Complaint about Dish Network (please don't publish our email address!!)

Re: Dish Network

Dear Complaints.com,

When my husband and I moved into our new place in April 2006, we contacted Dish Network telling them if they could give us a good deal we'd go with them. They didn't require a contract if we paid the $49.99 activation fee and since we hate contracts we opted to pay the activation fee one time and be able to get out of bad service.

The first time I called, I was on the phone for an hour with the first guy because he couldn't seem to get their computers to run right to accept my order. He kept asking me for my info over and over again and didn't like it when I asked him "where are you located?" as he replied "I'm not allowed to disclose that". I knew that he was in a foreign country, I could tell not only by his accent (everyone I'd talked to there had a foreign accent), but our connection wasn't great either. All in all it took me THREE Phone calls to dish network supervisors to try and get our initial service setup. All that was in one day, I spent a total of nearly three hours on the phone. Finally, I got so disgusted and infuriated I hung up. Then I spent the next few precious hours trying to track down Dish Network's corporate information. Trying to find a number to their HQ was challenging. I checked out public records and found CEO Charlie Ergen's information but couldn't locate a phone number.

Finally I was checking out Forbes magazine online and found the profile for Dish Network with CEO Charlie Ergen's info and a corporate number. I called the number and eventually got someone named John (whose ID number I kept) to help me. Thanks to him we got our service setup and received a one-month credit on service and three months of FREE HBO.

I wish that were the end of it. Remember, we just signed up for this effective April 1, 2006.

First let me say that we started with the Top 60 package for $34.99 and then moved to the Top 120 for $44.99 per month plus taxes.

Our first bill was screwed up. We didn't have the credits applied and so the bill was near $80.00. I had to call and explain to someone that we were owed a credit of one month plus the 14.99 for HBO. Finally they adjusted the total and it came to $32.54 and that's what we paid.

The second bill came in and was still screwed up. They were billing us for the past due amount from the previous month, which was actually the exact amount of credit we were supposed to be receiving PLUS they still hadn't adjusted our HBO credit for the current bill. I called in the evening and spoke to someone and together we laid out the bill and they gave me my new total which was something like $40.55. And the next evening, I paid that bill.

When the third bill arrived, it was for $117.06 they were still charging us for HBO (which the last person said be sure to cancel before July 7th so I wouldn't be charged another month) and they were showing we owed a past due amount from the previous bill (bill #2). My husband was so angry he called them and when the girl on the phone (again, in a foreign nation) refused to do anything about it, he told her we were cancelling. I believe the date of this call was June 21st.

When my husband mentioned cancelling service, the very first thing the female customer service rep (named Vanessa) said was that they would have to charge a cancellation fee because we had a contract. That's when my husband lost it. We never signed a contract. I was specific with Dish from the very beginning, even reiterated it through the guy who installed the service, we would not sign a contract.

Remember as I mentioned earlier, they charged our credit card $49.99 when we first ordered service and we did that to avoid a contract. Because the rep kept insisting we signed one, my husband got angrier and hung up. The phone rang on our end and I picked up and it was Vanessa at Dish again. And then she proceeded to insist to me that we had a contract. I told her I don't know what crap they were trying to pull (and I was being as nice as I could) but we signed NO contract. I said "and I have proof, I have paperwork and I have the $49.99 charge on our credit card for the activation fee that was charged at that time for those who opted out of a contract".

You know what she says? Instead of "one moment let me check that out for you" she just blurts out that everyone gets charged an activation fee. And then she continued to go on and on about how much we owed. She did finally admit we didn't have a contract but I found it very unprofessional of her that she blurted out they would charge us a cancellation fee rather than looking at our record to see we had no contract.

I was so disgusted with her I said "get me to the person who can cancel us" and I spoke to Sabrina who was so nice and in ten minutes she had not only reviewed our bill and admitted their errors, she credited the bill, added another free month of HBO and now our bill is $57.10, that includes the $44.99 in service, $3.99 for one pay per view movie, and taxes. I asked her "can you assure me that when we get our next bill all the credits will be issued" and she said that the only thing I'd have to call about was HBO and have them credit that. Our HBO is free till August 6th, I am going to cancel it long before that. She told me how to get a hold of her if we have any problems and I plan to do just that.

And by the way, Sabrina did agree that our record showed we did not sign a contract.

Ok now fast forward to Tuesday, January 30, 2007. My husband and I pondered getting rid of the Dish Network service since out of 120 channels we only watched half dozen and it wasn't worth the $53 we were paying each month. I called Dish Network spoke to a lady with broken English (possibly Indian or Pakistani) and I told her I wanted to cancel our service. First thing she says to us is "well ma'am I see you are under 18 month contract and you have only had service with us 9 months which means you will have to pay a cancellation fee"

I insisted to her that we did not have a contract and still she was insistent. I informed her of that twice and then told her that if she checked our account she would see that we voluntarily paid the $40 activation fee on our credit card in exchange for not signing a contract. Her reply was that we had been receiving a $5.99 credit on our bill each month as a refund for the activation fee. I informed her that the discount was NOT related to the activation fee and that I had the copy of the installation paperwork in front of me and we had NOT signed any contract. I also informed her that when I called months earlier I had the same problem with them and that there should be a note in our account that we did not sign any contract.

All she kept doing was insisting I was wrong and finally I asked to speak to a supervisor. I told the male Supervisor that the customer service person insisted we had a contract. He says "Yes I just noticed a comment on your account that states no contract"

I asked him why if he saw that on our account, the previous person did not and he replied that she probably had not scrolled through all of the account screens. I talked to the supervisor who spent the next ten minutes trying to sell me on staying with Dish (this--after ALL the problems we had with them!) and in the end he didn't sell me. He insisted a lesser package would still allow us to keep all our channels including FoxNews. But I didn't bite. He finally transferred me to the cancellation person, she was nice, although it became annoying that she too wanted to sell me more packages instead of just processing my request. She did tell me however that Fox News was NOT offered in the lower package whereas the supervisor had insisted it was. You just have to wonder WHO is telling the truth about anything at that company!

