Dumping Dish after 5 years of good service!

[dmodemd]

I cant believe I am doing it but I am dumping Dish... for the following reasons:

I have internet through my cable and they rip me off by forcing me to pay for broadcast basic cable and charge $10 more for the Internet than if I had it combo'd with a higher cable level.

Basically I am saving $45/mo for the reason above and by getting rid of my add'l receiver charge (because I need an HD AND DVR box), locals charge, and warranty. I am sick of getting nickel and dimed.

I am sick of waiting to get a half decent deal on an HD-DVR when the cable company will give it to me for only $7 month.

Now I lose a couple channels I like (NASA and DIY) but even with my $45/mo savings I was able to add Showtime/TMC.

Now I know the cable boxes arent as good as the (buggy) Dish boxes but Ill just live with that...

I didnt call Dish customer retention but basically my demand would be a really cheap 942 and $40 off per month and that just aint gonna happen.

I might be back someday if they can lower their rates and give away LOW lease equipment, but otherwise... its been real....

Lee

[finniganps]

Lee - tell Dish why you're leaving. If they get more feedback like yours, perhaps they'll change their policies. If you provide no feedback, there will be no changes. I know they won't offer you what you want at this point, but it may help down the line if you decide to come back.

[bigdwoof]

I dropped DISH recently for the same reason, but I kept one receiver hooked up, because NASA is a FREE station. Once DISH sends the signal to drop your programming, you will still have about a dozen channels that are completely free. They're mostly shopping channels, then of course you keep the DISH info channel, and bet of all, NASA. I just recorded the recent launch with my 721, and it didn't cost me a penny!

Bigdwoof...

[cdru]

Lets break down your complaints

I have internet through my cable and they rip me off by forcing me to pay for broadcast basic cable and charge $10 more for the Internet than if I had it combo'd with a higher cable level.This is a gripe with your cable company. Not with Dish. You don't HAVE to go with them. It's your choice to and if you do, you have to play by their rules.

Basically I am saving $45/mo for the reason above and by getting rid of my add'l receiver charge (because I need an HD AND DVR box), locals charge, and warranty. I am sick of getting nickel and dimed.So your tired of getting nickled and dimed. Take a look at your cable bill to see how many nickles and dimes are added in over and above the base backage price. You have to pay extra for DVRs. You have to pay extra for digital receivers. You may have an added fee for some type of a warranty service. I remember when I had cable they even charged a fee for the fricking remote. All the services "nickle and dime you". The nickles and dimes just go for different things. They aren't in the business to be a charity.

I am sick of waiting to get a half decent deal on an HD-DVR when the cable company will give it to me for only $7 month.Fair enough. But in Dish's defense, if they offer a really great introductry deal on a HD-DVR, they are going to get burned by it. When the switch to MPEG4 comes about, every single one of those people that shell out money for a non-MPEG4 would be furious that Dish goes and makes them obsolete. By keeping the price relative high, I think that they are limiting the number of those receivers that actually get deployed to those that are willing to pay a premium for a receiver that already has a limited life.

I didnt call Dish customer retention but basically my demand would be a really cheap 942 and $40 off per month and that just aint gonna happen.Your right. It isn't going to happen. But where is that $40 coming from? If you are including the saving by not having to pay the cable modem "tax", then you aren't exactly asking something fair.

I might be back someday if they can lower their rates and give away LOW lease equipment, but otherwise... its been real....They already give away low lease equipment. You wouldn't go into your Chevy dealership and expect to get a Corvette at the same lease price as a Cobalt. Same thing applies here. Dish doesn't have to give you their top of the line receiver. It's been long known that Dish doesn't treat existing customers with the same respect regarding deals as they do with new customers. If you want the latest and greatest hot equipment, you are going to pay for it. AFAIK, DirecTV is this way as well. Although when MPEG4 gets released with both networks, I would expect to see some good deals for HD customers.

Cable companies are using the satellite companies reluctance to give great deals to existing customers to their advantage. They offer a low introductry rate and the latest equipment. But in most cases once that intro price is up, people end up paying more in the long run, sometimes with buggy ad-laden equipment.

Cable modems seem to be the deciding factor in alot of cases. The cable modem "tax" if you don't have CATV service is doing exactly what it's meant to do, give you incentive to subscribe to CATV.

