I thought I'd share with my fellow BI posters my experience thus far with DISH's billing practices. Now I'll say that I'm pretty happy with the HD programming and DVR UI. Nice to have 2 TB of storage for HD content. The DVR is a joy to use. Even though it did fail to record the second Cal game. I thought I had a bad DVR [many internet complaints about this], but no problems since then. But I'm not at all happy with the customer service as far as billing is concerned. I'm forewarning you, it's long. So no "TLDNR" complaints!

The billing/customer service experience is a NIGHTMARE!

I signed up with DISH in September 2012 for the sole intent of getting Pacific 12 Conference coverage. I called DISH and was told that this channel was included with the America's Top 120 tier of programming. This package was advertised online for $24.99 (for 12 months, blah, blah, blah). "Looks great!" I thought to myself.

But when I called to sign up, I was told, "That service will be $34.99 per month." What? What happened to the advertised price? The price advertised doesn't include the monthly $10 DVR fee. After a little complaining and getting a free $25 VISA gift card from the sales rep I begrudgingly agreed and signed up. At least I get HD free for life, right?

I was also told I got all these great freebies for three months (HBO, Showtime, STARZ, etc.). Fine, I'll enjoy 'em for three months, but I am not paying for them thereafter. (I'm someone who has survived up until 2012 with over-the-air broadcasting. Never paid a cable bill. And I was around when cable made its debut and proudly advertised, "No ads!" That's LONG gone!)

Customer service rep says, "Your bill for the first month will be more because you haven't signed up for the "online discounts" yet, but you'll be credited for the overpayment on the following month's bill." Wow, this isn't looking too good so far, I thought to myself (boy was I to learn that it wouldn't stop there!). OK, I'll pay the $51 first-month bill, but better see a discount on the second bill!

Skip ahead a month or so... Next bill: $52.00! Jesus, what's going on here? Where's my promised credit(s)? Why isn't my bill LESS than the $34.99 monthly price since I have a credit coming? I contact DISH and learn that when I signed up for the online bonuses, I didn't select the "yes, load up my email box full of spam" box, so my online bonus signup didn't actually go through. Crap. So I go through the process AGAIN and am once AGAIN told that my current statement was already prepared, so I'll have to pay a little more this month but see the credits on the NEXT statement. Not good.

Skip ahead two weeks... My Pac 12 Network is GONE! I contact DISH and they tell me that that programming was a promotional offer and that I'd have to sign up for the America's Top 120 PLUS programming to get Pac 12 Network. Nope. Not what you sold me. I'm not paying another dollar for service I signed up for. I went round and round with the rep until she finally agreed to provide the service at no additional fee. Wow, thanks for giving me what I signed up for!

Also, I mention to her that I DO NOT want the premium channels service to continue past the 3-month promotional period. I do not want a massive heart attack-inducing bill right before Christmas! The rep says they'll auto cancel. Yeah, right. I say I don't trust them to do that and want to cancel them RIGHT NOW. She tells me how to do this and I cancel these services online and receive website confirmation that I've done so.

Skip ahead another two weeks to today... My next statement is available so let's log on and see my new bill:

$96.00 NINETY SIX DOLLARS !!!!!!!!!!! W-T-F!!! (There's that HUGE bill RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS like I feared!!!)

I immediately get on chat and complain VERY LOUDLY about this problem and request a supervisor. DISH rep starts trying to help me with my problem (once again, time to re-tell my story to yet another rep) and after some back and forth says, "No, you didn't cancel the services." I contradict him and say I did indeed cancel it on the date I did so. I copy and paste the website confirmation text I received and say I'm ending chat with you and will await a call from your supervisor.

And BTW, this is what they say when you contradict what they're saying with documented facts:
"I'm sorry you were given conflicting information by previous agents; but I can assure you the information I'm giving you now is correct."

Which is basically saying, "We are reneging on our agreement with you (breach of a binding contract, BTW) and you'll just have to accept what I'm telling you."

Total BS.

So, if you sign up with DISH, expect many billing shenanigans. Your "my account" page is a confusing combination of charges and credits. No actual price listed that you signed up for. So you have to look at the net statement amount to see if it actually meets your expectations. Mine NEVER has been $34.99 as advertised. They'll overcharge you for services you didn't order, and then promise a credit, which may or may not actually materialize. This is my experience in just THREE months of service. This is how they treat new customers? Man, I dread the day my 12-month introductory price expires! I'm sure I'll be contemplating closing all of my bank accounts, cancelling all my credit cards and fleeing the country just to get away from them!

PS Remember that $25 VISA gift card? Didn't show up. Luckily I documented everything and remembered to ask about its status. Never even entered in the system. The supervisor I asked about actually gave in and took $25 off my account when I brought it up.

