# Satellite Companies Demand Equipment Back From CA Wildfire Victims



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

From CBS-13 Sacramento:

*Call Kurtis Investigates: Satellite Companies Demand Equipment Back From CA Wildfire Victims*


> The dream home Gayle Mendoza and her husband planned to live out their years is now gone. Tucked on a hillside overlooking the Mokelumne River, the Butte fire ravaged the home they had built.
> 
> Her house is just one of the 475 destroyed in the September wildfire that blackened 71-thousand acres in Amador and Calaveras Counties and left two people dead.
> Her charred DISH Network satellite dish now sits on the side of her leveled home. When she called DISH to let them know what happened, she says they insisted she return her equipment, even after telling them it was destroyed. She says they even sent her a box and told her if she didn't return the equipment, she'd be charged.
> ...


FULL ARTICLE (with video) HERE

Sigh.... I've heard this one from _insert cable/DBS provider_ many times.... customer has _insert disaster here_ hit, provider wants all equipment back, customer contacts local media, provider apologies and waives fees, story gets reported on web forums.


----------



## TXD16 (Oct 30, 2008)

It happens. They're reading a script. What she should do is fill the box with whatever electronic remains she can find, along with a few rocks and as much ash as will fit in the return box, and send it all back. Sometimes, one simply has to treat stupid as stupid.


----------



## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Or sometimes the theory is they charge you and your insurance cuts a check for it. I believe that's what they actually expect until it becomes a pr problem.


----------



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Having never gone through a fire, I'm wondering.... what proof can be provided that you gone through a fire and everything you have is ash and charred remains?


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Mark Holtz said:


> Having never gone through a fire, I'm wondering.... what proof can be provided that you gone through a fire and everything you have is ash and charred remains?


Photographs.


----------



## PCampbell (Nov 18, 2006)

Send them a charred chunk of plastic and a photo of the house.


----------



## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> Or sometimes the theory is they charge you and your insurance cuts a check for it. I believe that's what they actually expect until it becomes a pr problem.


Probably, but instead of having great communication and a specific contact for these situations, they leave it up to a CSR who reads from a script, has no wiggle room and ends up getting them bad PR.


----------



## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

It is the homeowner's responsibility. If your house or apartment was robbed you would be responsible for the receivers. Robbed by fire doesn't change the responsibility.

The CSR was stuck on a script. The receiver is the core thing DISH wants back (if available). Remotes and LNBs are requested but not required. The situation could have been handled differently by the customer. But running to the media with a sob story seems to be the way to solve problems.


----------



## AntAltMike (Nov 21, 2004)

TXD16 said:


> It happens. They're reading a script. What she should do is fill the box with whatever electronic remains she can find, along with a few rocks and as much ash as will fit in the return box, and send it all back. Sometimes, one simply has to treat stupid as stupid.


50 years ago, a friend _acquaintance_ of mine used to fill business reply envelopes with sand. He said that the recipient is charged for them by weight.


----------



## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

TXD16 said:


> It happens. They're reading a script. What she should do is fill the box with whatever electronic remains she can find, along with a few rocks and as much ash as will fit in the return box, and send it all back. Sometimes, one simply has to treat stupid as stupid.


I most likely would have done the same.


----------



## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

So then you get charged the return shipping fees plus the receiver non-return fees.

The best solution would be to suspend/pause the account and deal with the insurance claim/cancellation later.


----------



## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Shame on the media for lending themselves to be part of this chareade. 

When a customer signs up for service part of the lease agreement is that they are responsible for the equipment as long as that equipment is being leased. How a fire is any different than someone destroying the box on purpose is beyond me. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

It isn't that it is a terrible thing that the satellite companies expect the equipment back or compensation from insurance, it is that they are demanding it ASAP and threatening to add fees to bills (possibly damaging credit if it can't be paid right away) when someone has more important things to worry about since they are homeless and have lost priceless memories. Hassles from CSRs calling about a couple hundred dollars worth of equipment is pretty low on their priority list. The idea of suspending the account and dealing with it later is probably the best suggestion.

Anyone know how cable companies deal with this? Since they have local offices, they are more familiar with areas that will have suffered fires, floods, and other disasters than a national company like Dish or Directv. But if your cable company is Comcast, they are still national even if they have local offices, so I would guess at least some of them would do the same thing?


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

It's not like there's any doubt. They have the address and there are fire maps available. Easy to verify and not be 'that' company.

But Dish is developing 'that' pattern, even though y'all don't like the Colorado disabled worker example.


