Long Time Dish sub...flustered...

3218 Views 20 Replies 12 Participants Last post by BNUMM, Jul 12, 2012

Doug Higley

Discussion Starter · Jul 11, 2012

We had the 250 pkg for 'ever' but recent $$ disasters forced me to change to the lowest pkg (Family).

However the channel selection is so LOUSY, (No ESPN, TCM, SYFY, History etc etc) that now I'm about to switch to Direct as their lowest package at least has channels we can WATCH. I hate this, being a LOYAL Dish sub up to now.

Just wanted to vent. Appologies.

It's just too obvious the 'better' channels are held 'hostage' and real crap is our only choice.

IF only a couple of the above listed could be Ala Carte to add on.

grrrrrrrr

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1 - 20 of 21 Posts

tampa8

· #2 · Jul 11, 2012

Just an FYI the Family package is not the lowest package.

If you are talking about the new customer promotion with any carrier, you will get more channels for a low price for awhile. You would get the same deal if you were a new customer to Dish. Direct TV has no packages like the Welcome package or Family package so there is no way to compare those to anything Direct TV has, all their package prices are higher than those, except for new customers.

With your present financial situation, you may not be able to afford those channels A La Carte most likely. There are entire threads about that so a search will explain it. As an example, ESPN alone could easily be $8 to $10.

Stewart Vernon

· #3 · Jul 11, 2012

I feel your pain... but if you drop to a lower package, then you get less channels. I mean, that's sort of obvious isn't it?

You wouldn't go into a steak restaurant and order the chopped steak and then complain that you wanted the filet mignon, but couldn't afford it so you bought the cheapest item on the menu and wanted it to taste like the filet... right?

Doug Higley

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 11, 2012

Of course I was prepared get less channels. The channels ie: POPULAR channels I mentioned missing from Dish are included in Direct $29 package is what I was saying.

Whatever.

Stewart Vernon

· #5 · Jul 11, 2012

Ok... but I mean it isn't like you don't know what channels are in what packages right? Nobody pulled a fast one on you or anything?

I get that you had a sudden unexpected budget hit that forced you to re-evaluate and drop to a lower package. But that's not something to be mad at Dish about is it?

boba

· #6 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
Of course I was prepared get less channels. The channels ie: POPULAR channels I mentioned missing from Dish are included in Direct $29 package is what I was saying.

Whatever.

Directv dosen't have a $29.99 package it is a new customer buy down for a year that you have to sign up for a 2 year contract.

It is apparent you couldn't read the contents of the family pack before you switched and became unhappy. Do yourself a favor and read the Directv literature before you get stuck in a 2 year contract with higher than expected costs.

Did you look at AT120 for $45/mo. it is $25 cheaper than AT250 have you talked to the loyalty dept about helping you with pricing?

VDP07

· #7 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
Of course I was prepared get less channels. The channels ie: POPULAR channels I mentioned missing from Dish are included in Direct $29 package is what I was saying.

Whatever.

After promo pricing is either $55 or $64 mo. depending on which $29 package you're refering to and the $29 price is for non-fee/premium new customers.

Jhon69

· #8 · Jul 11, 2012

You may find the other provider a better fit for you,everyone should try each provider at least once to find where they belong.I am no different I switched once ,but it just did not feel right for me so I came back.Wish you the best of luck to find which provider is the right fit for you.Good Luck!

Rduce

· #9 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
We had the 250 pkg for 'ever' but recent $$ disasters forced me to change to the lowest pkg (Family).

However the channel selection is so LOUSY, (No ESPN, TCM, SYFY, History etc etc) that now I'm about to switch to Direct as their lowest package at least has channels we can WATCH. I hate this, being a LOYAL Dish sub up to now.

Just wanted to vent. Appologies.

It's just too obvious the 'better' channels are held 'hostage' and real crap is our only choice.

