receiver credits on your account for six months."

I don't think that's what I'm seeing. For one, I don't have that message in my 2010 update on the website as noted by Scott. However that message has me entirely confused. My understanding was that the promotion was that the fee was waived if you hooked up a phone line but that fee is now gone and thus there's no need for the promotion; why would they offer you adjustments to your account for a fee they didn't charge before and aren't going to charge in the future? Is it because you have multiple receivers?

In any case, the adjustments aren't for $5 but $7 and $2 which is the same as my $9 lease fee. Are you saying that's just a coincidence?

Whats your equipment?

All I have is a single 622.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Your Bill Should Look like this for a Single 622 on your account.
Base Package???? I didn't see you Mention it. (Top 100, 39.99 ,Top 120+$44.99,Top 200 $52.99,Top 250 $62.99, all include locals.
DVR Fee $6
HD Platinum $10.
Plus your Taxes if any.
Subtract a $5 Credit for the Phone connect fee,Max 6 months.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

My adjustments show 1 of 6. So first of 6 months. I have decided to leave DISH for FIOS.

What do you have? 3 Duo receivers?

 

[TazmanianD]

Your Bill Should Look like this for a Single 622 on your account.
Base Package???? I didn't see you Mention it. (Top 100, 39.99 ,Top 120+$44.99,Top 200 $52.99,Top 250 $62.99, all include locals.
DVR Fee $6
HD Platinum $10.
Plus your Taxes if any.
Subtract a $5 Credit for the Phone connect fee,Max 6 months.

I have the 250 package but I pay for it on an annual basis and thus it doesn't show up on my bill and I pay for the locals separately.

I know when I originally got my 622 that I agreed to pay a monthly lease fee but I don't remember agreeing to let them raise it and it sounds like they shouldn't be charging me anyway.

 

[jmel]

Your Bill Should Look like this for a Single 622 on your account.
Base Package???? I didn't see you Mention it. (Top 100, 39.99 ,Top 120+$44.99,Top 200 $52.99,Top 250 $62.99, all include locals.
DVR Fee $6
HD Platinum $10.
Plus your Taxes if any.
Subtract a $5 Credit for the Phone connect fee,Max 6 months.

Strange, I have a single 622 (that I purchased a few years ago, not leased) and the top 250, and hd platinum.

I get charged for locals, but I don't get charged a dvr fee...

 

[tnsprin]

What do you have? 3 Duo receivers?

Yes, three ViP622's.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Strange, I have a single 622 (that I purchased a few years ago, not leased) and the top 250, and hd platinum.

I get charged for locals, but I don't get charged a dvr fee...

Your Next bill will look like everyone elses.

 

[StanUbankit]

I have the 250 package but I pay for it on an annual basis and thus it doesn't show up on my bill and I pay for the locals separately.

I know when I originally got my 622 that I agreed to pay a monthly lease fee but I don't remember agreeing to let them raise it and it sounds like they shouldn't be charging me anyway.

Taz, I'm sorta in the same boat as you, I've leased a single 622 since around July 2006, I had been paying the $7 lease fee monthly (think it was $6 originally). I asked cust service several times "why am I paying a lease fee when this is the only rec on the acct?", their response was "at the time you leased the 622, there was a monthly lease charge, even if it's the only rec on the acct". I figger they'd gotten their moneys worth outta me (plus the $199 lease upgrade fee that I paid upfront), in January of 2009 I emailed the the "ceo at echostar" (executive resolution), here's what they did for me.
They sent me another 622, I sent the 622 back I was using (at the time) and for a period of 12 months I wouldn't be charged the lease fee. (Yeah, it sounded crazy to me, too, having to do that but I thought, "I'll save $84 for a year), after the 12 months was up I'd have to do another swap out or if I upgraded my rec to a 722, then I wouldn't have the lease fee. I didn't wanna spend the $75 upgrade fee for the 722 and start another 24 mo contract. I've just gotten the bill for my 13th month and they haven't started charging me the lease fee so I'm hoping it's history.
It looks like they're charging you and then crediting the charge for the lease fee so as long as this is the case you aren't paying the lease fee (another Dish convoluted way of billing/accounting).

I have the Absolute pack w/locals and dvr fee.

 

[TazmanianD]

Taz, I'm sorta in the same boat as you, I've leased a single 622 since around July 2006, I had been paying the $7 lease fee monthly (think it was $6 originally). I asked cust service several times "why am I paying a lease fee when this is the only rec on the acct?", their response was "at the time you leased the 622, there was a monthly lease charge, even if it's the only rec on the acct".

I had a chat with a CSR last night and he said that the $9 leased receiver fee on my bill was a mistake and the adjustments were to fix that mistake. Let's hope they keeping fixing this "mistake" ;-). Do you remember agreeing to let them increase the lease fee on you?

 

[tnsprin]

I had a chat with a CSR last night and he said that the $9 leased receiver fee on my bill was a mistake and the adjustments were to fix that mistake. Let's hope they keeping fixing this "mistake" ;-). Do you remember agreeing to let them increase the lease fee on you?

The agreement, that you should have a copy of, allows them to make any changes they want at any time.

 

[StanUbankit]

I had a chat with a CSR last night and he said that the $9 leased receiver fee on my bill was a mistake and the adjustments were to fix that mistake. Let's hope they keeping fixing this "mistake" ;-). Do you remember agreeing to let them increase the lease fee on you?

I've been told that if you hold the contract/agreement up to a mirror, you'll see Charlie's face, with a big smile, saying "I can damn well do anything I want to my subs"

But yeah, the wording allows them to change prices, add/drop/change channels, etc.

 

[Slamminc11]

...Do you remember agreeing to let them increase the lease fee on you?

Yes. It's written in my agreement, your agreement, as well as everyone elses agreement when they signed up with Dish.
But to be fair, it is also written into Directs, Comcast, Time Warner...agreements as well.

 

[jmel]

Your Next bill will look like everyone elses.

Really? The bill was generated on Feb 10th and covers 2/25-3/24