Dish, get me outa this contract!!!!!

[-B-]

So I really don't watch much tv, I was gonna go without but the kids like having it. Best deal I could dig up was dish so I signed up.....horrible mistake. I don't see how anyone can like this service. The only positive is pretty decent customer service....until today when I got hung up on. Sadly I went against my better judgment and signed the 2 year contract....I mean a lot of people have it so it can't be bad enough to want out, after all I watch very little tv.

I called a few days and went circles trying to get out of the contract without the $300 cancellation fee. My argument is I am not getting the service I was promised upon signing so I shouldn't be responsible to pay to get out of it. If it worked as promised I wouldn't be asking out of it. I originally assumed they still operated under the premise they did years ago where you had 60 days or something like that to cancel should you not like it.

So the tv's in the house have had no signal for a week.....figured I'd call today to figure it out so we can make sure Game of Thrones records tonight. So I call and they determine I need a service call, ok. So we set that up and they say there is a fee involved....back up...what? Yes, you don't qualify to have this service call fee waived. Its their equipment that is broken, not mine. Why in the hell should i be paying you for you to come repair your equipment that is broken and i cant get the service i am paying for? So I won't be getting it fixed, I won't be paying them another red cent and I will call the poor sap manager that gave me his extension daily until I get out of the contract without a penalty....I did say I was willing to pay the installation charge to kind of even it out as I'm sure it cost them to pay the sub contracting company for the install.....but now I think I may retract that offer.

I have had this service for 2 months. I watch very little tv and I have already had to call numerous times to have things repaired. I have numerous interruptions while watching, the equipment is buggy and you can fry eggs on it even when turned off. I was watching a recorded program the last time it worked a week ago and 5/6 times the dialogue cut out for a few seconds. I'm not sure what the cause was but regardless it's not good.

A company should be held accountable, and contracts should be void if the service is not as advertised. It's not as if I found a better deal, it's actually going to cost me more for the competing service so I'm not price shopping. I'm just floored that people have and like this companies offerings, between the spotty service and horrible equipment I can't believe they are a viable option for anyone with the option of the other offerings. If I were in the sticks and had no options Id suck it up I guess, but I have Comcast and Verizon to choose from. Both of those companies offer excellent and reliable service. I suppose I see why dish prices are so cheap.

 

[Towen7]

Thanks for confirming that my choice to avoid satellite providers and their contracts was the right one. :dance:

 

[Dennie]

Dude, you are so stuck with a two year contract, it isn't even funny!

Sorry to hear you signed! Like Towen, I did not, would not and will not! I told them a few years ago, if the only way to get it is with a two year contract, you can shove it up your ass!

That is the problem, once they've got you they've got you and they know that and that sucks!

Be careful, if you start harassing them, they will disconnect you and you will still owe the money. Check the contract, most have a "Harassment" clause now a days. They get harassed everyday and have now added a "Clause"! Fuckers!

Good luck B, I hope you can figure out a way out and if you do, DON'T SIGN ANOTHER ONE!

Yeah, funny how service calls to repair their equipment has turned into a revenue source for them! Fuckers! bscene-birdiedoublered:

Dennie


Dennie

 

[-B-]

I'm going to call a few more times and then I'm going to go file a claim in small claims court and see if that works.

 

[Towen7]

Is it the STBs that are having trouble or the wiring?

Usually, you are responsible for the condition and quality of the wiring, even if it was installed by a third-party installation contractor. The usual failure point is the connections. check the ones behind each wall plate and at the diplexer (splitter) where the dish feeds. Each connection should be a compression fitting and not screw-on or crimp style.

Good luck!

 

[mzpro5]

That sucks but things like this are the reason I signed up for the extra $6/month for "full protection" with DirecTV. Covers calls, equipment and everything. Have had 2 occasions to use it over the years and worth every month's payment I make. One call and it is taken care of within 48 hours. No cost to me other than the monthly payments.

 

[Botch]

I'm surprised Dish gets away with this with two other providers in the area. Sure, they have you and many others "locked in" for now but No One is going to re-sign in two years if that kind of shit happens (not to mention word-of-mouth, intranetz, etc).
Komcrap in my area was pretty damn bad years ago (in fact I went without for a few years) but ever since Qwest also became available in my area Komcrap all of the sudden provides Customer Service!

 

[TitaniumTroy]

Sorry to hear about your Dish problems, B. I've been a Directv customer for 10yrs now, so far so good. For the last two years they give me free
Showtime right before X-mas for 3 months, for being a loyal customer. I also really like their channel 101, which has many top bands in concert on Sundays, some older series from HBO, and Showtime, and a few movies thown in, all in 1080i.

My parents have Comcast, I think they like the service, minus the price $120 with 3 boxes. However when I visit and have tried to use the Comcast remote and interface, it does not seem very user friendly or intuitive compared to Directv.

 

[-B-]

Price is what bought me, but both Verizon and Comcast have always had great reliability and customer service when called upon. Dish customer service reps have been nice....until today. The wiring is direct from the outside dish and all new to the two boxes. Problem is the service drops too often and now has lost signal completely. I fail to see where this is my problem in which I am paying for service......I'm already paying for service that is unreliable at best. I will NOT pay them to come fix THEIR problem.

