# Dish HD Absolute & Access fee



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

got a email from dish informing me that there was a change in my billing. Logged in and found a $6.00 access fee was added to my account. I called dish and was informed that because I had the absolute package I would now be charged a access fee. Got the the old routine that they had the right but the real reason is they want me to change packages. They offered me dish america to replace the absolute package or I could keep it but pay the additional fee. 

My response was to cancel my account with dish. I have been with dish since 1995. I am not going to do business with a company that can't or will not keep their word. Per Charlie "sign up for the absolute package for $30.00 and never pay a increase for as long as you remain a dish customer."

I have enjoyed all the forums have provided and wish you all well. Hello Hulu Plus and OTA.


----------



## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Everyone has to make their own decisions.

Hulu Plus isn't all that you might want it to be. OTA might be good, depending on where you are.

Good luck and enjoy!


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I've seen people discussing this on AVSForum... but I haven't seen anyone yet report actually receiving a bill asking them to pay this additional fee.

It might be true... but a month ago people were saying HD Absolute was being canceled and everyone had to switch and that CSRs were telling people this too...

So, I am waiting for people to actually get bills with this fee on it.

Meanwhile, in fairness... surprisingly Dish used to charge $34.95 for HD Absolute + locals and dropped that to $29.95 a couple of months ago... with no explanation... so adding $6 now would only represent a $1 price increase over what the bill was for anyone getting locals.


----------



## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

Stewart Vernon said:


> I've seen people discussing this on AVSForum... but I haven't seen anyone yet report actually receiving a bill asking them to pay this additional fee.
> 
> It might be true... but a month ago people were saying HD Absolute was being canceled and everyone had to switch and that CSRs were telling people this too...
> 
> ...


And for those of us that are getting the $5 off per month for the next year due to the loss of NatGeo. We will be doing OK.


----------



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

Your replies do not address the reason for my post. That being I did nothing and Dish add the charge to my bill. It appears to me that Dish wants absolute package to go away. Here is the email I was sent. I MADE NO CHANGES to anything on my Dish account, the email even states that I made no changes.

Your request has been processed.
View as web | Update account info

Account Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear CHARLES HUGHES,

This is a confirmation that your recent request to change programming or upgrade your receiver has been processed. Please review the details regarding your service change. If you have questions or need to make changes to any of the information displayed below, please call 1-888-809-0887.

PACKAGES:
Access Fee

LOCAL CHANNELS:
No Change

REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORKS:
No Change

PREMIUM PACKAGES:
No Change

RECEIVERS:
No Change

Thank you for being a valued DISH Network customer.

www.dishnetwork.com Update Account Info Privacy Policy

To ensure email delivery, please add [email protected] to your address book.

©2010, DISH Network L.L.C. All rights reserved.
9601 S. Meridian Blvd., Englewood, CO 80112


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I don't know what to say about that... I haven't seen anyone else say that they've gotten an email. Some have checked their accounts online and seen the charge, but no one has yet been billed.

Are you certain the email came from Dish and isn't one of those phishing emails?

IF it is from Dish... you're the first one I've seen reporting it, which seems odd... because a bunch of people on here have HD Absolute so I would think everyone would be getting an email.


----------



## calgary2800 (Aug 27, 2006)

I do have hd absolute and I did get charged this access fee and got the email too. But I dont care anymore, only a few more days till I'm rid of Dish and their many fights with everyone.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Playing devil's advocate...

How many have received an email?
How many have seen this in your online status?
How many have actually received a printed bill in the mail OR been charged via auto-pay for this access fee?

And... last but not least...

Do you have your receiver connected to either a phone line or internet?

I'm wondering IF this might turn out to be an enforcement of a receiver not connected to phone/internet.. This is how the old $5 fee used to sometimes show up on people's accounts... if the receiver didn't connect when it was supposed to, they would add a charge to the next bill.


----------



## hiero4life (Apr 10, 2008)

Just looked at my September statement no access fee charged.


