Upgrade of existing customer

[mike1002]

Anybody have an idea of what the criteria are for what constitutes an 'existing customer'? My dad has been with Dish for over 2 years now and has a 3000 receiver. He came over and saw what my 508 PVR would do and wanted one. We went to Dish's website and the deal I saw said existing customers would pay $199 and commit to AT150 for a year and could get free installation of the 2nd receiver. Sounded attractive to my dad. So he went to the local Dish installer and asked for the deal. After they called Dish it came back that he didn't qualify. Help me understand how being a customer for over 2 years doesn't qualify as an 'existing customer'. Dish is doing so well that they don't want to boost their ongoing revenue from an AT100 subscriber to an AT150 and they don't want an extra $199 for adding a PVR? I may have missed something on the website but I'm hoping someone in this pool of knowledge may be able to shed some light on this for me.

Thanks.
Mike

[Geronimo]

Is he currently participating in some other deal?

[markh]

Maybe you should try calling Dish directly. I don't know for sure, but maybe the 501 has to be installed by Dish employed installers and a local dealer can't do it. Someone who has gotten this deal may reply but if IIRC Dish chooses the installer.

[Frapp]

Originally posted by mike1002
Anybody have an idea of what the criteria are for what constitutes an 'existing customer'? My dad has been with Dish for over 2 years now and has a 3000 receiver. He came over and saw what my 508 PVR would do and wanted one. We went to Dish's website and the deal I saw said existing customers would pay $199 and commit to AT150 for a year and could get free installation of the 2nd receiver. Sounded attractive to my dad. So he went to the local Dish installer and asked for the deal. After they called Dish it came back that he didn't qualify. Help me understand how being a customer for over 2 years doesn't qualify as an 'existing customer'. Dish is doing so well that they don't want to boost their ongoing revenue from an AT100 subscriber to an AT150 and they don't want an extra $199 for adding a PVR? I may have missed something on the website but I'm hoping someone in this pool of knowledge may be able to shed some light on this for me.

Thanks.
Mike

Dish personnel interpreting the promotions are like preachers interpreting Bible scriptures, they all have a different meaning of what it says :lol:

Check with another Dish CSR or if you can find one, a well versed Dish dealer.

[boba]

Only the original selling dealer can upgrade a customer under the PVR-501 upgrade or DISH Network. There is a cutoff date that the customer had to be a subscriber before, I don't remember the date. Your dealer probably wasn't the original retailer for your father so he didn't qualify rather than your father not qualifying.

[mike1002]

boba
No, this is the original dealer. But you said there is a cutoff date. I do remember them saying that you had to be a customer before August 2002 or something like that. But my dad has been a customer for over 2 years. It still seems strange that they wouldn't want the increase in revenue for him subscribing to AT150. I told him he should then look at going to DirecTV. He'd be a brand new customer there and could get their PVR.

Anyway, thanks for the replies from everybody.
Mike

[Jacob S]

He should be able to get the deal. I would have him call the company directly since they want to do it in-house because of the cost to the company.

[HTguy]

Here are the current basic rules for the PVR Upgrade promotion:

The DishPVR Upgrade for Existing Non-Lease Customer promotion provides existing DISH
Network customers who are not on a leasing agreement with the opportunity to upgrade to a
DishPVR 501/508 satellite TV receiver. The customer pays $199 for a DishPVR 501/508, makes a
commitment to subscribe to AT150 or DISH Latino Max programming for one full year, and enrolls
in Credit Card Auto-pay (CCA). A free standard professional installation is included at no cost to the
customer.
This promotion is available to existing customers who were activated with DISH Network
on or before August 13, 2001. The following terms apply: 1) The customer wants to replace an
existing receiver, regardless of the number of receivers they currently have and the DishPVR
501/508 will be activated as a primary or additional receiver replacement. 2) The customer has one
receiver and plans to add the DishPVR 501/508 as a primary or additional receiver, and 3) The
customer wants to add the DishPVR 501/508 and they will then have three or more receivers. In
this case, the customer must pay for the cost and installation of additional hardware.
Retailer and customer must agree on a receiver swap-out or receiver add-on arrangement.
Swapped out receivers are the property of the customer unless an alternative agreement is reached
between the retailer and customer relative to that equipment. Customer has no obligation to sell
the equipment and conversely, the retailer has no obligation to purchase the equipment.

Retailers may only provide the DishPVR Upgrade to their original customers. Customer
equipment must have been invoiced to the retailer at the time the retailer installed the
equipment to qualify the retailer as eligible to perform the DishPVR Upgrade. Retailers
who provide a DishPVR Upgrade for a customer originally installed by a different retailer will not be
eligible to receive equipment discount and incentive payments. If a retailer is contacted by a
customer who indicates their original retailer is no longer in business, these customers can be
referred to DISH Network at 1-800-333-DISH.

Looks like your dad qualifies. If the original retailer isn't interested in providing it for him have him call the 800#.

[mike1002]

Well, I appreciate everyone's replies to my question. I went over to my dad's this weekend and he has blown off Dish. Due to their CSR's ignorance they have now lost a customer that has been with them for over 5 years. He is now a DirecTV customer. He got a better deal as a new customer plus he got the 3 months of free Showtime that Dish didn't think he deserved. His new DirecTV PVR is being installed monday.

Customers seem to get better info here in the forum than they do from Dish itself.

Mike

[mike1002]

By the way, I really like Geronimo's new avatar.:D

Mike