# Dish Network & Tornado Victims



## fatpug (Apr 11, 2007)

I leave near Joplin MO. Fortunately my family is fine and we were not in the path of the tornado.

The local radio stations are broadcasting information 24x7 to help the community of Joplin. Many local and national businesses have offered help and donations for the victims.

Today a caller to the radio station said they heard that Dish Network will charge them for the receiver destroyed in their home by the tornado. Is this true that Dish Network does not make any allowance for a natural disaster?


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Boy, that would be the worst PR move in history if they actually tried to do that.

Been to Joplin only once. Ate at a nice Chinese restaurant in the "downtown" area. Cannot remember the name. Was curious if that was the area that was hit. I have a friend that lives there, but his cell phone number is no longer valid, so just checking the obits, and hoping he doesnt show up.


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## gpollock87 (Apr 13, 2011)

fatpug said:


> I leave near Joplin MO. Fortunately my family is fine and we were not in the path of the tornado.
> 
> The local radio stations are broadcasting information 24x7 to help the community of Joplin. Many local and national businesses have offered help and donations for the victims.
> 
> Today a caller to the radio station said they heard that Dish Network will charge them for the receiver destroyed in their home by the tornado. Is this true that Dish Network does not make any allowance for a natural disaster?


it is also on dishes facebook page


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

fatpug said:


> I leave near Joplin MO. Fortunately my family is fine and we were not in the path of the tornado.
> 
> The local radio stations are broadcasting information 24x7 to help the community of Joplin. Many local and national businesses have offered help and donations for the victims.
> 
> Today a caller to the radio station said they heard that Dish Network will charge them for the receiver destroyed in their home by the tornado. Is this true that Dish Network does not make any allowance for a natural disaster?


We got same case not that long time ago ... check the site.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Is it bad PR? Maybe... But why should Dish give you a pass on a destroyed leased receiver?

Nobody gives you a free home replacement if you aren't insured... and even that doesn't cover all personal item losses.

I feel for people who have lost life, been injured, or otherwise devastated by these recent weather situations... but I'm not sure why anyone would expect Dish to eat that unless Dish made the offer on their own.

Where would it end?

Maybe GE should give everyone free appliances if they lost GE equipment... If you didn't have car insurance, you'd have to pay to get a new car for one lost in a storm.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Here we go again - no mercy, just steel shark's teeth... deja vu !


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

P Smith said:


> Here we go again - no mercy, just steel shark's teeth... deja vu !


If you would like to show mercy perhaps you can start the "P Smith receiver replacement fund" to cover the cost of the lost receivers ... from BOTH DISH and DirecTV and any leased cable equipment as well.

When can and where should the storm victims send their claims?


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## kcaudiofx (Dec 27, 2009)

Well its real sad if Dish (Or EVEN D*) Would do this to anyone! People are going through enough problems I am sure, financially, emotionally, etc.. I am sorry, but paying Dish OR D* for a receiver that was blown away with my house would be the very last thing I would think about paying, I am a business man myself and maybe not on a BIG scale like these companies, but if I was in their shoes, I would eat the money and possibly keep a customer or customers than roll the dice and squeeze the money out of the customers and lose them for good.. I myself think long term, but I know a lot of these big wig companies think short term.. All in All, Dish/Direct/Cable Co/ HAVE SOME SYMPATHY!


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

At first is sounds callous, but think of all the boxes destroyed over a year due to flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters.

Is it realistic to expect Dish to replace thousands or tens of thousands of boxes every year?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Not sure about thousands but hundreds - hell yes, those are on lease now and remember, each one of you paid in advance non-returning fee what will be more then enough to create a fund for cover lost during disasters like that.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

If you think this is new, you might want to check with folks that have been involved in wildfires in Southern California over the past decade. Plenty of discussion here before.

Homeowners/renters insurance should cover the loss. If you're rich enough to go uninsured, should be no problem for you.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

First, you dont RENT your fridge from GE. Second, rental equipment has a depreciation value. In some cases, you pay over half of that when you initially get the box. Is a 4 or 5 yr old box worth the same as a 1 month old box? According to the TOS's I have read, they make no distinction.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Insurance of some type should cover it, right? If there's insurance that does, but you don't have it...well, that's the chance you take. Life can suck.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

I have that type of insurance, but I'm owning all the equipment.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> First, you dont RENT your fridge from GE. Second, rental equipment has a depreciation value. In some cases, you pay over half of that when you initially get the box. Is a 4 or 5 yr old box worth the same as a 1 month old box? According to the TOS's I have read, they make no distinction.


