Provo marketing firm fined for hanging up on customers [Deseret News] (Thanks to Brandon!) (Photo: Getty)

The satcaster issued a press release on Monday saying it would add 22 High-Definition channels this week. The announcement appeared to put Dish on par with high-def programming leader DIRECTV, which carries 95 national HD channels.

And if you weren't clear about that, Dish underscored the point in the release by including this quote from Eric Sahl, the company's senior vice president of programming:

"We are excited to extend our competitiveness in HD by enhancing our already comprehensive HD lineup with these 22 channels, bringing our total HD lineup to over 95 channels," Sahl said.

Problem is — at the very moment when the press release was issued — Dish Network was preparing to remove 15 Voom HD channels from its high-def lineup, starting Monday night.

And, by Tuesday night, all 15 Voom HD channels were gone, leaving Dish Network with around 80 national HD channels

Sneaky.

Dish Network Expands 'Chutzpah Capacity' [TVpredictions](Thanks, Jake!)
(Photo: scarequotes )

Here's what our readers said when they nominated these two companies:

Countrywide:
"For creating moral hazard and helping to destroy our economy."
"Poster Child of the subprime meltdown"
"Best Buy has problems, but they're not scamming people out of their homes. ..The only competition to Countrywide is Blackwater"
"The symbolic damage they've done to this country alone oughta be enough."
"for enabling the credit crisis."
"Because 12% of your loans being subprime can cause 120% of your troubles (and nearly wreck the American economy in the process)"
"Who else has been so completely destructive to the entire economy"
"for causing this shitty market by preying on the uninformed."
"what housing bubble?"

Dish Network
"No one has nominated Dish Network yet?"

This is a post in our Worst Company In America 2008 series. The companies nominated for this honor were chosen by you, the readers. Keep track of all the goings on at consumerist.com/tag/worst-company-in-america/

STILL OPEN FOR VOTING:
Sprint vs Hewlett Packard
Blue Cross Blue Shield vs CNN
Gamestop vs Monster Cable
Bank Of America vs Toys R' Us
Toshiba vs Microsoft
US Airways vs Washington Mutual
American Airlines vs Blockbuster
Time Warner Cable vs Radioshack
Wellpoint vs Charter Cable
Dell vs Home Depot
Sears vs Citibank
Wal-Mart vs TJMaxx
Mattel vs ATT
Capital One vs Video Professor
eBay/Paypal vs COX
Apple vs SallieMae
Diebold Vs Pfizer
MTV vs TransUnion
CompUSA vs DirecTV
Target vs Best Buy
Allstate vs Verizon
DeBeers vs 1800 flowers
Starbucks vs United Airlines
Exxon vs Crocs
Google Vs Sony
Ticketmaster vs Wachovia
Facebook vs The American Arbitration Association
Comcast vs Menu Foods

(Photo: Ric Francis/AP)

Homeowner allegedly threatens repairman with shotgun [San Diego Union Tribune] (Thanks to Sean!)
(Photo: Getty)

My Husband and I called Embarq for a bundle pack with dish network in April of 2007. We were told by Embarq that we would only be seeing one bill from them, that would include dish charges, and that it would be about $100 a month. We have paid our bill every month, and never had anything suspended. As a matter of fact, we had never had to make any inquiries about dish as it had been a wonderful experience until mid-January. One morning I was turning on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for my son and I had no service. So I called Embarq, who told me to call Dish, who had no record of our names or social security numbers, who told me to call Emarq again...

I was completely confused. Finally, I got ahold of a rep for Embarq who called Dish 3-way. I gave them the serial number from my box and it was registered to a Maria something who lived in another town 30 miles away. This Maria chick stopped paying the bill after her services were un-bundled in October.

Apparently, Embarq also had NO record of us ever being bundled before, and no record of us ever putting in an order for Dish services!!

So, after that conversation, Dish agreed to turn it back on and I was to get a phone call from Embarq after they re-did the account and had it all bundled. Needless to say I never got that phone call and have called them on SEVERAL occasions and gotten no where. Well, my service is once again ,OFF, and no one has any clue whats going on or how to fix this mess.

