Dish Network FlexTV Questions..

[STEELERSRULE]

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[sure2rain]

Just reactivated my Flex plan after a 3 month stop. I had no major problems at all. I paid a one month fee online and then called and went throught the telephone menu to reactivate. I did have to call tech support because I wasn't getting a signal. Tech support took care of the problem in a few minutes. He said that since my service was stopped for a the 3 months he had to resend the signal. It took another 5 minutes to re-establish my locals but much of that time was spent rebooting the receiver. I was expecting a reactivation fee but was pleasently surprised when none was charged.

 

[r10fret]

So had you just let it run out or did you actually call to deactivate it 3 months ago? Also what type of package did you have?

 

[sure2rain]

I just let it run out, i.e., did not make a payment. I have the welcome package with locals.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

Just reactivated my Flex plan after a 3 month stop. I had no major problems at all. I paid a one month fee online and then called and went throught the telephone menu to reactivate. I did have to call tech support because I wasn't getting a signal. Tech support took care of the problem in a few minutes. He said that since my service was stopped for a the 3 months he had to resend the signal. It took another 5 minutes to re-establish my locals but much of that time was spent rebooting the receiver. I was expecting a reactivation fee but was pleasently surprised when none was charged.

So, if I understand you correctly, and if I don't please explain. You let your account lapse(did not pay), and then 3 months later, you paid the so-called "outstanding balance(which is bullsh*t, unless I don't understand the meaning of prepaid)" on your account.

After you paid that amount, your account was not automatically restarted because according to DISH, that unpaid balance is like a FEE/PENALTY. Then you were prompted to call whatever # they gave you on your online account, and THEN you paid for 3 months of service in advance(Welcome Pack).

If that is the case, then you were penalized by paying an outstanding balance which should not exist for PREPAID customers. The balance should go back down to $0, even if you let it lapse and not pay. Then too restart your service, at what ever level you want, then you would pay the new balance that is needed to be paid.

Is there something wrong with my thinking here? Am I missing something? If I am wrong, please tell me, but it seems SURE2RAIN paid an outstanding balance, which should not exist, JUST TO GET THE CHANCE TO PREPAY FOR 3 MONTHS OF "THE WELCOME PACK".

?

 

[patrick80639]

So, if I understand you correctly, and if I don't please explain. You let your account lapse(did not pay), and then 3 months later, you paid the so-called "outstanding balance(which is bullsh*t, unless I don't understand the meaning of prepaid)" on your account.

After you paid that amount, your account was not automatically restarted because according to DISH, that unpaid balance is like a FEE/PENALTY. Then you were prompted to call whatever # they gave you on your online account, and THEN you paid for 3 months of service in advance(Welcome Pack).

If that is the case, then you were penalized by paying an outstanding balance which should not exist for PREPAID customers. The balance should go back down to $0, even if you let it lapse and not pay. Then too restart your service, at what ever level you want, then you would pay the new balance that is needed to be paid.

Is there something wrong with my thinking here? Am I missing something? If I am wrong, please tell me, but it seems SURE2RAIN paid an outstanding balance, which should not exist, JUST TO GET THE CHANCE TO PREPAY FOR 3 MONTHS OF "THE WELCOME PACK".

?

I think you've mistundestood how it works. If you let a flex account lapse, it will close and zero out. You just have to pay one month in advance (it being pre-paid and all) and a reconnect fee when you want to restart it. That's pretty much it. There is no outstanding blance at all. I think the reconnect fee is $20, though.

 

[TonyT@DISH Network]

It sounds like everything went smooth. A few little kicks to wake up a sleepy system and that was all she wrote.

Glad its on, and if there are any issues, holler!

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I think you've mistundestood how it works. If you let a flex account lapse, it will close and zero out. You just have to pay one month in advance (it being pre-paid and all) and a reconnect fee when you want to restart it. That's pretty much it. There is no outstanding blance at all. I think the reconnect fee is $20, though.

OK. I actually have the prepaid setup. I have had it well over 3 years when it was DishNOW!(G*d, I wish they went back to that).

Then according to my "online account", my balance should actually read "$0", but it read $111.30. This is because the last time I prepaid, I got the Everything Pack. But since I stopped, that does not mean I want the Everything pack to re-start it this time.

Using the online account, i should be able to :

1. Pick and choose what I want, thus giving me a "new" balance to pay.(I am not going to order the same thing everytime I walk into a McDonalds, thus the bill being different each time)
2. Prepay with GreenDot MoneyPak(STUPID, STUPID DISH!! No longer allowed). I give this advice if you are prepaid customer, so take it or leave it, but NEVER give them a Credit Card #. Just prepay for what you want. That is the point of this setup. **THERE IS NO RE-START FEE** At least back in November 2010, this was the case for me, even though the setup had been dormant well over a year. And I think sure2rain said that in his post
3. After paying(for whatever period of time you want upfront), then programming should start. And when I want it too stop, let it lapse, and my online prepaid FlexTV account should read $0 again.

Using the online account, THAT should all be allowed to be done.

