921 + 622 Fee estimation

[welchwarlock]

I am trying to get the straight scoop on what the cost of ownership of the 921 and a 622 is. I called dish today and was told that for the 622 there are the following montly fees:
1) a $6 Lease Fee
2) a $6 DVR Fee
3) a $5 Dual Tuner Fee

I further asked if I have to pay the DVR fee for each receiver, as I already have a 921 and was told, yes, the Fees are cumulative.

I assume we have to pay for "Local Guide Data as well...i.e. if you don't subscribe to locals, you don't get OTA guide data".

Also for my 921 I have to pay for the DHPP fee ($6) since I own the equipment. Do I need to pay that fee if I lease?

So what would my total "Fee Structure" be for owning a 921 and a 622? I "own" the 921, but I have to pay the "Usage Fee" for the DVR I own...

Would it be Lease Fee x1 + DVR Fee x 2 + Dual Tuner Fee x1 + Local Guide Data Fee x 1 + Dish Home Protection Plan x 1? Thats $34 per month.

So I am guessing about $408 per year in Fees before I buy any programming? Did I miss anything?

WW

[jsanders]

#3, the dual tuner fee you speak of is really an additional outlet fee, because the 622 has two TV outputs. This fee is waived if you have a phone line plugged in. This fee didn't exist on the 921 because it doesn't have a TV2 output.

You don't have to pay the DHPP fee ($6) if you own equipment. I had a 921, and a 942, and I am waiting for my 622, and I have never had that fee. You pay that fee if you are renting the receiver. Do you have another receiver on your account which you rent? That might be why you are paying it. Otherwise, you don't have to pay it.

If you want guide data, you have to pay the $5/mo, or in my case $6/mo for locals. That is not good to force us to do that for guide data.

[Ron Barry]

I believe the dual tuner fee charged only if you don't have your 622 connected to a phone line.

From my understanding, the lease fee replaces the extra receiver fee.

From what I know. You should have the same fee structure with the 622 that you currently have with the 921 if you hook it up to a phone jack. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. Will be the second time today and it is still early. ;)

[IowaStateFan]

I believe the dual tuner fee charged only if you don't have your 622 connected to a phone line.

From my understanding, the lease fee replaces the extra receiver fee.

From what I know. You should have the same fee structure with the 622 that you currently have with the 921 if you hook it up to a phone jack. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. Will be the second time today and it is still early. ;)

Currently, I have an owned 921. The only fee I'm paying is the $5.98 DVR fee. So if you are correct and I upgrade to the 622 then I won't have to pay the lease fee. That's not what I've been reading here. I suppose that since its a dual output tuner I have to pay the second receiver fee, which is replaced by the lease fee? :confused: I wish you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out these fees.

[Ron Barry]

:welcome_s IowaStateFan. I take it that you only have one receiver? That is most likely why you are either not paying a second reciver fee or lease fee. There are so many combinations that I personally don't keep up with all the different possible scenarios.

I am not sure what would occur if you switched your 921 with a 622 in terms of the lease fee. I am sure people with much more knowledge in this area will chime in.

[KingLoop]

:... I am sure people with much more knowledge in this area will chime in.
OK Ron, you twisted my arm.

The Fees for the 622 are the same a 942.

If you lease the 622 there is no lease fee.
Equipment Rental Fee: A non-refundable equipment rental fee of $6.00 per month (in the case of a model 411, ViP211 or ViP622 DVR receiver) or $5.00 per month (in all other cases) for the first receiver activated is included in the promotional base programming package price. An additional equipment rental fee of $6.00 per month (in the case of a model 411, ViP211 or ViP622 DVR receiver) or $5.00 per month (in all other cases) will be charged to your account for each receiver activated beyond the first (for the purpose of determining the amount of this fee, model 411, ViP211 and ViP622 DVR receivers shall be deemed to be activated prior to all other receivers)
The only time you pay a "Lease" fee is if you have a 622 AND a 211. In which case you would pay $6/mth for the 211; but it REPLACES the outlet fee.

As far as the DVR fee that's standard, the so called "No Phoneline" fee is standard.

welchwarlock, worst case, if you currently have a 921 your bill will get $5/mth more in fees (if you don't have a landline) Then your HD will be an additional $20/mth to the regular AT 60-180 Paks.

