DISH Network Complaint and AT&T too

[Steve]

DISH Network & AT&T

Maybe someone can help me out, I'm a little slow today.I think I have gotten something wrong on my bill and it makes sense to me, but not to the AT&T rep. Let's walk through this.

Price Hike:
I was supposed to have DISH for $34.99, but they raised it to $37.99. Ok, I understand that was a nationwide price-hike. Ok, I'm with it and am on board.

Installation / Activation:
The problem is that I was supposed to have free installation. So I put $49.99 on my credit card and they were supposed to credit me $49.99 on the bill.

I see that I paid the $49.99 and they show that I paid it (49.99-) on 1/18.

Then when billing got setup. They showed the charge for 49.99 on 1/22.

It doesn't add-up:
Ok, at this point, it shows that they complete a payment. I was billed and I pay. Therefore, I'm out $49.99.

The woman at AT&T said that they canceled each other out and that it means that got my money back, but that's doesn't make sense. Am I missing out on something?

[dwill3015]

Maybe someone can help me out, I'm a little slow today.

I think I have gotten something wrong on my bill and it makes sense to me, but not to the AT&T rep. Let's walk through this.

I was supposed to have DISH for $34.99, but they raised it to $37.99. Ok, I understand that was a nationwide price-hike. Ok, I'm with it and am on board.

The problem is that I was supposed to have free installation. So I put $49.99 on my credit card and they were supposed to credit me $49.99 on the bill.

I see that I paid the $49.99 and they show that I paid it (49.99-) on 1/18.

Then when billing got setup. They showed the charge for 49.99 on 1/22.


Ok, at this point, it shows that they complete a payment. I was billed and I pay. Therefore, I'm out $49.99.

The woman at AT&T said that they cancelled each other out and that it means that got my money back, but that's doesn't make sense. Am I missing out on something?
So, basically with your credit card not involved you would be at zero because of the 49.99- on 1/18 and the 49.99 on 1/2. But, you did have $49.99 charged to your credit card besides what they show? Sounds like somebody did not apply your deposit correctly.

[omegafiler]

Unless the installer charged for something they considered "non-basic" for the installation. But they would have told you that when they were onsite.

If you still have that charge on the credit card, I'd call back, and then escallate if the first level rep can't reasonably explain why the charge is still there.

[Steve]

Ok, that's what I thought. I have to get service scheduled for repair today (something happened to it in the storm and it's not communicating with the receiver), so I'll bring that up at the same time.

They can't get out here until Thurday.

ARGH, now they're saying that I have an "installation fee" and an "acctivation fee".... argh! I would not have done it if that were the case. I think it looks fishy. They showed that I paid an "acctivation fee" and I was told that I would have the credited that amount back. Well, anyhow AT&T has put that amount on hold and we are going to investigate the matter ... I guess they tape record everything and will check to see what the person told me on the tape.

[Cableguy]

What have I told you about satellites!! :grrrrrr:

Steve...bad!

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/cableguy_07/dishjunkpile.jpg

[Steve]

We had snow last Thursday, so they tried to come too early, before we got home (or they never showed up, I don't know). Anyhow they were supposed to be here between 8 and noon today and I just called them (It's 11:15) to get an ETA ... they didn't have me in the system. ARGH, I don't have DISH for the last week and I'm still paying for it. This stinks.

[Steve]

Ok, it looks like they lied and we not able to get me fit into the schedule. This is extrememly disappointing. They admitted to me that they screwed up and scheduled a spot for me, but they didn't get me to the dispatcher so no one is here. :-(

They're nice on the phone to me, but no results and no DISH for over a week now.

[Steve]

:glasses: Ok, let me calm down.

I called back again and started to get upset and the guy was like "What do you want me to do". Argh. Anyhow, he did one right thing and he called the local field dispatcher in Arlington. That guy was named Wayne and he called me back.

Wayne was on ball and told me it was a national call center screwup and they were just trying to get me off the phone. He's had free techs all day long and actually had one sitting there back he didn't have enough work to do. That's the kind of guy you need working for you, let me tell you, someone who takes charge of the situation and gets it done!

Anyhow, DISH guy will be here in about 15 minutes. ;-)

[GM_Guy]

I bet the rep at the call center was named Sanjaya :lol:

actually,I would be very happy if they offered HDTV here where I live
I wouldn't want dish Myself

[dryfuss10]

So is it fixed yet

[Steve]

It's all fixed now. The tech who came out was awesome. He figured out that it was an installation problem from the first guy out. The put the wrong sized "barrel" on it, so too much power went out and it fryed the entire system.

Had to get a new receiver, new barrel, new splitter and two new things (whatever they're called) on the dish outside. Everything was fried!

Anyhow, DISH is back on, the kiddo can watch cartoons now and the wife can watch HGTV and I can watch The Discovery Channel, A&E, History Channel, etc.

