DishTV

[spartan1984]

Hi fellow RV'ers,

We purchased a satellite dish for our RV over a year ago and have DishTV as the provider. For the longest while, it was pay as you go...we had a running balance of $120 and if we used the service for 4 days, that $120 would be deducted by $20. Next time we used the service, we'd just have to replenish the $20 and we'd be good to go. Well you know that all good things must come to an end. Last October, DishTV decided to end that type of "pay as you go service" and instituted a "you pay $131 if you want to turn the service on." WTF!!! What happened to being customer friendly? Oh I forgot, we don't live in that world anymore and it's all about corporate profits. Anyway, enough of the soap box...does anyone still have DishTV as your satellite service, and if you do, what are you doing to control costs?

 

[Underboss]

Pay as you go is still working. It has always been 30 days from turn on and still is. At the end of the 30 you either renew or do nothing and it pauses. I am clueless as to what you mean you pay 120 and deducted by 20. Never have had anything like that

 

[purring along]

We have dish at two home locations, and in our coach. We pay one fee, and add the coach for five dollars per month when it's activated. We just cancel the coach when not in use, and add when needed again with no fee.

 

[spartan1984]

Fair points, so let me explain what I meant by "our version" of pay as you go. When the satellite was installed on the rig, we signed up with DishTV because DirectTV didn't have that option. So:

1. We established the account with $120
2. On our first trip out, I called and ensured we had a signal and everything was good to go
   1. We were gone for 4 days
   2. That worked out to about $5/day
   3. Once we returned, I called DishTV so that they could they could "postpone" service.
3. Two months later, we were going camping again, so I called to "start" the service.
   1. Customer service said we needed to pay $20 and service would be activated.
   2. The $20 was from the previous trip (4 days) and that would get us back to the $120 in the account.
4. This went on for about a year without any issues until last October.
5. Called DishTV and the agent said "we've done away with the "refill" option and now you have to pay the full price every time you go on a trip (similar to what Underboss mentioned above).

So that was the basis of my original question. We no longer "refill" what we used on a previous trip, we pay the full amount to receive service which is now $131.42.

 

[Jabber Jaw]

Whenever I activate my "Dish on the Go" account, I just pay the bill for the month, Renew for the next month, if still traveling, and just do not pay the bill after I return home, & am not using it. Pretty simple system really.
One glitch, If I do not turn it on when I return home, the next time I activate it, the darn thing thinks I'm still at the last location, & that creates a problem when trying to "update the local stations"! So, when back home, Turn it on, turn it off, and you are good to go, next time you use it!! DISH "tech's" claim it is a software issue that they cannot correct!! Me, I don't know, but this works for me! Good Luck!

Allan

 

[Underboss]

Fair points, so let me explain what I meant by "our version" of pay as you go. When the satellite was installed on the rig, we signed up with DishTV because DirectTV didn't have that option. So:

1. We established the account with $120
2. On our first trip out, I called and ensured we had a signal and everything was good to go
   1. We were gone for 4 days
   2. That worked out to about $5/day
   3. Once we returned, I called DishTV so that they could they could "postpone" service.
3. Two months later, we were going camping again, so I called to "start" the service.
   1. Customer service said we needed to pay $20 and service would be activated.
   2. The $20 was from the previous trip (4 days) and that would get us back to the $120 in the account.
4. This went on for about a year without any issues until last October.
5. Called DishTV and the agent said "we've done away with the "refill" option and now you have to pay the full price every time you go on a trip (similar to what Underboss mentioned above).

So that was the basis of my original question. We no longer "refill" what we used on a previous trip, we pay the full amount to receive service which is now $131.42.

I do not see how they would make money with this. You may have lucked out and slipped through without notice with some short term promo. Been with dish on and off for years and never heard of this.
Can anyone in business imagine paying their employee to take phone calls to turn the service on for 4 days then off for $20 for 4 days?
You got lucky, now you have to pay like all us common folks.