[IowaStateFan]

I take it that you only have one receiver? That is most likely why you are either not paying a second reciver fee or lease fee.

Yep. I run a coax off the 921 to the second tv in the bedroom. Its rare that my wife and I want to watch two things at the same time. She's more into DVDs and the DVR allows us to record the second show if it happens. It was just never worth the $5 fee. So it seems that putting two tuners in one box is going to force us to pay the fee (assuming we upgrade). C'est la vie

Edit: I just saw Kingloops reply. Maybe I won't have to pay the fee. I guess the only way to find out is to call dish after 4/1 and see what they say. It shouldn't be this hard.

[Rogueone]

yeah I'm confused at this point too. most every post I've seen up until now has been thinking there is a lease fee. But what kingloop posted, after reading it about 10 times, does seem to say that fee is "included" in the base package price. the problem i have with this is, if one buys the same receiver, they aren't getting the base package at $6 off are they?

man this is way tooo confusing.

[harsh]

I assume we have to pay for "Local Guide Data as well...i.e. if you don't subscribe to locals, you don't get OTA guide data".Local guide data comes "bundled" with locals. It isn't entirely fair to call it a fee.

There may be some magic involved with waiving the DVR fee on the ViP622 as they will convert it to being your "primary" receiver.

The dual tuner fee comes into play only if you don't plug the receivers into a land-based phone line.

If you were to lease such a setup from a cable company, it would cost you upwards of $380 before programming.

[Slordak]

I don't understand the whole lease packages things... How do you lease a receiver if you're not on DHA or DHP, i.e. you have no current lease and no lease plan or package? Are you automatically put on one of those packages if you lease a 622, or what's the deal with that?

[Rogueone]

the 622 at $299 is an 18month lease and there is like a $400 penalty for early termination

and you can't claim locals is a EPG guide fee when you get a lot more channels than the base National networks, and you'll get HD locals with them. I can see a person with a 211 not wanting to get locals, but not someone with a 622. With a 622, when your HD locals are up, you'll have the ability to record 3 network shows at once if needed, or record 2 watch 1, record 1 watch 1, whatever you need in that fashion.

I'm sure there are times every year your favorite show in on and some special comes on another station or a new show starts, and you never get to see it because you only have the 1 tuner. That's the beauty of multi tuner DVR's, flexibility :) If you never have a need to watch 2 shows at once, well, then locals wouldn't be needed if you get an antenna

[kmcnamara]

If you never have a need to watch 2 shows at once, well, then locals wouldn't be needed if you get an antenna
And you would then get to manually configure all your OTA recordings. :eek:

[Rogueone]

yeah, never said it was perfect :)

[Greg L]

If you lease the 622 there is no lease fee.



So if I am understanding this right monthly fees are the same whether you lease or buy the 622.... correct?
Then, it would be a disadvantage to buy because it would cost more initally AND after the warranty is up I am on my own as far as repair/replacement ...

doesn't make sense to me, but is this correct??

[Rogueone]

well, this is a limited time deal according to the paperwork. When I read the agreement for a new customer leasing right now, it says the first receiver fee is built into the price and the user is on the DHA program. And this agreement is only if you sub between 2/1 and 4/30. so possibly the $299 changes in may?

[CABill]

welchwarlock - is there any reason to believe that the Digital Home Advantage agreement would apply to you at all? When you first signed up for DISH, did you rent all your receivers from them? It sounds like you only have a 921 receiver now. That receiver was never available for rent/lease, which would make all (one) of your receivers owned. Is that correct?

The DHPP is your CHOICE and is for both owned and leased equipment. You can drop it at any time, but if you need DISH to come out or replace something, it may cost you.

The CSRs can also tell you how you can avoid any of the fees you posted. If you keep the optional DHPP and don't connect the dual tuner 622 to a phone line, your $34 figure is correct (a few pennies less). Connecting the 622 to a land line saves the $5 dual tuner fee. With both the 921 and 622, you will wind up paying $6 one way or another. If the 921 is the primary receiver, you pay $6 for the 622's lease fee. If the 622 is the primary, you pay $6 for the 921's additional receiver fee (HD receivers increased $1 on Feb 1st). That last case could get ugly and increase another $6 though. DISH states that the $6 lease fee for existing customers leasing the 622 (DISH'n It Up) applies to EACH receiver and doesn't make the primary receiver a special freebie.