They are trying to get me to pay the 200 dollars that is due on the account that my box is listed to, even after the first rep (the one from the 3-way call) told me I was not liable for any charges that occurred before January 27th 2007. Any Ideas how to fix this mess? Because I have no more options!

God Bless,
Kayla S.

(Photo: Getty)

Now Dish Network calls me LITERALLY every day trying to get me to sign up again. I explain my situation every time and they treat me with disgust, as if I am making up some elaborate story because I don't have the guts to tell them I hate their service.

The irony is, I loved Dish Network service. Everything about the customer experience has been positive except this part. I probably would sign up again next time I'm renting my own place, but not if these calls keep coming in. I have told them two or three times to stop calling me but I keep getting the calls. I usually ignore them now since I can see the number on my cell phone when they call and I know the number they call from by heart now, but it's still annoying.

Thanks for a great website,

Will

If a consumer asks a company not to call, the company may not call, even if there is an established business relationship. Indeed, a company may not call a consumer - regardless of whether the consumer's number is on the registry - if the consumer has asked to be put on the company's own do not call list.

(Photo:diaper)

Science has proven it! There can be no billing errors on pay-per-view movies. Ever.

Because their phone service is atrocious and has extensive hold times, I decided to contact them via their website late last week. Within the prescribed 24-48 hours, I received a canned response that basically said "tough luck." Here's the text of their response:

Thank you for your e-mail. Please understand all pay-per-view (PPV) movies are non-refundable once ordered. Our technical specialists have done exhaustive troubleshooting on tuners that were reported to have ordered pay-per-view events independently and have found it is not possible for a tuner to do so. The system requires that you confirm your purchase two times before the order will process.

The process to order a PPV includes:

1) Tuning to an event from the guide or channel itself.

2) Pressing the "Select" button go to the order screen.

3) Pressing the "Select" button again to order the PPV.

4) Pressing the right arrow button to highlight "Yes."

5) Pressing the "Select" button to confirm the order.

6) Pressing the "Select" button to run the phone test.

7) Finally, pressing the "Select" button again to acknowledge the test results.

We regret that it is not possible to make the credit, as you have requested. If you are unaware of how these movies were ordered on your system, you may choose to either lock out your system's pay-per-view feature (menu, 5, 3) or call us at 1-800-333-3474 to have a supervisor permanently disable your pay-per-view. Both options will prevent pay-per-views from being ordered on your system in the future without your prior explicit approval.

We thank you for allowing us to be of assistance to you. If you have any further questions or concerns, please refer to www.dishnetwork.com or reply to this email.

In short, they claim that it's impossible for their system to make an error of this nature, and they further argued that ordering a PPV movie is so complex that it would be impossible to do so accidentally. The only useful information contained within their boilerplate response is an outline of how to lock out PPV movies. The funny thing is, the movie in question was apparently ordered at 5AM on a Monday morning, at which time nobody in our house is awake.

I've responded letting them know that we've just about satisfied our original 18 month agreement (we're seventeen months in) and that I can't believe they'd risk running off a reliable customer in the interest of defending a $3.99 billing error. Whether or not the PPV movie is technically refundable, they have it within their power to make billing adjustments. They've just chosen not to. I'm sure that the CSR that reads my response won't care, but I'm sick of dealing with dumbass CSRs on the phone. Next stop, a phone call to EchoStar corporate headquarters — this is seemingly the only way to get any satisfaction from them.

Dish Network You STILL Suck [FiveCentNickel]
(Photo:JohnKit)

My wife and I signed up for Dish Network service last summer '06 and were fairly happy with it. Come this August we moved into a new house where another service was available and decided to switch. I called and canceled our service approximately 2-3 weeks before we were set to move (paying a prorated disconnect fee in the process), scheduling the last day of service to be the last day of the month. I was told by the Customer Service rep that I would receive pre-paid 'courtesy' UPS boxes to return the equipment. We expected the boxes to arrive before we moved, considering we'd given ample notice.