[boba]

Lee - tell Dish why you're leaving. If they get more feedback like yours, perhaps they'll change their policies. If you provide no feedback, there will be no changes. I know they won't offer you what you want at this point, but it may help down the line if you decide to come back.It would be nice if DISH would "LISTEN" and "HEAR" why people are leaving their service. I admit I was called after leaving and questioned why I left but it was really a sales call to win me back, rather than an interest in what they needed to improve their service. :)

[Darkman]

I dropped DISH recently for the same reason, but I kept one receiver hooked up, because NASA is a FREE station. Once DISH sends the signal to drop your programming, you will still have about a dozen channels that are completely free. They're mostly shopping channels, then of course you keep the DISH info channel

So you can watch Charlie chats / Tech chats then..., right? :)

and bet of all, NASA.

bet = best :D

[garypen]

Lets break down your complaints

So your tired of getting nickled and dimed. Take a look at your cable bill to see how many nickles and dimes are added in over and above the base backage price. You have to pay extra for DVRs. You have to pay extra for digital receivers. You may have an added fee for some type of a warranty service. I remember when I had cable they even charged a fee for the fricking remote. All the services "nickle and dime you". The nickles and dimes just go for different things. They aren't in the business to be a charity. With Comcast in my area, the DVR, Extra Receiver, and HD Pack fee are all rolled into one $10/mo fee. That's $5 cheaper than Dish's 3 fees for the same thing.

Comcast does not charge me a remote control fee, as your cable company did.

Comcast does not charge a $5 fee for downgrading service, as Dish does.

Comcast does not charge a $5 fee for paying via credit card on the phone, as Dish does.

Dish wins the nickel and dime award.

But in Dish's defense, if they offer a really great introductry deal on a HD-DVR, they are going to get burned by it. When the switch to MPEG4 comes about, every single one of those people that shell out money for a non-MPEG4 would be furious that Dish goes and makes them obsolete. By keeping the price relative high, I think that they are limiting the number of those receivers that actually get deployed to those that are willing to pay a premium for a receiver that already has a limited life. A. What makes you think they will be upgrading receivers for free? When have they ever done that for their customers when they've introduced a new technology? They charged for upgrades to Dish500, DishPro, etc. They will undoubtedly charge something for the upgrade to MPEG4. It may be a reduced price combined with a term commitment. But, it will no way be a no-strings equipment swap. It is merely foolishness and wishful thinking to think it will be.
B. They are charging $250 simply to make money. (or at least recoup some or most of the cost of the 942.) It has nothing to do with reducing the number of 942's out there for the fairy-tale free upgrade you keep imagining.

Your right. It isn't going to happen. But where is that $40 coming from? If you are including the saving by not having to pay the cable modem "tax", then you aren't exactly asking something fair.

Let's see. I pay $58 ($83 regular price - $25 for 16 months) for the equivilent of AT180, HBO, HD Pack, and DVR. Plus, no upfront cost, and free replacement warranty. The Dish price for the same products would be $89, $6 more than Comcast's regular price. Plus, Dish would have charged me $250 for the priviledge of leasing their HD DVR.

So, even without cable internet (I use DSL), I have saved $550 dollars the first year, $148 the 2nd year, and $48 each year thereafter. That's some serious coinage.

It's been long known that Dish doesn't treat existing customers with the same respect regarding deals as they do with new customers. If you want the latest and greatest hot equipment, you are going to pay for it. Isn't that his complaint to begin with?

AFAIK, DirecTV is this way as well. Although when MPEG4 gets released with both networks, I would expect to see some good deals for HD customers. Actually, DirecTV has a very active retention department. Just browse the D* threads to see all the great retention deals people are getting.

Cable companies are using the satellite companies reluctance to give great deals to existing customers to their advantage. They offer a low introductry rate and the latest equipment. But in most cases once that intro price is up, people end up paying more in the long run, sometimes with buggy ad-laden equipment.As I mentioned before, even after the low indroductory rate, which lasts for a whopping 16 months, it's still cheaper than Dish. And, the HD DVR I got is less buggy than even the pretty decent Dish 721.

