Complaint Review: dish network satellite tv service provider

I, too recently moved to directv so I could get a better price for at least the first year.

When I called Dish to cancel, I was told boxes would be sent out to send the receivers and remotes back, and that EACH box fee would be $17.00.  I was astonished.  Having been a Dish for many, many years, off and on, I have NEVER had to pay to return equipment, and I told the rep so.  She informed me that had always been Dish policy, and I told her not to even try that one on me.

I could not get any satisfaction from the customer service rep, so I started sending emails to customer care, rather than phoning.  I told them I knew for a fact that Dish has not always charged to return leased equipment, and I wasn't informed of the new policy.  I was told that it was in my customer service contract.  I told them I wanted a copy of the SIGNED CONTRACT stating the new policy, and that I would be filing a claim with the BBB and with my state's Attorney General for deceptive business practices.

Guess what?  In a couple of days, I got an email from customer service online that the fees for the return boxes would be waived.

So, I call customer service again, it took the agent a while to find the note in my account that the fee was to be waived, and that after all was said and done, I would be receiving a $9.98 credit issued to my card on file.  GREAT!!...I thought.

I waited several days, no refund, so I called customer service back and explained the whole thing again.  She tried to brush me off but I persisted, and told me that no matter what had happened in the past, everyone gets charged, and always have, for return equipment fees, and that what probably happened is someone did me a courtesy in EVERY SITUATION. She finally found the notation on my account, said she "fixed" the problem, and that my refund should be coming in days.

I hope this fixes my problem, but the bottom line is, stand your ground when dealing with these crooks.  I don't think Dish Network's left hand knows what the right is doing.  But one thing is for sure.  After having more than one customer service rep basically call me a liar about the return equipment fees, they will never have my business again, and I was an EXCELLENT customer.  When I returned to Directv, they bent over backwards to show me how glad they were to have me back.  I hope they don't let me down after all the credits fall off my account at the end of the first year.  However, if I have problems, I'll stick with it until I get a fair resolution.

DON'T GIVE UP!!