Art Van Delay
04-23-02, 02:56 PM
Recently I signed up for the package Dish Network was offering, that being for $50 you could get up to 4 receivers, your first 3 months free to AT 150, free installation & free activation. A great deal. So I signed up. Then I found out about the promotion for $99 you could get a PVR. So I got that too.
Then about 10 days after the system was installed I get a bill from Dish Network for $150+! I was outraged to say the least! So I immediately called. I talked with one rep who was of absolutely no help. She claimed that the $150 was for the activation of the PVR dish. I was like "NO it was not!". I was never told of such a charge. She said "that's all I can do", so I had her patch me to a manager.
He was not of much help either. He also said the $150 was for the activation of the PVR. I told him that was BS and that I was never told of such a charge & never would have agreed to the PVR if I had been aware of such a charge in the first place. I would have stayed w/DirectTV & bought a Tivo if I wanted to spend $250 on a PVR, at least a Tivo would have been my own property. So this went on & on & I told him I wanted a 301 receiver to replace the 501 with it's absurd "activation fee". He said he could not do that as it had been more than 3 days since my equipment was installed. I said well I don't intend to pay this charge & I want it erased from my bill. He said he could not do that and that the only thing I could do was terminate the contract (which by the way would have cost me $250 as well).
This went on & on for about 10 minutes and I told him how disappointed I was in their business practice & that I would never refer anyone to Dish & I would be switching back to DirectTV or even digital cable as soon as my contract ran out. Then he put me on hold & came back saying that somehow I wasn't credited for the first 3 months of free programming & that my bill was now $50 some odd dollars, which was to pay for my first month of paid service (the month of July in other words, since my first 3 months of free programming were for March, April and June) & that I wouldn't have another bill to pay now until August. He said it was their standard practice to charge for the first month of service upfront. I do not know that I believed him or was hearing the entire story, and am waiting to see if a bill arrives prior to my bill for the month of August.
Has anyone had any similar experiences with Dish?
Then about 10 days after the system was installed I get a bill from Dish Network for $150+! I was outraged to say the least! So I immediately called. I talked with one rep who was of absolutely no help. She claimed that the $150 was for the activation of the PVR dish. I was like "NO it was not!". I was never told of such a charge. She said "that's all I can do", so I had her patch me to a manager.
He was not of much help either. He also said the $150 was for the activation of the PVR. I told him that was BS and that I was never told of such a charge & never would have agreed to the PVR if I had been aware of such a charge in the first place. I would have stayed w/DirectTV & bought a Tivo if I wanted to spend $250 on a PVR, at least a Tivo would have been my own property. So this went on & on & I told him I wanted a 301 receiver to replace the 501 with it's absurd "activation fee". He said he could not do that as it had been more than 3 days since my equipment was installed. I said well I don't intend to pay this charge & I want it erased from my bill. He said he could not do that and that the only thing I could do was terminate the contract (which by the way would have cost me $250 as well).
This went on & on for about 10 minutes and I told him how disappointed I was in their business practice & that I would never refer anyone to Dish & I would be switching back to DirectTV or even digital cable as soon as my contract ran out. Then he put me on hold & came back saying that somehow I wasn't credited for the first 3 months of free programming & that my bill was now $50 some odd dollars, which was to pay for my first month of paid service (the month of July in other words, since my first 3 months of free programming were for March, April and June) & that I wouldn't have another bill to pay now until August. He said it was their standard practice to charge for the first month of service upfront. I do not know that I believed him or was hearing the entire story, and am waiting to see if a bill arrives prior to my bill for the month of August.
Has anyone had any similar experiences with Dish?