However, come moving day, no boxes had arrived. "No problem" we thought. After all, we had a forwarding address set up and if junk mail can find its way from the old address to the new, surely something as large as this will too.

Come next month I happen to look at my bank account and there's a $300 charge to Dish Network. I received no bill, no phone call, my bank account is simply $300 poorer. I immediately called them back and requested an explanation. It seems that the boxes were sent to our old address and not forwarded. They'll resend the boxes which should arrive in 3-5 business daysand as soon as we have a UPS tracking number, the money will be refunded. Case closed. Or so I thought.

Fast forward two weeks and the boxes haven't arrived. I called customer service again. Guess what? They sent the boxes to our old apartment address... again. I asked if there was a location near where I lived so that I could drop the equipment off myself and get my money back. I'm given a number to a local distributer. I'm told to leave a message and they'll get back to me. While waiting to hear back from the distributer I received a bill for $24.75 from none other than Dish Network. But I canceled the service! Ah, but I owe $25 in sales tax for the $300 worth of equipment I don't want. And here's the kicker: it's addressed correctly at our new house.

I, for a fourth time, call up customer service on Monday Nov 5th. In a rather irritated tone I skip the niceties and ask for the boxes to be sent to the address that I now know is quite firmly in their computer system. I'm assured that they'll be resent and that I'd have them by Friday. That was yesterday. Calling again this morning I'm told that the boxes have been mailed to my old apartment complex for a THIRD TIME. Supposedly they've sent a fourth set to my house this time, (which apparently will take 7-10 business days to arrive, contrary to the 3-5 it's always taken before) and I can finally get my money back.

I'm hoping that the inept CS reps can connect the addresses long enough to get these mailed correctly, but I expect in about 2 weeks I'll call back and yet again be told that they were sent swiftly to my old address along with a $24.75 charge going to collections (assuming it isn't withdrawn from my account without my permission again). Any advice (and publicity) is appreciated.

(Photo: diaper)

Dish Network has no record of Jane in their system. They referred her to three Dish Network installation affiliates, but the affiliates hadn't installed any dishes at Jane's address. Jane asked the local police department for help, but they said it wasn't a police matter. Frustrated and wanting the dish off her roof, Jane offered to send the receiver back to Dish Network. Because they have no record of installation, they won't accept delivery.

Pictures and the email address for Dish Network's CEO, after the jump...

My husband and I came home Monday from work and discussed a Dish Network 500 that had been installed on our roof — AND WE DIDN'T order it!

I contacted Dish Network and they passed me from one person to another with little help, stating I was not in their database. No, I wouldn't be, would I, if I didn't order it! They gave me contacts info of affiliates in the Plano, Texas area who install their equipment, but none of the 3 companies turned up anything.

The Customer Solutions (an oxymoron if ever there was) department of Dish Network 500 suggested I call the local police and file a police report. When I phoned the Plano Police Dept. they suggested it was not a police matter but if I wanted to file a judgment against Dish Network 500 in civil court I could pursue that avenue and gave me the number.

I even offered to personally remove it from my roof and ship it to Dish Network 500, but the so-called Damage Control dept. didn't want it because they said they didn't install it. So it appears to be of NO VALUE to them, not even the flimsy $100 it may be worth!

I am going to contact a local news affiliate and report this to their consumer investigative dept. and see what happens.

Got any suggestions?

Photos of the dish:

"Wow, thanks for all the help! Thanks for the posting, Consumerist....I love this site. I do have autopay on my DISH bill (which STILL shows my account delinquent on their website....go figure) and receive a paper bill via USPS.

Mysteriously, the amount removed from my account this month was around $15 less than shown on the paper statement. I can only guess since I cannot access my account online, that they have eliminated the $5 access fee as well as $10 from the sign-up discount which is another story. You receive a $100 discount for signing up, given in $10 increments removed from your monthly programming. I sent the required paperwork in along with a copy of my first statement but got it all back because I didn't include a copy of the BACK side of the statement. Like I said, I'm only guessing that's the rest of the difference. As I find out, I'll let you know. And no, just plugging in a dead phone line doesn't get it..."

