Should I switch to Dish Network?

[Sneezie]

I am currently a Direct TV customer but after seeing an advertisement for Dish Network, I'm thinking of changing over. Can anyone who has Dish Network help me out by letting me know what you think about the service, channels offered, packages offered, customer service? I need all of the help I can get. Also, if you have used both (Direct TV and Dish) which do you prefer?

Thanks for all of the help!

 

[Sorsha]

OK, here's my take on it...
DISCLAIMER: I get my Dish services bundled with my landline phone services and my internet service through my phone company. I pay about $115 a month for the whole shebang. So I can't tell you much about pricing or value for Dish all by itself. I have also never used DirectTv so have no comparison there.

I was getting standard cable from my local cable company. However, plain and simple, they sucked. Awful channel selection, no customer service, etc. So, when I moved to my new house last summer, I dumped cable and let the phone company do it all. If I need customer service with my Dish, however, the Dish people come out and do it, not the phone company, they are just the "broker" for the services. So far, only 6 months, I have not needed any service, and I have only had to call them once (with a question regarding a channel). They were super helpful and polite when I called them though.

I really do like the channels offered. I have the "Gold" package, and I get SO many more channels than were EVER offered through my crappy cable people. I can now enjoy DIY and Fine Living and HGTV and several feeds of History and Discovery, and my DH gets movies and about 6 feeds of ESPN and the Outdoor channel, and my kids get Noggin and Boomerang. I also get my local networks. The only thing I really miss is my "Local on the 8's" on the Weather Channel, all I get on the 8's is some generic filler. We paid a little extra and got receivers with DVR capability and now I am SO spoiled. I never watch commercials, and I never miss a program.

I LOVE my Dish service, and would never go back to cable.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Be careful of "bait and switch" with their "deals". We were loyal DISH customers for 10yrs and then they did this to us when we moved.I will never go back.

They just charged my elderly parents 200 bucks because they moved and the DISH service could not be hooked up at their new apartment. Of course they should have called and argued with them however they just paid them.

 

[Sneezie]

Is there a $200 fee if you don't honor the 2-year contract?

 

[ICF]

I've had both---sorry if this is a bit long.....

I had Dish from 1998 until March 2009....so over 10 years. We liked it, and had little problems with. The reception and picture (SD) were both fine.

However....Last spring we wanted to switch to get HD. As with most all companies, your incentives to stay are usually less than your incentives to go to the competion. I called the Dish retention dept and the whole bit. I had 3 DVR's (all grandfathered in with no DVR fees) and owned by me. They offered me some deals, but it still wasn't that great. Their new packages that I would have to switch to included DVR fees, HD fees and I think lease fees as well. Direct has fees too, but the cost in year 1 was WAY cheaper (thanks in part to a AAA discount direct has for new customers for the 1st 2 years), and still somewhat cheaper in year 2. Once year 3 hit, the cost was roughly the same with Direct being a few $$'s cheaper. However, I was going to save $400 or so in years 1 - 2.

I've been been very happy with direct as well.

Direct TV is the only 1 of the 2 that will allow you to get NFL Sunday ticket and MLB Extra Innings. If those are of interest, then I would think twice of switching.

Most of the stations are more or less the same...you can compare the two pretty easily by using their websites.

I did like Dish's receivers (SD ones) better, but Direct's are fine too. Dish's seem to pick up the remote signals easier and I just 'liked' them better.

Either one will be WAAAAYYYY better than going to cable.

 

[Bren's Mom]

http://www.coloradoattorneygeneral....llion_multistate_settlement_dish_network_over

Read the above press release, and use caution if choosing to go with Dish!

I had a terrible experience with an AT&T/Dish bundle. Had to go as far as filing a complaint with the CT AGs office, and I am a party to the above mentioned lawsuit.

My suggestion is to get whatever deal they offer you IN WRITING. The way to do this is to hash out the details on the phone, write down everything they tell you, who you talk to, etc. And then go to the online chat on their website and ask to confirm the details of your offer. Be sure to ask about any/all installation charges and fees. What your monthly bill will be. How long that rate is good for. What, if any, cancellation fees there are. How long you're locked into the contract. And be sure to ask, are there any other fees/charges that I will see on my bills? If at any point they say they're not sure, tell them you need an answer. And PRINT the chat.

This will be your best defense if your first bill shows anything other than what you've agreed to. This is a good idea for ANY service, if they have online chat USE it!

 

[ZachnElli]

We've had nothing but problems with Dish. We had connection problems, we had one tv go out and they said it would be a week before they could come out and then the guy supposedly coming out called in sick and it was another 2 weeks. We moved and now they are trying to charge us for the receivers, we paid for them up front, they even saw it was buy one get one free when we bought them, but they are still sending us notices and calling. I won't pay it and I'll never use Dish again.

 

[daughtersrus]

I am currently a Direct TV customer but after seeing an advertisement for Dish Network, I'm thinking of changing over. Can anyone who has Dish Network help me out by letting me know what you think about the service, channels offered, packages offered, customer service? I need all of the help I can get. Also, if you have used both (Direct TV and Dish) which do you prefer?