I'm unhappy, you'd think they would just want rid of me as I'll be a thorn in their sides. Plus the fact that this negative thread on the Internet about them now exists as to where it wouldn't if they would have just let me loose from their grip.

Tomorrow my latest bill from them will be contested on my cc (billed the 7th) and I will inform my cc company that Dish is no longer authorized to bill the card....if it can't be changed I will claim the card lost and handle it that way. Yes, Dish will bill me, but I will contest it on my credit report so it will be noted. It's a PITA, but worth getting from under their thumb. I refuse to pay my easily earned money on garbage service. If my work was as bad as this service is I'd have no accounts.....I'm a little finicky about people getting what they pay for....I'm not.

 

[Botch]

For the last two years they give me free Showtime right before X-mas for 3 months, for being a loyal customer.

Wow, that's the first time I've ever heard that. Usually all the "good deals" are for new customers only... :angry-tappingfoot:

 

[Towen7]

Usually all the "good deals" are for new customers only... :angry-tappingfoot:

That was what got me so angry with Dish years ago. When HD DVRs were new, they were giving them to new customers only. I was willing to pay cash and buy one outright, they insisted that they were available to new customers only.

 

[Flint]

Get a twitter account and a blog. Write about this endlessly and encourage people to not buy their service. Start a database of other unhappy customers and put them on your blog, constantly reminding the world of the problem. Create a facebook group for miserable Dish subscribers and constantly update it. If you yell loud enough and get enough attention they will do whatever it takes to shut you up.

 

[mzpro5]

Do you have trees in the satellite line that had no leaves when the dish was installed but now that spring is here and the trees are starting to get their leaves? It could be the signal is now blocked by the trees..

Happened to my Mom with DirecTV. They had to come out and relocate the dish.

 

[Flint]

I don't believe -b- should have to troubleshoot the problem. He paid for service, it was installed by an authorized team, and it doesn't work! He shouldn't even have to think about why it isn't working right unless he is using the product incorrectly.

 

[mzpro5]

I don't believe -b- should have to troubleshoot the problem. He paid for service, it was installed by an authorized team, and it doesn't work! He shouldn't even have to think about why it isn't working right unless he is using the product incorrectly.

I agree completely. Just trying to be helpful as it seems he is in an intractable situation.

 

[Haywood]

I is amazing how much experiences vary from person to person and place to place when dealing with these huge telecom companies. My experiences with Dish and their service were nothing but good and I like them better than any of the other companies I've had (DirecTV, Comcast, Time-Warner, AT&T U-Verse and Cox).

 

[Batman]

I is amazing how much experiences vary from person to person and place to place when dealing with these huge telecom companies. My experiences with Dish and their service were nothing but good and I like them better than any of the other companies I've had (DirecTV, Comcast, Time-Warner, AT&T U-Verse and Cox).

Yeah I'm in agreement, Ive been with Dish ~8 years and yes Ive had some issues but nothing drawn out (that wasn't due to my sheer laziness to call in the issue) and the service when needed has been top-notch. Perhaps the extra $5 I pay each month to cover any and all issues (even boxes purchased on eBay!) is worth it's weight in gold, because I've never experienced anything remotely close to what -B- describes in all my years with Dish.... :think:

 

[Orbison]

Do you have trees in the satellite line that had no leaves when the dish was installed but now that spring is here and the trees are starting to get their leaves? It could be the signal is now blocked by the trees..

Happened to my Mom with DirecTV. They had to come out and relocate the dish.

If the installation guys know what they're doing, satellite sight-line vs. trees should be taken into account at the time of the install. Years ago, I was refused a Dish Network install for that reason.

 

[Yesfan70]

Do you have trees in the satellite line that had no leaves when the dish was installed but now that spring is here and the trees are starting to get their leaves? It could be the signal is now blocked by the trees..

Happened to my Mom with DirecTV. They had to come out and relocate the dish.

If the installation guys know what they're doing, satellite sight-line vs. trees should be taken into account at the time of the install. Years ago, I was refused a Dish Network install for that reason.

True, but maybe in B's case the trees have grown a bit faster than norm or have more blooms, etc. I had the same problem Mz's mom had when I had Dish the first time at my old home. At the time for me, it was just cheaper to go with DirecTV than to lop off the tops of a couple of trees.

Another is maybe the dish moved out of alignment during a freak storm or something. I would do a check on the sat signal strength. If it's none of those, then call Dish back and tell them the problem. At the very least, I think the installer should have to correct the problem and if they do, you could get Dish to call them and have them come back.

 

[heeman]

A couple of months back I had some HD Channels on my DirecTV go erratic, only from time to time. It got annoying enought that I called DirecTV. They did some trouble shooting while on the phone and determined that a tech needed to be sent.

The Tech came and found a slight alignment problem and also replace a part on the Dish.

The charge was $0 because I pay the $5/Month protection plan. Who knows how much I saved on that call however, I am sure that it was not cheap.

The Tech made a point to tell me that if we had any problems in the next 30 days to call hiim directly, because if I called DirecTV for the same symptom, he will be docked $20. He gave us his cell number.

The sevice with good and the problem was resolved.