I have been reading all of the complaints and rebutals on this web site regarding this company and to put it as simply as I can, I am utterly disgusted. In all fairness, SOME of the complaints sound a little "out there" but a good bit of them are completely justified and the responses I am reading from employees are a PERFECT reflection of how customers are treated. The employee's comments are degrading and rude and some of them actually question the customer's intellegence. That is also my experience with the company when I had to deal with them.

Just a little "head's up" about this company, they DON'T CARE who you are or how badly they affect you, if they can swindle money from you, they will do it even at risk of breaking the law. I had a friend with a contract for service with DN and after a couple months of service with them, she was late making her payment and of course, her service was turned off. She asked me to make a payment for her using my DEBIT card and she in turn gave me the cash money back. Three months later, DN decides to start charging ME for her account. Upon finding the first charge, I immediately called and asked to speak to a supervisor. She said I had been charged for equipment fees ($398) because my friend defaulted on her contract. I personally removed the equipment from my friend's roof and mailed it all back to DN. I was told by that supervisor that I would get my money back 3-5 days upon receipt of the equipment. She also ASSURED me that the account was closed and no more charges were due.

I asked that my card be removed from the account and informed her that any further charges to my debit card were unauthorized. She promised that my card was taken off and I would aquire no more charges. They got their equipment and after quite a few days my money still hadn't been refunded. Of course, not knowing the money was going to be taken out, I had checks written on the money that was in my account so, not expecting to loose almost $400, those checks bounced. Some of those checks were for credit card bills,so, now my credit has been affected. My checks were bouncing left and right. It got to the point where I was calling DN EVERY day to inquire about my money and each time I called, the customer service people were rude and had no answers for me so it got to the point when I got a customer service person, I just immediately asked for a supervisor.

I always maintained my composure with them, never being rude until I discovered they AGAIN made ANOTHER withdrawl from my account. (Remember the supervisor PROMISING me my card was removed?) More checks bounced and I called DN and got a supervisor named Tony who actually LAUGHED in my face for being upset about this!!!!!! I even went on their website and contacted a woman in the corporate office who was in charge of ALL 8 customer service call centers for help. Her assistant contacted me and,again, I was PROMISED a refund of all money they had taken and also my bounced check fees. To make a long story short, it was 2 months before they refunded the money they stole from my account and they never reimbursed me for the bounced check fees they promised me. I am a single mother and I live paycheck to paycheck so you can only imagine how this affected me. At one point, my bank account was negative almost $800 so when my paycheck went in, there wasn't much left to even feed my daughter on and now my credit is shot. Not to mention my daughter's Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas was ruined.

Oh yeah, Dish Network is a GREAAAAT company and for all of you dedicated, praise singing, rebuttal giving employees reading this, PLEASE, PLEASE, humor me by trying to explain to me how your company can justify how this is legally AND morally ok to do to people who DON'T EVEN HAVE AN ACCOUNT OR SIGNED CONTRACT with you.

"Beth"

Stone Mountain, Georgia
U.S.A.

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10 Updates & Rebuttals

Rebecca

Louisville,
Kentucky,
U.S.A.

Not telling the whole story

#2Consumer Suggestion

Mon, August 22, 2005

There is a lot missing here. Something to the tune of YOU HAD ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS ACCOUNT information sent to you? I love when people leave out most of the story. You stated you paid a bill for your freind. You also stated later that Dish Network sent you a copy of your friends contract? Um, no. That would be the same as if I just call them right now and say I want to pay joe Schmoes bills, and oh yeah, go ahead and send me a copy of his personal contract too. You also stated in a round about way, that you were not sure if anything was ever said to Dish Network about NOT ever using this debit card again. You authorized a payment for account, IF what you say is true, you shouldve been able to call your bank ASAP when the second charge hit and let them take of the dispute. But that is not what you did now is it? And I am sure there is a reason why.

Tiffany

Blacksburg,
Virginia,
U.S.A.

