Dish Network Poor Customer Service Experience

[gene]

Dish Network Scam

I have been a Dish Network customer for over two years. In that time, my service has been good for the most part. Though they weren’t quite as cost competitive as Bright House Cable, I found their service to be less problematic in my area.

Now here lies the problem. We called Dish three months ago in preparation to cancel our account since we were relocating. They told us at the time if you cancel services, you won’t be able to reinstate it for six months without engaging into a new contract and fees. Thus they offered a freeze option for us where they would only charge our credit card $10/mo until services are reinstated.

Three months later, we had an appointment scheduled to install services in our new residence. Due to circumstances beyond our control, our Displays didn’t arrive to our residence the same day Dish came out for the service call. In addition, the service technician didn’t bring the new HD PVR box we ordered and claimed it wasn’t on his log to install or deliver. Thus we canceled the installation and at that time was told by the Dish representative that we wouldn’t be charged for this service call and that we should reschedule installation once our Displays have arrived.

A few weeks later we received a bill in the mail for $163.51 (two months of services). When we called their customer service department, not only couldn’t we understand the people we were talking to, but they also hastily declined crediting our account stating that once a service crew comes to your home your account is reactivated and there is nothing that could be done.

Dish prides itself on their acclaimed #1 position in customer service, but where is it? If this is the kind of service one gets from the #1 service ranked company, than something truly stinks here.

My courteous and elegant wife convinced them to credit our account and we have since then terminated our services with Dish.

 

[jake51s]

As of December 23rd I ceased to be a DirecTV customer for a very similar "there is nothing we can do about you account."

I had gotten a new HD display (Westinghouse lvm37w1) for Christmas and my wife was letting me hook it up early knowing it would take me a few hours to get everything configured and calibrated. I had bought a DirecTV HD receiver from BB when I got my TV for about $115. I had hooked up everything myself and called them to activate the new box. After it was turned on I got an "oh, by the way there is now a two year commitment on your account for turning this on." I asked where I could find this information because I was not aware of an extended commitment. The rep did not know. I then had them turn off the box and asked to speak to his manager.

The manager could not tell me where any commitment agreement was written down, not even on the website. He siad it was BB's responsibility to tell me and that they do not post the exact information because their current offer may change. I asked how much longer did I have with them, thinking I had around three months left on my original commitment. He said that I now have two years because once the service was activated for the new box, even though it was turned off, it cannot be removed or changed from my account.

I proceeded to talk to three more people over the next two hours and finally the only resolution I could get was completely turning off my service and send in the HD box I had just bought and paid for, for no credit - just to avoid a $300 charge.

Needless to say I was very unhappy with the service I got. What really irritates me is that they lost me as a customer over 1) not provding details of their commitment terms, anywhere, until its too late, and 2) apparantly having absolutly no control over their computer system. I now happily have Comcast cable, and get get my local HD channels without an antenna, and can take down the dish.

Sorry for the rant, and I know I may have been a little unreasonable, I just got on a "principles" kick. I just think all these stinking satellite companies are more than a little shady.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Anyone who thinks that cable service sucks should take a close read of the above posts.

I have had, at times, poor cable service, but I have had no better luck in any of my conversations with either Dish or DirecTV as an occassionaly troubleshooter for those systems.

What seems so much worse to me is that people often pay hundreds, or thousands of dollars for Dish and DirecTV installations, only to receive this poor level of service.

I happily pay my $130.00 a month (include high speed internet)... okay, maybe not 'happily', but I pay it. Get my cable distributed to 3 TVs but can add more as I choose. Digital cable, half a dozen+ HD channels, etc. Number of times I have had to deal with headaches? Once. When the system was first installed they were slow to come out to my new construction house, then they were not prepared when they did come out. I yelled (discussed loudly and very irritatedly) at them right then and there, and within 2 hours they met the deadline of getting my system up and working on a SATURDAY.

Happy ever since and prior with another company - just as thrilled.

I think there may be competition to cable, but I have yet to find it.

