February 2006 Rate Change (Merged)

[rasheed]

Does Dish allow people to downgrade (of course, not below AT60) and waive the $5 change fee due to the rate increases?

As a policy in their terms and conditions, cable operators have allowed this when a rate change occured allowing a 30-day window of changes in service without the change fee. I don't see this in the Dish Residential Agreement.

Maybe if this did this just for online, that would be okay too.

Rasheed

[Mike D-CO5]

No .

[UHF]

Sometimes. I downgraded the last time they raised rates and they waived the $5 without me even asking them to.

[DoyleS]

Once you have decided to downgrade, the $5 is financially relatively insignificant in the scheme of things. It is more like a kick in the pants as you are going out the door.

..Doyle

[chaddux]

Yes, it can be done. Some CSRs won't do it. If they won't, either hang up and call back or ask for a supervisor.

[finniganps]

I downgraded when they had the last rate increase - I went back down to AT60. They agreed to waive the downgrade charge. The previous poster is right...in the scheme of things, it's a one time $5 charge. If you really want the downgrade, you'll save a lot more than $5 and it's on a monthly basis.

[Dave]

Thought I would go ahead and post that on or about Feb. 1, 2006 Dish Network is raising there rates 4% for the AT 120 and AT 180 packages. Don't be surprised when you see this in your bill next year. Seems like Dish is now following the Cable Companies. Just raise the rate every year now. Didn't take them long to fall in line. They are giving you the option to not get locals. Wonder if they will come out with some more ads against Cable raising there rates this year.:nono2: :(

[dpd146]

As long as they keep providing us this great bug free equipment for $700, why not pay more?!? ;)

[Stewart Vernon]

I don't like rate increases either...

but all summer I kept seeing the "add NFL network" and "add ESPNU" "or we will leave" posts... and those things cost money... so we should expect increases when they add the channels that we ask for.

People seem to want more channels, free hardware, and price decreases... and that is just not going to happen.

I'd rather not have the price increase either.

But I'd also rather gasoline prices hadn't increased... or the cost of my internet... or my grocery bill... and electricity... and phone... and about a dozen other things that seem to go up every year.

[rjruby]

But I'd also rather gasoline prices hadn't increased... or the cost of my internet... or my grocery bill... and electricity... and phone... and about a dozen other things that seem to go up every year.

Don't forget property taxes!

[catnap1972]

Don't forget property taxes!

And yet, the paycheck rarely follows.

Go figure...

[nater131]

Price increases are between $2 and $3. Yet Comcast has increased there prices around 8% for the last 2 years in a row. Try going to Cox, Time Warner, Comcast, and others and get aourd 60 channels for under $40.00 per month without a promotion. E* still has best value in industry.

[kb7oeb]

4% is about what inflation was this year

[Paul Secic]

Price increases are between $2 and $3. Yet Comcast has increased there prices around 8% for the last 2 years in a row. Try going to Cox, Time Warner, Comcast, and others and get aourd 60 channels for under $40.00 per month without a promotion. E* still has best value in industry.
In SF Bay Area Comcast basic analog 78 channels will cost: $48.98. Let's see, I'm getting 180 channels for $53.00. E is the better value.

[rasheed]

To follow-up, if you are outside your initial 3 month promo period, you cannot downgrade online.

If you follow the correct menu prompts on the phone system for the change request, it gave me a US-based operator who took the downgrade (AT120 to AT60). She initially asked for the $5 fee, but when I clarified the fee, she volunteered to waive it immediately.

I did give my reason as being due to the rate increases as what initiated my change request.

Rasheed