[KingLoop]

DISH states that the $6 lease fee for existing customers leasing the 622 (DISH'n It Up) applies to EACH receiver and doesn't make the primary receiver a special freebie.
But that same contract says that the new agreement does not supersede any previous agreement. My interpretation is that E* doesn't charge for the 1st leased IRD. For Dish'n it up or otherwise.

[CABill]

But that same contract says that the new agreement does not supersede any previous agreement. My interpretation is that E* doesn't charge for the 1st leased IRD. For Dish'n it up or otherwise.

But your interpretation differs from what CSRs will say if you phone and ask. Have you phoned and asked if a DIU lease fee applies to EACH receiver? It also differs from what users with a DIU lease see on their bills. Why do you interpret the DHA to apply to welchwarlock at all? It may, I just don't see why it would from him only mentioning a 921. So I asked him. I don't have any idea what his previous agreement is.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/faq/search/fees/index.shtml

Why does DISH Network charge a $5 leased receiver fee under the DISH’n It Up promotion?

DISH Network charges this fee for each receiver leased through the Existing Customer DISH’n It Up promotion. This fee helps cover the costs associated with broadcasting programming to you through the additional receiver.

Why does DISH Network charge an equipment rental fee under the Digital Home Advantage promotion?

A $5.00 equipment rental fee for the first receiver activated is included in the promotional base programming package price. An additional equipment rental fee of $5.00 per month will be charged to your account for each receiver activated beyond the first.

If the two were actually the same, I'd expect the same answer for both. But I'd also expect DISH to have current prices in their FAQ by now.

[KingLoop]

Look, I have said repeatedly that if a customer is getting charged a lease fee on their primary receiver then it would be a billing error. I can assure you and anyone else reading my posts, that I have more accurate information than some lacky E* CSR from India. They are misinformed and if a customer asked to speak with a supervisor regarding the fees then they would get that question answered quickly and correctly. If anyone wants to question where I get my information and not believe me fine, don't believe me. Pay an extra $6/mth that you don't need to be paying. I am just here to try to help. Take it or don't.

[Rogueone]

a couple things. KL is right about the CSR's. there re CSR's today telling people without a 921/942 they can get the $200 rebate in april. I just called and talked to a nancy, though she still sounded indian, or had some type of accent that didn't sound typically american, and at first she said it was for everyone. then I said are you sure, Charlie said it's only for 921/942 users currently. then after some checking, oh yes you are right.

Now. on the DHA thing, if you have DHA and 2 receivers, the lease for the first is built in as it says. Any new customer ordering a leased 622 is under DHA and will not have a $6 lease fee for that 622. it says that right in the agreement.

now, for someone who already has DHA with more than 1 rcvr in the DHA, it would seem reasonable that one of the rcvrs has to stay "already covered by the monthly price", and the 622 is added to the DHA. If a person only owns rcvrs, there is no existing DHA in which the statement in the Dish'n It uP agreement says "does not affect other offers already in place", then I could see them pulling off the lease since the DIU says there is a lease fee.

the problem is, why would a "new" customer be allowed to get a 622/625 and pay only 1 lease fee, while another user with 811/508 combo who upgrades to a 211/508 or 622/508 gets whacked with the $6 lease. If the 811/508 guy is on DHA already, it makes no sense to charge the extra lease fee.

so the more I look at this, the more I'm thinking KL is right, just the CSR's are so poorly trained and the agreements are so confusing they don't know it should be this way. guess we'll find out after a few of us start calling and complaining about it :)

[Bill R]

I can assure you and anyone else reading my posts, that I have more accurate information than some lackey E* CSR from India.

I'm sure that you have better information than any CSR, no matter where they are.

Just an FYI: DISH has NO call centers in India nor do they contract with companies that do. The CSRs that a lot of people think are in India are really in the Philippines. Some of the people are very hard to understand and the company that DISH contracts with needs to do a better job of hiring people that we can understand.