In May of this year we signed up for Dish Network Service; and install date was set and what I thought would be a relatively easy experience (as we previously had satellite service) was horrendous... A technician (from See World Satellites, sub contracted by Dish Network) arrived at our home, the individual was informed as to where we wanted the receivers installed, and was allowed to go to work... I entered a room where the tech. was working and he was pulling cables through our wall??? We already had cables - so I questioned his actions, his response... I know what I'm doing I do this every day! I allowed the tech to continue about his work, when he was "apparently done", he informed me that he had pulled a cable out of our wall and could not replace it because he didn't have a "wire fish", but he was kind enough to tell me that I didn't need it??? I informed him that we had paid a contractor to install it when our house was built and it was there for a reason... he then assured me he would return and re-install a cable. The tech. then asked me to sign the paperwork (implying the work was complete and correct)... after being re-assured he would return I signed the paperwork (my stupid mistake to trust someone).

Needless to say when the tech left we only had 3 working tv's, and after a week with no return by the tech I began calling Dish Network to get the problem corrected, after several weeks I was finally given an appt. for "repair" under the 90 day warranty, I was informed that I had to be at the residence from 8:30 -4:30, so I was there, at 11:30 no show, I called Dish and was told to allow them until 4:30, at 3:30 no show or call, I called Dish again and was informed that the trouble ticket had been canceled??? Canceled because the original paperwork said everything was ok???

When we got our first copy of a bill(payed automatically on credit card) from Dish it was oh about $20.00 more than we were promised, we called Dish and they informed us because certain wires and/or cables (phone lines primarily) were not connected we were being charged extra for that.. my comment to them was the equipment was exactly how it was left by their technician. Our problem I guess since we signed the paperwork the first day.... Oh and so you understand the tech. put one of the receivers in a room we did not want it in and there was no phone line in that room.

We then contacted our credit card company and disputed the charges from Dish network... that got their attention and so they simply recharged our card, we disputed, etc... you get the picture... finally Dish network agreed to send a technician out to inish the install and re-install the pulled out cable. The technician (again from See World Satellites, but a different tech.) showed up, she started out by telling me all she had done for the last two weeks was fix the other installers mistakes... she started reviewing the work by the other tech. and found L n B connectors burnt? diplexers wired backwards, an eye burnt... many things wrong with the install. So she started her repair but of course did not have al the necessarry equipment, and did not have a wire fish to install the removed cable. Well when this tech. left we had two working tv's and a promise that they would return (this time on the report where I was asked to sign I wrote work /install / repair not complete. Again we never got a return visit and so started calling Dish again, they would not send someone out, even though we had marked the techs. paperwork work not complete.. We spent I'd guess over 10 hours on thephone trying to resolve this issue to no avail. Again we had disputed charges on our credit card to try and get them to finish the install.. this got their attention again they turned off the service to our 2 tv's.

My wife (bless her heart) called Dish without me knowing, the week before we left on vacation. When we returned from vacation she came into the house and turned on the tv... no service, she almost cried?? I asked why, she then proceeded to tell me she called Dish and asked them, what can we do to fix this problem, the gentleman she told me was very nice and told her she needed to make a "good faith payment" by check and they would take care of everything, she did... sent them check and they cashed it, plus they recharged our credit card... paid double and no service. The only way to stop Dish network from charging to our credit card every month was to close the account. But we were still out the money from the check and had no service and Dish Network would not fix the problem or restore the service...

The only option left was to file claim in small claims court, which we did(approx. 4 months of trying to resolve on our own first), the owner of the install company (See World Satellites, Indiana PA) showed up and everytime we made a point to the court his response was... our paperwork here shows you signed the statement saying everything was ok... Of course they did not have a copy of the second techs. paperwork that documented (by her own writing) the incorrect install and damages caused by the first tech... they said she never turned it in (good thing I had my copy)!!! There was a "print out" log "supposedly showing all our communications with Dish Network which they referred to numerous times... it was amazing that they had only the "records" to help them, thank goodness we had our own documentation to support us... they actually said they never talked to us about the work not being complete, they never talked to us about making a payment by check, and they never received our check... they asked us for a copy of the canceled check (well in todays world your checks are electronically deposited and the checks are mostly not returned... oh yeah and that is what Dish does... not return checks...) Fortunately we had already met with the bank and had documentation showing check no., amount, payee, date cleared, etc... It was pointed out in the court that having been paid by check and charging the credit card both constitutes fraud... well it was an oversite it was not done on purpose...

Needless to say, the court ruled in our favor, and asked us... do you want to try and have the install completed or do you just want to walk away... not a tough choice... Although the court ruled in our favor we will never "recover" the money from our check they cashed (because of their location, not local and cannot send the constable to collect), and they will probably never give us credit for the returned equipment - amazing how they loose any documentation/material they don't want to have a record of-however with the judgment against Dish Network in our hands they cannot collect on a cancellation fee, or any other fees or damage our credit.

My suggestion to everyone, don't sign anything you are not 100% sure of... we had no way of knowing that parts of the install were incorrect (you should write on their paperwork that you do not understand the installation process and equipment and therefore cannot agree that everything is correct), also never pay by check, and document everything (even to the point of recordings) and lastly if you must... file a civil complaint against Dish Network... if everyone whom they wrong does this they eventually might get the message... or better yet, save yourself the aggravation and don't deal with them at all.