Dish Network trying to get me to pay return shipping on their recievers + other fees

[Shawn]

So I bought a house, called Dish Network to have my service moved to new house. Installer could not find a signal anywhere on my property.

Installer called Dish Network to let them know I couldn't get a signal and so they let me out of my contract. They told me that I would need to return my receivers and that they would ship me boxes.

So I get two HUGE boxes to ship back 2 receivers. It included prepaid shipping labels so I didn't question it. Just used their labels and sent it back.

First I get a bill for $5. I call asking why and they said I had a service credit for $5 and that there was still a few months left on the "credit". (I got a 12 month credit because I complained about their price hike). Since I canceled they wanted their $5 back. I argued with them for 30 mins about how it was bull shit that I'd have to pay back a credit I was given. The lady finally agreed to take off the charge.

So I think all is well and then I get a bill 2 months later saying my account was overdue for $35 and that my service has been disconnected. I call them asking why I was getting billed and they told me it was for the cost of shipping the receivers back ($30 along with the $5 "credit").

Not once had they informed me I'd be charged. Isn't that the point of including a prepaid shipping label? If I knew I had to pay for it I could have fit both receivers into 1 box and spent half the price. In addition, I was told that stupid credit thing had been resolved, but apparently not.

I ask if I could get the charge removed or at least reduced and the lady said no. I ask to speak to her supervisor and she hung up on me.

I was pretty pissed and haven't had time to call back. So now their automated system has been calling me everyday while I'm busy at work. I'm wondering if they will bother sending $35 to collections. I've had it with their bullshit. They were great when I had them, but their customer service is awful, and it's like they are intentionally trying to screw me now that I'm not a customer.

edit: Apparently I'm not the only person they've done this to: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cable_tv/dish_network.html

 

[Raduque]

I had similar problems with DN, but this was over Termination Fees. The installer couldn't get the satellite to pick up the HD signals, so they agreed (after many calls and escalations) to cancel without any fees. I returned the equipment (including the LNBs), paid the final bill, and then got a bill 3-4 months later with the term fees.

I went round and round with them on the phone, and every last one of their reps told me not to pay it, but they eventually sent it to a collections agency who I eventually made go away. It was a pain in the ass that took two years to solve.

 

[SKORPI0]

Installer could not find a signal anywhere on my property.

Wow, did they ever explain why? Trees blocking path to the dish... etc.

Comcast>>>>Dish Network/DirecTV.

 

[Shawn]

Wow, did they ever explain why? Trees blocking path to the dish... etc.

Comcast>>>>Dish Network/DirecTV.

Yeah, it's a 40 year old neighborhood so too many tall pine trees blocking the sky.

 

[vailr]

I would have asked for a 2nd and 3rd opinion re: "Installer could not find a signal anywhere on my property." Maybe some tree trimming/removal would fix the signal reception problem?
For the return shipping fees: just pay their bill and chalk it up to experience.

 

[waggy]

I had the same situation with them. first they claimed they never recieved the recivers and tried to charge us (well my ex wife since it was in her name) $280 for them. But i had proof that they got them.

Then they tried to charge us for shipping and i got it removed because I never agreed to ship them.

Then they turned around and said i needed to take something off the satalite itself and if didn't send it to them in like 10 days they would charge me $400. I told them them they were welcome to hire someone (with insurance) to come get them. Im disabled and can't climb the fucking roof. they declined and said i can keep it.

 

[Shawn]

Used their online chat and was able to talk the rep into taking off one of the shipping charges and the credit thing. Still have to pay the 15 but I don't feel like arguing with them anymore.

Also, unrelated, but it seems like I have more success using online customer support than phone support anymore. I guess maybe only their phone support is outsourced?

 

[Shawn]

I would have asked for a 2nd and 3rd opinion re: "Installer could not find a signal anywhere on my property." Maybe some tree trimming/removal would fix the signal reception problem?
For the return shipping fees: just pay their bill and chalk it up to experience.

I'm sure I could have gotten a signal but I don't think the installer wanted to put a ton of effort into it and I ended up just getting Hulu plus instead.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I have had great luck with DN so far. I have been using the online chat quite a bit. I decided to setup my vip722 to wireless and got them to give me the USB Broadband adapter at no charge. Now I am adding another HDTV and got them to give me another receiver for free, I can even choose which one I want. The weird part was they sent me a Netgear wireless router by mistake and I got to keep that to use with their broadband connector.

 

[BoomerD]

I had the same situation with them. first they claimed they never recieved the recivers and tried to charge us (well my ex wife since it was in her name) $280 for them. But i had proof that they got them.

Then they tried to charge us for shipping and i got it removed because I never agreed to ship them.

Then they turned around and said i needed to take something off the satalite itself and if didn't send it to them in like 10 days they would charge me $400. I told them them they were welcome to hire someone (with insurance) to come get them. Im disabled and can't climb the fucking roof. they declined and said i can keep it.

When we cancelled Dish last year, they sent pre-paid boxes for the receiver returns and wanted the "eye" from the dish. I also told them that I was disabled and couldn't climb a ladder, but if they wanted to send one of their techs out to get it, he could have it when he removed the whole fucking dish from my roof. They told me not to worry about it...it's still there. I DID have to pay termination fees, but that was only $100, and the Uverse rep paid those for me to get me to switch. (in addition to the $300 gift cards I got for signing up)

 

[dr150]

When I cancelled DISH, They sent prepaid boxes to my house for the receiver and for the eye.

I never had any issues with them during my time with them and when I cancelled. Overall a great experience and would not mind going back to them if DirecTV (after promo) starts "comcasting" me with ridiculous increases.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Damn.

When I cancelled Comcast, one of their techs who was "in the neighborhood" stopped by to pick up the modem before I even had a chance to mail it back, on the off chance I was at home. (He called first.)

Of course, mailing a little cable modem is probably a lot cheaper than those big-ass set-top deals.

 

[rivan]

I would have asked for a 2nd and 3rd opinion re: "Installer could not find a signal anywhere on my property." Maybe some tree trimming/removal would fix the signal reception problem?

Our Dish installer suggested this at one point. Of course, all the 'problem' trees are my neighbor's

 

[PingSpike]

Wow, did they ever explain why? Trees blocking path to the dish... etc.

Comcast>>>>Dish Network/DirecTV.

I had comcast before dish and no they are not. Comcasts billing departments and techs are at least as incompetent as dish networks.

 

[BoomerD]

I had comcast before dish and no they are not. Comcasts billing departments and techs are at least as incompetent as dish networks.

We never had billing problems with Dish, but then again, we've not had billing problems with ComCrap either...Uverse on the other hand...every fucking month the billing was wrong.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Wow, did they ever explain why? Trees blocking path to the dish... etc.

Comcast>>>>Dish Network/DirecTV.

Comcrap is the debil. There's nothing good about what they do. Not that the satellite companies are much better of course.