Breakink contract

[Stanleee]

Now that they are taking my distant networks away, can I break my contract without fees? I am heading back to cable because the butt sucking congressman passed the new law. If not, what are the fees anyone know?

 

[SHADO 1]

$13.33 per month of remaining months left, and if you lease, the return of all equipment.

 

[lakebum431]

You might be better off getting the "lifeline" cable (basically locals only for about $10 a month and keeping Dish for everything else. That way you don't have to break the contract.

 

[boba]

And for your information there was no new law passed. Eight years or more ago DISH started breaking the existing law and has been delaying it in court till they finally ran out of appeals when the Supreme Court refused to hear it.

DISH is trying to get a law passed to legalize what they have done but the House of Representatives is on recess until after Dec.first so it isn't going to happen.

 

[Stanleee]

And for your information there was no new law passed. Eight years or more ago DISH started breaking the existing law and has been delaying it in court till they finally ran out of appeals when the Supreme Court refused to hear it.

DISH is trying to get a law passed to legalize what they have done but the House of Representatives is on recess until after Dec.first so it isn't going to happen.

Thanks for clearing that up Boba, but it feels better to blame them I wish the people had the choice of who brings our networks in, but that may never happen.

 

[Zero327]

I'm curious why someone would think they can back out of a contract due to a court order given to the service provider barring transmission of distant locals? What at all does that have to do with a contractual obligation to a company? That's like asking Verizon to let you back out of a two-year agreement because they stop carrying the Samsung XXXX.

 

[Pepper]

Is the cable company going to provide distant networks, or are you just wanting to cancel because you're ticked off?

(rhetorical question)

 

[MikeF]

or are you just wanting to cancel because you're ticked off?

I can feel his pain if this is his reason for wanting to cancel. I am mad enough to do the same. Last March, after guarantees from E* that I would still be able to KEEP my KC locals instead of having to switch to Topeka's I committed to the 622 upgrade, 18 more months of E*, and 18 months of the HD pack. As late as Oct 10, by email, e*'s Executive Communications Dept was still telling me the same thing. Then, last Monday, the same guy tells me "sorry for the confusion but your KC locals will in fact be turned off on 12/1" and I would have to switch to Topeka's. But Topeka's locals are NOT HD and I can only get one of the Topeka HD stations via OTA. But since the OTA antenna was taken off my house during the whole 622 upgrade that is not possible anyway. The ABC and FOX stations are too low power for me to get (approx. 100 miles) and the NBC station is not even digital yet. And all this after all of E*'s guantees that I would be able to keep the KC stations for HD. MAD, you bet I am. I feel I have been lied to and cheated out of hundreds of dollars by E*'s incopetence and sorry business practices. They broke their committment to me. Why should I be held to mine?

And I will not even start the story of how since the "Sorry for the confusion" email the same Executive Communications rep will not return an email.

 

[BoisePaul]

That's like asking Verizon to let you back out of a two-year agreement because they stop carrying the Samsung XXXX.

Not really. This is more like asking Verizon to let you out of a contract because you can't place or receive calls to or from an area code other than your own, and if you travel outside of your own area code, your phone stops working. Not an unreasonable request, in my eyes.

 

[chaddux]

Not really. This is more like asking Verizon to let you out of a contract because you can't place or receive calls to or from an area code other than your own, and if you travel outside of your own area code, your phone stops working. Not an unreasonable request, in my eyes.

No, it's not. Very bad analogy. There is no law governing what area codes you can and cannot call. There is, however, a law governing what local networks you can and cannot receive.

 

[Claude Greiner]

The way the contracts are written it states that programming is subject to change without notice, I don't understand what part of that customers don't seem to understand.

So you get pist off and cancel your DISH service over Distants, its not like your going to get them from Cable or from Directv..

This kind of reminds me of a phone call I got this afternoon....

Customer:Hi my name is so and so and I believe my contract is up with DISH Network.

ME: Ok, so your now on month to month. What can I help you with.

Customer: I see you have these new HD packages for $20 more per month.

Me: Do you have an HD receiver?

Customer:No

Me:Well you can call 800-333-DISH and they have a program called DISH N it up and you can upgrade your equipment for $59.99.

Customer: We'll I'll be glad to sign another contract if I can get the HDTV programming for FREE

Me: Sir, I don't think DISH Network will let you do that. They already provide the HDTV equipment and installation at a discounted rate, and they got this rebate that gives you $10 off for $10 months. Thats really not that bad of deal.

Customer: I shouldn't have to pay, I want to get the programming for FREE.

Me: You can call 800-333-DISH and see what they have to say, but the point of giving you discounted equipment is to get you to subscibe to the programming, and even that they are discounting for 10 months.

Customer:Well if I have to do that, I might as well switch to Directv because the HD programming is half the price.

Me: Yea, and your getting 7 or so HD channels on Directv compaired to 28 channels on DISH. Compair apples to apples, not apples to oranges.

Customer: Well thanks for nouthing, goodbye (Hangup)

 

[BoisePaul]

No, it's not. Very bad analogy. There is no law governing what area codes you can and cannot call. There is, however, a law governing what local networks you can and cannot receive.

Correct. However, under law, I CAN have distants. It was E*'s choice (indirectly by violating the law) to take them away. Therefore, for me, the analogy works. YMMV.

 

[Jim5506]

Correct. However, under law, I CAN have distants. It was E*'s choice (indirectly by violating the law) to take them away. Therefore, for me, the analogy works. YMMV.

The law does not give you the right to distants, it allows Dish/Direct to provide them. Because of Dish's behavior, their ability to provide them has been enjoined.
The law is not concerned with consumers, it regulates the providers.