Credit Cards are required

#3UPDATE EX-employee responds

Wed, August 10, 2005

As I believe James posted credit cards are required whether you are leasing the equipment or purchasing the equipment with a contract. If you go to a retailer and purchase equipment and pay with cash and install the system yourself is the ONLY situation in which DN does NOT require a Credit Card. When leasing the equipment you pay an activation fee up front currently the 49.99 up front, you HAVE to pay with a credit card. That credit card that you use is then put on file, and if you violate or void your contract then the original credit card you used when you made that first payment is charged. If you purchase the equipment and are under a 1 year contract, you had to use a credit card to make the original purchase, if you cancel the account and do not pay the cancelation fee your credit card is charged for that. So, yes I have to agree with James that as an ex-employee of Dish every person has to have a credit card that is used the very first time they set up an account. As far as Beth's situation, Dish will take a payment from a different party as long as the credit card holder calls in and gives them permission. The only way that the specific card in question was kept on file is if you had made the original 49.99 purchase for your friend. Which you state that you didn't, you were paying one of her payments for her. I apoligize for this, but there is one other way that the credit card was kept on file and that is if it was used for credit card autopay where the bill would go to your credit card each month. Then the card info is stored. If you made the payment for her say in March and she disconnected the account before her next bill was due and then didn't return the equip the credit card was still on file if it was used to sign up for cca. Hope that gives a little insight into the situation.

Crystal

Elk River,
Minnesota,
U.S.A.

I ca't believe they would give out someone's contract agreement... Just got DN, getting worried

#4Consumer Comment

Thu, May 12, 2005

One part of your postings that no one has commented on that I found strange was that you could just call up and have them send you a copy of someone else's contract. Does that seem strange to anyone else? So, could I call up and ask them to send me a copy of anyone's contract? I actually just got DN installed yesterday, and I'm starting to worry after reading all the complaints on this site. I haven't had it long enough to know much about the service, but our install was horrible. The installer tracked insulation from the attic all over my new house, damaged the walls, left without explaining the system to us or how to use it, and the TV in my living room isn't working with the dish - I only get channel 2 on that TV now! What have I gotten myself into....????

Tasha

Canton,
Ohio,
U.S.A.

must be living on another planet because Dish has ALWAYS provided me with very good

#5Consumer Comment

Wed, February 11, 2004

You know, I have been reading the reports above and am amazed that this is the same company that we have our satellite service through! I feel like I must be living on another planet because Dish has ALWAYS provided me with very good customer service. When we had everything set up, the gentleman that set up the receivers and installed the dish was very helpful, professional and courteous. We've not had any billing problems with them and at one point we needed to have a receiver replaced because of some sort of technical issue, the customer service people went out of their way to be helpful in getting a new one sent out to us and took care of everything to have the other one returned to them without any charge to us. I am really sorry to hear about the horrible problems that some have dealt with through this company, but I'm guessing that it must be the area you are in. I really hope things get resolved for you all very quickly!

Tere

Louisville,
Kentucky,
U.S.A.

Dish did not require a credit card from me

#6Consumer Comment

Sun, December 28, 2003

James, Dish Network did not require a credit card from me. I did have to sign an agreement to keep it at a certain level for 2 years, but no credit card was asked for. That being said...I am not a DISH Network fan due to the customer service and problems friends have had.

James

Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma,
U.S.A.

im sorry i misunderstood the cash and credit card thing.

#7Consumer Comment

Thu, October 23, 2003

ok i went back a read your comments again. im sorry i misunderstood the cash and credit card thing. i take you got the cash and you called in the credit card. then i will add this. i wont even call in and order anything for a friend with my credit card and i wont ask them to do it for me. ive been in the satellite business since 1984. i wish i could see the contract.for this very reason. for about the last 1 1/2 to 2 years my retailers contracts that i print out from dish networks web site. state quite clearly that a credit card is required and what they do with it. if i dont get one ( or any retailer) i (or they) can not print out a contract. their is only one way that a credit card is not required is that for the second option on the digital home. were the consumer leaves a 300.00 dollar deposit with dish network.(to which dish network as the right to change any promotion at anytime) if the customer purchases the equipment then their is no contract.the only guess then i can make . is that dish network contracts are different from the retailers. i guess one other point i left out was...what was done was wrong.

Mara

Stone Mountain,
Georgia,
U.S.A.

Wrong is wrong...