Local cable companies and systems differ from region to region. But, it certainly sounds like his does offer a viable and cost-effective alternative to Dish. Of course, a good idea is to keep the Dish service for a period of time, while evaluating the new cable service. The great thing about cable is there is no commitment or equipment costs. It doesn't really cost anything to try it.

[dmodemd]

No nickel and dimes from the cable company, I was sure to check that. In fact the taxes were minimal too. They dont charge extra for remote, or extra for DVR. I already have my own cable modem so no charge there. They just charged an extra $7/month for an HD/DVR receiver. I hope to get dual tuner but not guarantee yet. They do show them as available on the web site. (Cable company is Adelphia by the way, going to Comcast soon in my area).

I wont call to cancel until the cable is set up ok and meeting expectations. I am debating whether to keep a receiver. Good points above. I also want to keep OTA for the HD channels my cable doesnt provide, so maybe Ill keep my 811. I would like to get $$ for selling my receivers (I have a 501 and 811). The 501 isnt worth much but the 811 still is... so I have to debate how important NASA, Charlie Chats, and OTA is to me. Probably not worth the $200+ in equipment I have, esp. since the shuttle is grounded again :(

[the_bear]

Over the long term there are only two possible outcomes:
1. Dish offers a better deal than cable, because customers need to be compensated for the inconvenience of having a dish installed.
2. Dish goes bankrupt.

[koji68]

Over the long term there are only two possible outcomes:
1. Dish offers a better deal than cable, because customers need to be compensated for the inconvenience of having a dish installed.
2. Dish goes bankrupt.

The only reason I stay with Dish is because of some international channels I watch. There are lots of people like me.

If cable carried the International channels, then I would switch because cable is cheaper in my town and the PQ is good as I can tell from my neighbor's TV. But they won't. Ever. Because in the community that I live on very few people will watch these international channels. It's not profitable for the cable company.

I bet that there are lots of people that stay with Ecostar for the same reason and that's why I think they won't go bankrupt. They have tons of users that are locked into their service because they can't get the channels they want anywhere else.

When I started with Dish they gave me a 501 for $99 and no PVR fee. There is no chance that I would get such a deal as an existing customer.

Maybe it will change. Phone companies used to be that way and now they allow you to upgrade your phone every couple of years.

What we need is a couple of million people switching back to cable. Maybe then Charlie would start paying more attention to existing subscribers.

[garypen]

You are correct. International channels are what differentiates Dish from DirecTV and cable. That is their big draw. That is why the majority of Dish's new channel offerings is foreign-language. They know which side their bread is buttered on.

OTOH, DirecTV has been steadily adding International programming. And, because of ethnic diversity in my area, Comcast also offers quite a lot of Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and one Japanese channels.

I just wish there were more Japanese offerings on ANY service. NHK programming on TVJapan is high-quality and informative, but we'd love the Fuji and TBS entertainment programming as well. TVJapan is also very expensive compared to other International channels.

[lazaruspup]

My comparable package with DISH would be:
(all of this is with no promos added)

America's Top 180 $52.99
HBO/Showtime Multi-Pack $25.00
HD Pak $10.99
Extra Receiver Fee $5.00
DVR Fee-Primary $5.00
DVR Fee-Extra Receiver $5.00
No Phone Line Fee-Primary $5.00
No Phone Line Fee-Extra Receiver $5.00
I'll be generous and suppose I'd loop the one SD output off one of the 942's for the 3 additional outlets.
DHPP $5.99
Total: $119.97 plus $500 up front to lease two 942's.
(Give or take a penny)

Currently:

Digital Gold $79.99
DVR/HD Fee $10.00
DVR/HD Fee $10.00
Analog in 3 other rooms $0
OnDemand $0 (100 plus additional channels of content)
Total: $99.99 Up Front... $0 Plus $10.00 off Cable Modem Service as Long as I Keep Digital Cable Service plus Additional $12.00 Off Retention Credit Monthly, Total Cost: $132.98 plus taxes

Equivalent Package With DISH and Modem $172.98 plus taxes

Oh and the only "nickels and dimes" I pay out are a $1.74 franchise fee and 6% sales tax. It only makes sense, right now, cable is coming back with a vengeance... will it last, I'll be the first to say, probably not, but right now, cable has got the winning ticket.

