Complain about a product or service

DISH - Contract

Ruben of Modesto, CA November 3, 2009

On November 2, 2009 approximately 10:00 A.M. I made the call to speak to a Representative of Dish Network to make a cancellation of services provided. From day one that I decided to become a customer with Dish Network, I have had nothing but the run around with each and every representative. In the past, I have been pressured too many times with "special offers" and "specials" Dish has to offer. They had promised me a "special movie channel package" "FREE" for 3 months without any additional fees as long as I canceled before time was due. I was given until November 22, 2009 to stay or cancel this special offer.

I simply called this morning to cancel service with Dish because every representative I have spoke with in the past had a different story to tell me about offers and cancelation information. After getting transfered four times and each time speaking with a new person, I was transfered to the Spanish Department.

I spoke with "Sara" ID#60M which in turn, was very rude to me. I explained to her that I wished to cancel the special offer, which was "FREE" movie channels so I would not get charged any addtional fees. She insisted on why I had made this decision on cancelling this special deal, I expressed to her that I get the run around and every respresentative tells me a different story each and every time. I did not get the names and ID#'s of the others before speaking to her.

When I mentioned cancelling with Dish, she further explained to me that I was to pay a 300.00 cancellation fee. The representative I spoke with before her explained to me there was NO CANCELLATION FEE due for me to pay. I expressed this to "Sara" and she said it was a "verbal contract" I had made with Dish. I expressed to her that I NEVER had agreed or no representative explained this to me at the beginning.

This is where she got very impatient with me and began to pressure me on my descision. I told her I wanted to speak to her supervisor or manager and she said she was the only one that made the cancellations, that there was no one else I can talk to. She did not leave me with any choice but to cancel and furthermore she had refused to transfer me to a manager or supervisor. She pressured me into making my descision right then and there to stay with Dish or to cancel. I was left with no other choice due to her interogation.

I insisted to speak with her manager and again she refused to transfer me to someone else. In addition, she explained to me that I was responsible for a 300.00 cancellation fee, plus shipping fees to return the cable boxes back to them. "Sara" ID#60M was very unprofessional in the way she handled the situation. She was very rude and would not work with me in any way. She only left me the choice to stay with Dish or to cancel.

I called Dish Network back today at 10:30 A.M. and spoke with "Steve" ID#5T8 he, in turn, was very professional and expressed his appologies and was concerned on how "Sara" ID#60M treated me. Steve reassured me that I was NOT responsible for any cancellation fees or any other fees. Instead, I was getting a 22.00 reimbursement. "Steve" explained there was a miscommunication from their part and appologized for the bad treatment I received this morning.

I feel that as a loyal customer during the time with Dish, they did not fulfill my questions and or concerns or resolve in a timely manner an issues I had. I wish to express that there should be more representatives like "Steve" ID#5T8 working for Dish and they should brief the "spanish department" on how they should treat the spanish clientel and teach them how to resolve these types of issues in a professional manner. Due to how "Sara" ID#60M treated me and on how she failed to keep me as a customer, I decided to cancel service with Dish Network.

I went online to file this complaint and was amazed upon reading many other complaints customers have had with Dish Network. I am very dissapointed with the service from Dish Network, their customer service representatives, and would not recommend Dish to anyone.

Nancy of Skillman, NJ October 23, 2009

i had dish network in the beginning, 2000-2006 and had a positive experience (back when they were hungry and needed the business). i sold and moved in 2006 and then rented. i didn't want to ask the landlord to agree to a dish on the house, so i got cable. 3 years later i have to move (mold in the house) and am now in a new apartment that was supposed to have fios tv but didn't, so the landlord agreed to a dish satellite.

i call 800 dish net and because i remember that there is a retail scammer that likes to mimic their phone numbers, i immediately ask if they are dish network; they say yes. i proceed to order an installation, and they ask for a 10 minute disclosure recording to be heard and agreed. meanwhile i am directikng the movers as, yes, i moved without tv and have to juggle it all at the same time. so the guy shows to install the tv service (my landlord only agrees to have the satellite as long as fios isn't available) all gets done.

2 weeks later, someone calls me asking how the install went talking really fast.. but i thought i heard something odd, so i said wait, back up, who did you say you were? they say 'i dish'. who are you? we are the retailer who sold you dish network. i asked specifically if i was speaking to dish network and rep told me yes. oh i'm so sorry, i'm sure. so i'm thinking what else did i get lied to about ie terms, money etc. well, i got hit with 50 processing fee.. like i would pay that instead of calling dish network directly. but that's just the beginning.

then i finally cut to the chase i did not agree to any contact what [they] are showing. of course, 2 years. i lost it; i rent i can't authorize a 2 year contract. nothing. finally i said so here's the thing, you are not authorized to install the dish because you are required to have the landlords written permission and your guy never asked for it. silence.

we will remove your discount and have no 2 year obligation. great. thanks. we're done. so i call back 'i dish' the retailer. tell them they committed fraud. they say fortunately we record all of our conversations. i'm thinking yeah, that's the sign of a non criminal business. meanwhile they tell me good news, we see your account has been updated to show you are a month to month customer.