IF only a couple of the above listed could be Ala Carte to add on.

grrrrrrrr

You may want to have Direct run the numbers for you. I also was looking for a cost reduction recently and thought that perhaps I might switch. However, even with the promo they were offering I would still be paying about the same thing when all was said and done. It seems they have some sort of sliding scale, and the CSR told me the promo price was only good for 6 months, after that the price would rise at certain points, until the termination of the contract. By the time I reached 24 months out it would be costing me easily double what I was currently paying. I declined the offer, it is difficult to beat Dish, when a single 722K on two televisions with their 200 package. Sure would have liked those 5 sat tuners though...

fhsucade07

· #10 · Jul 11, 2012

I always thought the lineup for the Welcome Package was a bit better with TBS, History and (at one time) AMC. I did like the fact that it also included MSNBC and have dropped down to that package several times. Now that I have HD, I think I'll stick with DISH America. It includes History, ESPN, TBS, Spike, ESPN2. It is only $34.99 which, for me, is a great deal. I'd like to have Golf Channel and Animal Planet but, as others above have stated, I expected to get a little less with a lower package. I researched the literature on packages quite carefully and examined just how much I had watched some of the other networks and it was worth the trade off for me. Now, if Golf Channel was offered a la carte I might have an interest. My Dad has the most basic package with his cable company and they offer Golf Channel for $3 / month.

phrelin

· #11 · Jul 11, 2012

fhsucade07 said:
I always thought the lineup for the Welcome Package was a bit better with TBS, History and (at one time) AMC. I did like the fact that it also included MSNBC and have dropped down to that package several times. Now that I have HD, I think I'll stick with DISH America. It includes History, ESPN, TBS, Spike, ESPN2. It is only $34.99 which, for me, is a great deal. I'd like to have Golf Channel and Animal Planet but, as others above have stated, I expected to get a little less with a lower package. I researched the literature on packages quite carefully and examined just how much I had watched some of the other networks and it was worth the trade off for me. Now, if Golf Channel was offered a la carte I might have an interest. My Dad has the most basic package with his cable company and they offer Golf Channel for $3 / month.

:welcome_s

Hang on to that DISH America package. It's turning out to be a good bargain.

Doug Higley

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 11, 2012

Thanks all.
mad at DISH? haha. Since when does 'flustered' mean mad?

Yes, I'm frustrated with Dish and the way the lineup is rigged to force an UP sell for what has always been pretty basic and popular channels.
(I worked in the Cable industry for many years...I know how it works)

The 2 year promo doesn't bother me all that much. In two years there will be other choices or the creek might rise...and we had BETTER be in an improved situation or TV means less than nothing at that point.
btw: TCM IS a major issue and worth the extra $6 it works out to, over our current Dish 'family' pkg.

Plus there's all those music channels and others we would normally watch...

Anyway...It's just TV...there's always the antenna.

Look, aside from a couple of defensive and somewhat patronizing comments, I apreciate all the input.
We've been HAPPY Dish cutomers for many years...with NO complaints. Our current situaton though has changed the picture (no pun) and we do watch most of our TV (movies) 'streamed' from other sources...so thanks for the input...I don't know what the hell we'll decide at this point...was just venting anyway.

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Stewart Vernon

· #13 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
Yes, I'm frustrated with Dish and the way the lineup is rigged to force an UP sell for what has always been pretty basic and popular channels.

Is this anything new? You pay more for higher tiers that either have more popular channels that want more money OR are less popular and don't want to negotiate to be in a basic tier.

It's not like the tiers changed last week to fluster you, right?

The tiers are what they are... sometimes changes happen in February... but by and large the majority of the content of the packages stays the same year-to-year and has been that way for a while now.

The "Family" pack didn't exist several years ago, though, and the lowest package you would have been able to get would have been whatever the equivalent to AT120 was back then... so Dish adding an even lower package with less channels for less money is a source of frustration? That seems odd to me... it seems like it is just offering more choice to the consumer.

Would you prefer Dish just cancel the Family package and only offer AT120, AT200, and AT250? I kind of like that they have some other choices like AT120+ and the Family package.

That said... I think you're probably more frustrated on the personal situation that forced you to make this choice... and on that note, I hope it is temporary rather than long-term. Sincerely... I don't wish bad situations on anyone, and this slow/creeping economy keeps biting more people every day, and I wish it would turn around.

So... I hope you're able to make some peace with a lower package and stick around until things get better again. Good luck to you!

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Doug Higley

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 11, 2012

"Would you prefer Dish just cancel the Family package and only offer AT120, AT200, and AT250? I kind of like that they have some other choices like AT120+ and the Family package."

Yeah...that's what I'm saying all right...Dishe should cancel everything except what I want.
Good grief.
LOOK at the family package...which IS the only option if you need to drastically cut costs. Is there a reason a few decent channels can't be in there...channels that are BASIC additions elsewhere? Other than the flood of religeous and shopping and and channels like the Toe Nail Channel?

I made a simple statement. The package is LOUSY. LOOK AT IT!
We had no choice or drop it altogether...NOW I'm thinking of alternatives. That's all.

