Upon signing up for the Dish Network at my local Sams Club, I was advised that I had three days to cancel the contract if I was not happy. When the installer came, I got on the roof and showed him exactly how I wanted the dish installed, but he said he couldn't strap it to the chimney as I wanted it, and could only screw the mounting plate into my new roof.
After suggesting several other options to the installer, I finally agreed to let him install on the roof and was very specific on how I wanted the cables installed down the side of the house to make it least obtrusive and ugly which he agreed to. After leaving off the roof and going into the house, the installer finally came in after about an hour and said he was finished and wanted me to sign the installation form.
Upon going to check the work, I found that he had not installed it anywhere near where I had asked and said that it was too close to the power lines coming into the house and he didn't feel safe around the lines. I advised that I was not happy with the installation and wanted him to take the whole thing down and I would return to cable.
He then asked to use my phone to contact the Dish installation supervisor and put me on the phone with the supervisor. He advised me that they backed the installer on making these decisions about his safety. I advised that all the installer had to do was come and tell me that he couldn't install it as we agreed instead of choosing to do it as he saw fit. I advised that this was fine and that all they needed to do was take down their dish and we would part company amicably.
The supervisor then advised that he could send another installer out the next day to correct the install, but I advised that I was not happy and just wanted to have the dish taken down. The supervisor strongly suggested that I should give the system a try for the 3 day contract cancellation period and that I would fall in love with all the great programming and feel differently.By now, it is almost 8:00 PM (installer was to be there between 1 and 5PM, showed up right at 5:00) and feeling sorry for the installer and not wanting to send him up on the roof in the dark, I agreed to sign the installation papers so he could leave, but with the stated understanding that I was not happy with the installation.
I then called back the following morning at 8:30 AM, 12 hours later and advised them that I wanted the system taken down and that I would even take it down myself to save them the expense, but that I wanted to send it back. After having the representative try to convince me to keep it for a couple of more days, he finally gave up and stated that he would send the boxes for me to ship the equipment back. However only after calling back on 3 occasions to state I had not received the boxes, did the boxes show up some 23 days later.
Now comes the rip-off. Upon stating that I would like a refund for the intitial $50 sign up fee and $50 PVR upgrade fee, they advised that those fees were non-refundable once the equipment was installed and refused to refund it even after I advised that I had been assured that the contract was cancellable within the first 3 days. They stated that since I had signed the installation papers, the installation was completed and therefore it was non-refundable.
Even after insisting on talking to the supervisor and even the VP of the Echostar division, they refused to refund the money. They claimed that there was no record of my dissatisfaction with the installation and even though I called the very next morning to cancel, that it did not matter.
The money is not a big issue for me, but the principal of being lied to and tricked is beyond contempt and I am willing to do anything to keep others from falling for their schemes. I would imagine that if everyone who had them come out to install the equipment would at the last minute refuse to sign the installation papers, and force them to take back the equipment that they would get the message about screwing the customer. I am not much of a fan of the cable companies, but at least the cable folks don't have you sign any contracts and trick you into their schemes.
Bill
Atlanta, Georgia
U.S.A.
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