DISH Pay as you Go Madness

[newmarpusher]

I have a DISH Pay as you Go RV account. (We used to have a regular DISH account and had to cancel it as paying $600-$700 a year to watch TV for a two week vacation and multiple weekend trips was insane.)

When we first set up the DISH Pay as You Go account (almost 10 years ago). It was very simple. You stopped paying the bill in the winter and the service stopped. You then logged into your online account and started paying the bill again in the spring. Same programming package, same account number, same online ID. You could even do this on a partial month to month basis. We used to turn it off for a couple of weeks, turn it back on, etc. It was PERFECT for a part-time working RV couple as ourselves.

That lasted about 2-3 years. Then without notice DISH stated making using the Pay as You Go plan impossible. When you stopped paying the bill, they cancelled your account. You would then have to re-establish service via a phone call since they also cancelled your online ID. You also would have a increase in price on the programming package since they would have cancelled the package you had previously. You are also billed full months now.

At the Hershey RV show I spoke at length with a DISH representative who assured me this wasn't the way it was supposed to work and I could "pause" the account without programming or account ID loss. When I asked why it didn't work as smoothly as it did before, he had no answer. What he didn't mention is that the "pause" feature costs you $5/month while you're not using the RV!

After almost two hours on the phone being bounced from agent to agent to manager to manager at DISH, I got the latest "fairytale".

They have put a $5/month credit on my account forever for whenever I "pause" the service. I have to call each time I wish to "pause" the account and state that I'd like to "pause" it for 9 months (even if I want it only paused for a month). I will then automatically get a $5/month credit for every month I'm "paused" to offset the pause fee. In the spring, I have to call back in and "un-pause" the account. I'm supposedly able to keep my same programming package, account number and online ID with this system.

It's almost what I originally signed up for expect for the partial month pausing we used to be able to do which is results in a significant cost increase for part-time RV'ers like ourselves. I also have to call in each time rather than manage this through my online DISH account.

Does anyone else have these issues with using DISH on a part-time basis? It seems to this cynical NJ'er that they've made these changes to discourage you from pausing the account and collect additional fees from dormant accounts.

[SarahW]

Previous discussions about Dish Pay-As-You-Go... http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/dish-...ms-189308.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/dish-...rt-228839.html

[Scarab0088]

There is something wrong with this experience...there is supposed to be no fee to disconnect or activate.
See: Watch Your Television Outside | DISH

But, the part of the story about package price changes makes me think there is some issue with communication. My Pay-as-you-go account is/has always been the full price for the America's 120. I never got a price break like would come with a subscription:
Programming

Having said that, I haven't suspended service in over a year so I can't report a recent experience...


Safe travels

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

There is something wrong with this experience...there is supposed to be no fee to disconnect or activate.
See: Watch Your Television Outside | DISH

But, the part of the story about package price changes makes me think there is some issue with communication. My Pay-as-you-go account is/has alwsys been the full price for the America's 120. I never got a price break like would come with a subscription:
Programming

Having said that, I haven't suspended service in over a year so I can't report a recent experience...


Safe travels

I'm not saying I ever got a programming price break. The issue with just letting the account die is that when you come back, you must sign up for a new programming package, from what they currently offer. Each year, this has caused an increase in price because the package I had last year is no longer offered. If you kept paying (either the full monthly fee or the 5/month pause fee), you can keep whatever programming package you had - forever.

When we first signed up, we had a package that only cost $29/month that had all the channels we wanted. Had I never suspended service, I'd still have that package. That same $29/month package with the same channels is no longer offered. Each year DISH is very good at slightly changing packages to loose channels and increase price. In oder to keep my current programming package for next year, I have to pay them $5/month all winter while my account is paused.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by SarahW

Previous discussions about Dish Pay-As-You-Go... http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/dish-...ms-189308.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/dish-...rt-228839.html

Thanks, I've subscribed to the first thread. It unfortunately contains many pages of pretty much the same frustration I've experienced with the DISH Pay As You Go program.

What DISH needs to do is simply reinstate their initial system where you can go online and start and stop your service at will with no phone calls involved.

BUT I'm sure that's exactly what they wanted to stop. The current system probably yields them millions every year by forcing people to leave the system active out of frustration. I know we would turn ours off MANY times throughout the year if there was just an ON/OFF toggle on line.

[Scarab0088]

I believe it will become appearant when reading through Sarah's linked threads, that the fee's described above are for canceling an account vs. disconnecting a Pay-as-you-go account.

And, I submit that $29 was most probably a promo price that required a contract and expired after the contract period...that deal is now $34.99:
Satellite TV Deals and Packages | DISH

Finally, I will agree that there is some systemic issues that would lead to Dish making a few extra bucks. It is the responsibility of the customer to avoid these pitfalls. This is not just a Dish TV specific situation.