#8Author of original report

Wed, October 22, 2003

Thank you both for taking the time to read my report except, James, you don't seem to have quite gotten the point. Nowhere in that report did I state that I gave my friend the card #, I'm not STUPID. But in reading your comments, are you saying that because I did a friend a favor, Dish Network was justified in what they did?? You did get one thing right, though, most REPUTABLE companies won't accept payments in which the service billing address and the credit card address is different. This is not the case with DN, case in point, DN is more than happy to take ANYONE'S money....my address and my friend's address is very different and, no, my name was nowhere on her account with DN. Also, DN did not require a credit card from my friend to activate her account, she was simply a "switch over" from Bell South Entertainment. I acquired a signed copy of her contract (after all of this happened) from DN themselves so I am very aware of everything about this account. No James, my friend didn't screw me, Dish Network did and for all of you consumers out there, please read my reports and protect yourself. Dish Network is not an honest company who cares about the customer, only the almighty dollar and if they can steal yours, they will, even if they have to break the law to do it.

Maria

Stone Mountain,
Georgia,
U.S.A.

Thanks, James....

#9Author of original report

Tue, October 21, 2003

James, thanks for taking your time to read my report but I don't quite think you got it. Nowhere did I state that I gave my friend the card # because I didn't. I'm not STUPID. Even if I had, are you saying that because I was kind to a friend I have known since 2nd grade, DN was justified in doing what they did!?!?! You were right about one thing, most REPUTABLE companies won't even accept payments in which the card address and the billing address are different, which they were. Dish Network was more than happy to accept it. I don't live with her, nor was my name ANYWHERE on the account which (again) shows how willing Dish Network is to take ANYONE'S money at will. Also, you talk about credit cards and contracts with this company as though you know about it....you don't. She was not required to provide any credit cards to them upon activation or signing her contract or, don't you think THAT would be where the charges would have gone? I have seen and carefully read her original signed contract (which, by the way, I acquired from DN themselves) and they didn't have ANY credit card for her. So, no, my friend didn't get me, Dish Network did. Those of you out there who have read this, my advice to you is don't try to find my fault in this, my only fault was thinking this large corporation had good business practices. Not true for this company, they are snakes in the grass who only care about the almighty dollar, not the customer. Don't do business with them because as you can see in my report and several other people's reports, they will charge your (or anyone else's card for that matter) at will.

Mike

Radford,
Virginia,
U.S.A.

Bad judgement to trust Dish?

#10Consumer Suggestion

Mon, October 20, 2003

I agree with James on the first point, never give a friend (no matter how close) your card or number and send them off to do what they wish. You will have to pay for everything they charge. But it sounds like "Beth" didn't do that, she got on the phone with Dish and used her card to pay a friend's bill one time. Then Dish decided that they could charge her again after her friend stopped paying. That's not allowed. If "Beth" made it clear to Dish that this card was not to be charged but once, they shouldn't have charged it any more. It should have been apparent to them when they saw that the name on the card was not the name of the person who owed the money. But apparently Dish has become like many other rip-off companies reported here, once they get hold of a live card number, they "hit" it as much as they want. Beth's second call (after Dish refused to give the $398 back) should have been to her bank, as she clearly did not authorize the charge.

James

Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma,
U.S.A.

you made a bad judgement call

#11Consumer Comment

Sun, October 19, 2003

i've got friends that ive know for years. and over the years i've loaned them money. a couple havent paid me back. but the one thing i wont give them is my credit card or debit card number.no matter how good a friend they are. i wont even ask my friends for their card numbers.that was your first mistake. if your friend had the money. she had the option to go to western union to pay her own bill.dish network told her this if she called them. its also on their web site. if your friend got her dish network under a promotion. she had to give up a credit card of her own to do the promotion. they match the name and billing address of the card holder to the name and billing address given to them in order for the dealer to print out a contract.this info is on the contract that she had to sign. if your friend defaulted on the contract dish network was to charge her credit card for the loss. unless your name was on the account also at the time of activation. im sorry you got screwed , but it sounds like your friend got to you first. get a lawyer.you made a bad judgement call on your part. wwe all like to help are friends . but to what point out of your house ,food, paycheck, gifts and support for your own family.

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