Sure. I'm insured for replacement value. Otherwise if I lost my home, I'd be lucky to get 30% of what it would take to replace my stuff.

Be sure you have insurance, pay for replacement value. Otherwise you're self-insuring.

Of course, if the only thing lost was my 722, it would be my problem as I do have a deductible.


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## fatpug (Apr 11, 2007)

kcaudiofx said:


> Well its real sad if Dish (Or EVEN D*) Would do this to anyone! People are going through enough problems I am sure, financially, emotionally, etc.. I am sorry, but paying Dish OR D* for a receiver that was blown away with my house would be the very last thing I would think about paying, I am a business man myself and maybe not on a BIG scale like these companies, but if I was in their shoes, I would eat the money and possibly keep a customer or customers than roll the dice and squeeze the money out of the customers and lose them for good.. I myself think long term, but I know a lot of these big wig companies think short term.. All in All, Dish/Direct/Cable Co/ HAVE SOME SYMPATHY!


The local cable company does have some sympathy:

Cable One customers should not worry about their service or equipment that might have been lost in the Joplin tornado.

Melany Stroupe said that all subscribers will receive an automatic credit for a week's worth of service. Customers will also not be held responsible for any equipment that was damaged or lost in the tornado.

No need to look for lost equipment

Cableone link with customer service quote


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## kcaudiofx (Dec 27, 2009)

fatpug said:


> The local cable company does have some sympathy:
> 
> Cable One customers should not worry about their service or equipment that might have been lost in the Joplin tornado.
> 
> ...


Now these are stories I like to hear! Hopefully Dish and D* will follow..


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

P Smith said:


> Not sure about thousands but hundreds - hell yes, those are on lease now and remember, each one of you paid in advance non-returning fee what will be more then enough to create a fund for cover lost during disasters like that.


I did not pay a "non-returning fee" in advance. The "non-returning fee" is billed AFTER one cancels service and fails to return the leased receiver.

Leased receivers are leased on a month to month basis for $7 to $20 per month per receiver (first receiver free). Some receivers (currently DVRs and especially the 922) carry an up front "lease upgrade fee" but NO receiver has an "advance non-returning fee".

DISH Network has a fee schedule that is provided when one signs up for service. If one does not agree with the fee schedule, one should not sign up for service. (And one should check with other providers to see what fees they charge.)


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## fatpug (Apr 11, 2007)

James Long said:


> DISH Network has a fee schedule that is provided when one signs up for service. If one does not agree with the fee schedule, one should not sign up for service. (And one should check with other providers to see what fees they charge.)


Wow...

Who checks a fee schedule for natural disaster damage before they sign up?


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## fatpug (Apr 11, 2007)

He is another example of a company that does not stick to fee schedules and official policy. I received the following email today:

The PlayOn team like the rest of the country has been heartbroken by the news and images coming out of Joplin, MO. We know it's not much but we'd like to offer all of our past trial, basic, and premium subscribers in Joplin a free one-time license to PlayOn Premium. We realize that TV is probably the furthest thing from you mind right now, but these codes will not expire. So whether it's to save some money on a cable bill while you rebuild, access news and entertainment, or whatever you want to use it for...PlayOn is on us. Just visit the link below and enter your redemption code for your free copy. Your license will work for the life of the product.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

fatpug said:


> Who checks a fee schedule for natural disaster damage before they sign up?


Responsible people.

No one questions who is responsible if something happens to a car that they lease. Get it stolen or in an accident (your fault or not) or have it damaged or destroyed in a storm and guess who is responsible? The person who leased the car. To protect that person insurance is normally required. Who pays for that insurance? The person who leased the car.

Yet for some reason other leases are not treated the same way? If you go to Aarons or RentACenter and lease furniture and electronics and it is destroyed the lease company just forgets about it? No. They expect their customers to insure the equipment they lease. It remains the customer's responsibility. Perhaps in this case with a whole community hurting there might be some leeway (waiting for the FEMA money to arrive) but their usual policy is the same as DISH. Take care of what you lease, you are responsible for it.

And as far a PlayOn's offer ... isn't that worse? Turning a disaster where a record number (and growing) number of lives were lost into a marketing opportunity? As Seth Meyers would say, "really?" Their offer is a publicity stunt.

DISH will likely end up writing off many of the unreturned or damaged receivers. When they do it will be a private matter, not a PR stunt.


