We've been Dish Network customers for around 6 years, it's always just been in my name. I've been seeing the "Free HD for Life" commercials and was curious since we still have the standard definition receiver and would love to upgrade if it were really free. I went to the website to do some looking around and all you needed to do was sign a one year contract and sign up for paperless bill pay. They didn't specify whether it was just for new customers or if existing customers could get the deal also so I called.
The lady I talked sounded new but whatever. In order for me to get this deal, I would have to get an HD receiver (duh). Thing is, I would have to pay for it ($200) and pay installation. If I were a new customer, I would get this all for free, plus free HBO for 3 months. To me this doesn't make sense, I understand trying to lure in new customers with great deals, but shouldn't they treat existing loyal customers just as good, if not better. We get a free upgrade on our cell phones every year, why can't Dish Network do something like that?
Anywho, I'm curious if I were to cancel my subscription (I'm out of contract), and then have my wife sign up in her name, would that work since we're obviously at the same address?? I think it would be a great deal, if it worked the way I think it will. Anybody out there ever tried this and "gotten away with it"??
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03:05 PM
PFF
System Bot
FieroFanaticus2 Member
Posts: 1770 From: Wisconsin, USA Registered: Mar 2001
It might work, but you may have to go through a time period before they consider you a new customer again.... who knows.
There's a loophole in Charter's services that I take advantage of.
I think paying $60 for basic cable to too much, I think it's ridiculous they charge that much.
I also think they're home phone line is a joke for the most part.
And I would never pay to bundle all of it for $100 a month.
Sooo... I get the slowest high speed Internet they have. BUT.... if refused to sign up for basic cable. All I want is the internet. For some reason, they have to connect you to the basic cable line in order to pipe internet into your house. So, I get slow high speed AND basic cable for $40 a month.
I still rarely watch the cable tv.
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03:12 PM
fastblack Member
Posts: 3696 From: Riceville, IA Registered: Nov 2003
It might work, but you may have to go through a time period before they consider you a new customer again.... who knows.
Even if my wife's name is not on the Dish Network account? Think they would look at the address and last name and figure it out? If so, what would they do, refuse me service?
I would try to get them to give you the up grade free
I got dish to give me a free HD unit plus the new customer rate and free movie deal 6 months ago it does take some doing and threats to drop them
BUT ATT universe has the best HD full 1080p service none of the sats are true HD at full 1080p they are all compressed sadly att was not up when I upgraded the sat
------------------ Question wonder and be wierd are you kind?
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03:49 PM
pokeyfiero Member
Posts: 16189 From: Free America! Registered: Dec 2003
I cancel with comcanst and get the new deal everytime. I tell them over the phone that I want to cancel my old service and start a new one right now. They always dfo it and I make it perfectly clear what I am doing and why. They don't care.
Even if my wife's name is not on the Dish Network account? Think they would look at the address and last name and figure it out? If so, what would they do, refuse me service?
I also think its based on address, not 'customer'.
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04:10 PM
fastblack Member
Posts: 3696 From: Riceville, IA Registered: Nov 2003
We upgraded our two recievers to HD about 9 months ago. We got the whole schmiel about having to pay more because we are a "valued" customer. I simply asked to speak to a supervisor, an proceded to tell the supervisor that we would no longer be needing their services, unless you upgraded our household up to HD. The conversation could not have taken more than a few minutes.
I really like Dish Network. Our satellite only really ever goes on the fritz in a sticky snow storm. Even then it clears off quickly with a brush on a pole. A minor inconvienence for excellent quality and service. Just my $.02.
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05:02 PM
$Rich$ Member
Posts: 14575 From: Sioux Falls SD Registered: Dec 2002
We've been Dish Network customers for around 6 years, it's always just been in my name. I've been seeing the "Free HD for Life" commercials and was curious since we still have the standard definition receiver and would love to upgrade if it were really free. I went to the website to do some looking around and all you needed to do was sign a one year contract and sign up for paperless bill pay. They didn't specify whether it was just for new customers or if existing customers could get the deal also so I called.
The lady I talked sounded new but whatever. In order for me to get this deal, I would have to get an HD receiver (duh). Thing is, I would have to pay for it ($200) and pay installation. If I were a new customer, I would get this all for free, plus free HBO for 3 months. To me this doesn't make sense, I understand trying to lure in new customers with great deals, but shouldn't they treat existing loyal customers just as good, if not better. We get a free upgrade on our cell phones every year, why can't Dish Network do something like that?
Anywho, I'm curious if I were to cancel my subscription (I'm out of contract), and then have my wife sign up in her name, would that work since we're obviously at the same address?? I think it would be a great deal, if it worked the way I think it will. Anybody out there ever tried this and "gotten away with it"??
