Why I no longer subscribe to DISH Network

In October of 2004, DISH Network sent me a very nice letter thanking me for being a customer and telling me I had earned a free upgrade to a DISH DVR-522. That's a dual-receiver PVR that allows viewers to watch one DISH program while recording another. "FREE" and "NO COMMITTMENT" are hightlighted as if they mean something. I had also earned "FREE activation" of this DVR and $49.99 credit on my first bill.

Wow. Many years ago, I ran across DISH Network at an CES show in Las Vegas, and they were showing a PVR package. I told them when they decided to unbundle the PVR (no dish) to let me know. We're finally at that point. I called the toll-free number to take them up on the offer.

The response was less than enthusiastic on their part. While talking to a customer service rep and then her supervisor, the story changed back and forth between:

"It was a mistake." Nope, my name, my address, sent to the same name and address they have been sending bills for the last several years.
"You are supposed to give this to someone else". Nope. I know about their "club 60" promo, where I am supposed to sucker, I mean, lure, other people into the DISH Network family by giving them "gift" certificates. This one clearly said I had earned this PVR.
"We have no idea what this is." Right. DISH Network sends out offers and then forgets what they sent out.

The latter story was told to me by "Kimberly Kipp", who claimed to represent "DISH Network Corporate". She asked me to FAX her a copy of the material so she could figure out what it was and get back to me. I did. I never heard from her again.

On January 15 of 2005, I got a letter from DISH Network. When I saw the envelope, I had some slight hope it was information about my free upgrade. Nope, it was an announcement that my rates were going up $3 per month due to "increased programming costs", but look at the wonderful new programming they had added to my service: SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

Yes, they added 60 channels of SIRIUS. They were duplicates to the 30 channels of "CD quality audio" that were included in the America's Top 120 package I had agreed to. They weren't the talk or sports or news channels that might have some added value, they were direct duplicates of the 30 music channels I already got.

I don't know about you, but when I turn on my TV, I want to watch TV. If I want to listen to the radio, I turn on my radio. I also know where to go to buy SIRIUS if I wanted it, and would get something more portable than an 18" fixed dish and 30" television to listen to it with.

And this rate increase would take place in 15 days.

I wrote a letter to Charlie Ergen, the CEO of DISH Network who protrays a home-spun down-home ultra-friendly patina when he appears in public, outlining the two issues. What happened to the free DVR you promised me, and why should I pay extra for services I neither need, want, nor asked you to provide? And I suggested that since the rates went up on Feb. 1, we needed to discuss these things by COB on January 31.

January 31 came and went with only one contact from DISH.

February 1 came. I got a call from "Christina Atencio" of "DISH Corporate". She had my letter.

She had no intention of discussing or explaining the rate increase, she was only authorized to "collect feedback".

She could offer me the DISH DVR-522 for a $99 lease, $5 per month. They would own the equipment. If you go to the DISH Network website today, as a stranger walking in off the street, you can get a FREE DVR-522 (pay $49.99, get a $49.99 credit on your first bill). No $99 lease fee. You will get charged $5 per month, though, but that isn't mentioned on the offer page.

Now, I don't know about you, but $99 isn't "FREE", and a $5/month fee doesn't sound like "NO COMMITTMENT", especially when I would be committed to returning their hardware if I ever cancelled service. And I certainly don't appreciate being charged MORE for being a loyal customer than new customers would pay.

Ms. Atencio also claimed that I was refusing to assist in the investigation of exactly what this unknown offer was, even though I had already faxed a copy to DISH Corporate offices several months ago. It was my fault. I faxed another copy directly to her, but she didn't bother to respond, and she went on vacation (at least, "out of the office") until Friday -- well past the day the rate increase would take effect, if I let it.

I wrote Charlie another letter. I emailed it to his charliechat address just after close of business on Feb. 1. I called and cancelled my service five minutes later. That's another story.

If you don't read the letter, here are the two main points I told Charlie:

I suggest, in the future, when someone writes you a letter asking for a resolution to a set of problems, that you have someone who has the authority to resolve problems call, in a timely manner, and not waste your customer's time with someone who cannot do anything more than 'collect feedback'.
What does it say about your corporate culture when someone obviously cares enough about your company to physically write a letter trying to get problems resolved, practically screaming at you to not make them drop your service, and you assign someone without the authority to pick her own nose, much less solve any customer's problems, to the case?

So, if you are a DISH customer, welcome to the flock. If you are thinking about becoming one, you've now seen how they treat the loyal customers. Make up your own mind.

The two weeks between my first letter and the January 31 deadline were interesting. I started practicing life without DISH. I actually turned my receiver off. I found out that I didn't really miss it that much after all. I had enough other stuff to do that not being tied to a TV wasn't really a problem.

I don't want to sound like I suddenly "got religion" about TV, or preach to anyone else about their viewing habits, but I'd certainly suggest that you investigate the reasons you have for buying DISH before you dedicate your life to the programs it brings you. It just might not matter that much in the long run if you don't get it.

Thanks for reading this far. As for DISH, I can only say "Sorry Charlie." No, actually, I'm not. I've learned what you really think of us "valuable customers." That's worth the trip.