Side grade fee question

[Brett]

If one has Dish Network service with locals, then moves and wants the new locals with same level of service, does Dish charge a side-grade fee also? Do they charge side grade fees for changing distant networks? e.g. (NY, LA) to (Denver, Chicago).

Anyone tried it, and what did the CSR do?

Unlike premium movie channels where one has the option of taking all four packages and by switching packages one is not taking all Dish offers, with locals one cant take more than 2 distant networks or 1 local package anyways.

Has Dish loosened up in anyways regarding side grade fees? I think some of the side grade fee policies they had turned me off. I remember taking AT 100 and Bloomberg didnt want Bloomberg but realized the side-grade fee to take off Bloomberg would be about 3 months of service of Bloomberg.

[boba]

If you move sideways or downgrade where a customer service rep is involved a fee is charged. If you upgrade in cost of service a fee is not charged, they will over time make a profit.

[Jacob S]

Even if you would have an increase in your programming bill after taking ANY channels off, there is STILL a downgrade/sidegrade change fee. You have to keep all of the channels that you had without dropping any regardless if you added more than you take off to avoid the $5 downgrade fee.

[makman]

When my locals became available this week, I dropped my distant west networks and added the locals via CSR. No price change. I was not charged a sidegrade fee.

Mitch

[tampa8]

Originally posted by Jacob S
Even if you would have an increase in your programming bill after taking ANY channels off, there is STILL a downgrade/sidegrade change fee. You have to keep all of the channels that you had without dropping any regardless if you added more than you take off to avoid the $5 downgrade fee.

Not my experience. 1st, when my brother in law went from distants to local when local became available, there was no charge by Dish. And when I dropped the sports package (too many blackouts) but added HBO/Cinemax again, there was no charge. In my case I did ask to be sure I would not be charged and the CSR immediately said there is no charge for the change. There wasn't.

[Jacob S]

Sometimes they do not charge it, that they waive it one time, it depends on the CSR that you get. Also I think they make that exception when your locals become available because of that situation with the locals being added.

[JayeDVXIII]

Sidegrade and downgrade fees are stupid and unnecessary; like a cell phone, I should be able to add and subtract programming at will.


If a customer is still under contract, I do understand that they agree to keep a certain price level but I have a bunch of "optional" channels that my roomates whined about "having to have" and I plan to drop all of them when I move; it sucks that I have to pay a fee just because I'm dropping them ..but yet still keeping the minimum needed to keep my service active per contract.

Speaking of contract, I realize that the recent rate hike wasn't much but If I agreed via contract to commit to 12 months of programming, then it would seem that my rate would have to stay the same until my contract was over.?!?!

[DarrellP]

After I moved, I went to just Locals/HBO and couldn't stand the lack of programming so I called last night and switched to the TOP 50/Locals and dropped HBO. They tried to charge me a $5 fee and I said "Isn't going from no programming package to the Top 50 an upgrade?" and they agreed and did not charge me the $5.

[dbronstein]

Originally posted by JayeDVXIII
Speaking of contract, I realize that the recent rate hike wasn't much but If I agreed via contract to commit to 12 months of programming, then it would seem that my rate would have to stay the same until my contract was over.?!?!

It depends what the contract actually says. If it says that you agree to subscribe to 12 months of programming at $XXX, then I'd agree with you. But more than likely, it says that you agree to subscribe to 12 months of programming and the rates are subject to change.

Dennis

[Jacob S]

It says in the contract that programming prices are subject to change.

Sometimes they say they will give you credit on your bill and it will show up on your bill anyways and its hard to get off sometimes at that point.

They charge the $5 downgrade fee because they say it costs so much to do these changes in which I think it costs very little to do so other than the phone call in and the csr's pay time. I think they do this because they do not want people changing their packages all of the time so this helps aleviate that problem. I personally think if the monthly amount goes up that they should not charge the fee. They want people to keep what they have or add more channels, not changing all the time.

[JayeDVXIII]

hrm..i think i'd be less likely to stay on with a company who says "you MUST have service with us for 12 months" but we can change the rate at any time..i should have been allowed to opt out at that point.> I would have stayed with them but not under a contract

[JayeDVXIII]

what about DirecTV..do they charge this fee?

[Jacob S]

Yes, DirecTv also charges this fee.

[scaredpoet]

I haven't tried this, but... does the same fee get charged if you make downagrades using your account access on the E* website? It would be kinda nice if they dropped the fee if you did the downgrade online, seeing as it costs them far less in resources to handle the config change than if someonw ere to call in.

[bkwest]

I have changed my programing up and down twice in the past 6 months and you can get out of paying if you just tell them you are having money issues and they will waive the fee.... Done it twice already. :)

[Jacob S]

I am not sure if they charge this fee when you do this online, they might wave it online but not sure on this.

[BillB]

I wasn't aware that you could drop Dish programming online. I thought you only could add, but to drop anything you have to call. Has this feature been added?

[DarrellP]

You cannot drop down in programming online, you can only ADD programming. I'm sure it's a safety net for Dish so people aren't screaming about the $5 charge.

How many people are going to read the fine print? even if it was huge red lettering, people would kick and scream that they did not see the warning. But when you are talking to a live CSR, there is no way around it, they warn you, you agree and you pay.

[Jacob S]

How would it be any different to say that the CSR never told you about the $5 charge than saying you never read it online? At least you can see it online about the charge as there is proof of it.

[jrbdmb]

Do they charge side grade fees for changing distant networks? e.g. (NY, LA) to (Denver, Chicago).

Anyone tried it, and what did the CSR do?First, I realize I'm resurrecting an old thread ... I have changed my distant NETs a few times in the past month, in order to get certain college football / NFL games that were not on my current distant NETs. So far I have not paid a sidegrade fee. One time the CSR (who had already given me a hard time about another issue) told me the change would involve a $5 charge, so I said "no thanks", called back later in the day, and then switched for free. :) At least in this case it appears to be up to the CSR.

[dewayne]

To avoid the side fee, tell them you want to drop a package (Say, HBO). When they tell you about the $5 fee, ask them if there is a fee to switch to another package, say Showtime. Most likely they will waive the fee to switch rather than have you cancel outright. Worked for me anyway.

First, I realize I'm resurrecting an old thread ... I have changed my distant NETs a few times in the past month, in order to get certain college football / NFL games that were not on my current distant NETs. So far I have not paid a sidegrade fee. One time the CSR (who had already given me a hard time about another issue) told me the change would involve a $5 charge, so I said "no thanks", called back later in the day, and then switched for free. :) At least in this case it appears to be up to the CSR.

[Mike Richardson]

About the price hike things, I got DHP in November 2002 and even though I added a rented 501 in August I am still paying the November 2002 rates for 4 receivers (previously 3 receivers).