Dish Network
Charged for Lost Equipment After Hurricane Ike Destroyed Our Home

If you are ever in the path of a Cat 5 hurricane, fleeing for your life, trying to pack all your worldly possessions in your car, and hoping that you will have anything to return to be sure to take your dish network equipment. This is a copy of an email that I sent dish network and still have yet to hear back from them.

I also had to cancel my credit card due to them charging it up to three times a day for the past week.

I have been a customer for many years and been happy with your service but due to recent actions I will make sure that I tell everyone I know how you treat your loyal customers!

I lived on the Bolivar Peninsula and everything we owned was wiped out in Hurricane Ike. Our house, our family heirlooms, clothes, furniture, & everything else we worked for 42 years is GONE!!! I am very sorry that in my haste of evacuating I did not take my dish receiver. It was not that I didn't care about your precious equipment, I just thought that taking my 13 year old border collie and my two cats took precedence.

After the hurricane struck I called your company to cancel my service. Your representative strongly suggested that I just transfer my service to the house that I was and currently staying at. I told her that I did not think that I had line of sight since it is a very wooded lot. She said that the technicians might be able to find a spot and that if they could not that my contract would be cancelled.

I also explained to her that I did not have my equipment and that it was lost along with my entire house. We rented the property and did not have renters insurance or could not file it with any other insurance. She stated that I would not be charged for the lost equipment. She also stated that they would bring a replacement set of equipment when the technicians came out.

When the technicians came they stated that I had no line of sight and that a second technician would come out to verify this. Several days later I received a phone call from your representative and that the second technician came out and that he confirmed that I did not have a line of site. She said that I would be released from my contract. I confirmed once again that I would not be charged for the lost equipment.

On October 23rd I again called to confirm that my account had been cancelled and that I would not be charged for the equipment and was told that my contract had been cancelled and my equipment charge had been waived. This was the last contact I had with your company.

Imagine my surprise when I looked at my online statement for my credit card had been charged for $501.00. I did not have my credit card on file with your company, not set up for automatic payment, and had not authorized any charges on my credit card. Luckily it was declined!

I then called the customer service line and spoke to a very unconcerned man that said that my service had been terminated on November 15th due to nonpayment and that I needed to return your equipment.

I once again explained that I did not have your equipment and that I had cancelled my account and the equipment charge had been waived. He said that they had no record of my account being cancelled, you had no record of a second technician coming out to verify the line of sight issue, and no record of my equipment charge being waived, and no record of anyone calling me.

I once again tried to call and talk to your customer service department today three times!!! I was disconnected once, told that I could not talk to a supervisor, and told that I have no recourse in this matter.

I have also talked to other people affected by Hurricane Ike and were also charged (unauthorized) for equipment fees after they were told they were waived. If this is how you treat your loyal customers when they have had their entire life gone then I will make it my personal conquest to repost this letter to as many people as I can. Maybe, just maybe, it will make someone think twice before signing up for your wonderful service.

Thanks also for the box that I received by ups this afternoon so that I could return your equipment. If I lend you my snorkel and flippers you are more than welcome to try and find your precious equipment. I suggest first looking around Goat Island in Galveston Bay.

Susan
Crystal Beach, Texas
U.S.A.

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

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