----------



## GB1 (Dec 7, 2006)

Im charged 29.95 for absolute plus 6 for access. I am connected to the internet.

Sorry my memory was off:

I pay 29.99 for Absolute W/locals and 6 for "DVR Service" (plus a couple of bucks in tax)


----------



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

Read my post. It said I received a email from dish. I then called dish who confirmed the access fee charge. They wanted me to switch to another package offering me dish america which I said no and cancelled. Everyone who is a absolute customer will see the fee soon or later. As far as someone saying it is only a $1 increase because the locals are now included I never had the locals in my absolute package, could care less if they were included why would anyone pay extra for something they can receive for free.


----------



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

forgot to answer the question. My receiver was connected to the internet


----------



## tcatdbs (Jul 10, 2008)

$6 "Service Plan"
$6 "DVR Service"

No other $6 fees, my bill stayed the same ($78.12) with HBO and ST. I was thinking of dropping the premiums, but that would probably give them a reason to add the access fee...


----------



## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

I just paid my next month's bill the access charge isn't showing up. When this info 1st started I looked at my bill for the month I just paid and the access fee is gone. If you have it on your bill then there is a problem w/ your acct. It may be that I also have 3 premiums on my acct so I am paying more than the absolute only amount. Maybe it is that they want those subs that pay a certain amount that is above just the 30 for absolute package. BTW I waited until things were confirmed.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Seems like we are still in limbo on this one.

I too saw the charge looking online... but it didn't make it to my paper bill. I also subscribe to premiums and wonder if that makes a difference.



mightyse said:


> Read my post. It said I received a email from dish. I then called dish who confirmed the access fee charge. They wanted me to switch to another package offering me dish america which I said no and cancelled. Everyone who is a absolute customer will see the fee soon or later. As far as someone saying it is only a $1 increase because the locals are now included I never had the locals in my absolute package, could care less if they were included why would anyone pay extra for something they can receive for free.


Not saying you are making anything up here... just asking questions, since I've still not read anywhere of anyone actually being billed this extra fee. Many have seen it online, but none so far have confirmed that they actually had to pay a higher bill because of it.

Also, just a month or so ago people said CSRs were telling them this package was going away immediately and they must change right now to some other package. Clearly that didn't happen... and at least some CSRs were giving out erroneous information. CSRs also give out lots of wrong info if you ask them about the channel disputes going on, or if they offer a certain channel, or what a particular receiver does... so just because a CSR says it doesn't make it true. Granted, this is something that is sad... but it is true in a LOT of cases of what people are told by CSRs.

Until it shows up on my mailed bill and my bill goes up, I don't know what to make of it.


----------



## hiero4life (Apr 10, 2008)

Forgot to add receiver is running on a phone line. I have just a Drv and locals, no premium channels but I do mauve CI


----------



## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

I have HD Absolute and the on-line account shows the access fee as "proposed", but my bill which covers Oct 13 through Nov 12 did not reflect any additional fees or charges.

I have 4 ViP receivers (1 - 722k, 2 - 211 and 1 - 211k) and two of them are connected via ethernet.


----------



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

I sent a email to [email protected] informing them of my cancellation and the reason why. Well tonight I got a call from the ceo office. I was polite and informed him there was nothing he could do that would cause me to change my decision. He confirmed that the absoulte package will now have the access fee. I told him that Dish need to communicate a change in fees before charging folks. He said they would but I would not hold my breath. I told him that I would be posting this to the forum. So much for 15 years with dish. You know I might have still be have they taken the time to inform people of the change. I inform my customer when there is a change in my fee's. It is just good business


----------



## calgary2800 (Aug 27, 2006)

Sometimes you have to bit the bullet and let someone win. The absolute package in my case was 30 bucks and included Locals. So what if they charged with another 6 bucks per month, thats the price of a hamburger and a pop. Dish has been undercharging us for years on this package. You cant win every battle out there in business land or you will lose you mind and go old quick.