Thanks for all of the help!

We switched from Comcast to Dish Network a few years ago and have been very happy with them. The bill is bundled with our phone and DSL as part of an agreement that Dish has with AT&T. However, it is itemized so the charges are broken down.

About a year ago, we were getting bombarded with offers from Comcast, Direct TV and AT&T U-verse. The offers were all better than what we were paying so I called Dish. I told them that I was thinking of switching because the price that others were offering (however, I had no intent on ever going back to Comcast.)

Edited to add... we've only lost our signal a total of 3 times in all of the years that we've had them. Once was when there was a horrible storm (the day that Jennifer Hudson was voted off of American Idol) and two other times because snow had gathered in the dish.

They made an offer to lower the bill but it was still more than the others. They transferred me to the retention/cancellation dept. The guy there offered a few free channels plus removed the fees for the HD DVR and gave us a discount on the packages.

All in all, the bill is now 1/2 of what it was before the call. We're paying about $49 a month for a HD DVR, a regular receiver and 200 channels including Comcast Sports-Net so that DH can watch all of the Cubs games.

They said that the prices would be good for 1 year and to give them a call back when they expire. If they jump back up, we may just switch to U-verse.

As for the customer service, we have been VERY happy with it. They have had to replace our DVR a few times when we first got it (later we found out that the install wasn't right because the independent contractor forgot to ground it). They sent us a new one and had us return the other one at their expense.

 

[jen0610]

Former Dish customer, now with DirecTv. We originally went with Dish, due to some of the restrictions DirecTv had. We were quite happy with Dish until 2/3 years ago. Horrid customer service, lots of service failures, lots of programming issues. We looked into switching, compaired the pricing and flat out told them, here is what we can get for XX amount - you need to meet it or we are leaving. They said they couldn't do that.

It took about a month to get set up with DirecTv. Called Dish to have service dropped. Only then, did they want to give us concessions. Told them it's a day late and a dollar short.

To date, we have had zero issues with DirecTv. Every issue that we had with Dish, we have not had with DirecTv. We have had worse rain and ice storms, since the switch, but never once had service failures like we did with Dish and a small rain shower. And never once has DirecTv told us, that they aren't showing a top billed sporting event in our area, because ESPN didn't buy the programming rights for them to show it.

When asked for our opition, we tell those who ask, either DirecTv or Fio's, parents have it and wish we could get it, are the only two options we would go with - EVER!!

 

[dakcp2001]

DIrectTV is awesome. TO be honest, all TV companies are the same type of animal, they all lure you in then fee you to death and raise prices, but DTV has better channel selection.

We loved DTV. We are going back once our Fios contract is up. Fios is good, but DTV was better.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Is there a $200 fee if you don't honor the 2-year contract?

Yes. In my parents case DISH was unable to give them service when they moved, so they should have let them out of the contract. But of course they did not. They suck.

 

[Sneezie]

I thought I'd been scared by a few of your stories strongly enough to stay with DirectTV, but I talked to their retention team and wasn't very impressed with what they offered me to stay. It only averages to about $15 off a month for a year. I don't fell very valued, even though I've been with them since I moved into my house in 2004.

Still not sure about what I'm going to do. The Dish Network guy is supposed to call me in the next 15 minutes to hash out a deal.

I guess we'll see how it goes.

 

[crz4mm2]

I had Direct TV for years, and saw the great deals at DISH about 2 years or so ago. You could get DVRs etc..... (before HD time though). I switched and it was a horrid experience. The signal was out more than it was in it seemed. I called and complained but really got no where. As soon as the time was up I went back to Direct TV.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I can't help you with a choice, but boy, do I thank you for this thread! We've had DIrect for about 3 years, no problems, til a few months ago when they decided to drop the VERSUS channel. I'm a big PBR bull riding fan and this left me lost. We were thinking of switching to Dish, so that I could get bull riding back, but around here everyone has DirectTV.

 

[dakcp2001]

I thought I'd been scared by a few of your stories strongly enough to stay with DirectTV, but I talked to their retention team and wasn't very impressed with what they offered me to stay. It only averages to about $15 off a month for a year. I don't fell very valued, even though I've been with them since I moved into my house in 2004.

Still not sure about what I'm going to do. The Dish Network guy is supposed to call me in the next 15 minutes to hash out a deal.

I guess we'll see how it goes.

They do not offer the good stuff until you are literally ready to disconnect immediately and it is too late. I begged them for a free hddvr and then when the wires had been cut they offered it to me. TOO LATE. Tell them to turn it off tomorrow, and be prepared to follow through. Then you will get their best offer. If they think you are just "shopping" they hold back.

 

[Planogirl]

We've been very happy with Dish and have had them for several years. We actually switched to them from Comcast (don't get me started on them!) and it all went smoothly. We lose the picture during inclement weather at times but it's rare.