[mattmcg]

I'm looking to become a Dish customer again after being away for a few years. I see the new Free Hopper offer and have a question. I'm looking to have 3 TV's in a new home but may not add the 3rd for a few months.

If I order new service, I can get a Hopper and 2 Joeys for free. The issue is that I only have 2 TV's at the moment so only need the Hopper and 1 Joey today.

If I sign up for the Hopper and 1 Joey now (to save the $7/mo joey fee), can I add a 2nd Joey in the future at no cost or will Dish charge extra for it?

 

[garys]

Once you have an active account, you will need to pay to add any receiver including Joeys. It would be cheaper to get it free now and pay the $7 a month till while not using it than pay to add it later.

 

[mattmcg]

What does Dish charge for the Joey as an add-on?

 

[garys]

Once you have initial system, Dish will not upgrade for next 12 months and I believe then the cost would then be around $100. In the mean time you can buy one from a retailer who sells them or on e-bay.

 

[StringFellow]

Once you have initial system, Dish will not upgrade for next 12 months and I believe then the cost would then be around $100. In the mean time you can buy one from a retailer who sells them or on e-bay.

Dish won't provide you a Joey within the first 12 months?? This sounds bogus to me!!!

I am sure Dish could provide you one at any time but it would not be free.

 

[3HaloODST]

I'm not sure that garys is correct. At one point, I was considering dropping a Joey, and getting it back later if I needed it. Turned out I needed it after all. Anyway long story short, I was told by DIRT that if I were to return the Joey, I could get one back at any point free of charge. Now I'm not sure if that is the case for all customers, but seeing as Hopper hasn't even been out 12 months, that seems to blow that theory out of the water. I'm not sure, but I would guess that it would require signing another 24-month agreement.

Now I know that as a new customer, Dish will provide up to 4 Joeys for free (need a second Hopper for more than 3 Joeys, though.) I assume that would mean that if you needed a Joey in the future, you could get the same amount, since Joeys are complimentary to Hoppers. Not sure on that one though.

Your best bet would be contacting DIRT to get the valid information that you need.

 

[garys]

To be truthful, I am not totally sure either. What I posted was indeed the case of previous receiver's, once you receive equipment and you start a two year contract, you cannot get another upgrade for the next 12 months. This has been Dish's policy for many years now and I have not seen anything that states Dish changed this for the Hopper/Joey system.

 

[James Long]

In general you should get the system you need up front. If you know you need another Joey in a couple of months get it now and save the hassle.

DISH has been good about making enough exceptions that it has practically become a rule that one can add a Joey later as if it were added up front or change from a Joey to a second Hopper. It seems it is easier to make exceptions than change the rules to just allow what they will do anyways.

I suppose that as an exception they can limit how many "special favors" a customer gets. One do over on the order (adding a Joey or getting a second Hopper instead of a Joey) isn't bad for DISH but a customer dropping and adding equipment at will makes one wonder what their commitment is.