[garypen]

Dish charges $11 for HD now?

[Mike Richardson]

I have internet through my cable and they rip me off by forcing me to pay for broadcast basic cable and charge $10 more for the Internet than if I had it combo'd with a higher cable level.

Who is your cable company?

Nevermind, you said Adelphia (soon Comcast)

To anyone here who has Time Warner though you can get Earthlink Cable Modem for $42 thru Time Warner WITH NO OTHER FEES and you DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE CABLE TV. I get Earthlink Cable modem for $42/mo. They installed a line to my computer room just for the cable modem. I get a Time Warner bill for $42 plus sales tax every month for Earthlink. If you are paying $50+ for RoadRunner because you dont have cable TV then STOP and switch to Earthlink.

I do not own any interest in earthlink etc but just don't want people paying extra punishment fees just for not having cable TV.

[Mike Richardson]

My comparable package with DISH would be:
(all of this is with no promos added)

America's Top 180 $52.99
HBO/Showtime Multi-Pack $25.00
HD Pak $10.99
Extra Receiver Fee $5.00
DVR Fee-Primary $5.00
DVR Fee-Extra Receiver $5.00
No Phone Line Fee-Primary $5.00
No Phone Line Fee-Extra Receiver $5.00
I'll be generous and suppose I'd loop the one SD output off one of the 942's for the 3 additional outlets.
DHPP $5.99
Total: $119.97 plus $500 up front to lease two 942's.
(Give or take a penny)

This doesn't make sense. Why is HD Pak $10.99? Shouldn't that be $9.99

Why do you have the two no phone line fees? Don't you have a phone line?

And why do you have DHPP?

[the_bear]

The only reason I stay with Dish is because of some international channels I watch.

At first I was going to use the word “cheaper”, but I wanted something more generic, so I switched to “deal”. I guess I should have used an even more generic term.

[Paul Secic]

Lets break down your complaints

This is a gripe with your cable company. Not with Dish. You don't HAVE to go with them. It's your choice to and if you do, you have to play by their rules.

So your tired of getting nickled and dimed. Take a look at your cable bill to see how many nickles and dimes are added in over and above the base backage price. You have to pay extra for DVRs. You have to pay extra for digital receivers. You may have an added fee for some type of a warranty service. I remember when I had cable they even charged a fee for the fricking remote. All the services "nickle and dime you". The nickles and dimes just go for different things. They aren't in the business to be a charity.

Fair enough. But in Dish's defense, if they offer a really great introductry deal on a HD-DVR, they are going to get burned by it. When the switch to MPEG4 comes about, every single one of those people that shell out money for a non-MPEG4 would be furious that Dish goes and makes them obsolete. By keeping the price relative high, I think that they are limiting the number of those receivers that actually get deployed to those that are willing to pay a premium for a receiver that already has a limited life.

Your right. It isn't going to happen. But where is that $40 coming from? If you are including the saving by not having to pay the cable modem "tax", then you aren't exactly asking something fair.

They already give away low lease equipment. You wouldn't go into your Chevy dealership and expect to get a Corvette at the same lease price as a Cobalt. Same thing applies here. Dish doesn't have to give you their top of the line receiver. It's been long known that Dish doesn't treat existing customers with the same respect regarding deals as they do with new customers. If you want the latest and greatest hot equipment, you are going to pay for it. AFAIK, DirecTV is this way as well. Although when MPEG4 gets released with both networks, I would expect to see some good deals for HD customers.

Cable companies are using the satellite companies reluctance to give great deals to existing customers to their advantage. They offer a low introductry rate and the latest equipment. But in most cases once that intro price is up, people end up paying more in the long run, sometimes with buggy ad-laden equipment.

Cable modems seem to be the deciding factor in alot of cases. The cable modem "tax" if you don't have CATV service is doing exactly what it's meant to do, give you incentive to subscribe to CATV.
I pay Comcast $10 a month and I'm not going back. They charged me for 2 remotes, digital box. No way I'll go back!

[socceteer]

Over the long term there are only two possible outcomes:
1. Dish offers a better deal than cable, because customers need to be compensated for the inconvenience of having a dish installed.
2. Dish goes bankrupt.