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## fatpug (Apr 11, 2007)

James Long said:


> Responsible people.
> 
> No one questions who is responsible if something happens to a car that they lease. Get it stolen or in an accident (your fault or not) or have it damaged or destroyed in a storm and guess who is responsible? The person who leased the car. To protect that person insurance is normally required. Who pays for that insurance? The person who leased the car.
> 
> ...


PR stunt is not correct. Playon sent me a private email.

I thought the purpose of a moderator was to keep the boards civil... Your comments do not help anyone.

Please delete my screen name and remove me from this forum. I no longer want to be a part of this.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

To add to James' comments, I'm just baffled by the discussion here. If you've lost a home including all your belongings, the satellite TV company's box is hardly noticeable among your losses. And many in Joplin have lost family members.

When this kind of discussion occurred a couple of years ago relative to the wildfires, I wondered about people's priorities. Getting angry about Dish Network won't help anyone.

Donate some money to help these folks. If you can't figure out any other way, use a Dish Network Donation Channel discussed in another thread.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

The more I think about it, the more I don't see an issue. Think of all the other rented and leased equipment lost, from cell phones to computers to vehicles. The end user is going to be responsible in the long run whether through insurance or FEMA. The companies can't be expected to eat all those losses.

And like I say, it isn't just Joplin. There have been several major incidents including Tuscaloosa. As I mentioned above, add in the wildfires, earthquakes, floods, other tornadoes ..... well you get the picture.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

fatpug said:


> PR stunt is not correct. Playon sent me a private email.


Are you in Joplin? Or was this email sent to a wider audience?

It seems that the benefit of "looking good to customers" and "word of mouth" advertising (including you posting the email in public) creating interest in the company would outweigh any actual cost for the limited number of Joplin residents who would qualify under the offer. (I'm not saying that you are an intentional shill for the company, only that by sharing the offer in public you have helped that company promote itself.)

And while DISH probably could do something to "look good" it isn't a requirement.

Personally, I can't believe anyone in Joplin who lost a receiver is worried about the non-return fee at this point. It seems like there would be much more important concerns. If all they're worried about is satellite receiver non-return fees then they probably were not affected much.

If I were the radio host I would have moved on to more important matters. People looking for loved ones. People wanting the bodies released from the morgue. Priorities.


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## Dave (Jan 29, 2003)

Can you point me directly to this story going around? I would like to see the story in writing with my own eyes. Otherwise it is just another rumor by someone who doen't like Dish. I heard the srory was being reported that this was a omcast exec that said there people that had a comcast box lost had to pony up $ 212 for there box replacement. So until I see it in print that Dish actually did this, then it is just another rumor with no factual bases. Let me see this story.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

James Long said:


> I did not pay a "non-returning fee" in advance. The "non-returning fee" is billed AFTER one cancels service and fails to return the leased receiver.
> 
> Leased receivers are leased on a month to month basis for $7 to $20 per month per receiver (first receiver free). Some receivers (currently DVRs and especially the 922) carry an up front "lease upgrade fee" but NO receiver has an "advance non-returning fee".
> 
> DISH Network has a fee schedule that is provided when one signs up for service. If one does not agree with the fee schedule, one should not sign up for service. (And one should check with other providers to see what fees they charge.)


Perhaps I spread too much, not all models, but there are other fees (mirror, phone line - it was brought a few mil $ before last Feb, etc), what we (14M customers, how many devices ?) paid, which could easily cover hundred receivers lost during that tragic day.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

DISH charges a lot of fees for the services provided. None of them obligate the company to cover losses that will be covered by their customer's insurance (if insured).

Each customer is an individual case. Why treat the customers in Joplin any different than those in other communities who have also faced disaster? Only for PR value?

DISH isn't calling up customers and demanding cash today. DISH will handle the individual cases as they present themselves over time.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

> which could easily cover hundred receivers lost during that tragic day


What about all the thousands of receivers lost during all the other tragic days?


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

phrelin said:


> To add to James' comments, I'm just baffled by the discussion here. If you've lost a home including all your belongings, the satellite TV company's box is hardly noticeable among your losses. And many in Joplin have lost family members.
> 
> When this kind of discussion occurred a couple of years ago relative to the wildfires, I wondered about people's priorities. Getting angry about Dish Network won't help anyone.
> 
> Donate some money to help these folks. If you can't figure out any other way, use a Dish Network Donation Channel discussed in another thread.