I am considering switching to Dish but after hearing this, I think I will wait until next fall and see what Direct Tv does.I have a way to watch PAC 12 on line with a friends Comcast sign on but it isn't perfect. It stops and starts etc, even in my office with High Speed Internet. I am reluctant to go on line unless it is a Cal event.

Maybe next year when I change Tv's I might be willing to let Dish recable my house if DT is still not on board.

P.S>. I hear Panasonic makes the best 46 in LED. Is this right? Any suggestionbs? Don't really care about the sound.Maybe after Christmas there will be more sales. The Sony looked the best to me.

Unfortunately, DirectTV is no better. Same exact shenanigans goes on with them. It has been a nightmare. Class action law suit anyone? Cable companies are evil.

If I could find a sure-fire way to circumvent MLB's black-out restrictions (I'd like to view the A's within A's territory via MLB.tv), I'd cancel cable in a heartbeat. Can anyone help me?

Directv and Dish may yet merge.

I've had both DirecTV and Dish and I enjoy DirecTV much better. The main reason why I didn't switch to Dish when this Pac12 fiasco happened was because I didn't enjoy my time with them. I ponied up the early cancellation fee to get out of Dish and sign back with DirecTV.

If DirecTV doesn't get the Pac12 network though I'm gonna try out Time Warner Cable.

DirecTv is far worse. Read their "agreement" and you'll see they run it like Goodfellas, you don't like it, "F&@k you, pay me!" And if you don't, oh ya, they have your credit card. I've been in a battle with them since September.

That's hilarious you say that because I deleted that exact sentence from my original post! (In fact, I went back to confirm I'd removed it because I thought you may have been quoting me.)

I'm very sorry to hear that Direct TV is the same. Back in August and Sept. I had heard a lot of good reviews of DISH customer service. If this is good, I can't IMAGINE how bad it can be with the other providers others mentioned!

As far as TVs to, I bought my Panasonic plasma about two years ago and am still very happy with it. Since I haven't been in the market for a TV in a while, I can't comment on current models. However, I can say this, my Dad bought a 65" Sony LED last spring. When he visited last week, he said he thought the picture quality on my Panasonic plasma was better. He's a tried-and true Consumer Reports reader, so he did his homework on flat screens before he made his purchase. I chose plasma for two reasons: a good friend, a TV & home theater guru (CAL physics Phd and my former TA.) recommended it, and I have a room with lots of light so I chose plasma for it's advantage of reduced glare from windows.

PS My request for a DISH supervisor to contact me has not been fulfilled yet - two hours later. I'm still fuming about this.

I went into my account settings to nullify my credit card information so they cannot bill me the erroneous $100. Can't do it. Whenever I change it, I can only do so by paying an amount on the bill, which obviously requires a valid credit card number. If I make edits or do anything else, the original CC information reappears. I do not trust them with my valid credit card information any more!

And as an aside...

Private companies can treat you like crap, over-bill you and everything. Sure, they may lose a customer, but there are millions more out there. And this is an example of why we want a public option in health care. It's one thing to get the runaround with a frivolous consumer service like cable TV - something that you can simply cancel and live without.

But not so with health care. You need a trustworthy entity in charge of important sectors of society - like health care. If you give the private sector control over health care, you get shenanigans with health care, your doctor(s) and your LIFE! I just received a 25% increase in health insurance premiums two months ago with no change in health condition on the part of anyone in my family. Not cool at all.

People LOVE to complain about government services. But the fundamental truth is that government is accountable to the public. That's a HUGE fundamental difference between the private sector and public institutions. The for-profit sector keeps one main thing in its sights when conducting business: the bottom line. Fine if you're running a company selling widgets, not fine when you decide more profit is needed at the expense of vital health care services.

Samsung TVs are absolutely beautiful. A couple of friends have actually gone out and purchased one after watching a show or game on mine.

It's amazing the value you get with TVs these days when you consider the cost vs. the hours of benefit over its lifespan. Or maybe I just watch too much TV.

Wow...I've had nothing but the opposite experience with DISH customer service!

75bear;842023724 said:

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Samsung TVs are absolutely beautiful. A couple of friends have actually gone out and purchased one after watching a show or game on mine.

It's amazing the value you get with TVs these days when you consider the cost vs. the hours of benefit over its lifespan. Or maybe I just watch too much TV.

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I just purchased a Samsung 50in flat screen at CostCo last weekend. Great Deal. (my wife did not want to have anything larger in our living room. :cry
It replaced my 27in CRT TV I bought the week that Cal went to the Citrus Bowl.
I foolishly was hoping that the old TV would last until Cal got to another New Year's Day bowl.

