Instead of giving away new boxes every 12 months...

[Hopper27]

Along the lines of paying to get new customers, and giving away the boxes to get people signed up...

I had a thought... My complaint with Dish is that if I want to own my equipment, I have a huge upfront cost. If I rent, I'm paying a never ending monthly fee.

What I want is to own my equipment, yet pay for it over the course of 12 months.

Instead of billing me $500 up front to upgrade to a 721 box, I'd much prefer to pay for that box over 12 months, or $41.66 a month. (heck, I already pay $10 a month forever to "lease" a 501 from them, this way I own it forever)

This way I own the box and can do with it as I please, keep it, sell it, etc. and Dish doesn't have to sell it below cost to keep me as a customer. This way I can upgrade when I wish, sell the older boxes if I want, etc.

Most people probably keep their older equipment far longer than the average on this forum. Maybe not, I don't know.

Anyway, what do you all think of that idea?

Jason

[waydwolf]

    Given signal piracy is already a sore point with them, making it any easier to get a box is not high on their list of priorities. Also, getting suckers, er, customers, to pay more is what they are in business for. Your idea is good for you, but has no real upside for them from their POV and their POV is all that matters to them, unfortunately.

 

[Hopper27]

How does getting a replacement box have anything to do with signal piracy?

As far as I know, no one has cracked the standard dish network cards yet, so their piracy should be zero as far as that is concerned.

As for why this is good for them? It keep me happy, they don't have to give me a box for less than it cost them to make it, and heck, they can even make a profit off the box this way.

I see a lot of upsides for them and for the customer, I can't really see a downside, unless they think customers won't pay their bill, but that could happen with inital customers, so what's new?

Jason

[Karl Foster]

Now that Dish Network has NHLCI, and NBALP, piracy will become an issue. I think the main reason hackers prefer Directv to Dish Network is the ability to get expensive sports programming like NFLST, MLBEI, NHLCI, and NBALP.

It is only a matter of time before Dish has to deal with the same piracy issues Directv does.

[Hopper27]

Ok, fine... But what does that have to do with my idea?

My whole point was to make it easier for existing customers to upgrade without a large, out of pocket expense. They just get a charged added to their monthy bill every month for 12 months and Dish ships them a new box that they don't have to sell for less than it costs to make.

Customer is happy, dish doesn't lose money on the box, everyone wins.

I personally feel that for the majority of customers, not having a large out of pocket expense is just as imporant as what the box actually costs. This also is very useful for those people who don't have protection plans and their expensive 501 box goes bust. This way they don't have to pony up $300 up front they might not have to replace it.

Jason

[scooper]

Gees - if that's an issue, just put it on your credit card and pay it off over 12 months...

[boba]

Jason your idea already exists it is called VISA/MASTERCARD you just charge it and make monthly payments to them.

[psycaz]

I wouldn't mind seeing them do something so I could upgrade my equipment. Yes, I do have credit cards I could use. But it would be nice for Dish to really look at ways to work with their existing customers to upgrade equipment. Offering to spread the payments out shouldn't be that hard. Hell if they wanted, I'd be happy to send back my old boxes if they made the incentive good enough. As it is, most people end up having to ebay the things to get the out of pocket costs down to where they should have been anyway, imho.
I have a 4000 I would love to upgrade to another 508 or even 721, since the guide is useless on it now. But they have no real upgrade options for me. Yeah, Iknow abut the $199 and 1 yr commit, but they WILL NOT garauntee what you will get, so that makes it useless to me. I'd rather spend my $269 at Costco and know what I am getting. But that seems too much for me to replace a box that does receive signal, but could have better features.
Justs makes me mad that I've been with them for a long while and I gotta beg for breaks, but to get someone else in the door, they'd bend over backwards, 508 for what, $99? (my guess, I quit looking at those prices) and they have no idea what kind of customer they will get. They could check my account and see it hasn't ever been late, where's my reward for loyalty.