3. That Dish does not have a comparable internet / tv package

[garypen]

This doesn't make sense. Why is HD Pak $10.99? Shouldn't that be $9.99

Why do you have the two no phone line fees? Don't you have a phone line?

And why do you have DHPP?An apples to apples price comparison should include DHPP, as Cable gives you a free replacement warranty on their leased equipment, unlike Dish, which charges $5.99 per month for comparable protection. Of course, the $250 942 upgrade fee should also be included in HD DVR service comparisons.

[garypen]

3. That Dish does not have a comparable internet / tv packageSBC Dish does.

[Mike Richardson]

An apples to apples price comparison should include DHPP, as Cable gives you a free replacement warranty on their leased equipment, unlike Dish, which charges $5.99 per month for comparable protection. Of course, the $250 942 upgrade fee should also be included in HD DVR service comparisons.

If you really want to get down to it, hooking up 1 TV to digital and leaving 3 on analog is not a fair comparison to a DISH system with 4 full TVs.

[socceteer]

With Comcast in my area, the DVR, Extra Receiver, and HD Pack fee are all rolled into one $10/mo fee. That's $5 cheaper than Dish's 3 fees for the same thing.

Comcast does not charge me a remote control fee, as your cable company did.

Comcast does not charge a $5 fee for downgrading service, as Dish does.

Comcast does not charge a $5 fee for paying via credit card on the phone, as Dish does.

Dish wins the nickel and dime award.

A. What makes you think they will be upgrading receivers for free? When have they ever done that for their customers when they've introduced a new technology? They charged for upgrades to Dish500, DishPro, etc. They will undoubtedly charge something for the upgrade to MPEG4. It may be a reduced price combined with a term commitment. But, it will no way be a no-strings equipment swap. It is merely foolishness and wishful thinking to think it will be.
B. They are charging $250 simply to make money. (or at least recoup some or most of the cost of the 942.) It has nothing to do with reducing the number of 942's out there for the fairy-tale free upgrade you keep imagining.



Let's see. I pay $58 ($83 regular price - $25 for 16 months) for the equivilent of AT180, HBO, HD Pack, and DVR. Plus, no upfront cost, and free replacement warranty. The Dish price for the same products would be $89, $6 more than Comcast's regular price. Plus, Dish would have charged me $250 for the priviledge of leasing their HD DVR.

So, even without cable internet (I use DSL), I have saved $550 dollars the first year, $148 the 2nd year, and $48 each year thereafter. That's some serious coinage.

Isn't that his complaint to begin with?

Actually, DirecTV has a very active retention department. Just browse the D* threads to see all the great retention deals people are getting.

As I mentioned before, even after the low indroductory rate, which lasts for a whopping 16 months, it's still cheaper than Dish. And, the HD DVR I got is less buggy than even the pretty decent Dish 721.

Local cable companies and systems differ from region to region. But, it certainly sounds like his does offer a viable and cost-effective alternative to Dish. Of course, a good idea is to keep the Dish service for a period of time, while evaluating the new cable service. The great thing about cable is there is no commitment or equipment costs. It doesn't really cost anything to try it.


WOW are you defensive...!

I think you missed the point ....he saved $45 and he still has INTERNET and his TV has many channels that work including locals and premium channels. even if he was nickle and dime he has more that Dish for less ( and I am not talking about more channels) internet + TV

[lvkewlkid]

3. That Dish does not have a comparable internet / tv package

And there is also Sprint/Dish

[hdaddikt]

I don't mix my internet and TV entertainment.
Comcast cable delivers a super fast service with no frills. Just the way I like it. Following a promo, my monthly shot up to $52.
I kept it for a couple months, then told them I was going with SBC DSL for half the price.
They told me don't bother. Just sign up for a year, and you can continue with HSI for $30/mo.
Works out great. Dish for TV, cable for internet! Kind of like not getting your meat where you get your potatoes... :D

[garypen]

If you really want to get down to it, hooking up 1 TV to digital and leaving 3 on analog is not a fair comparison to a DISH system with 4 full TVs.I agree.

Although, if one were talking AT60+, it would be a fair comparison. Most cable systems' analog packages are equivilent to AT60+. But, yeah, if you're talking AT120 and above, HD, DVR, etc, of course you need to count the extra receiver lease fees, which are often higher with Cable.