But clarity and picture are great and I am pumped to see Cal on Comcast in September. (plus I can catch Cal BB this Winter)

in HiDef, I hope since you replaced a crt.

I have DirecTV. Once they do sign with the PAC12 Network...is there any reason why the PAC12 Network can't then offer an ad hoc subscription via iTunes, let say, so that one could just get an Apple TV box...watch Cal Games and whatever...and cancel all cable/satellite services?

Is this possible? Probable?

I recently switched from Directv, which I really liked, to DISH so I could get the P12 Network. I have no regrets.

Yes, the initial setup and billing is somewhat complicated but I can't say I was deceived. I read everything very carefully and so far the billing has been exactly what I expected.

I was really pissed off that i had to pay $260 to DTV as a cancellation fee, but I am glad now that I did.

It tweaks me a little that some HD channels on DTV are SD on DISH like ESPNU and ESPNews. Also the PAC-12 Network is in SD when live games aren't on. All replays and studio shows are SD.

I do like the DISH UI.

Bottom line: I wish I had switched before the season started. I am really going to enjoy the P12 BBall season.

I've had all three (Directv, Dish, Comcast) and I'd say the customer service is all the same. They don't care much and they do these teaser offers that obscure what you really will be paying. Unless you are going to switch from provider to provider which is a pain, it's hard to get the same rates ever again. Comcast will negotiate if you don't do it too often because you don't have a contract. I've heard Direct will do the same if you call and want to cancel. Depends on if you always want to be calling, but the money can add up.

Just looking through dish pricing, America's Top 120+ is only $5 per month more than AT120 @ 450 instead of $45. Add $10 in for HD, and $6 for a DVR... and at full price of ~$67/mo, it's still a lot cheaper than Comcast (I'm pushing over $100 w/ no premium channels right now) and slightly cheaper than directv, because they do have the DVR/HD and extra room charges too.

SRBear;842024019 said:

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in HiDef, I hope since you replaced a crt.

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Yes -- Samsung 50 in, HiDef, Smart TV, WiFi. (Heck, this TV is smarter than I am)
But no 3D.

Out the door (including tax) for just under $1,000.

[Plus there is the good feeling that I get as a Cal Alum knowing that CostCo treats its employees right.]

manus;842024029 said:

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I have DirecTV. Once they do sign with the PAC12 Network...is there any reason why the PAC12 Network can't then offer an ad hoc subscription via iTunes, let say, so that one could just get an Apple TV box...watch Cal Games and whatever...and cancel all cable/satellite services?

Is this possible? Probable?

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not gonna happen... not with all that money that comes from the cable media companies who buy the rights to broadcast live sports. you may get some sort of P12 app for AppleTV, but it will be tied to a cable subscription, and it may also be subject to local blackout. i was really hoping that the P12 would go a different direction and really open the market up for a different kind of distribution, but it's just way too risky and the conference wants some sort of revenue certainty (and they were able to ink a huge deal).

kind of a funny story... living up here in SF, I want to watch Lakers games (I'm from LA), so I bought a slingbox and parked it at my brother's house in LA, and I've been slinging games for several years. This year, I decided to buck up and get NBA League Pass b/c it's nice just to have the damn game on the TV and not have to futz w/ the computer, and it's always DVR'd, so I can just set it and forget it. Well, Time Warner bought the Lakers rights for the home market ($2 billion) and launched a new Time Warner Sportsnet channel to broadcast the games. Of course Time Warner Cable was the only carrier carrying the new channel as the 2012 season start was approaching and everybody in LA was freaking out wondering if they were going to be able to watch the games. My brother in LA was going to have to sling Lakers games from my DVR up here in SF w/ NBA League Pass. He couldn't eve use NBA League Pass on AppleTV or his computer b/c of local blackout restrictions. Luckily his provider (Verizon Fios) inked a deal w/ TW, and he gets the games, but basically nobody was able to watch the preseason games. Even the hosts on 710 ESPN Los Angeles radio station (who all have DirecTV) couldn't watch the games at home the first two weeks of the season cuz TW and DTV hadn't inked a deal.

This is the cr@p we have to put up with... makes me think that P12 & DTV deal may never get done.

ColoradoBear1;842024039 said:

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Just looking through dish pricing, America's Top 120+ is only $5 per month more than AT120 @ 450 instead of $45. Add $10 in for HD, and $6 for a DVR... and at full price of ~$67/mo, it's still a lot cheaper than Comcast (I'm pushing over $100 w/ no premium channels right now) and slightly cheaper than directv, because they do have the DVR/HD and extra room charges too.

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It makes more sense to just look at the long term rates and not be swayed by the teaser rates. After several years with DISH, I have no complaints about the signal, the rates, the DVR or the customer service.