Rate Increase

[Xarph]

I have a 508 with signed up with "DIGITAL HOME PLAN WITH AMERICA'S TOP 250, 1 RECEIVER, LOCALS." My on-line billing shows the cost of this plan has increased from $59.99 to $62.99 as of 3/11-4/10 billing cycle.

Does anyone know anything about this rate increase?

Is it there to pay for DVR timers being set back 1 hr everytime the system crashes?

Or is it there to pay for the now frequent crashes?

Or maybe it is there so that I can now be informed that the piss-poor information given my the info button is (C) Tribune Media Services?

Or maybe it is there so I can have an extra button press to get into and out of my DVR play function (to enable the Movies or More feature)?

Or maybe it is there so my one hour recording only record for 59 minutes?

Or maybe it is to pay for the mysterious loss of three to four hours of recording time (now 56, was 60)?

Or maybe is there so to keep Customer Service from responding to emails as usual?

I am not a happy customer. I have been a customer for over 4 years. In the past few months my service has gone to hell in a handbasket and they are charging me more for the "service."

Can anyone tell me why I should remain an abused customer of E*?

[robert koerner]

Good rant.

Dish has hired comedians to give you ridiculous excuses for their software problems. Hence the extra fee.

Bob

[Kevin Brown]

This is the first increase I've seen in almost 2 years of being a Dish customer. I had Comcast before that, and their increases were more frequent, and a larger amount each time than Dish's. ... But you could always try DirecTV! ;)

[rustamust]

Are you gone yet? or still hanging in for the lowest price increase in the market for one more year.

[finniganps]

There ARE many alternatives. If you're unhappy, by all means move to a competitor.

[Xarph]

There ARE many alternatives. If you're unhappy, by all means move to a competitor.

I gather that those that have chosen to respond do not have problems with their equipment. Good for you.

[James Long]

I gather that those that have chosen to respond do not have problems with their equipment. Good for you.Yep. Four happy people. Five if you count me. Five out of 13 million. :sure:

Sorry you are having problems but most of the people on the forum worked through their anger (if they had any) with the rate increase over the past two to three months. We've known about it since December (and have threads in the main forum to prove it).

The rate increase is unrelated to any of the problems you mention. Raising rates occasionally is just part of staying in business so they can fix the problems you mention. But if you are truly looking for a reason to stay with Dish instead of changing providers, think of this:

DirecTV also raised it's rates by $3 for existing customers this year. New customers will pay $5 more than last years rates with about a dozen LESS channels in the basic package. (Yes, $5 more for about a dozen less channels. Smooth move.) DirecTV didn't touch their top package ... but it remains more expensive than Dish's top package. Most cable systems also raise their rates on a regular basis.

Dish is now offering "Dish DVR Advantage" where you can lock in the rates until February of 2009. No such promise from DirecTV or (most) cable systems.

But I assume that you just came to blow of steam ... not for an answer to the question. So I'll let those points stand.

[finniganps]

I gather that those that have chosen to respond do not have problems with their equipment. Good for you.

I have had Dish since 1999. I started with the Dishplayer 7100 (one of the first DVR's) and a std. receiver. The 7100's had a NUMBER of problems. I currently have a 721 and 508. Yes, there have been problems, but there is no comparison IMO between Dish and cable. I get the lowest package on Dish. On cable the comparable package has roughly 1/2 the channels sent to me as an ANALOG signal - the picture is awful compared to what I receive from Dish and the PRICING is higher with one DVR, let alone the three tuners I now enjoy. If I look at my cost of Dish vs. cable for this period - again, cable has increased their rates MORE often and by higher percentages over the long term. This may change over time but currently Dish is a better value and experience then cable. Dish still offers price stability at some points in time - cable raises prices almost every year.

In my case there is simply no comparison.

[DoyleS]

I have a 622 that I love and I also have two 508s that are giving me a lot of headaches with the recent software problems. I have no intention of going back to Cable but will have to figure something out with these problem 508s. The 508s obviously have the advantage of no DVR fees so moving to a newer DVR does hit me with a cost increase for DVR fees that I would prefer not to have. It can be frustrating when this happens especially when you know that it is a system wide problem affecting pretty much all of the 508s out there. That is the advantage of the forum, the linkage is there to let you know that others are seeing the same problems.

..Doyle

[AVITWeb]

I have a 508 with signed up with "DIGITAL HOME PLAN WITH AMERICA'S TOP 250, 1 RECEIVER, LOCALS." My on-line billing shows the cost of this plan has increased from $59.99 to $62.99 as of 3/11-4/10 billing cycle.

Does anyone know anything about this rate increase?

Is it there to pay for DVR timers being set back 1 hr everytime the system crashes?

Or is it there to pay for the now frequent crashes?

Or maybe it is there so that I can now be informed that the piss-poor information given my the info button is (C) Tribune Media Services?

Or maybe it is there so I can have an extra button press to get into and out of my DVR play function (to enable the Movies or More feature)?

Or maybe it is there so my one hour recording only record for 59 minutes?

Or maybe it is to pay for the mysterious loss of three to four hours of recording time (now 56, was 60)?

Or maybe is there so to keep Customer Service from responding to emails as usual?

I am not a happy customer. I have been a customer for over 4 years. In the past few months my service has gone to hell in a handbasket and they are charging me more for the "service."

Can anyone tell me why I should remain an abused customer of E*?

I"m not...as soon as Verizon is available here, thats where I am going....at least I will pay a little less for crappy software and lame excuses.

[garys]

I"m not...as soon as Verizon is available here, thats where I am going....at least I will pay a little less for crappy software and lame excuses.

Where do you find the packages and pricing for Verizon?

[AVITWeb]

Where do you find the packages and pricing for Verizon?

Probably go to verizon.com/fios and navigate from there. It all depends on what is available in your neighborhood.