Now, when I called to re-up back in Nov. 2010, I ahd MAJOR PROBLEMS with the CSR's trying to explain this. Now eventually, after many times calling and hanging up, I got one(CSR) who understood, and was restarted and prepaid for 2 months of the Everything Pack. But not after alot of headaches and arguing my point.

Too many problems. I don't like alot of problems, so therefore I said too myself, "I am just not going through again, UNLESS they allow me to do this ALL online, without there involvement."

That was ONE OF the most beautiful things about DishNOW! I had little too zero involvement with CSR's, and everything(once there was a major problem) went smooth as silk using the automated system. I truly do miss that set-up/delivery system.

But, oh well. I think I have said what I needed to say.

 

[patrick80639]

Totally agree, STEELERSRULE, DishNOW was a great service. I really loved being able to upgrade to HBO for as little as one day if I wanted. And the automated phone system was so easy to work with. I have a feeling dish is making a lot more money now with those who were switched to flex or post-paid accounts. I for one have gone from spending $30-40/month on pre-paid to $150/mo now. I'll admit, I'm one of those people who easily forgets about how much I'm really paying if it's automatically charged. Pretty dumb, but I do think a lot of people are the same way. The demise of DishNOW is a testament of why tv providers will never allow a la carte, it lets people control costs way too much.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

Totally agree, STEELERSRULE, DishNOW was a great service. I really loved being able to upgrade to HBO for as little as one day if I wanted. And the automated phone system was so easy to work with. I have a feeling dish is making a lot more money now with those who were switched to flex or post-paid accounts. I for one have gone from spending $30-40/month on pre-paid to $150/mo now. I'll admit, I'm one of those people who easily forgets about how much I'm really paying if it's automatically charged. Pretty dumb, but I do think a lot of people are the same way. The demise of DishNOW is a testament of why tv providers will never allow a la carte, it lets people control costs way too much.

Agreed. I knew DishNOW! would not last long. Even after I initially bought it. Way too much control for the customer. But I got about 2 1-2 to 3 years of service out of it, so I definitely got my initial $100 cost out of the whole system, that is for sure.

I just posted my feelings in the "how can we improve the online account access/setup" thread about the FlexTV setup.

Not that it will do any good, but it is at least worth it to mention some helpful tips here and there, that maybe they will implement. Read it and see if you agree or not.

 

[cal]

Can we use any receiver on flex pay or does it have to be a specific model .

 

[MaryB@SlingTV]

Can we use any receiver on flex pay or does it have to be a specific model .

Any receiver is fine but you can only have HD or VIP receivers on an Eastern Arc installation which is 72, 77 & 61.5 satellites. just be sure you know which install you will be getting.

 

[snewkirk]

Totally agree, STEELERSRULE, DishNOW was a great service. I really loved being able to upgrade to HBO for as little as one day if I wanted. And the automated phone system was so easy to work with. I have a feeling dish is making a lot more money now with those who were switched to flex ..... .

Not the case for me. When I could choose what I wanted for the amount of time I wanted. I spent most of my time with the "Silver" package, and a few days of HBO or Showtime as I felt I wanted to spend the money. Now I am parked on the "Welcome Pac' because I don't want to risk my grandfathered status (until recently If I went away from the Welcome Pac, I could never go back, even now it is not an online choice). Not even counting the extra fee for GreenDot, I was paying more (and liked it better) with the old DIshNow.

 

[gdunn2]

Any receiver is fine but you can only have HD or VIP receivers on an Eastern Arc installation which is 72, 77 & 61.5 satellites. just be sure you know which install you will be getting.

Mary,

I have a HD receiver on the western arc. It's a 222k.on a flex pay account. Are you sure that this is correct?

Gary Dunn
Lind, WA

 

[Jim5506]

What Mary was saying was that if you are EA, you must have a ViP receiver because all SD on EA is MPEG4.

WA can be any receiver from 301 to ViP722k.

 

[patrick80639]

What Mary was saying was that if you are EA, you must have a ViP receiver because all SD on EA is MPEG4.

WA can be any receiver from 301 to ViP722k.

I think it starts at 311 now. The prepaid boxes were 301's and dish offered a free upgrade to a 311 when they phased out Dish Now.

 

[Frank7004]

301s are going away. Lol and now that we are hitting the accounts and swapping rcvrs for people, we are finding them everywhere they aren't to be. Lol.

People are pissed that a 322 replaces 2 301 rcvrs. Lol!

 

[TonyT@DISH Network]

I could almost see it, actually. It is a bit funny.

 

[cal]

Im trying to activate a refurbished 322 receiver I bought . They keep trying to put me on a contract that if I want to get on flextv i need to have a installer come and hook up my receiver . Is this correct then whats the point of flextv.

 

[TonyT@DISH Network]

Actually, what you need to be looking at is an activation account. Because you have bought a receiver externally, it is a bit different then had you have bought the equipment direct. An activation account is basically a Flex account where you bought the equipment externally (if that makes sense). If you would like, PM me and I can see what options are available.