Dish Network
Bait and Switch?

What happened to customer service? My wife and I have been using Dish for most of over 10 years when it was available (satellite line of site). We even factored in a south facing location when we looked for a new home a few years back so we could keep the service. We recently acquired an additional HD TV and wanted to have a new line installed in our bedroom.

I called Dish Network and the informed us about a brand new multi-room HD DVR service they were offering called the "Hopper". The new equipment would be leased and I would pay an additional upfront fee ($100 and some change) to cover some of the cost associated with the equipment because it is new technology, and I would have to agree to a new 2 year commitment with them. No problem here as I would be getting state of the art equipment. The catch is the actual dish antenna.

I was told by the install tech that the dish placement just barely acquires a strong enough signal and that it may or may not lose the signal (s) within the 2 year commitment (The signal dish antenna must acquire 4 different satellite lines of site in order to provide our service package. Why charge a customer for service that Dish Network itself determines to be undeliverable?). He could not find a better location for the dish, so now it's become a gamble and no longer worth an upfront expense as well as an early termination fee to us.

I contact Dish Network and they said it was not possible to wave the commitment or discount the fees because it's brand new equipment. I replied that I understand their position but that I would need to to seek an alternative service and then they transferred me to a customer retention specialist as I expected. The woman I spoke with was very nice and said I could still use the old 2 room receiver I had and that they could install an additional single HD receiver in the bedroom for NO CHARGE (See below). OK, so this is a compromise as I will not get HD reception on 1 of my 3 TVs (The older receiver I have is a 2 room HD DVR but only has 1 HD output) and no DVR service on the new TV, but we can live with it for now.

The rep told me that they could provide and install a HD receiver for NO CHARGE and that I would have to pay only an additional $7 month for the signal feed. NO COMMITMENT required and NO CHARGE for the receiver and install. Almost to the point of joking I asked to her to repeat the offer to be clear and not waste anyones time: Install 1 additional receiver (Solo 211k HD no DVR), install fee waived, receiver cost waived, no lease for receiver, and no 2 year commitment.

She even threw in 3 months of free premium channels and 3 months free Blockbuster at Home service for customer loyalty. (This deal was also congruent with what the first install tech recommended I do as an alternative to the "Hopper" system) Again, I was ONLY to pay the $7 monthly fee for the additional signal. It is an inferior setup, but a reasonable compromise for both Dish Network and us.

The other install tech shows up (courteous and on time!). Turns out he has a work order to DOWNGRADE my existing service to standard definition and install a additional standard definition eceiver in the bedroom, What? Why would I want that? That's not even close to the conversation I had with the sales rep. Even the install tech said he that he thought it was a mistake. Who would invest in HD TV to watch it with a lower quality signal? It is 2012 after all and one would be hard-pressed to even find a standard definition TV for purchase these days. The install tech said he actually did have the equipment I was expecting in his truck and that he only needed to call Dish Network to update the work order.

This is where it gets interesting. The customer service rep says he doesn't have any "notes" on his system regarding my previous conversation with the customer retention rep and that I would now have to pay for a new receiver as well as the additional monthly fees. What the...? My frustration is mounting as this the second time I have one of their employees in my home for this and yet I still don't have the service I requested and was promised. The customer service rep was short with me; unable or unwilling to help me so now I have waste my time twice.

This experience only leaves me with 2 possible conclusions about Dish Network customer service. Either the Dish Network employees I dealt with are uncaring, uninformed and incompetent, or they flat out lied to me. After a decade with Dish Network, we are now shopping for alternative service.

Company: Dish Network
Country: USA
Site: dish.com

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