 

[Sheep]

Gene,

When you were talking to them on the phone/in person did you go "Do you know who I am? I am Gene! GENE SMASH!" ?

Cause I would...

SheepStar

 

[gene]

I think there may be competition to cable, but I have yet to find it.

After my recent experience with Dish, I too am switching back to cable. At my old home I suffered from pixellation and freeze problems in my cable service from Time Warner. My new neighborhood is literally 3-4 miles away from Bright House and all of my neighbors are raving about the quality of their service.

I switched over to Cable modem and love it. When I get my displays installed, I will be using Bright house for my cable and data. As for their phone service, my neighbor has been complaining about outages so I think I will stick with Verizon for now.

BTW, Verizon is installing fiber in my neighborhood. Once activated, they will be supplying data and TV over fiber at 15 Mbps or so they say. I will definately be watching out for this. They will however be using Direct TV as their carrier though.

 

[Audioholics]

When you were talking to them on the phone/in person did you go "Do you know who I am? I am Gene! GENE SMASH!" ? Cause I would...

We have found that the people we interact with at cable & satellite companies simply do not care. Technicians and customer service people get paid regardless of what we do or say (until the company folds that is).

I was at Gene's house when the Dish guys showed up (they seemed nice and fairly knowledgable). One thing I thought was quite funny was the comparison between Dish and cable for HD DVR boxes:

Dish: You pay us a $300 nonrefundable fee for the PRIVELEDGE of leasing the box. You do not own the box. You do not get your money back if/when you turn it in.

Cable: You pay us $7/month to lease the HD DVR box. Turn it in if you leave our services. Want more? $7/month per box...

And other comparisons are also funny:

Dish: You must sign a long-term commitment to get any kind of service discounts.

Cable: You can pay month to month and we'll still offer discounts (possibly with a three month commitment if we do a dramatic discount).

Dish: You pay extra for anything HD over the satellite and extra for local channels

Cable: Not only are local channels free, but so are the HD versions plus DiscoveryHD (in my area at least).

Also, Cable HDTV quality (at least in my area) is tons better than what I've seen coming down on satellites.

There are some clear advantages to satellite to be sure - I especially like the way you can integrate an antenna into the program guide to give you options for SDTV, HDTV, or satellite versions of local stations. Cable doesn't do that (not that I've seen).

But I'll don't think I will ever pay for satellite until they start to get a clue.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Hmmm, strange. I have had DirecTV since when it first started. I have always had excellent customer service with them. I once tried switching to dish and it was a disaster from the start. I would never under any circumstances go with cable ever, ever, ever again. After my experiences with AT&T and that other big one in florida they are dead to me. Did I say I hate cable.

 

[Matt34]

I guess I've been lucky so far with good experiences with both cable and sat. I have Direct TV now due to living in a rural area and have been pleased with their service so far. Don't have HDTV, yet, so can't comment on that.

 

[majorloser]

"Dish: You pay us a $300 nonrefundable fee for the PRIVELEDGE of leasing the box. You do not own the box. You do not get your money back if/when you turn it in."

Not totally true. When I signed up for Dish about 3 years ago they didn't have the HD boxes they have now. They offered a deal for a 2 room installation with equipment if you sign a two year agreement. In my case since I wanted HD in my theater I was required to purchase the receiver for that room. It's the older model 6000U with the off air receiver (an extra cost at that time). Cost me about $900 for the receiver

I'd love to upgrade to the new style receiver since it has DVI output. My old receiver uses RGB D-sub15 connection. Just don't see why I need to pay $600+ for a new receiver. Even then, I can only buy through certain retailers since I'm an existing customer. If I go with the DVR receiver, not only would I have to buy the receiver, I have to pay them to install it on top of the addition monthly fee.

Even with that, it's still better than "not so" Brighthouse here in Florida. I'm boycotting those idiots. Using DSL for internet instead of cable.

 

[RLA]

Hello All
Just read this thread and all I can say is I base most of my recommendations for product with customer service as a top priority. It seems as though service after the sale is a diminishing aspect for the consumer. With this in mind I will be very hesitant to recommend any Dish service to my clients.

