(I've sent this to the BBB, Attorney General's office and a few newspapers. I want to get the word out)

I have been a customer of Dish Network company for over five years. I telephoned them on February 21, 2007 (yesterday) and asked if I had a standing commitment to continue service with them. The employee I spoke with put me hold, checked my records, came back on the telephone and informed me that I did not. I asked again, “Are you sure? I need to positively verify this as I am planning to enlist the services of another satellite company and intend to cancel your service.” The employee further assured me that I did not have any commitment with them any longer.

With that information supplied to me by Dish Network, which I trusted to be truthful and correct, I arranged for another satellite company to come to install their system, which they did today, February 22, 2007.

After the other company finished installing their satellite equipment and left my home, I telephoned Dish Network to cancel my account with them. The first person, with whom I spoke, verified apparent notes on his computer, that indeed I do not have a commitment with them. However, they needed to transfer my call, or so they said, in order to cancel my service. I was put on hold for a very long time, approximately 30 or 40 minutes until they caused the telephone to disconnect.

I called back. After waiting on hold for what seemed an eternity, listening to repetitious music, they then informed me that I have a commitment with them for another six and a half months and if I cancel, I will owe them $13.33 per month remaining in that time frame, which amounts to $86.65.

I objected, naturally, informing them of my telephone conversation yesterday with one of their employees. I went through the whole story again with someone else. (You can never talk to the same person twice) I asked to speak to a supervisor and was put on hold again for approximately twenty minutes. Altogether, I was on the telephone for approximately an hour and a half and all to no avail. I was told, point blank, that no supervisors were responding.

Therefore, I explained the whole story again to yet another employee. This time, they denied having any notes that someone told me that I was not under any obligation to continue their service.

I again reiterated that they should honor the information that one of their employees gave me, regardless of whether I have six and a half months left of obligation to them. They refused to honor that. I explained that had I been given accurate information, I would not have arranged to connect with this other company yet. And still, they held fast.

They also demanded that I pack up their receiver boxes and satellite dish in boxes that they will send me by UPS. Then I am to take them to the UPS office and mail their equipment back to them. If I fail to do this, there will be an exorbitant monetary penalty. I am dumb struck as to why I should have to do their work for them, using my time and effort to package these items. I am a senior citizen and I am appalled at their aggressive behavior.

To sum it up, although I may have had a commitment with them and I had nothing in writing about the telephone conversation, (big mistake that I should know better than to make)I feel that Dish Network displayed very dishonorable, immoral and despicable business practices. These practices clearly manifest themselves in this company’s mistreatment of customers, with untruthful, incorrect and inconsistent information, resulting in my having to pay for two services for another six and a half months. Had I received a straightforward answer yesterday, that I am indeed committed for another six and a half months, I would not have signed up with the other company until those six and a half months were past. I am extremely displeased with this ineffective and dishonorable company.

Switching to a "new" selection list on Dish Network so that we could get "Classic Arts Showcase," which was on the list of the 120 channels we upgraded to, we could not find it on our t.v. After working with a Dish Network programmer for half an hour, we were told that we would have to pay and extra $150 for someone to come out and fix our dish so that we could access the channel. I am furious and am going to threaten Dish Network if I could only find the name of a federal agency with which we could lodge our complaint. If you know of one, please let me know. Thanks.

Herein I write about my efforts to disconnect my ties with Dishnetwork.

At the end of August, I received a package of information entailing some promotional offers Dishnetwork was offering. It seemed inticing, so I called.

I talked to a very friendly gentlement who answered all of my questions with confidence. I asked what it would cost for me to get minimum HD television service and HD DVR. I was explictly told not once, but three times that I would not have to pay anything but my monthly fees, that setup and the equipment were free, and I would have roughly a $45 / month bill + tax. I was told if I did not like the service, I had a money back guarantee if I cancelled in less than 30 days.

A week after the install, I notice that I am charged $199.99 on my credit card. I called, and was told that this was up front billing, that my next couple of bills would come out of this. TWICE. I called two different people to confirm it, and I was told that this was billing for my service upfront. A third time I called I was told that I would receive the money back after I sent in a voucher that mysteriously never appeared. A fourth time I was told that it was a lease upgrade that I wasn't informed about. Angrily, since I was told there would be no fees for the HD receiver (I explicitly asked to be sure), I told them to cancel the service, they said they would refund all my charges, I would be charged nothing, and they would ship boxes to me for me to pack the equipment up and ship back to them. In this fiasco, I talked to both associates and managers and supervisors, that gave me the same runaround and different answers everytime.

A week later, the boxes had not come. No refunds either. I called, they claimed they shipped the boxes, but they'll ship them again anyway.

A week later the boxes come, I packed it up and shipped it back the next day. My fees would supposedly be refunded as soon as they received the equpment.

Two weeks later, still no refund. I called, and called, and called finally having to go through tech support and be redirected before I got ahold of a real human being. They claimed that my fees had not yet been processed, that I had to wait 20 days from when they received their equipment, which was OCt. 1. So I waited.

