Apparently someone else—due to a computer glitch (as customer service thus far claims) or my old receiver being installed elsewhere (just my opinion)—is using my account number with this company. I have had DISH for 2 years, but wasn't totally pleased that my bill was going up from the original $29.95 per month to over $40.00 per month. I never ordered movies or such, so I figured it was just inflation, plus those pesky taxes New Mexico loves to tack onto everything.
My original receiver overheated earlier this year, so I called a repair tech out here to see if anything could be done. He arrived on time and on the day specified, so I have no complaints there. He switched out my receiver with a new one, got everything up and running, and left. No paperwork was filled out about this, other than the one I signed stating that he came here and performed the necessary work.in May, I cancelled my sevice, climbed to my receiver on the roof, took off the parts they wanted, boxed up the indoor receiver, the remotes and the extra wiring I had never used, and returned it to El Paso, Texas via UPS. They received it on May 22nd. On June 8th, I received a call from DISH on my answering machine the "per my request, my money was being refunded back to my credit card and I should have it within 7 to 10 business days". I figured it was a wrong number they had called, as I have not phoned DISH since my service request.
I called them yesterday to get a final balance on my bill. Oh, boy! $800.00 was what the recording told me. Of course, I stayed on the line and got my first customer rep. After much digging, she comes up with a name that is not mine, but it is on my account number with DISH (perhaps the old receiver of mine went straight to a new customer after the service tech left my home?!?) Whoever is using my account number disputed DISH's charges. I got yelled at, told this bill was MY reponsibility, that my equipment had NOT been returned (but I know better as I have the UPS printout of the delivery), and that they want their $400.00 back that they refunded to the credit card (which was not mine, as I WAS able to get the last 4 digits of the one it was refunded to and it is NOT my card number. Nothing is on my bank statements, either.) I stayed on the line for over 3 hours. When it was over and done with, another name popped up on their screen that is absolutely NO relation to mine, nor is it even the same gender.
He (whoever this guy is) is running off of my account and receiver number. I was then told my account balance is now zero, that my equipment WAS received, and they were "so sorry for the inconvenience." Today I called back, and the $800.00 balance is still there (it should be $60.89, for a month and a third of service), and the WHOLE thing started all over again. The young lady that I talked to this time was really nice (THANKS, T.!) and when she tried to get ahold of someone in the Executive department, SHE got yelled at. She wrote notes about what has gone on, and said that, as she worked this weekend, she would try to stay on top of this as it sounds like major fraud, but she sounded really discouraged and upset. I'm feeling sorry for that young lady. I THINK that my old receiver was taken directly from my house and installed into another's here in town, and the info from my first receiver is making it look as if I have two accounts, but wouldn't that show up on my bill?
There never was any increase on mine other than those small nickel-and-dime amounts that I could account for. DISH is giving me the runaround, and I just can't afford a lawyer at this point. Suggestions, anyone?
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