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

In fact, this is the kind of thing that needs to be written into Disaster Declarations. Companies need to be barred from making these demands. They can ask, but once the account holder identifies the property as a Disaster loss, that should immediately end any such efforts.


These companies are in a far better position to absorb the loss than the account holder or their insurance companies.


I'm not sorry I stopped giving Dish money every month.


----------



## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

So you're saying if it is a disaster, Dish eats the equipment loss? 

What about the mortgage company or the car loan? 

If that were to happen, then either the companies would require everyone to pay an extra insurance fee to them or they will stop doing business in those areas prone to disasters.


----------



## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

trh said:


> So you're saying if it is a disaster, Dish eats the equipment loss?


I'm not, just that these companies need to have procedures in place to deal with situations like this. We tend to have flash floods in my area and most banks will let customers skip a payment or two if they have been directly affected. Costs them nothing and gains them goodwill.


----------



## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

slice1900 said:


> It isn't that it is a terrible thing that the satellite companies expect the equipment back or compensation from insurance, it is that they are demanding it ASAP and threatening to add fees to bills (possibly damaging credit if it can't be paid right away) when someone has more important things to worry about since they are homeless and have lost priceless memories.


The trigger for the return of the equipment is the cancellation of the account. Don't close the account. Put the account on pause. Customers demanding that DISH close their accounts without penalty and without paying for equipment they failed to protect is what made the problem an immediate issue.

As for the devastating effects of losing everything, I doubt that a satellite bill is the only debt the fire victims will have. A DISH bill will not be the difference between bankruptcy and solvency.



SayWhat? said:


> In fact, this is the kind of thing that needs to be written into Disaster Declarations. Companies need to be barred from making these demands. They can ask, but once the account holder identifies the property as a Disaster loss, that should immediately end any such efforts.


As long as the government making that declaration is covering the loss. Or perhaps all subscribers should be required to provide proof of insurance or pay DISH a monthly insurance fee (in addition to the monthly fees). Then people like me who are properly insured and will take responsibility if leased equipment is not returned won't have to pay for those who don't take responsibility.


----------



## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

slice1900 said:


> Anyone know how cable companies deal with this?


There is a better chance that their infrastructure was also damaged and that they cannot deliver any services to the affected customers.

DISH has service restoration teams that go out after hurricanes and get service restored ... past stories have noted that their restoration of service can be quicker than cable. Restoring service when the home is gone is more difficult.


----------



## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Herdfan said:


> I'm not, just that these companies need to have procedures in place to deal with situations like this. We tend to have flash floods in my area and most banks will let customers skip a payment or two if they have been directly affected. Costs them nothing and gains them goodwill.


Sorry. I forgot to quote SayWhat? as he seems to be making that argument.

But I agree with what you're saying: If there is a declared disaster area, then customers should be able to call in and get an extension on re-paying the company. Time to get their insurance claim filed/paid. Or as James said, put your account on hold and wait until later to tell them their equipment was destroyed.



SayWhat? said:


> In fact, this is the kind of thing that needs to be written into Disaster Declarations. Companies need to be barred from making these demands. They can ask, but once the account holder identifies the property as a Disaster loss, that should immediately end any such efforts.
> 
> These companies are in a far better position to absorb the loss than the account holder or their insurance companies.
> 
> I'm not sorry I stopped giving Dish money every month.


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

If Dish or Direc are demanding boxes back, that means they're under some sort of contract or lease which means they own the box, not the customer. That puts it on their dime for insurance losses.

With a mortgage or most car loans, you're paying towards ownership, so it's on your dime.

Dish or Direc would be out a couple of hundred bucks here and there, maybe a thousand in some multi-box houses. They're not in every house lost in any disaster area either, even between both companies.

They would more than make up for any losses in goodwill PR. They might even be able to make it a marketing point somehow .... 'One less thing to worry about'.


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

PCampbell said:


> Send them a charred chunk of plastic and a photo of the house.


I'd be inclined to send it to Charley's house with a printed transcript from the CSR chat.

.


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

This would also be a good one to blindside him with on a Charley Chat.

Which I'm sure is why they were so heavily censored and pre-screened.


----------



## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

SayWhat? said:


> If Dish or Direc are demanding boxes back, that means they're under some sort of contract or lease which means they own the box, not the customer. That puts it on their dime for insurance losses.


so if you lease a car, not financed, who should be responsible for the loss in a case like this? I know the answer but I would like to hear your thoughts....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