The cancellation rep offered us a $10 credit each month for a year to keep us as customers but I told her that not only did we not watch enough TV to warrant paying for it but that the customer service had been so terrible and the experience so miserable that I would not consider giving them a dime of my money again.

Before we hung up she told me that Dish Network would send us prepaid boxes so we could send back the two remotes, one receiver and the LNB that is on the dish. She said that they had to receive it back within thirty days from the time of cancellation, that cancellation date is February 6, 2007 so we shall see what happens. I have heard that even though people have sent the equipment back, they are still billed for it and ultimately contacted by a collector. Our credit is excellent and we plan to keep it that way. Therefore we will make sure that the package is insured and has a tracking number. Also, if they do not send us the prepaid boxes promptly we plan to pack them up and ship them at our own cost. We will do what it takes to take care of our responsibility, I just hope they live up to theirs. If they try to pull a fast one we plan to take them to court because we will protect our credit at any cost.

I should have listened to the people who warned me about Dish Network. I should have really considered the complaints I had read about them. Instead I thought perhaps my experience would be different. It has been a nightmare. They should be investigated, sued, whatever it takes to either change their business practices or put them out of business

Jessica & Vinny

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Comment On This

My Name is Daniel Armstrong.

Since I have Started my dish network service I have have seen nothing but incompetency and a lack of customer service. Let Me Run Down What I have been Through.

I called to set up the service in November. I told the Lady who set it up I would need a pole mount 3 times she set us up for an appointment between 12 and 5. My wife sits home and waits for him. he shows up at 5:45 Pm With Out A POLE. He calls to reschedule. Set the appointment for 8 to 12 the next day Because my wife has a doctors APPT at 2:30. She Calls at about 10 to check to see how long it will take. They tell her he is on his way. At 12 he is not there she calls back"he got held up he will be right there." At 1:30 she calls back he is not even headed to our house so she cancels the service all together.

2 days Later A Account Manger Named Dee calls us tells us he will do anything to set us up. he offers us 3 months free no money at all for 3 months. Says he will have a FSM come out on Saturday at 8:30 am with a Pole. The guy shows up at 10:30 because he got half way to the house and did not have a pole. When he gets here He can't get the pole out of the truck so he uses a landscaping timber, untreated wood.

We get a bill from dish network and My wife calls because we where told it would be free. NO ONE KNOWS A DEE THE NUMBER HE GAVE US IS FAKE AND HIS EMPLOYEE NUMBER DOESN'T WORK.

December the we loose service. we have a tech come out he is a hour and a half late. the appt was 8 to 12 he show up at 1:30

Jan Service goes out again Set another appt have to wait a week for the appt.

Feb service goes out tech gets to the house at 8:30pm re aligns dish tells us we need a metal pole. I Knew that the landscaping timber was warping. this is Monday. Tuesday no service. set up appt for thrus. 12-5 the guy does not show.

MY WIFE SPENDS 2 HOURS ON THE PHONE BEFORE SHE IS TOLD SOMEONE WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL HER AT 5 TO RESCHEDULE THE APPT NO ONE CALLED. the FSM WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL US HE NEVER CALLED THE TECH HAD HAD AN ACCIDENT A 4 THIS IS 8P BEFORE WE FIND OUT THE FSM IS THE SAME GUY THAT MOUNTED THE DISH ON THE LANDSCAPE TIMBER AND HE NEVER CALLS US. this IS ALL FROM THE SUNNY DALE BRANCH. I AM TOLD BY THE DISPATCH THAT WE CANNOT GET AN APPT UNTIL SUNDAY so I HAVE no SERVICE TILL SUNDAY SO I GO OUT REALIGN THE DISH MY SELF AND GET A STRONGER SIGNAL THAN WE EVER RECEIVED WITH THE "DISH NETWORK TECHNICIANS"

We have had nothing but problems since day one.

I want the FSM Alex at the Sunny dale branch to be reprimanded severally. And I would Like to see the proof that he was. It is his technicians and his workmanship that has caused us all this grief.

Thank you

Daniel Armstrong

Comment On This

Dish Network's Corporate Number is (303) 723-1000. Charlie Ergen is the CEO and Chairman of the Board, his direct number seems to be (303) 723-1010, but you have to let it ring about a dozen times if it's not picked up before you get the answering machine. His assistant is reported to be Marcie (last name undisclosed) and her number is (303) 723-1005. The Office Address is 9601 South Meridian Blvd, Englewood, CO 80112.

Comment On This

I experienced a similar although I think even more frightening situation with DISH Network. It forced me to cancel my MasterCard and I believe put my credit rating at risk, as well as subjected my entire family to the potential of identity theft.

It defies all logic.

DISH Network's response? A boiler plate "email" apology (no refund) and the suggestion I call the "Customer Service" line...the same line I had been on talking to perhaps 40 incompetent and at least one potentially criminal DISH employees.

I ignore that advice and called my attorneys instead.

The entire saga is spelled out and updated at:

http://www.michaelmain.com/dishwarning.htm

Comment On This

Please, if anybody has also had Dish Network tell them they signed an 18 month contract that they really didnt, please email me. I am in the process of reporting Dish Networks fraud to the Utilities and Transportation Commission, as well as various other outlets to investigate a possible class action lawsuit against this dishonest, scamming company. Email me at leeannmitsubishi AT yahoo.com