----------



## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Where else can you get so much good HD programming, plus the best DVR for $36 per month.

Even with the CS $6 access fee, there is still no other package, no ther provide that comes close.

If you like cutting off your nose to spite your face, jump ship. You can get all pompous and say dish lied to me WAAAA - get over it.

Maybe my memory is flawed, but I don't recall there being a promise of no price increases for Absolute. If there was this access charge for a grandfathered obsolete package is a way for them to stop some of the bleeding for a silly promise someone made nearly 3 years ago.

Have you counted the number of channels they have added to Absolute when their promise was no guarantees for new programming?

I investigated ALL other options back when there was a rumor that the HD Absolute package was being abandoned altogether, and it takes $20-$30 more per month to come close.

HD Absolute has not had a price increase since it was created. I've paid $34.99 since May of 2008 - two years with no price increases.

My bill actually went down to $29.99 in July due to locals being included for no cost.

I think I'll tough it out and absorb the $6 fee for now.


----------



## hiero4life (Apr 10, 2008)

At least for me I don't mind a rate increase but and access fee is just bs. Raise my rate with everyone else, don't make a fee just for a specific customer based on their programming service. I'll leave E* next year when the NHL starts again, I didn't know I was missing so many games in HD.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Playing the other side for a moment...

IF they start charging the $6 as an "access fee"... then they would have to let people also add multi-sport to it. In the past you couldn't add multi-sport to get your RSNs because it didn't count like the other packages... so I'll be interested to see how this shakes out and if anyone actually starts having to pay this extra money.


----------



## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

Stewart Vernon said:


> In the past you couldn't add multi-sport to get your RSNs because it didn't count like the other packages


I'll play the middle. 

*I* can't add multi-sport because I don't get MY RSN (AT120). You can't add multi-sport to get YOUR RSN - it is to get other people's RSN after you already have yours. Semantics.


----------



## JeffN9 (Apr 14, 2007)

The $6 access fee was listed under monthly charges for a while when I looked at my account online but it is now gone. It never appeared in my online statement. My next auto payment scheduled for Oct. 31st does not show the fee.


----------



## biz (Jul 30, 2004)

I'm charged 29.99 for HDA
6.00 for DVR
17.00 for HD Duo Receive

55.65 which is what I've paid for a while. Oct 16 - Nov 15 bill.

I've thought about upgrading, but I'd get most of the same channels in the other packages I get now. Hasn't made sense to do so yet.


----------



## gqmagtutgic (Jul 13, 2003)

Why is a discussion about an HD topic in the general not HD section?

I hardly ever come here as all I have is HD, anyway I saw these "the sky is falling on Absolute" threads on sat guys, and occasionally looked at the HD room here and don't see any mention.

My bill came this week, no funny fees whatsoever. 

Why does Absolute generate so much drama


----------



## brant (Jul 6, 2008)

mightyse said:


> I have enjoyed all the forums have provided and wish you all well. Hello Hulu Plus and OTA.


Welcome to the club!

Except I'm not doing hulu plus.

Get yourself a nice windows media center setup w/ the hulu desktop integration app and netflix, and you'll never look back.

I've got OTA tuners in the computer so we can record multiple shows; no need for hulu plus (unless you want to watch episodes that aired before you get the WMC setup going).

Netflix cost $9/mo for unlimited streaming plus DVD's @ home.

Just a short list of what we're doing with our windows media center:

OTA for network television (_I had a thread on here awhile back regarding our move to another area that TVfool said had little to no OTA coverage. Turns out we get 14 channels including all the major networks! at my old house I got 20+ channels over the antenna_).

Internet TV feature built-in to media center

Netflix for movies
Hulu for more television
Secondrun.tv for more internet television

FM radio 
XM radio
ripped DVD collection
Thousands of music files and pictures. . .
ESPN3.com for football (plus the 4-5 games each saturday _and_ sunday via the antenna; we get channels from two different markets)
MLB.tv for baseball

the list goes on.