However, my price comparison was for one HD DVR on one TV.

[garypen]

WOW are you defensive...!Huh? I was merely offering a little logic injection as a counterpoint to the knee-jerk defense of Dish that is so prevelant here.

I think you missed the point ....he saved $45 and he still has INTERNET and his TV has many channels that work including locals and premium channels. even if he was nickle and dime he has more that Dish for less ( and I am not talking about more channels) internet + TV Huh? I can't make heads or tails of this part.

[KingLoop]

Total: $119.97 plus $500 up front to lease two 942's.

Close but not quite Laz,

For the A.E.P. plus the HD Pak plus the Voom Pak,it would be $117 TOPS This is assuming you have no phoneline connected.

[Steve Mehs]

To anyone here who has Time Warner though you can get Earthlink Cable Modem for $42 thru Time Warner WITH NO OTHER FEES and you DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE CABLE TV. I get Earthlink Cable modem for $42/mo. They installed a line to my computer room just for the cable modem. I get a Time Warner bill for $42 plus sales tax every month for Earthlink. If you are paying $50+ for RoadRunner because you dont have cable TV then STOP and switch to Earthlink.

I had Earthlink dial up for many years and was very satisfied, tried to get Earthlink Cable, but no matter how many times I tried to explain to them that my mailing address and phone number do no match the actual town I reside in, and that I should be able to get Earthlink Cable, the don't listen. Apparently they know more about where I live then I do, so I told then to stuff it. I'd rather pay the $3 extra bucks and have it go to a decent company like TWC. I also see they make no mention of using them for the 8MB connection instead of Road Runner Premium.

[djlong]

Keep in mind something else that cable - though only Comcast - will have over Dish.

Next spring: TiVo

I *believe* that our town's cable (Adelphia) is going to Comcast as that's who owns the franchise in the "big city" next door and I'd read that the TWC/Comcast split would be based on regional strengths.

[dmodemd]

Well, I made the call yesterday to dump Dish. They didnt offer me any earth shattering deals. I complained about the high cost of the 942 and they offered me a $100 HD receiver upgrade. So I asked for more info on that, but found out it was just for the 811, pfftt... already GOT one. I think it may have been a lease but not sure. May have had other stipulations as well. They offered to give me AT60 or whatever free for 30 days.... why would I? I guess they were hoping I would forget about it.

One problem... cable company needs proof I dropped them.... a letter or FINAL BILL. Dish is on to that and they refused to send me any bill showing a 0 balance, saying they wont bill you if you dont owe anything. They just gave me the CSR ID and said thats all they would give me. Any ideas on how to get the proof? Best I can see is to send my last bill from Dish with my 1 year charge and then show my credit card statement with the refund?? But it doesnt prove Im not still getting service.... grrr..... do I have a legal RIGHT to have them send me confirmation??

Lee

[garypen]

If you are talking about Comcast, all they ask for is ANY Dish bill from the last 30 (or is it 90?) days. And, the installer didn't even check that!

[dmodemd]

No, this is a new Adelphia promotion called "Jackpot". They will give you a $150 VISA gift card if you are still a cable subscriber in January and by October send in proof that you CANCELLED Dish or DirecTV... I'll just have to wait and see if Dish sends me a statemetn showing the refund. If not, I will keep bugging them to send me a final bill, or contact my state's consumer affairs division....

Lee

[garypen]

What about the online Billing Info page? Maybe that will show a zero balance, or something that indicates the cancellation?

[dmodemd]

Just tried... they canned my online access :(

[KingLoop]

I'll just have to wait and see if Dish sends me a statemetn showing the refund. If not, I will keep bugging them to send me a final bill, or contact my state's consumer affairs division...
Is there some kind of law that requires a company to send you a "Final" invoice???

[dmodemd]

Dunno, thats what I want to find out... they at least should be required to if you ASK for it! They make you agree to a user agreement so you should be able to get written confirmation that your are released from that agreement.

[SoonerSteve]

Add me to the chorus of those who have recently dumped Dish. Tried to get the 942 via the ceo email address and was told to wait for a new promotion. Said offer was $699 + $99 install. Combine that with the fact that they obviously offered a $250 lease to some existing customers and not others I decided to make the switch. I was a 5 year subscriber to AT120 +HBO/Cinemax and several sports packages each year.