Oct. 1st came and went, still no refund. I called again on the 5th, this time I was told that I'd never get my $199 back that it was nonrefundable, which was in contradiction to the "money back guarantee" they told me about earlier. So now, I try corporate.

The first corporate office I talked to basically told me to "get over it" in more or less terms, that it was non-refundable, whether or not I had been deceived up front.

Now, I"m stuck with a $200 charge I wasn't told about, for a upgrade fee on equipment I had for a WHOLE 4 DAYS. That's right, I had the equipment and used it for four days before I got my charges, called, and cancelled.

Back to Dishnetwork I called, this time to their main supervisor. He understood my plight, but told me he was sorry, he could not help me, he did not have the "authority."

Nobody has a heart at this company to tell the difference when a genuine exception needs to be made and a customer satisfied. I will strive to make sure everyone I know never goes to this company.

Long story short, I hope anyone that ever reads this will stray away from Dishnetwork and go to other companies that have always been friendly and helpful to me.

Anthony

My experiences with Dishnetwork has been a nightmare. I have spoken to customer service untill I'm blue in the face on the matter of a service tech actuially coming to my home and getting the equipment to work. A tech. was suposed to have come to my home on the 21st of July butr no one showed up or did me the courtesy of a phone call. At this point i have no faith in this companies viability.

After spending 6 years with Dish, working with a young company in the early years, forgiving their mistakes that cost me weeks of no service.

Huge upfront costs and a years service upfront to a get a good deal

Paying for service that I went days and days with out because each time the dish was out of alignment, because of wind or weather, I would have to have a "service call" out to realign your signal. In 6 years I had 10 service calls. Thats $1,650.00 just to keep my signal tuned correctly. Now I do not live in a windy place. They chose the roof installation and said it was best for reception. I think it was best for the installers. I am unable to access the roof so I have no choice but to call for service.

Customer service; I have been yelled at, swore at, threatened with instant disconnection of service; after Dish changed the contract terms 2 years after additional equipment was added.

Even though I met the requirements for a "mobile site" and was signed up as one after 4 years of using Dish 2 years later the terms suddenly changed, they wanted a new separate account and the CSR people were pathetic, swore at me and laughed that he could instantly turn me off.

There is no way to positively I.D. the CSR people as they are located at 3 call centers across the country. The names and numbers never seem to match up. Even though the CSR people will swear, no one gets rude or crude. You are at a disadvantage because there is no real way to track them.

As much as I dislike the owner of Direct TV, I have to say if your forced to pick go with Direct TV.

Dish was once a good vibrant company at first but times are getting tough and they are squeezing every dime they can out of every corner they can. Long term customer or new. Expect big promises and good talk till the money is theirs.

Then the good CSR goes out the door along with your investment.

Equipment. These fantastic deals, expect the cheap tuners with limited capability. For the HD models that provides DVR playback with the ability to watch other stations $350.00 to $600.00. Want to get your local stations. Your going to pay extra for a antenna that goes on back of your dish. and a monthly fee for locals.

Want different channels in different rooms, more expensive equipment. A dual LNB, switching equipment that costs more. Each receiver in each room $5.00 to $10.00 extra a month. So all that little stuff adds up too a big bill with a lot lot of things that break.

Expect to pay for a 2 room set up with a DVR and the ability to watch different stations in each room their full package which includes premium movie channels $130.00 a month. WITHOUT High Definition. That Package will cost you more.

No Football.

Soccer and Cricket Cost you more money. Huge amounts but they do have it.

There is also pay per view movies which you will be buying as the premium channels are very slow with new releases, the pay per view selection is poor at best.

What it boils down too. Dish was a vibrant young company in the late 90s. They worked hard to build a company that was dedicated to bringing the subscriber a good product, even though the distribution and dealer network was a mess they tried to live up to their word and real people cared about the business.

Dish TV then hinged everything they had on merging with Direct TV, Ruppert Murdoch's satellite company. In 2003 and it looked like the merger was going through.

The customers were being primed for the new and bigger Dish. They touted the importance of one strong satellite company to provide competition to the cable industry. This would protect all consumers with lower prices and better service for all. When you hear that, it sounds like the HMO's in the 80s

The thing Dish forgot, Murdoch is a lot smarter then the guys at Dish TV and has been eating small fish for dinner a long time.

The deal fell through. Dish yelled at the government, tried to get every customer to fight their battles for them by writing YOUR representatives. They are always asking you to do that for one reason or another.

It was just plan stupid business. Is Murdoch going to get bought out of a expanding market like satellite, heck no. Business 101.

So Dish is hanging on by a thread. Losing more per month then it takes in. Like any struggling company that once was flush and vibrant they have elected to take a crude route and put a screw into everything that they can get a dime out of you. A promise You will feel that empty pocket feeling and that every dime has been charged for every screw they use to install your cabling. No kidding.

So by all means check carefully before you put forth a lot of money for what cable provides for much cheaper and more reliable. I am very sorry for my mistakes but willing to share them to prevent others from falling for the "new old dish".