Best luck

[bruceisla]

Well ... I don't know how it worked before. Here's my take on the current Pay-As-You-Go.

1) DISH and I do not have a contractual agreement for anything other than 1 month at a time (it's only a contract because it's 1 month minimum service and billed in advance).

2) DISH can change their offering every month because we only agreed on 1 month's service.

3) I can change my package every month for the same reason as above.

4) There are no start-up fees or cancellation fees.

5) I own my equipment.

6) I don't have a problem with this.

[smiller]

Originally Posted by bruceisla

Well ... I don't know how it worked before. Here's my take on the current Pay-As-You-Go.

1) DISH and I do not have a contractual agreement for anything other than 1 month at a time (it's only a contract because it's 1 month minimum service and billed in advance).

2) DISH can change their offering every month because we only agreed on 1 month's service.

3) I can change my package every month for the same reason as above.

4) There are no start-up fees or cancellation fees.

5) I own my equipment.

6) I don't have a problem with this.

Yes.

Dish's Pay-As-You-Go service could indeed stand some better support from better-trained CS reps, but beyond this it works exactly as advertised as long as you:

1. Use your common sense and life experience when dealing with CS in that you should try to use their lingo and be certain you understand what they intend to do to the account, even by over-communicating if necessary. This is true with Dish or just about any other service.

2. READ THE INFORMATION given by experienced users in this forum. These tips will tell you how to avoid issues 95% of the time.

But alas we will always see and endless litany of problems by those who do not do one or both of the above.

[middleman210]

Originally Posted by smiller

Yes.

Dish's Pay-As-You-Go service could indeed stand some better support from better-trained CS reps, but beyond this it works exactly as advertised as long as you:

1. Use your common sense and life experience when dealing with CS in that you should try to use their lingo and be certain you understand what they intend to do to the account, even by over-communicating if necessary. This is true with Dish or just about any other service.

2. READ THE INFORMATION given by experienced users in this forum. These tips will tell you how to avoid issues 95% of the time.

But alas we will always see and endless litany of problems by those who do not do one or both of the above.

I too use the pay as you go dish service and have turned off by just not paying for the next month. When we need it again I either call the special rv pay as you go number or sign into my account and pay for a month. No hassle at all but make sure you use the pay as you go number.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by middleman210

I too use the pay as you go dish service and have turned off by just not paying for the next month. When we need it again I either call the special rv pay as you go number or sign into my account and pay for a month. No hassle at all but make sure you use the pay as you go number.

That's odd. EVERY time I've shut it down by simply not paying the bill, my online DISH.com account is cancelled as well and I can't just log in to turn it back on. I must call in, get it turned back on, then register for a new DISH.com online ID.

Are you sure that you've let it shut down by not paying the bill and still had access to your DISH.com online ID to turn it back on in the last few years? It used to work like that, but not it 5-6 years for me.

[middleman210]

Yup just did it last month

[glennb100]

Dish has some of the WORST customer service I've ever experienced. Most of their reps don't have a clue what you're talking about when you mention the RV account.

We quit paying our bill (as instructed on their Dish RV web page) to stop the service. A month later we stated getting e-mails threatening to send the account to a collection agency. I called their customer service and finally talked to a "supervisor" who new nothing about the RV accounts. After I explained to her that the RV account is a pay in advance, no contract month to month account, she said oh well, as you get the threatening e-mails, just ignore them. Apparently there was no way in their system to turn them off.

For those of you have had a smooth sailing time with Dish, your time will come where you don't have a good experience and you'll experience the same frustration the rest of us have.

I could go on and on about how bad their customer service is, but i'd be beating a really dead horse.

I think Dish has a technically good product. There customer service and marketing strategies suck.

[MRUSA14]

If you think Dish policies and service is bad, don't try DirecTV. They make what you are describing a walk in the park. I finally got rid of the problem by changing my house from Cable to DirecTV. Now I use the same receivers in the house and RV, and just keep my account all the time and don't have to go through the start-stop nightmares.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by middleman210

Yup just did it last month

I wonder why mine doesn't work that way. The last 5-6 years, I just didn't pay the last bill when I wanted to stop service for the winter. Every spring, I was unable to log onto my DISH.com account to re-start service. I had to call and then establish a new online account, hence my username being xxxx6 now.

THIS is how I wound up all red in the face about DISH this year. I called in an attempt to get it shut down without loosing my ID, etc as the Hershey Show rep told me. And then down the rabbit hole we went...

How long do you usually leave it off for? I wonder if that is a factor. Apparently 4-5 months is too long.