Exactly... This is deja vu all over again.

IF all you lost in a natural disaster was a Dish receiver... then you did good. IF you lost other things, then the Dish receiver is probably way down on your list of things to worry about... and I doubt Dish has been calling people and demanding payment right now! I'm sure it gets handled on a case-by-case basis over time.

Consider... IF you lost your home, that doesn't mean you get to stop making mortgage payments! IF you have insurance, you'll hopefully get reimbursed to replace the home... but you have to keep making your house payments. IF you don't have insurance, and can't afford to pay out of pocket replacement... you can bet you still have to make those mortgage payments for the nothing.

Also... as already posted earlier... Home (or renter) insurance would cover loss of a Dish receiver... IF you don't have insurance, then you are self-insuring and have that responsibility yourself.

I love how people want others to pay for stuff and replace their stuff for free... then will flip to the other side of the conversation and be adamant that they don't want to pay for other people's stuff, and suggest personal responsibility.


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## Slamminc11 (Jan 28, 2005)

Dish has been in Business for what, 15 years? In those 15 years, how many tornado's, fires, hurricanes, etc have destroyed homes caused damage to customers receivers across the US?
Pretty sure Dish has had enough experience to this point to already have a plan in place. But bottom line is, if you don't have home/renters insurance, then it's your on fault...


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

SayWhat? said:


> What about all the thousands of receivers lost during all the other tragic days?


Those VP has enough in cash to pay $500M to TiVo, I don't see any problem to replace lost thousands receivers during natural disasters. Don't forget - E* has insuranse for those manufactured devices, satellites, etc. Especially leased receivers.

Send from my Foleo running old version of Opera without spell checker.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

E* probably DOESN'T have insurance on LEASED receivers. They're beyond their control; it's on your property and subject to your loss.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

RasputinAXP said:


> E* probably DOESN'T have insurance on LEASED receivers. They're beyond their control; it's on your property and subject to your loss.


Without looking thru those papers (E* is the manufacturer, not sure if they pass ownership to dish) your word is good as mine.

So, while your used correct word "probably", your conclusion is nonconclusive because of that missing knowledge.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Only responding because DIRECTV was brought up in this. If there is a natural disaster DIRECTV actually has policies in place and will replace equipment and waive non return fees. 

While I'm all for companies making money this is a situation where a company needs to bite the bullet and replace them. They do more to get new customers so in an extreme situation like this they should do the same to keep existing.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

P Smith said:


> So, while your used correct word "probably", your conclusion is nonconclusive because of that missing knowledge.


So you're more right because you're more certain? The moon _*is*_ made of cheese. I am certain. And those who say "probably not" are wrong ... so I am proven right by their statements. 

DISH publishes their financials ... if you can find where leased receivers are insured that will prove your assumption. Otherwise the best place to look is the residential customer agreement or the specific agreement signed when leasing a receiver. It clearly states that if the receiver is returned damaged or not returned the customer WILL remain liable.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Yeah... why wouldn't people just claim their receiver was damaged due to a lightning surge and that Dish needed to replace it for free... in order to get a new receiver. Easy peasy, IF Dish were on the hook for the receivers at all times for all reasons.

Part of the agreement you sign includes your acceptance of responsibility for those receivers and to take care of them while in your home.

IF DirecTV replaces for free in cases like this... good for them. Dish too could do something in these situations on a case-by-case basis.

In my state, for example... FEMA has rejected a lot of claims of loss due to the tornadoes that swept through NC a while back... so if FEMA isn't paying, why would Dish?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Why we should put all eggs in one basket ? FEMA and dish .. Perhaps you could add DTV also - see post#35. 
Nah, that's not fit in the painted picture.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

See posts 21, 28 and 37.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

We will see how it will goes with Joplin's ppl who are dish customers ...


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## Lucavex (Apr 26, 2011)

I read through all of this, and I see the vitriol being spewed back and forth, and one simple thought comes to mind.

Where is the story? If it was on a radio show, I want a link to listen to that excerpt. I want to hear/see the story with my own two eyes/ears. I want to confirm that this has actually happened. If nobody can pony up proof of this story, then it's clearly just hearsay and rumor with zero basis in fact or customer experience.

Or in layman's terms: "Someone be trollin' hard."