My thinking is people’s time and hard earned money are things that should not be taken lightly and it appears that Dish has no consideration for either. I think we may need a review of customer service for all major manufactures in the electronics industry.

This is one area that I have read no coverage on and one that is the most important. Manufactures and service providers can have excellent products but what good are they if there is no support. Hmmmm now the gears are turning in the old noggin.

Reviewing customer support? Would that be interesting to any of you? I know I have been frustrated over the years by many Audio/Video manufactures support. Comments would be appreciated

 

[Tomorrow]

Since we moved to Oregon 13 years ago, we have purchased service on separate occasions, twice each, with Dishnet and with Charter Communications cable.

I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, that customer service is an unknown commodity. We have had horrendous difficulties solving minor and major issues with both companies. The art of keeping a customer is long gone in the entertainment industry...perhaps with virtually all services now that I think of it. Ho, I've been trying to get Panasonic to replace my TV bulb since MARCH!! (And I know the corporate Treasurer, lol! We just laugh together at the incompetence, even when they're trying to provide CS. It's like watching Keystone Cops in action.)

You Mr. and Ms. Consumer are irrelevant and disposable, and CS is a lost art. When you find a company that treats you well, treasure it. (Thank you, Hsu!)

 

[philh]

About a year ago I switched from Comcast to Direct. For several months I tried getting comcast to replace an outdoor inline connector. Frequently when it rained, several channels were literally unviewable. I'd go outside, wiggle the connector, and all would be better. Finally got tired of beating my head against the wall and replaced it with some interior rated parts, which worked well until my Direct TV was installed. Direct TV installation went extremely well, got lucky with a knowledgeable installer, been extremely satisfied with the service, and love the TIVO! I've called a couple of times and they have great to deal with. The picture and sound is a huge improvement over the analog cable, and I wasn't paying for digital cable. I cancelled the service and they begged me to not leave. Suggested to my next door neighbor he also visit the office and say my neighbor just had satellite installed and we really like the quality and it's much cheaper. They gave him upgraded service, equipment, and a huge discount to boot. My father in laws experience with Dish was HORRIBLE! It took them something like four trips to deliver the correct DVR, and he's a long term customer.

Like everything else with customer service, sometimes you just can't win. Too many companies have forgotten it's much cheaper to keep customers and properly handle their complaints then hiring non english speaking script readers. After I cancelled my earthlink DSL (15 year customer, first on dialup), they called begging me to come back. I gave them three opportunities to match SBC's teaser rate, and they wouldn't bite, saying how could I afford to change a 15yo email address. Easy, since I created my own URL and email about 5 years ago! Internet access is now a commodity.

 

[gellor]

We have found that the people we interact with at cable & satellite companies simply do not care. Technicians and customer service people get paid regardless of what we do or say (until the company folds that is).

I was at Gene's house when the Dish guys showed up (they seemed nice and fairly knowledgable). One thing I thought was quite funny was the comparison between Dish and cable for HD DVR boxes:

Dish: You pay us a $300 nonrefundable fee for the PRIVELEDGE of leasing the box. You do not own the box. You do not get your money back if/when you turn it in.

Cable: You pay us $7/month to lease the HD DVR box. Turn it in if you leave our services. Want more? $7/month per box...

And other comparisons are also funny:

Dish: You must sign a long-term commitment to get any kind of service discounts.

Cable: You can pay month to month and we'll still offer discounts (possibly with a three month commitment if we do a dramatic discount).

Dish: You pay extra for anything HD over the satellite and extra for local channels

Cable: Not only are local channels free, but so are the HD versions plus DiscoveryHD (in my area at least).

Also, Cable HDTV quality (at least in my area) is tons better than what I've seen coming down on satellites.

There are some clear advantages to satellite to be sure - I especially like the way you can integrate an antenna into the program guide to give you options for SDTV, HDTV, or satellite versions of local stations. Cable doesn't do that (not that I've seen).