I doubt it... they'll know it's on the same address.
You could switch to DirecTV, Xfinity, or ATT-Uvers (my personal favorite)... and then, after that contract is up, you can switch back and get the free stuff.
I'd rather not switch. I really do like Dish Network, just this whole thing seems dumb. I'm planning on calling them tomorrow, hopefully I will have good news.
I'd rather not switch. I really do like Dish Network, just this whole thing seems dumb. I'm planning on calling them tomorrow, hopefully I will have good news.
DIsh and DirecTV are like exactly the same... they even use the same satellites as far as I understand.
DIsh and DirecTV are like exactly the same... they even use the same satellites as far as I understand.
On the surface, yes. They probably do share much of the overall equipment. I've had both. (Dish Network for 15 months and DirecTV for 11 years.) To me, I won't go back to Dish Network due to thier crappy customer service and thier program packages. I've stayed with DirecTV because of outstanding customer service. (They actually speak English and are from the U.S.) DirecTV has always grandfathered me on any package change or major rate hikes. I get free programing offers and never had a problem with them. I've had equipment "failures" twice. Both service calls were free and equipment switch outs were free. (I was outside my initial 2 year contract on both.
I'm sure fastblack feels the same way about Dish Network. I hope that Dish Netowrk does see the value in you being thier customer and works out a deal with you. If not, I highly recommend DirecTV.
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09:15 AM
fastblack Member
Posts: 3696 From: Riceville, IA Registered: Nov 2003
Just got off the phone with them. The only deal I could get would be the free installation. They will still charge me for the new receiver AND (something I didn't think about) a new dish, grrrrr. I did mention (briefly) canceling and having my wife sign up as a new customer and he really didn't say much about that not being possible. Going to talk to the wife tonight and I may call them back with that offer. This is getting stupid.
nibotolu: They did forward me to the customer loyalty department and that's who I mainly talked to. Maybe I'm getting soft and they didn't take my threats seriously
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12:03 PM
fastblack Member
Posts: 3696 From: Riceville, IA Registered: Nov 2003
I called back and flat out asked if I could cancel and have my wife sign up as a new customer. They said that they would rather not I do that, but there was nothing they could do to stop it. I told them it would be easier to just send me the new equipment free but they held their ground.
On a side note, the way to get free HD for life (of the account) is to either pay a one time fee of $99 or simply sign up for paperless auto pay. I kinda like getting a paper bill in the mail, but I guess I'll just add another folder in my email.
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01:10 PM
OKflyboy Member
Posts: 6607 From: Not too far from Mexico Registered: Nov 2004
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Dish and DirecTV are like exactly the same... they even use the same satellites as far as I understand.
Having worked for both - I can say that Dish and DirecTV do NOT use the same satellites. They are in relatively the same orbital positions, but that's not saying much as most geosynchronous Satellites reside in the Clark's belt...
I have kept Dish, even while working for Direct mainly because of PVRExplorerPro, a program that allows me to pull the MPEG2 files off of my DVR and store them on my computer (a program that, as far as I can tell, has no equivalent for DirecTV).
As far as the new customer's getting the sweet deal and older customer's getting the raw deal well... "officially" their reasoning is this - you probably got the "Sweet deal" of the day when you signed up...Kinda like getting "First time home buyers" deal at your bank, its for first time home buyers, you get it when you buy your first home, not your second or third... Unofficially, can you get a whole lot by threatening to cancel? Usually, yes. Most of the time the Winback dept will cave and offer you something similar to the sweet new customer deal. Sometimes not, though. The thing is, you have to be committed and be prepared for them to call your bluff. Because, honestly they hear "Well I'll just cancel then, what do you think about THAT?!" a hundred times a day, and only 1 or 2 actually do, the rest are just bluffing to get some free swag. However, if you do have the follow through to cancel, chances are you will be getting a call from Winback within a couple of months begging you to come back - that's when you get the sweet deals...
As far as canceling your account and starting a new one with your wife's name... When I was there they kept accounts by addresses, so there wasn't a direct way to do that, since if you tried to open a new account on the address that had a recently canceled account, the system would automatically reject it, that goes for trying to "tweak" the address with a "Apt 1" at the end or something as well.
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------------------ "The flag should be displayed with the union down, as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."
Read my Earthship thread in Totally O/T si vis pacem, para bellum
"The said constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." - Samuel Adams
What part of "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" is so hard to understand?!
[This message has been edited by OKflyboy (edited 06-22-2010).]
I simply asked to speak to a supervisor, an proceded to tell the supervisor that we would no longer be needing their services, unless you upgraded our household up to HD. The conversation could not have taken more than a few minutes. 
