Questions for you guys with E*

[SBacklin]

Does E* charge the DVR fee per receiver or per account like D*?

Also, is it a leasing model with E*? Does it cost for CSR calls, truck rolls, you need some kind of insurance or anything? Can some fill me in on E* details? Thanks!

[chaddux]

Does E* charge the DVR fee per receiver or per account like D*?

Also, is it a leasing model with E*? Does it cost for CSR calls, truck rolls, you need some kind of insurance or anything? Can some fill me in on E* details? Thanks!

They charge PER RECEIVER. Models 501, 508, and 721 do not have DVR fees. All DVR fees are waived if you subscribe to America's Everything Pak.

Most likely, you will be on a lease program. The most common offer to customers is the lease program. There are options if you wish to own your equipment.

It does not cost to call a CSR. Service calls are $29 if you have the $5.99/month warranty program. I believe they are $49 without the warranty program.

[TNGTony]

Chaddux pretty much nailed the answers for you.

There are some "because we can" fees at Dish including the $5 programming downgrade/sidegrade fee. If you upgrade programming there is no punitive charge. But if you call to downgrade service or to switch services (say dropping HBO and picking up Showtime) there is a one-time $5 "because we can" fee.

With the service plans if you do the install yourself there is no charge. For example when my receiver died (would have been out of warranty) and my bi-annual SW64 switch failures Dish sends me the new or refurb part, I pop it in place and send Dish the bad part in the prepaid postage box and all is well. No additional charge. If some one shows up at your house, I am pretty sure Chad had the right answer.

If the product is out of warranty (Lease or not) and you don't have the service agreement, it's all on you. :)

See ya
Tony

[SBacklin]

Thanks for giving me the information you guys.

[FTA Michael]

To be fair, I don't consider the down/sidegrade fee to be baseless. The customer has to call a human, burning CSR time and tollfree service, all so he can start paying Dish the same or (typically) less money than before. Then the change order has to be sent through engineering through the satellites to the customer's receivers, and to billing. Maybe that doesn't add up to $5, but it definitely costs Dish something.

That's as opposed to the Dish DVR fee, where the incremental cost of serving another DVR is really close to zero. :)

Edit: Oh yes, for those new subscribers, if your downgrade comes in the wake of a Dish price increase or a serious personal problem, you can ask the CSR to waive the fee, and they'll let it go sometimes.

[TNGTony]

To be fair, I don't consider the down/sidegrade fee to be baseless. The customer has to call a human,

They do only because this is the way Dish has it set up. It would be just as simple for Dish to allow subscribers to remove programming via the internet or automated system as it is to add it.

There are also just as many costs (if not more--same as mentioned above+qualification systems for locals, sports, distant, superstations, etc, and I can come up with more) in adding programming. The additional costs on the bill cover the costs of the new programming, not the incedental cost (at least not directly)

It is a punitive "because we can" fee to prevent churn. That is all it is.

See ya
Tony

[psnarula]

the fee also helps deter customers who would otherwise up their package for a day when a game they want to watch shows up on ESPNU.

[bobukcat]

the fee also helps deter customers who would otherwise up their package for a day when a game they want to watch shows up on ESPNU.

That's the way I view it now, the whole idea does kind of tick me off still though - they could easily only charge the fee if you lower the package within 90 or 120 days or something like that to deter this kind of activity. If you've been a certain level sub for years and decide to downgrade, or you sub to the RSN package only to find 70% of the games are blacked-out anyway the $5 change feels like a total rip-off.

[psnarula]

i added AT180 when the hockey playoffs were on OLN and i downgraded as soon as the stanley cup finals moved to NBC. i knew i would be forced to pay the $5 fee and i was fine with it. as long as the policy is announced ahead of time people shouldn't complain. the csr that handled my downgrade also told me that it's a $10 fee to cancel adult programming. ..