But I'll don't think I will ever pay for satellite until they start to get a clue.

...I still say the easiest way to get Dish is through SBC (if available in the area) We got connected with no contract (0) No deposit on equipment, I believe all we paid was a $99 installation fee...and got the first month free. (and your account is managed by SBC, not Dish)

We went that route instead of contacting the local retailer as the local retailer is...well...less than scrupulous. We've had no problems since, but then again, we haven't moved.

 

[majorloser]

What's SBC?

 

[gellor]

What's SBC?

SBC = Southwestern Bell ... one of the baby bells. Although they are changing their name to AT&T. (SBC bought AT&T a while back)

 

[majorloser]

Ohhhhhhhh

I have "Hell" South. They don't offer me any deals, just DSL.

 

[gellor]

Ohhhhhhhh

I have "Hell" South. They don't offer me any deals, just DSL.

too bad. our choices were the satellite or charter cable...so dish with no contract was pretty much a no-brainer.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

We've been pretty happy with TWC. We've got a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR which is "OK" - I think it's a Pioneer unit. We receive approximately 98 SD cable channels, 35 digital channels (a big improvement over SD - most likely still 480i), ~40 digital Music Choice audio channels (awesome sound), and 6 HD channels.

We pay just under $80 a month for this service, which includes Road Runner high speed internet (it's running around 2 Mbps).

I think it's a decent value, seeing how we have 3 tv sets upstairs, 2 on the main level, and 1 on the lower level. I can't imagine the cost to rent 6 satellite receivers. Sure, we don't get HD or digital channels on 5 sets, but it would only run us $6 a month to get a DVR for each additional room. It's month to month, and the price is guaranteed through 2007.

Our DVR sometimes freezes up, like a computer does. All we do is reboot the system, and it's fine. We find switching through the DTV or HD channels too quickly will cause this freeze up to occur. I've called TWC out to check the DVR. They were out within a day, and had 5 new units to test. Amazing service - no charge. We found out it's not the DVR's (they all suffer from freeze up once in a while). We just need to change channels a bit slower on DTV/HD - no big deal - patience.

The one qualm I have against TWC is the lack of ABC HD. I'm not sure what the beef is with ABC, but I missed out on a lot of college bowl action in HD. I absolutely love Discovery HD. I'm sick of TNT's Law and Order, but was pleasantly surprised to see Remember The Titans this week.

As far as customer service, I rank TWC right up there with Wide Open West - almost perfect. We have two competing cable companies in Columbus, and they constantly fight for our business. A week doesn't go by without an ad for either provider. It makes it nice when our contract comes up, and we just bargain for whoever has the better deal. SD cable looks better with WOW, but I'm thrilled with DTV and HD with TWC.

I can't even imagine calling a dish type network up for service. This is way too easy.

 

[5.1 DTS guy]

All I can say is Adelphia is really annoying. The cable goes out probably 2 times a month, and the customer service people couldn't care less.

 

[majorloser]

Well, my Dish 6000 receiver just took a dump over the weekend (probably the Giants game did it). This is the second 6000 receiver I've been through in two years.

Well, long story short, instead of owning the replacement 6000 receiver I am now leasing a new 411 or 211 HD receiver (they don't know which one will ship) for a $50 handling fee. When the new one arrives I ship my old one back for a $25 credit. The new receiver will now give me HDMI output instead of RGB D-sub 15. I will also pay a monthly lease on the receiver (one year minimum service agreement) instead of the additional service connection fee for the other room. They said under the lease the second room is free.

I end up paying $25 for the new receiver plus I now have to run a new 8 meter cable to the projector. I've been want to pull all the cables out of the conduit and start over again, NOT!

The tech support guy says I probably don't have good surge suppression. I guess a "whole house" surge suppresor and a UPS with power conditioning isn't enough, YEAH RIGHT! I even have industrial grade surge suppression on the coax, not cheap power strip stuff, data grade stuff. Heck, I have surge protection for the surge protection.