[Crawdaddy]

being a relative noob in the sat tv industry, I feel I've dabbled in it enough to give the following opinion... I'm not so sure everything was fried. What was said sounds reasonable, since there's a decent amount of power running through the coax line to the dish to power the LNB/feed horn on the dish. But changing everything....sounded more like a desperation move from being clueless or a severe precaution. I hope none of this repair was at your exspense. Not to mention that blaming the guy before you isn't exactly good business etiquette, even if the guy did royally screw things up, but alas, I'm guilty of that too at times...Glad to hear it's working again though...

[Steve]

being a relative noob in the sat tv industry, I feel I've dabbled in it enough to give the following opinion... I'm not so sure everything was fried. What was said sounds reasonable, since there's a decent amount of power running through the coax line to the dish to power the LNB/feed horn on the dish. But changing everything....sounded more like a desperation move from being clueless or a severe precaution. I hope none of this repair was at your exspense. Not to mention that blaming the guy before you isn't exactly good business etiquette, even if the guy did royally screw things up, but alas, I'm guilty of that too at times...Glad to hear it's working again though...

Well, he did a thourogh test of the system, inside and out, in the attic and back down. The system was dead and couldn't find the switch at all, it wasn't picking anything up. He checked in the attic for power and got none, and checked the dish. He saw the barrel connector right away and said it was the wrong size, so he swapped that out and the splitter as well which was dead. Then he checked outside and got nothing from either LNB so he swapped them both out. Then back inside we were able to get one feed from one LNB but the receiver gave an error, so he swapped out the receiver and it worked fine after that.

I've only had this DISH for about 5 or 6 weeks, and they covered everything for 90 days from installation ... plus it was the installation tech that put in the barrel that allowed for too much power anyhow. He didn't really "blame" the guy, but he did point out the clear facts, that the barrel put on the system allowed for too much power to go through the system. ... as for me, I'm a total newb on this stuff so I'm just happy that it works again.

[dryfuss10]

Well thats great got to keep the kids and the wife happy now how about that sink hole in the back yard???

[Steve]

Well thats great got to keep the kids and the wife happy now how about that sink hole in the back yard???

Well, that was AT&T and they were going to come out with some SOD to replace it all, but after a couple of phone calls I just gave up. It will probably cost me like $20 in new SOD back there, so I'm not going to worry about it. I think AT&T has been doing a good job overall for the past two years that we've been using their new package of services, so hey ... I wanted St. Augustine grass anyhow, they just helped motivate me to get some put back there in the bald spot. ;-)

[dryfuss10]

send them the bill for labor and material they might pay it:lol:

[GM_Guy]

put in astroturf, that way ya won't have to mow again :rules:

[Steve]

I love this website!

We are now #5 on Google for the term "Dish Network Complaints" ... hah!

[SoonerSilverado11]

Digital cable is the way to go!!

Glad you got everything working. I personally have never had to deal with dish or anything so I have never had problems. Sounds like a pain in the ass to get working though. Does cox service your area? If so they are great and do a great job for whatever cable or internet needs you have.

[GM_Guy]

I switched from cable internet, to AT&T/Yahoo high speed DSL, and so far it's been dropping my connection,more than it's stayed on.

[Cableguy]

I switched from cable internet, to AT&T/Yahoo high speed DSL, and so far it's been dropping my connection,more than it's stayed on.

So what did you learn so far?

We don't do dish's first thing, second never trust a phone guy either.


This is a guy you can trust....
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/cableguy_07/larry.jpg

[silversurfer]

I dislike both DISH and AT&T. Used to have both. DISH was always going out and they would never compensate me for the days out of service. They had a promo special saying they will move you for free - so when I moved - they told me ut was free - but I would have to add the `Latin-Channel-Line-up ?!?!?!
I switched to Direct TV and am so much happier because the service is much more reliable. My roommate has DISH and his is always going out - but my Direct TV keeps on ticking!!


As for AT&T - you have to watch the bills very closely, they will add things in that you have not asked for - like ROADSIDE AUTO SERVICE!! After my 2-year contract expired they refused to allow me to upgrade my phone as they claimed I had already re-newed my 2-year contract - however, they were unable to offer any proff. They first told me I had signed a new agreement - but when I asked them to fax a copy of that signature - they changed it to say that I had done it verbally/over the pone - so I asked them for the recording - they THEN said I had done it in person in a store ( the store was in a town I had not been in for over 5 years ) when I told them that they allowed me out of the contract - BUT billed me for canceling early -- even though I had never even agreed to the contract... shady:grrrrrr:

[Steve]

Argh, I think I'm done with AT&T, they're in the middle of a system's upgrade for their accounts billing, etc. They haven't been able to take my phone bill payment (payment can't be processed) becuase they had tried to hook me up with AT&T u-verse voice ... they never called to confirm they were coming so the guy just shows up one day ready to install ... sorry, give us 24 hours notice next time please. So they locked down the order and now it's stuck in gridlock. I can't pay my phone bill, but I can't switch to the VOIP phone either because the systems are crossing each other out. The CSRs on the phone are very nice but they're not able to see into all of the systems ... come on AT&T, get your billing and order systems working together please, I've spent hours of my time working on this.