Digital Home Plan--Renewals Deals

[DRJDAN]

My Digital Home Plan 12 month agreement ends in April.

What kind of deal can I expect at renewal time?

Will I be able to upgrade to a 721 at a reduced price with another 12 agreement?

[HTguy]

There's no such thing as "DHP Renewal." You just keep the equipment & continue to watch TV & pay your monthly subscription.

With one possible exception there are no special deals because E* hasn't even recouped their start-up costs on you and won't begin to for another year & 1/2 or 2 years depending upon how many rcvrs were installed & what you subscribe to.

The exception is a PVR. If you didn't get one for your primary rcvr to start with you may be given the option to upgrade for $49.99 or $99.99, depending upon your subsciption, for another 12 month comittment.

Oh, BTW, it won't be a 721. PVR 721s & Model 6000u's are not part of DHP. You can buy them if you wish & add them to your acct & they will be covered by your IHSA.

[BobMurdoch]

Some of the plans may have had a no price increase guarantee for a set period. Check the fine print to see if you have one of them, which may have protected you from the last price hike (I've missed two price hikes in the 3 years I've been a subscriber, but my price guarantee expires in June)

[DRJDAN]

When I referred to DHP renewal, I was referring to my contract which is for one year. I assume they had rather I stay vs. telling them to come get the equipment. So I would think, they will have some incentive to keep me. I have one 501 now and would be interested in some incentive pricing to add a second one for another 12 month contract.

I have the everyting package with 4 receivers--my bill is $107 per month.

[BobMurdoch]

Stick with the plan you have if you have 4 receivers. Are they charging you a $5 fee for each additional receiver over your primary unit ($15 total?) or is it included in your price?

This could make a big difference.

[boba]

DRJDAN at the end of your 1 year contract DHP goes to a month by month agreement you get no more incentives to stay as a customer in fact your programming bill will go up $2 for the price increase Feb.1st. Also according to DISH Network you can never be a new customer again you will no longer qualify for NEW CUSTOMER only offers such as DHP.

[Hopper27]

How do they keep track? What if you use a new name and new credit card?

Jason

[HTguy]

Originally posted by DRJDAN
When I referred to DHP renewal, I was referring to my contract which is for one year. I assume they had rather I stay vs. telling them to come get the equipment. So I would think, they will have some incentive to keep me. I have one 501 now and would be interested in some incentive pricing to add a second one for another 12 month contract.

I have the everyting package with 4 receivers--my bill is $107 per month.

Sure, they hope you will stay. As I stated above they have a long way to go with you before they even recoup your "Customer Aquisition Costs." But for that same reason they aren't going to offer you additional incentives. If they did that every year they would never get out of the hole.

The assumption is that you enjoy the service & will remain a long term customer. Fortunately, the great majority of DHP subs stay on.

But business is business and if it is appearent that you will churn unless they keep paying you to stay they will let you go. BTW, they won't come to pick up the eqmt. If you terminate your DHP acct they will arrange for you to ship the eqmt back to DISH.

[jgoggan]

Originally posted by Hopper27
How do they keep track? What if you use a new name and new credit card?

I was under the impression it was by phone number and address, although I'd be interested in hearing otherwise if anyone knows for sure...

I've known people that have cancelled and then had their wife sign up, using a similar address with "Apt. B" and a second phone line and seen that work. So, that was changing name, address, and phone, of course.

- John...

[DRJDAN]

The reason I ask the questin was I recently recieved an email from Dish Network asking if they could send me promotional offers to my email address. I figured they were getting ready for renewal of DHP.

Dish if your read this--a 508 upgrade for one of my receivers at a good price would be a nice incentive for another 12 month contract.

[jgoggan]

Not... Gonna... Happen.

:-)

- John...

[DRJDAN]

John,

Why don't you think they would rather have me on another 12 contract vs. going month to month and maybe leaving?

My cellur telephone company (AT&T wireless), gives me deal when I am willing sign on for 12 or 24 months. I have been with them for about 7 years and have done renewal deals a number of times

[jgoggan]

Because Dish simply doesn't do that. They do the lock-ins with the new plans. Once they have you, you're pretty much screwed out of any future "deals." Since they don't offer hardware deals to existing customers (at least, not so far in any mass style), they have nothing to offer to get you to lock-in to any amount of time.

So, yes, I can see the logic in what you are saying -- but we're just letting you know that they don't do it.

You will not be contacted for anything relating to a "renewal" at the end of your initial 12-months. They will simply start charging you month to month -- and that's the way it is.

Heck -- I'd gladly sign up for another year just to get my PVR501 upgraded to a 508! But it isn't going to happen...

- John...

[DRJDAN]

What would happen if I call up after the 12 months are up and tell them I want to cancel? Are you saying they are not going to try to get me to stay on vs. moving to Direct TV?

[jgoggan]

They may offer you something -- it really depends. People have a wide variety of responses after threatening to cancel.

However, I'm just saying that they don't have any real "renewal" plans. Unless you make a threat to leave -- they are pretty much just going to convert you to month-to-month and that's it.

If you do threaten to leave, depending on what you have now and how much you complain, they MAY give you a discount on a different receiver -- but, in the past, that "discount" has always still been a significantly worse deal than any new customers are offered. And, it's generally just a "you can buy it for X instead of Y" thing -- not a "commit to another 12 months and we'll do this" thing...

But -- by all means -- give it a go! Best of luck! Always good to hear of good deals had by threatening to leave -- it gives the rest of us some ideas/courage to try it too! :-)

- John...