TWC was installed two days ago and I still don't have all the channels promised. I have had to call their tech support 3 times. They brought the wrong HD DVR box (I wanted the SA8300HD for HDMI and they only brought a 8000.) I am very wary at this point. The HD quality is great, but the analog signals are terrible, especially on locals.

Funny thing is that Dish called to ask why I left while the cable installers were at the house. I told her the reason why (expensive HD DVR cost vs. $10/month for comparable cable HD DVR). She said OK and hung up the phone.

I am getting the equivalent of AT180 + HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and TMC, plus HD for less that I was paying for the Dish package I mentioned above. The deal lasts one year and hopefully by then the MPEG4 nonsense will be straightened out.

I would have stayed with Dish (I much prefer the PQ for the majority of channels vs. cable's analog junk) if they would have extended me the same courtesy as all new customers and, according to several boards, quite a few existing ones.

Honestly, how hard would it be for Dish to have guidelines for how long you have to be a customer before you are eligible for the new customer deals again...or at least something close? At some point between depreciation and the $5/month they have recouped their costs.

[dmodemd]

Man, you said it... thats how I feel and I suspect a lot of others. I think maybe it is time for a lot of Dish customers to jump ship to cable and send a message to Dish that they need to continue to value their existing customers and at least give them equivalent deals in programming and equipment that cable does. Dual tuner DVRs are now standard with cable. In fact I read on line about people who just needed an SD DVR getting HD DVRs because they were out of SDs!

True the analog crud on cable stinks and the receiver isnt quite as feature rich as a Dish receiver but its certainly more reliable. I have had 600s, 511s, and 811s over the past few years and they have all been pretty bad from a reliability standpoint.

Oh, as for the 8000... I suggest taking your box to the local drop-off office and see if you can exchange it with an 8300 that I am sure they have in the back somewhere...

[KingLoop]

Add me to the chorus of those who have recently dumped Dish. Tried to get the 942 via the ceo email address and was told to wait for a new promotion. Said offer was $699 + $99 install. Combine that with the fact that they obviously offered a $250 lease to some existing customers and not others I decided to make the switch. I was a 5 year subscriber to AT120 +HBO/Cinemax and several sports packages each year.

TWC was installed two days ago and I still don't have all the channels promised. I have had to call their tech support 3 times. They brought the wrong HD DVR box (I wanted the SA8300HD for HDMI and they only brought a 8000.) I am very wary at this point. The HD quality is great, but the analog signals are terrible, especially on locals.

Funny thing is that Dish called to ask why I left while the cable installers were at the house. I told her the reason why (expensive HD DVR cost vs. $10/month for comparable cable HD DVR). She said OK and hung up the phone.

I am getting the equivalent of AT180 + HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and TMC, plus HD for less that I was paying for the Dish package I mentioned above. The deal lasts one year and hopefully by then the MPEG4 nonsense will be straightened out.

I would have stayed with Dish (I much prefer the PQ for the majority of channels vs. cable's analog junk) if they would have extended me the same courtesy as all new customers and, according to several boards, quite a few existing ones.

Honestly, how hard would it be for Dish to have guidelines for how long you have to be a customer before you are eligible for the new customer deals again...or at least something close? At some point between depreciation and the $5/month they have recouped their costs.
Sounds like you are not an easy person to please based on what you say about you displeasure with cable and dish. I think that you and others that feel the same way about E* are in the minority. Dish Network's "Churn" is much lower than their cable counterparts. There is a reason for that. E* was rated #1 in customer satisfaction for a reason. E*'s customer satisfaction has been CONSISTENTLY higher than any cable company's for a reason. Thanks for sharing guy but most people don't feel the same as you do.

[SoonerSteve]

Thank you for your perspective.

Actually I am pretty easy to please. I am just interested in getting what I paid for and being treated fairly. I think if you look at my post you will see that I was generally complimentary of E*. It was not an easy decision to make the change. Their service was great and aside from one dead hard drive on a 510 I never had a technical issue.