so then i start googling... and what i see freaks me out no end. later on same evening i call both of them back. dish network says i don't know what you are talking about. you have a 2 year contract and our installer would never have lied to you about what you signed. i call back i dish. they say i don't know what you are talking about. dish network has nothing but 2 year contracts! my only response was, see you in court.

although i despise comcast, they are definitely the better of the two. they are coming monday, after which i cance dish network. btw, called dish network back and sweetly asked 'gee could i get off autopay?' and they are like sure but you lose the free cinemax. no problem, i just don't see anything interesting on that channel. called back 10 minutes later.. that change took, i am off autopay (don't get me wrong, i am not stupid, that card is cancelled tomorrow).

Tarra of van wert, OH October 15, 2009

I was tricked into buying a package with the understanding that it had the only 2 shows that i watch in it. To my suprise when the cable was hooked up my 2 shows were not avaiable to me. I called dish only to get someone i couldnt understand...in which she explained to me that i had to upgrade to the next package to receive my programs! i was so angry for the way they did me i informed them that i wanted to cancel my service with them...only to find out there was another deception of a fee if i stopped service before 18months! it was going 2b very costly...so i upgraded n dealt with them very painfully for the next 18months!dish network is a dishonest company who tries anyway they can to get money from you.

lastly they charged money on my credit card without my permission for a reciever that i returned, so i called and asked why, they said it was for a special part from the dish that was to b returned as well...after informing the lady that i was unaware and was not going to do this but someone could come pick up the dish...she waved the fee...only to find out i was still trying to be charged...once again i call waiting 30mins on the phone as usual only to speak to a machine. it took me three time for me to finally talk to someone. i hated every aspect of dealing with this company...i would rather go without cable or tv if they was the only cable provider...and thank god they are not!!

Robert of Yucaipa, CA October 13, 2009

On or about Friday June 19,2009 one M.Jerry M came to my door as a representative of "Satellite Solutions of San bernardino CA. He said he knew we had DirectTV and that he could give us the same channels at a considerable savings for a lower price and additionally he could give us condierable discount fo the first 6 months. He showed us a Dish "Quick Reference guide and pointed out that we would be signing up for America's Top 200 Silver , which included America's top 100, bronze and also the lowest leval known as DishFAMILY. The cost would be 27.99 per month for 6 months at which time it would either go up to 42.99 or we would have the option to downgrade to the top 100 and the dish Family for 37.99

The following day an "Arsenio "T" came to install, he repeated clearly to my wife and I that we would have all the channels listed under Silver, bronze and Family.He also told us that we must have our phone line connected to the receiver or incur a charge of 5. per monthe additional. He sai that he would connect that with ouir permission and that there would be no extra charge. We said yes and he connected it, it has remained connected ever since.

Very shortly we found that several of the channels we had been promised were not available to view. I caalled he Dish Network and spoke to a representative and complained that we were not getting the channels promised I was informed that DishFAMILY is not linked to any other package. I was given the impression that "ID' "Biog." and History channell would be included, what the rep did not mention is that she had upgraded us to America's top 250 at a higher rate. Each months bill is different than the last, when I called in August to complain, I was told that "I" had ordered the up grade, but due to the outright fraud of the original sales person and the fact that repeated calls to his office are ignored Dish agreed to give me a 20. credit permonth until Dec. 18.

The next month I noticed that we were being charged for the 5.00 penalty for not having a phone connection, I called and thought I had corrected that, the line was tested and confirmed to be connected but the charge continues. I called again today, Oct. 12, 2009, and spoke to two individuals to pprotest the ongoing charge for "no phone hookup" Agaion they are very pleasant and promise anything that will get me to pay the latest bill, I am worried that when I downgrade in Decmber they will start my contract for a new 24 months.

At this pint we simply want to get out from under this company and will not pay to do so. Other people who have turned Dish off after completing their contract term, and told them are still billed, the equipment is not picked up and when they return it to local dealer it is not acknowledged.

Debora of naples, TX October 12, 2009

We signed an initial service agreement with dish network on Sep 2007. On october of 2008 dish was offering a promotion to try out their HD channels. If you didnt like it you could cancel the service without being charged. They added the HD package to my account. Come to find out the HD channels did not work with my receiver. Dish called me telling me I needed different receivers to get the HD channels. They said their would be no charge to me for this offer. I didnt sign anything. The Tech came out and put in the new receivers. We tried the HD channels and didnt like them, so we cancelled them. I decided to cancel my service after my contract was up in Sep 2009. I called to let them know I would be doing that. They told me My contract didnt end till 2010. I disagreed and pulled out my original contract and told them exactly what I signed. They told me because I accepted the new receivers I extended my contract to another 2 years. How ridiculous. I didnt even keep the HD channels nor did I agree to a contract. Why would I agree to another 2 year contract for HD channels that I didnt even know I would like or not. Which I didnt. DISH IS A RIPOFF. I dont understand legally how someone can just put you in a contract for anything they want to.