If you look at that package and defend it's quality, then THAT's your statemnt.

Fine...it's a pointless discussion...like you said it is what it is...THUS frustration...including that with our current situation.

End...out.

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fhsucade07

· #15 · Jul 11, 2012

phrelin said:
:welcome_s

Hang on to that DISH America package. It's turning out to be a good bargain.

Thanks for the welcome.

I plan on staying with that package for as long as possible. Like I said, I'd like to get more but on a university salary I'll simply have to live without some things. It gets me Monday Night Football and plenty of other stuff I watch. I just really go DVR crazy when the movie channel previews roll around.

CCarncross

· #16 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
"Would you prefer Dish just cancel the Family package and only offer AT120, AT200, and AT250? I kind of like that they have some other choices like AT120+ and the Family package."

Yeah...that's what I'm saying all right...Dishe should cancel everything except what I want.
Good grief.
LOOK at the family package...which IS the only option if you need to drastically cut costs. Is there a reason a few decent channels can't be in there...channels that are BASIC additions elsewhere? Other than the flood of religeous and shopping and and channels like the Toe Nail Channel?

Doug, the decent channels get more money per subscriber, so they cost more for the providers to carry. Hence the reason they arent in the cheaper packages. If everyone could get the majority of the channels they liked in a smaller much cheaper package, there wouldnt be an of the higher packages, no one would make any money, and less popular channels would disappear, making the choices we currently have much more limited. I get how you wish all the channels you wanted to watch were available in a cheaper package, but its because those are channels that most want to watch, the channels know that, they charge more, hence the providers charge us more.

Doug Higley

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jul 11, 2012

Of course I know that. My point was that Direct OFFERs THOSE better channels on THIER lower packge.

Anyway thread should end...

DISH Loyalty Dept. made an offer I couldn't refuse.

I'll probably find a horses head in my bed tomorrow.)

boba

· #18 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
Of course I know that. My point was that Direct OFFERs THOSE better channels on THIER lower packge.

Anyway thread should end...

DISH Loyalty Dept. made an offer I couldn't refuse.

I'll probably find a horses head in my bed tomorrow.)

That might be better than the 17 channels Directv lost

Glad you took the suggestion for the loyalty dept.

RasputinAXP

· #19 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
Of course I know that. My point was that Direct OFFERs THOSE better channels on THIER lower packge.

Anyway thread should end...

DISH Loyalty Dept. made an offer I couldn't refuse.

I'll probably find a horses head in my bed tomorrow.)

Except Direct doesn't HAVE a lower package. They offer them on their LOWEST package. That's the difference. Their lowest package is more expensive. It's $54.99 a month.

In comparison Dish offers the Welcome Pack for $14.99, DishFAMILY for $24.99, and AT120 for $44.99. $49.99 gets you to AT120+, and finally AT200 bumps over Direct's lowest cost offering at $59.99.

Just...kinda one of those things, you know?

VDP07

· #20 · Jul 11, 2012

Doug Higley said:
"Would you prefer Dish just cancel the Family package and only offer AT120, AT200, and AT250? I kind of like that they have some other choices like AT120+ and the Family package."

Yeah...that's what I'm saying all right...Dishe should cancel everything except what I want.
Good grief.
LOOK at the family package...which IS the only option if you need to drastically cut costs. Is there a reason a few decent channels can't be in there...channels that are BASIC additions elsewhere? Other than the flood of religeous and shopping and and channels like the Toe Nail Channel?

I made a simple statement. The package is LOUSY. LOOK AT IT!
We had no choice or drop it altogether...NOW I'm thinking of alternatives. That's all.

If you look at that package and defend it's quality, then THAT's your statemnt.

Fine...it's a pointless discussion...like you said it is what it is...THUS frustration...including that with our current situation.

End...out.

Please don't take this as piling on. You say that the "Family Pack" is lousy and doesn't include any of the "decent" channels that other services include in their basic packages. I could be wrong, but I can't give you an example of any other proivider that advertises any comparable programming packages for the everday price of $14.99 (Welcome Package) or $24.99 (Family Package). I would think that for many subscribers these packages are a good alternative to canceling service during tough times and contain many decent, non-lousy channels. For a comparison, our local cableco, Charter, offers a "lifeline" basic cable package for around $28.00 that includes local networks and a few PI chs. only. You switched to the Family Package for financial reasons and now, for programming reasons, are considering another switch. Hopefully you will find what you need for a price you can afford.

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