We've sent Dee a comments invite in case she wants to join the conversation more directly.

— BEN POPKEN

Previously: Dish Charges You Extra For Not Having A Phone

When she emailed customer service to ask how to get the fee removed, Dish told her she could get a phone line installed.

Great idea! Spend $35 to save $5!

Correspondence inside...

— BEN POPKEN

A man has a right to some TV over Memorial Day, goldarnit! but to do that would require Dish to do a big favor, namely to service and stand behind its product and provide a minimum of consideration for an unhappy customer.

John's letter, after the jump...

John writes:

[photo]

From reader neobolts: "I'm not sure about TiVO, but disconnecting your phone line from your Dish Network satellite receiver can result in one of Dish Network's favorite hidden fees..."

Find out how after the jump...

The way it works is that your receiver dials out on a monthly basis, and keeps trying again if it fails. If the company's monitoring computers don't hear from your receiver for a full month, they pile on a $5 fee for certain models. These models are the ones where you can run two TVs off one box. Tired of people splitting the cost of satellite with their neighbor, the company began this aggressive monitoring/fee system.

"Additional Outlet Programming Access Fee: A $5.00 per month additional outlet programming access fee will be charged to your account for each dual tuner receiver (models 322, 522, 625, and ViP622 DVR) activated. This fee will be waived on a monthly basis for each such receiver that DISH Network confirms has been continuously connected to your same land-based phone line. DISH Network's confirmation process shall be the sole method utilized to determine if your additional outlet programming access fee(s) will be waived;"

Source: http://www.dishtv.com/terms_dha04.jsp

Who would have thought you could be charged for not using a company's service?

Previously: TiVo Box, Lacking Love, Jacks Up Huge Phone Bill

Steve recently converted to HDTV and canceled his Dish Network subscription, helped by their incompetent telesales staff. His letter to us, after the jump, contains a good nougat for consumers looking to switch to HDTV. If your service provider asks you to spend a lot of money to switch to HDTV, do some comparison shopping. You likely will find another company willing to lease you the equipment with no upfront costs, installation fees, or Chinese water torture...

"I was a customer of Dish for over 8 years, and recently upgraded to a HDTV. I have owned their highest priced channel package, as well as a few movie packages, and have had a DVR of theirs (multiple ones) since they started offering them. The 480i feed for the regular service looked horrible on my new DLP unit, so I called looking to upgrade to the HD DVR. I was very excited to start watching crystal clear content, and was expecting some sort of fee to start leasing the new equipment. They told me that because I was a already a customer, they would not lease me the unit (?!!) but that I could buy it for $800 (which does not include the over-the-air antenna to receive local HD content or any installation fees) if I could find it at one of their retailers (they said they don't sell units themselves).

At that point, I called my local cable company, who told me that they would lease me an HD DVR unit for no down payment and no installation fee, which included local HD content with no extra equipment. So I called Dish back to cancel my service, was put on hold for a while, and then was told that since I was a (I forget the exact term they used, but it was something like... ) "power user" because I had been with them for over 8 years, that they would be willing to let me buy the $800 HD DRV that they had just told me five minutes before that they wouldn't lease or sell to me, for a mere $250 but that I had to act right then because the offer was only good for that phone call (the
first rep I talked to also said that they were going to discontinue that particular model in a few months, and that I could check back when the new model came out to see if they would be willing to lease me the new unit at that time). I wasn't really interested in buying a soon-to-be outdated model for that price, and I have had 4 Dish DVRs
die on me in the past that I've had to replace, and the ones that I "own" always cost more to replace - the one perk of leasing is that they are obligated to replace the unit when it breaks - so I told them I wasn't interested and cancelled anyway.

I was a loyal customer, but telling your customers that "since you already use us, we will not give you the same treatment as we do new customers" is just stupid and serves to drive off your loyal customers.

Every time some rep says something like that to me, all I hear is "we don't want your money anymore, please see our numerous competitors who do. thank you, and don't come again."

Steve R."

Sounds like Steve got stuck with a very green Dish sales rep. Dish's loss for poor training.