We watch what we want, when we want, on demand. Its fabulous.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

_Moved to the HD forum..._


----------



## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

JeffN9 said:


> The $6 access fee was listed under monthly charges for a while when I looked at my account online but it is now gone. It never appeared in my online statement. My next auto payment scheduled for Oct. 31st does not show the fee.


ditto here. I said it earlier may have to do w/ add ons, since I have premiums and have a larger bill than just Absolute. Or it may have just been something considered but dropped.


----------



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

1st thing pull the HDTivo off the shelf.
Brought a LG 42LD550 Internet Ready with Apps
Brought a LGBD 570 Blueray Player with Apps/DLNA Server
Netflix, Vudu, plus other apps run on TV and Blueray Player
Hulu without the plus, plus is a waste of money
Netflix subscription
The best part I can watch all the programming and movies without a Dish.
Total Monthly fees 
Netflix 9.99
Tivo 12.95

Vudu has all the first run movies and more. Movies cost 5.99 in 1080P, 4.99 in 1080i both with 5.1 audio.

I am so glad Dish tacked on the fee, I would never did this. I am very happy not missing a thing that I watched when I had the dish, not paying for channels I never watch. Yes I spent alot of money up front but I got first rate equiptment and no more headaces with dish, directv or cable.


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Whenever I see all these folks substituting streaming/downloading services for satellite, I always wonder what ISP they are using and what restrictions or extra costs those ISP's have in place, or will have in place in the future.


----------



## JeffN9 (Apr 14, 2007)

whatchel1 said:


> ditto here. I said it earlier may have to do w/ add ons, since I have premiums and have a larger bill than just Absolute. Or it may have just been something considered but dropped.


I think that the considered and then dropped scenario is most likely the one. The only add on that I have to my Absolute is the cd music channels for $5/month. I still have the Cinemax channels for $0.01/year so I originally thought it might have something to do with that. The online description for the $6 fee said that it was for access to specialty programming??

Either way it appears to be gone for now, at least on my account.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Right now this seems to be just as "confirmed" as the cancellation rumors were a month ago.

I don't know why these rumors get legs and get "confirmed" and then the feared-thing doesn't happen... and then the next rumor is so easily taken as fact again.


----------



## JeffN9 (Apr 14, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Right now this seems to be just as "confirmed" as the cancellation rumors were a month ago.
> 
> I don't know why these rumors get legs and get "confirmed" and then the feared-thing doesn't happen... and then the next rumor is so easily taken as fact again.


It wasn't just a rumor. The fee was listed as an actual charge on my account. For whatever reason though it never made it to the actual billing statement and now does not show up at all when I look at my account online. I don't think that the folks who reportedly were told by CSR's about the fee were spreading rumors either but then we all know you can't believe everything a CSR tells you.

The moral of the story seems to be that until you actually have to pay for something you shouldn't lose any sleep over it.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

JeffN9 said:


> It wasn't just a rumor. The fee was listed as an actual charge on my account. For whatever reason though it never made it to the actual billing statement and now does not show up at all when I look at my account online. I don't think that the folks who reportedly were told by CSR's about the fee were spreading rumors either but then we all know you can't believe everything a CSR tells you.
> 
> The moral of the story seems to be that until you actually have to pay for something you shouldn't lose any sleep over it.


Exactly... For BOTH of these Dish HD Absolute rumors... I said that I believed the people who were posting about it and believed that CSRs were telling them something... but CSRs also tell people you can't do something that we know a particular receiver does... or tells people Dish doesn't have a channel that we all are watching.

I reminded people that the same CSR they know not to believe about most things, suddenly they were believing about these rumors... and then in both cases I remember seeing someone swear that their "insider connection" had confirmed:

1. Dish Absolute was being cancelled a month ago.
2. The $6 fee was real for everyone.

And yet... it would seem both "confirmed" rumors were not in fact confirmed, as they didn't come to pass... but then the next rumor will spread like wildfire and be similarly "confirmed" probably by the same people (CSRs and "inside contacts") and we'll go through this again.