William of Radcliff, KY October 8, 2009

I'm in the military and was changing stations when my wife called the 1-800 number to inquire about pricing. She was told that we would recieve the classic siver package with all the HD channels, The NFL Network, The Big Ten Network, HBO and Showtime for 47.99 We were also told that we would recieve 4 rooms with 2 DVR's for free and that after the first year our package would increase by only 15.00. When the technician put the equipment up he informed my wife that we do not get the HD channels and that the big ten network was not on our package either, although it says it is right on the brochure. (Before we had the technician come out we asked the initial rep what the hidden cost were and if we had to pay for local channels, extra DVR's, etc. he stated that there were none and that the price he quoted was everything we had discussed with no hiddens. She called back a second time to confirm the package and again asked for the hiddens and a full description of the charges and we were told that we were getting the classic silver with the HD, Big ten, hbo and showtime with 2 dvr's and 4 room connections and that there were no hidden charges, that was the package. Upon the technician informing us of the lack of HD and big ten we called customer service and asked to cancel. They told us we could only if we paid 360.00, we hadn't even had the service for an hour!

I told them they lied and that they conned us into a contract and they said we went through a retailer and they could not do anything about it. We called the number in the phonebook that was a 1800 number for dish network. They told me they would give me all the sales person told me but the price would be 49.99/month and that after the first year it would go up to 74.99/month the second year,which is way more than the 15.00 increase we were sold on. I disageed but could not afford to pay the 360.00 disconnect fee. Then I recieved our first bill and they charged us for hbo and showtime and an extra 5.00 fee for no phone even though they said they would not because we were in the middle of a move. The technician also told us we had a 30 day trial period to cancel the contract and that it depended on "who you talked too." I feel as if there has been many instances of misrepresentation and down right lying. I want to get out of this contract and feel that they have conned us and lied to us to get our business.

Dean of Cape Coral, FL October 2, 2009

Last year we switched from Comcast to the Dish network as our cable television provider. We purchased a packaged program through Embarq that included telephone, internet and cable television services. The cable service was through a partnership that Embarq has with the Dish network. At the time that we purchased the services I was assured by Embarq that there were no contracts that needed to be signed and we could cancel at any time.

After about eight months we decided that we preferred the Comcast setup as compared to the way the Dish programming is configured so we called Embarq to cancel. Canceling through Embarq was no problem and the customer service representative was extremely helpful and courteous. When I asked them if they also handled the cancellation of the Dish service they said no and that I had to contact Dish directly.

When I contacted the Dish Network and told then I wanted to cancel my service I was transferred to three different people where I was forced to explain myself three separate times. Each of the three people tried offering me discounts or free premium channels if I wouldn’t cancel my subscription. After I made myself perfectly clear that all I wanted from them was for them to cancel my account they told me that I was locked into a 2 year contract and I would be subject to a cancellation fee as well as a penalty fee for not completing the terms of the contract. At this point I informed them that I had never seen anything resembling a contract nor did I sign any such document. I asked them to send me a copy of my signed contract which they said they would do.

On September 3rd I received the enclosed letter from a Mr. Luis V with a copy of my “signed” contract which is also enclosed. Upon inspecting the contract for the very first time it was obvious to me that my name had been forged as well as my initials. You can imagine my shock as I looked at the fraudulent document and my further shock at the fact that they would send it to me through the United States Postal Service. I believe at that point this became a federal offense as covered under Chapter 63, Title 18 of the United States Code.

I would like to lodge a formal complaint against the Dish network for these unethical and illegal business practices and I would like to pursue whatever legal means available to me to get this resolved. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

kexin of flushing, NY September 29, 2009

Dish Network intentionally, consistently, and systematically uses phone call to mis-leads customers about the services provided, and cancellation policy. Dish Network refused to review the phone call afterward. I started using Dish on 9/7. Called in to cancel on 9/22. I wrote to them to request cancellation on 9/24. I first request to review phone call records on 9/24, and was refused to review the records on 9/29.

The mis-leading information I requested to be reviewed includes: 1) DVR provides 2 HD feeds to 2 HD TV. 2) cancellation policy is 30 days graceful period. 3) Inconsistency and unprofessional tactics used in various phone call in regarding equipement return policy. 4) Cancelled the serivices within in about 2 weeks, was not initially booked when I first called them. I had to write to them to get a cancellation notice. 5) Asking to review the sales people's phone call to clarify the mis-leading information pitched over the phone and was told the recording was not available.

Angeline of mason, MI September 23, 2009

that 2 year contract is ridiculious. i refuse to pay it. i did not get good service reception terrible. i am not paying any cancelation fee as their service was not as discriped.

Amanda of DeFuniak Springs, FL September 21, 2009

I too had the service under 24hrs and called to cancel and they told me that as soon as I sign the install papers (witch they did not leave me a copy of) I am locked into a 2 yr contract with no way out!!!! Unless I pay a 360 early cancellation fee! I can't understand how a business can get away with this?

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