[Jacob S]

Customers would keep the hardware and shut their programming off or tear up the hardware therefore Dish losing money on hardware in this way. If the customer does not have a credit card and cannot make it in payments that way then more than likely they do not have good credit according to Dish and will not pay it in monthly installments either, at least for the expensive hardware.

One could get the $1.99 extended warranty instead of waiting until a receiver goes bad to pay so much out at once. Also if the customer paid a monthly fee for the hardware then they are less likely to afford or pay the bill each month over the term and/or drop the programming down to compensate for the extra cost, therefore Dish loses out, unless they can charge extra for the payment option and that would make up for the losses they would incur, but if they subsidize the hardware anyways then they would lose anyhow.

[sorahl]

I guess what I'm waiting for is the 501 to completely drop off their radar so that when a 501 is sent in for repair they replace it with a 508. I agree about the cost of having to upgrade. Some folks on here, and great for them, are able to spend the money to get the newer equipment but I just can't do it. I understand that it costs DN more to make them but it just costs too much money. Especially in this economy with the way business's are doing . I mean, how many times have I been told at work that we have to do MORE and MORE work for the same lousy salary, and no raises this year until sept (yeah right) and now more and more cut backs.. :) well. It's about time we start getting more and more for our money from these same businesses that are doing that with their employees!

[Hopper27]

Jacob, did you spend awhile thinking up that reply?

Obviously they only offer this to those people paying with credit card auto pay (or direct debit).

In addition, they can simply sell the item at their normal price. $599 for a 721 box is more than $100 of profit (since online dealers are selling them as low as $499). As such, they will make money on the boxes, even if a few people don't actually pay.

In addition, with new subscribers, they already hand out free equipment, so this isn't a new risk. In fact it is lower because they are giving out equipment to customers who have been around for years...

Jason

[boba]

Jason read the requirements of those offers for $499.00 the key word is NEW you don't qualify. Stop bitching and face reality DISH has prices for enticing new customers and prices for existing customers. If you don't know the requirements of your existing contract, don't like the prices, or just don't like DISH there is two alternatives, DIRECTV and CABLE TV.

[dbronstein]

I got a 721 for $499 as an existing customer from a local installer.

Dennis

[Jacob S]

Dish is good about keeping extra receivers in stock for a while to replace you with that same model. There are still plenty enough people out there with 501's waiting to go bad and those to be refurbished to be used to give to you when yours go bad.

[DishDude1]

Even if you don't have an extended warranty, the charge is only $49 for a receiver swap. (They just reduced it from $69) Customers who have been around since 96-97-98 and are using 2000-3000-4000 are now having their units replaced with 2800-3900-4900 as they die. The whole idea is to keep your monthly rate competitive, not give you new equipment every year. If you want the newest and greatest equipment, you need to pay for it.

[psycaz]

Originally posted by DishDude1
Even if you don't have an extended warranty, the charge is only $49 for a receiver swap. (They just reduced it from $69) Customers who have been around since 96-97-98 and are using 2000-3000-4000 are now having their units replaced with 2800-3900-4900 as they die. The whole idea is to keep your monthly rate competitive, not give you new equipment every year. If you want the newest and greatest equipment, you need to pay for it.

Now only if they would let me swap my 1000 and 4000 for $49 each without them having to be dead...

[Lyle_JP]

psycaz, that's what open beverage containers are for ;)

[psycaz]

Lyle_JP
I have thought of that, but I want to be honest about it. It would be my luck they would charge me for sending it in for that kind of "accident".

On a more serious note, it shouldn't have to come to that in my opinion, I mean, come on, the 4900 aren't really current tech to them anymore. They have pretty much rendered my 1000 and 4000 useless. they receive signal, but I can tell it's not the same quality as my 508, and the guides don't go past the next show, EVER. Yes I could download the guide buy moving it like 8 hrs ahead to force the download, but that takes at least 5 minutes to get.
So if anyone from Dish reads here: How about a little help for us good customers already.