Complaint Review: Dish Network - Palatine Illinois

"the discloures about the commitment, about the tv2 connection fee, and the dvr service fee are read only after the customer has given their credit card information. "

VERY TELLING!  Here's an idea;  Why not read the disclosures BEFORE the customer (to be) gives credit card information?

I KNOW why, but let's see what tripe the employee will post.

When upgradeing ones service the discloures about the commitment, about the tv2 connection fee, and the dvr service fee are read only after the customer has given their credit card information. The customer must then agree before the work order can be completely created.  Dish Network does not tolerate an agent not reading the disclousers.  That does not mean the agent did read them though.  The work order that the installer has the customer sign also has a copy of the agreement (contract) on it.  While I was not on the sales side of Dish network, I have done my share of upgrades for customers.  The $100.00 "rebate" does not sound in line with Dish Network policies.  I have seen customers offered $10.00 off for 10 months = $100.00.  It sounds in all honesty that you where a victim of a bad or irresponsable agent. 

When upgradeing ones service the discloures about the commitment, about the tv2 connection fee, and the dvr service fee are read only after the customer has given their credit card information. The customer must then agree before the work order can be completely created.  Dish Network does not tolerate an agent not reading the disclousers.  That does not mean the agent did read them though.  The work order that the installer has the customer sign also has a copy of the agreement (contract) on it.  While I was not on the sales side of Dish network, I have done my share of upgrades for customers.  The $100.00 "rebate" does not sound in line with Dish Network policies.  I have seen customers offered $10.00 off for 10 months = $100.00.  It sounds in all honesty that you where a victim of a bad or irresponsable agent. 

I have no problem with Dish Network except for two things.  The salesman lied to me about being able to receive local channels(I can't, I live in the one area of the country where the locals refuse to allow the satellite companies access to their networks)  and they said I would be able to get the YES network, I can't,  when I called to complain, they apologized but said they were not responsible for what their salesmen tells us(figure that one out)  I thought about sending it back but decided to keep it
Also the installer did not bury the outside wires or cover the connection into the house, after one summer of having to have to move the line everytime I mowed my lawn, I buried them myself but cannot cover the splitter because they used my old primestar box on the outside of the house and he broke the cover off and took it with him for some reason    

First of all, what kind of company has no grace periods on their contracts? to me it sounds like they want to trap people into the contracts and make money on services not rendered when people leave. Come on seriously, you guys are screwing people. You are saying that you dont have to tell people that some people may not get hd local channels, by the time customers realize they cant get certain part of your service, its too late, they are in a contract and would have to pay cancelation fee to get out of it. you guys should be sued for this. This is a perfect scam, and you are sitting here trying to justify your company's actions.

You do realize that filing a lost/stolen credit card report with your credit card issuer, just to try to get out of fees you legally agreed to in order to get an HD receiver could be considered fraud, right? Also, if you do not pay such fees, and Dish Network cannot charge your card (as you agreed they do if you do not return equipment or pay for services), your account would be turned over to collections. Who's going to give you any sort of credit with an active collection entered on your credit report? I had a friend once whose wife left him in bankruptcy, and he had trouble getting a bank account, let alone a credit card. Also, do you have a problem with those who speak English as a second language? I know several people who speak various languages as their first language from German to Japanese to even Farsi - and I've never had any problems understanding them. Just because someone has an unfamiliar accent does not mean they don't comprehend what you are saying. For the record, Dish Network always charges accounts correctly for the fees set down by the company and disclosed in our Residential Service Agreement. I've already provided the address to that agreement in an earlier rebuttal. As for the lying, I can't speak for other agents - but I have never lied to a customer, either here or anywhere else I have been employed. If you were lied to, well, since we're all QA'd randomly, that agent will be caught in their lies and disciplined - lying is an offense that is considered non-negotiable, and is grounds for termination.

Ask for a replacement credit card with new number from your credit card company. Or, if you have to, file for a new one because immediately after you lose or have your card stolen. Once you receive a new credit card, it will be a different number and account, and they will be unable to charge your credit card. This will not resolve the issue with them totally, but will keep them from taking YOUR money, without having the authorization to do so. If they have already charged you, dispute it. Dispute it with your bank if it is a debit card. Good luck, I know how frustrating it is. I have learned from experience that this company will lie, and charge you fees they should not, and use customer service employees who obviously are speaking English as their second or third language.

The fees are all listed, in section 2e of the residential service agreement (read it all at http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/about_us/residential_customer_agreement/index.shtml). The first paragraph of the Dish Network Residential Customer Agreement states, and I quote directly from the text as it appears today, January 5, 2008 and has appeared in every copy of the residential agreement provided with every DISH Network system since the foundation of the service: "YOUR ACTIVATION OF A DISH NETWORK ACCOUNT AND RECEIPT OF DISH NETWORK SERVICES SHALL CONSTITUTE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT AND ITS TERMS AND CONDITIONS WILL BE LEGALLY BINDING UPON YOU". If you have ever had DISH Network service, you have accepted this document. Most of the calls I field (well, non-technical calls, anyway) are problems that have arose from people not reading the contract.

I wouldn't pay until they supplied me with a copy of the signed contract. If you didn't sign it, they cannot provide it, and without it they cannot old you to it. Information about fee's, contracts, and services that you should know are not always disclosed in advance of your commitment. You cannot trust Dish Network to tell you the truth. I have been lied to, hung up on, customer service is extremely rude and unprofessional. Any company that will allow this type behavior by their employees could not have much pride in the quality of their service or their work.

The fees, as well as the commitment period, are all given upfront, before our system even asks us to take a credit card. You have to agree to all the terms and conditions of the upgrade offer verbally before you willingly give up your credit card info. Yes, it is true that we don't have to disclose whether your local channels are available in HD unless you specifically ask, but all the other fees were disclosed before you ever made a payment or scheduled a technician to install the system.