So you just got your mail, and see that your cable bill is just way too high. Unfortunately, there's only one cable company available in your area, and even if you choose the lowest package, it will still be just too much for you. You turn on your TV to watch the news and before you know it, you get kicked on the face by AMERICA'S MOST ADVANCED TV AT THE LOWEST PRICE!!! $19.99!!! (Whoops, you just missed the "as low as" fine print) FREE RECEIVERS FOR UP TO 4 ROOMS! FREE INSTALLATION* (Asterisks, asterisks, they mean something!) Bells and whistles, fanfares, whoo! Dude, you're getting dish.
So you're under the impression that you're getting very good TV, hell, better reception, low price, and you don't have to pay a damn thing for a "professional installer" to come to your home and install all this! You like life again, but silly you, you forgot to write down the number! That's no problem though, a company this big must be in the Yellow Pages!
You grab that big old book, look for Dish Network, and find the add in front of you, same offer, perhaps a few more exclamation marks, smaller fine print, bigger font on the highlights. Now here's where you make the mistake... You didn't check at any of the corners that it says "Brought to you by VMC Satellite", and even if you did, you'd think "Okay, so these are the guys that advertised this!".
Ring ring ring! A recording of someone telling you the offer again, and that you'll be connected with a live representative (not dead, mind you). More elevator music for a bit, and then...
A monotonous android-like voice says:
"Thank you for calling Dish Network SALES! My name is Dumbass, how can I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Customer, and I saw your advertisement on the TV, and would like to know what I have to do to get Dish"
And then they tell you about this WONDERFUL promotion that they're running at the moment, and repeat everything you heard and read. Wow, sounds almost as if they were reading a script...
Now, now, don't get excited, here comes the sting: You have to sign up for an 18 month contract (which really isn't bad, people keep their service for a long time), and you have to pay $49.99 for the "free" installation.
They even say that, $49.99 for the free installation.
Repeat that with me, $49.99 for the free installation.
How is it free?
"we charge your credit card $49.99, but we give you 49.99 back on your first month's bill!" (A bit of excitement to prove they're alive)
Okay, so the free installation gimmick is actually pay your first month in advanced. But it's not that bad is it? Nah.
More candy, more candy.
You want to order DISH?
"yes!"
Okay, "To be able to place an order with us, you are agreeing ot the terms and conditions on our website, and you agree to blah blah blah"
Now, agree to the terms and conditions on our website... You never got to see those terms and conditions, but you assume they pretty much hit the nail on the head with the disclosures of the contract, so you say YES!
So you give them all your information, including credit card and social security number since Dish Network requires a credit check.
Let's assume you pass the credit check so you don't have to pay the outrageous fees for the receivers, that although they're outrageous, you rather keep your cable. But they sugarcoat it anyways.
So you get your installation date, you're happy, you have a good price, you will be a happy customer.
Installation day comes, again, let's assume your installer actually showed up and that he is indeed in fact, professional enough to do a decent installation. You're happy with your Dish, you love it, good reception, easy on the pocket.
You signed the contract which will becomes another huge mistake.
Ten days later, your TV starts going crazy. Blue screen, no screen, boxy, lag. You say this is not good, so you call customer service: a painful looooooooong hold, but the music is alright. You get someone. She tries helping, no luck, says she'll send a tech to your home, you say "Okay"
Tech arrives about the same day you get your first months' bill, which is not at the end of the second month because your first month's supposed to be free, but no, the bill says you're paying TWO months in advance, you do see the $49.99 credit, but also whatever you'll be paying next month, and what's this? Phone line fee 'cause you only have cellphones? Free with absurd name just because? You-Have-A-Green-And-A-Blue-Eye fee?
What is going on?
Your tech looks at the connection, the position of the satellite, etc etc, and says "Uhhh... The satellite was never supposed to be isntalled cause you have very poor connection, lol, sorry"
So you're pissy about the bill, about the fact that you had a satellite installed that wasn't to be installed in the first place due to bad reception (but the installer got paid). You call Dish and explain it to them.