----------



## mightyse (Mar 25, 2010)

so I am spreading a rumor, Let see got a email from dish, contacted dish, sent a email to [email protected] and someone called from that office Sunday evening. I wouldn't call that a rumor, but who am I compared to some senior member of this forum

"I sent a email to [email protected] informing them of my cancellation and the reason why. Well tonight I got a call from the ceo office. I was polite and informed him there was nothing he could do that would cause me to change my decision. He confirmed that the absoulte package will now have the access fee. I told him that Dish need to communicate a change in fees before charging folks"


----------



## brant (Jul 6, 2008)

phrelin said:


> Whenever I see all these folks substituting streaming/downloading services for satellite, I always wonder what ISP they are using and what restrictions or extra costs those ISP's have in place, or will have in place in the future.


I have windstream.

As of right now, there is no limit to how much I can download. We've been streaming video as a primary means of television for well over a year and a half with no problems. And windstream has yet to throttle our connection.

We receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 50GB+ of data per month; our TV viewing is also supplemented with DVD's and OTA.

I do imagine our endless streaming will come to an end some day.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

mightyse said:


> so I am spreading a rumor, Let see got a email from dish, contacted dish, sent a email to [email protected] and someone called from that office Sunday evening. I wouldn't call that a rumor, but who am I compared to some senior member of this forum


I think if you've been around the forums long enough you know Charlie himself has said things on a Charlie Chat that were simply not true. Just like CSRs and emails have been sent describing things that are not true.

I guarantee you that right now you could send an email or make a phone call and find someone to STILL tell you that the newer Dish receivers only record HD on one tuner, instead of all as we know.

My point was to try and clarify that I believe you and others were told misinformation from people employed at Dish who do not know fully what is happening within their own company. I'm not accusing you of lying or making anything up.

I'm simply saying that the forums are filled with stuff that Dish employees have told customers that are untrue... and so until something shows up on an actual bill I've learned not to think too much of these things.

You received an email and contacted the ceo email... Last month people were getting calls that said they must choose a new package... but a month later and the package has not in fact been dropped for existing subscribers AND it is starting to look similarly like this fee is not going to materialize on all Dish HD Absolute customers' bills.

So I'm not saying you weren't told something... I'm just saying you might have been misinformed.


----------



## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

My "Monthly Charges" no longer shows the "Access Fee" and under "Programming Changes" it lists "Access Fee" as "Removed".


----------



## JeffN9 (Apr 14, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> I think if you've been around the forums long enough you know Charlie himself has said things on a Charlie Chat that were simply not true. Just like CSRs and emails have been sent describing things that are not true.
> 
> I guarantee you that right now you could send an email or make a phone call and find someone to STILL tell you that the newer Dish receivers only record HD on one tuner, instead of all as we know.
> 
> ...


I agree with everything you are saying Stewart. The point I was trying to make is that the fee did show up in my billing so at that point it ceased being a rumor. I too take a lot of what E* CSR's say to me or others with a grain of salt until I see it in writing and this time I did.

Just because they apparently haven't actually charged anyone the fee yet doesn't change the fact that it was in billing, at least for a while.


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

JeffN9 said:


> I agree with everything you are saying Stewart. The point I was trying to make is that the fee did show up in my billing so at that point it ceased being a rumor. I too take a lot of what E* CSR's say to me or others with a grain of salt until I see it in writing and this time I did.
> 
> Just because they apparently haven't actually charged anyone the fee yet doesn't change the fact that it was in billing, at least for a while.


I saw it on my billing too... but never on a mailed bill or actual charges that I had to pay.

Earlier in this thread I also was noting that a year or so ago I was looking at my online account and saw other charges and credits on my online bill that never made my statement.

I had weird activity for about 2-3 months of strange charges and credits, and I wasn't making account changes at all... I called and no one at Dish could explain what was going on...

So this wouldn't be the first time I had seen something weird on my online account that never materialized into an actual charge.


----------