I simply wish that E* had some formal guidelines for allowing existing customers to access deals similar to those that new customers get i.e. cell phone companies. Based on the fact that quite a few customers were able to get exceptions and lease a 942 one could reasonably assume that E* made a judgment on the value of that customer and the cost of losing them vs. the cost of leasing a 942 for what may be a short time because of the MPEG4 conversion. All I would expect is that they would be consistent and fair in that judgment.

Frankly, if they had told me I needed to upgrade my programming, be a customer in good standing for "x" additional months, etc. I would have waited. I personally liked E* and the fact that Charlie faces his customers and plays hardball to keep his and our costs down.

While I would agree that I am not in the majority I would respectfully suggest that there are more out there like me than you might realize.

Again, thanks for the discussion.

[DonLandis]

I have all three services here. Many people have the service they have for a myriad of reasons. This means that each persons wants and needs are different so it is extremely rare that there will be two exactly same situations.

In my case, I only have cable- Comcast because it is my business as I do independent contract programming for cable and it comes as a perk. So I can't even compare that to other's needs on cable.

I also have Dish and DirecTV. Recently I switched my primary base service from Dish to DirecTV because I got very tired of the games Dish was playing with getting their 921 to work right with OTA channels. Besides Dish's extra charges with OTA use on this receiver, their system is loaded with bugs and varying flaws that make usage of the 921 for OTA simply exhausting and extremely unpleasurable and expensive. DirecTV's HDTIVO simply works flawlessly and doesn't cost any additional for receiving my OTA channels which I get very well (that is my personal lucky situation). Additionally, Dish introduces a 942 which is said to be much less buggy than the 921 but they refused to sell it or lease it to existing customers. I tried. Later they did but the cost was very high with a lease buy-in for $250 down payment. I also di9discovered I wasn't watching 95% of the AEP package I had and that was a waste of money. My DirecTV account was grandfathered in with a minimal HDTV package and no base. I knew if I changed it I would lose my grandfather status and would have to have a base forever again. DirecTV also had this new surcharge on NFLST but fortunately, due to additional blackout rules past last year my ST was only used for 1 game in HD that I could have lived without. I will this season since all the games I want in HD will be either Blacked out for everyone or I will have on OTA free. Dish still has the VOOM 10 and a bargain HDTV pack with TNT HD.

So I make the move to dump the $125 per month package from Dish to just two services, HDPack and VOOM and pay the penalty fees of a one time $5 downgrade plus a monthly of $5 for the 921 which was previously included in the AEP. Big savings. Then I added a base package on DirecTV for $40 to replace the few news channels I lost on Dish that I did watch. In round numbers I saved about $70 per month after taxes adding up each bill. I miss nothing! I gain only a few bucks. I'm paying more in line for what I watch. With the extra found money per month, I opened up a Blockbuster monthly Pass to rent as many DVD's as I want for $25. I'm now averaging 10 new run movies a week for the flat monthly rate.

If Dish would have not been so stubborn with their DVR policy and the OTA fees I may have stayed with them as an AEP primary subscriber. But, Because they were, I am now spending what they did get with their competitor and Blockbuster for more programming that suits my needs. Will this change? Maybe, when Dish adds more HDTV channels or DirecTV adds more HDTV channels. When Dish or DirecTV offer a BlockBuster or Hollywood Video like flat rate for PPV and run more new releases.
And, all things will change as we enter the MP4 era which for now, no one really knows what will happen.
Bottom line- I'm flexible and I will buy from the one who sells to me what I want. I have no cult like following to any service.

[garypen]

Bottom line- I'm flexible and I will buy from the one who sells to me what I want. I have no cult like following to any service.That makes so much sense, I can't believe I'm actually reading it here. Bravo, Don!

BTW, you might wanna check out Netflix versus Blockbuster. They have a much larger library, and it's only about $19 per month. OTOH, with only 3 titles allowed out at any one time, combines with shipping times, you'll probably only be able to rent about 5 or so per week. (I can't believe you have time for 10 movies per week, plus other TV!)

[KingLoop]

Gary's right, you make me want to switch to D* Don. ;)

[garypen]

My comment had nothing to do with which TV provider he has chosen. It was a statement on the "bottom line" of his ideology for choosing a provider. And, I couldn't agree more.