Dish Network
Promotional deal reversed after failed install, yet $49.99 fee charged

I called up Dish Network to get service because they recently added setanta sports, which will be showing the rugby world cup this year. I went through the process of giving all my info and got approved for a promotional deal.

The installation guy came over and couldn't install the dish because he couldn't electrically ground the system. Dish Network told me to call a local dealership to install it because local installers have a more relaxed policy on safety. They didn't say that exactly, but that is what they meant. So, I call up a local dish dealer and they said they had a solution for my grounding problem and that I should get the same promotional deal as before. However, when they tried to put my info into the dishnetwork dealership website, I didn't qualify for the promotion because of my credit score (I only just moved to the US so I have no credit history).

So, I called up dishnetwork and they said, "... Oh that right you don't qualify for the promotion because your credit score is too low. If you buy the dish and receiver than you qualify". I replied, "... But I qualified before and the dishnetwork guy actually came over to install, but there were electrical grounding issues?" After some extra discussion I was finally told they couldn't comment on why I qualified before but not now.

Anyway, after reading around the web I think I have figured out what was going on: If the installation guy had successfully installed the system, I would have been charged the cost of the hardware when I activated in order to get the promotion. The Dish Network lead me to believe I qualified for something that I didn't and were not going to tell me until after service activation! Unbelievable, thank God he couldn't successfully install.

By the way, they still charged me the $49.99 installation fee, even though they didn't install anything! They told me I should get it back in 7-10 business days, but I'm not holding my breath.

Company: Dish Network
Country: USA
State: Colorado
City: Littleton

  <     >