You're under a contract, though, and they'll try everything to keep you with them.
More installers, rescheduling, then at the end of the day, there's nothing that can be done.
Then they try to tell you that it was working fine at first but somehow, just a few days later, it decided not to work anymore, reasons? Unknown, but it worked, and it's not their fault that it doesn't anymore, either you stay in the contract or you pay an early termination fee.
ETF is $240, unless you cry, maybe they'll lower it down to $190 and fraction.
You get rid of DISH, send them back their equipment, go back to cable, and just hope that everything's done with.
You are bitter.
Very bitter.
You lost money, time, and crappy TV (which is better than no TV, anyone would agree).
Mail!!!
First thing you check is your bank statement.
$49.99 charge by DISH, okay, no problem!
But what's this? $5 charge from VMC? Why?
Okay, mental note, but you forgot their phone number, look in the Yellow Pages, sure! Oka—, what's this?
Envelope with your name on it, and address, with VMC Satellite on the left-upper corner. YAY! Their phone number!
Open it.
And you find a collections letter.
Something among the lines of "You. 18 months with us. That was the deal. You. No 18 months with us. You pay $290 or be sent to collections."
There's lines so you can put your CC number on it, and for some reason that makes you even more mad.
What. Is. Going. ON!
You call them.
Get on the line.
"Thank you for calling VMC Corporate Headquarters, my name is Dumbass, how can I help you?"
First you mention the 45.
"oh uh, it's an order processing fee? It's in the terms and conditions that you had agreed to."
What terms and conditions?
"Uuh, on our website, sir"
But you never got to see the terms and conditions!
"Then why did you agree to them?"
Okay, you've turned red.
They took money out of your account without your consent and then receive ANOTHER collections letter, but this one from VMC, not DISH Network
DISH Network dealt with the billing, with the installation, with the troubleshooting, they gave you the equipment. EVERYTHING!
What did VMC do? They paid YellowPages to advertise DISH for them, you called, they took your info and put it on Dish's website and that's it.
And with a verbal agreement, you just made a contract with an advertising company for service that you shouldn't have had in the first place. And they're asking you for $290.
That's $50 more than DISH, and they didn't really do much. And because you were connected for a short period of time, they "lost money", and aren't willing to bulge for a settlement.
Eyes bleeding yet? Get a hanky, there's just some more.
"Wait, haven't I spoken to you before, Dumbass?"
"Uhh...*oh shit i've been caught* UHH!!! There's a lot of Dumbasses in this company, sir!"
"Let me speak to your supervisor"
You're on hold.
You repeat your story.
And they tell you the same.
Don't even dare trying to mention the following words when you're talking to VMC: lawyer, court, suing, fraud, General Attorney.
If you do, you'll get the run-around of your life. Not even a Grand Prix horse could deal with what they'll give you.
They'll say you have to send something in writing.
You do.
They respond to you saying you need something in writing from Dish.
You do.
And when I say "You do", I don't mean it's an automatic.
It will take a lot of time, efford, whining, stomping, yelling, etc, etc, etc, for DISH to type a short little letter stating the reason why you couldn't have the service.
Can you get a settlement now?
"Nu sir, sorrey, it's not our fault that your satellite doesn't work anymore"
You just made the biggest household purchase mistake in your entire life. You know this is a losing battle. The only way to get out of the contract is either pay up, kill yourself and have your family send a death certificate faxed over to their offices, or join the army and get sent to Kuwait to watch over POWs and send them a copy of the military orders. Few people would take the last two choices.
Before the call ends, they mention if you want an alarm system.
What nerve.
So there you are. They got you by the balls. They don't care about what's right or what's wrong, just on what they can get away with. Almost $500 for something that you should haven't had in the first place, to two different companies: The one that messed up, and the one that took the advantage of the messup.
I have so so soooooooo much more to share, but I'll leave it at this for now.
At least that way you learn that you should read fine prints.
John
A cave, Nebraska
U.S.A.
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