Should this story turn out to be true, then why even discuss it? Seriously? A Dish Network Receiver? They're mad about being charged for that? I'm sure I'm echoing the sentiments of many others here when I say If all they're upset about is a missing/destroyed Dish Network Receiver, their problems clearly are not issues of basic necessities or human life. Additionally, whatever story there is to be had from this, nobody should be hyping this up or getting indignant when there are clearly _much_ more important things to worrying about in Joplin aside from a few receivers.

That anyone would bring this up at all, and try make a big deal of it, is just deplorable. Using something like the tragedy in Joplin to blast a company on claims they can't even back up? Low, man. Real low.


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## scorpion43 (Mar 16, 2011)

Lucavex said:


> I read through all of this, and I see the vitriol being spewed back and forth, and one simple thought comes to mind.
> 
> Where is the story? If it was on a radio show, I want a link to listen to that excerpt. I want to hear/see the story with my own two eyes/ears. I want to confirm that this has actually happened. If nobody can pony up proof of this story, then it's clearly just hearsay and rumor with zero basis in fact or customer experience.
> 
> ...


i agree


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## jsk (Dec 27, 2006)

Didn't Dish run a commercial after Katrina where they fixed everyone's setups for free (or at least gave that impression)? Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that Satellite TV providers stretched the truth on their ads.


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## Mr-Rick (Dec 1, 2004)

If DISH is going to require payment for leased receivers lost in a natural disaster, it is flat out wrong as I see it. 

Chances are the majority of the receivers were older SD receivers (322,625, etc.) which would have been replaced eventually. If anything, the customer will now be upgraded to new equipment. Heck, DISH doesn't even have to pay for the return shipping fees or the disposal fees upon receipt! Dish asking for a two year agreement to upgrade the customer (new dish, wiring, receivers, a new install, and Free Starz! for a year) is not asking too much from the customer.

These leased receivers have been paid for many times over. An old 322 receiver as a secondary unit charges $14 a month. Those receivers have been around for YEARS and have earned DISH millions. 

However, if the customer OWNS the receivers, they should consult their insurance company for replacement.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

fatpug said:


> I leave near Joplin MO. Fortunately my family is fine and we were not in the path of the tornado.
> 
> The local radio stations are broadcasting information 24x7 to help the community of Joplin. Many local and national businesses have offered help and donations for the victims.
> 
> Today a caller to the radio station said they heard that Dish Network will charge them for the receiver destroyed in their home by the tornado. Is this true that Dish Network does not make any allowance for a natural disaster?


Hopefully that's not true. Maybe he heard wrong. If true Dish Network has a PR problem. I feel so sorry for those people who lost their homes.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

Dave said:


> Can you point me directly to this story going around? I would like to see the story in writing with my own eyes. Otherwise it is just another rumor by someone who doen't like Dish. I heard the srory was being reported that this was a omcast exec that said there people that had a comcast box lost had to pony up $ 212 for there box replacement. So until I see it in print that Dish actually did this, then it is just another rumor with no factual bases. Let me see this story.


Good point!


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Mr-Rick said:


> If DISH is going to require payment for leased receivers lost in a natural disaster, it is flat out wrong as I see it.


Why?

If you rent furniture from a store... and you lose that furniture in a flood or worse... is the furniture store going to let you off the hook? Or will they expect you to pay for the furniture you can't return to them?

Same for if you lease a car... except, with a car lease you are required to have insurance which will cover the loss of the car... so it evens out.

Your home will not be replaced by the mortgage company... you will either have to pay out of pocket OR file a claim with your insurance company OR perhaps FEMA will chip in... but the builder nor the lender are going to replace your house from their dime.

So why do people expect Dish to replace receivers?

IF you have a riding lawnmower... and you loan it to your neighbor to use on his yard... and while he has it in his garage, a tornado hits his garage and destroys your riding lawnmower... Are you going to just go out and buy another one yourself? Or aren't you going to demand that your neighbor pay (either out of pocket or through his insurance) to replace your mower? Be honest.


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## Mr-Rick (Dec 1, 2004)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Why?
> 
> If you rent furniture from a store... and you lose that furniture in a flood or worse... is the furniture store going to let you off the hook? Or will they expect you to pay for the furniture you can't return to them?
> 
> ...


Furniture, Cars, homes, riding lawn mowers, add whatever you want....those are big ticket items. We are talking about cheap satellite receivers. Many of which are fully depreciated. We were talking about public relations and the effect it will have on DISH. To replace receivers for these customers who pay monthly for service and can go where ever they want for "TV", I would replace those leased receivers for free if I were in charge at DISH.

What could it possibly cost them? It would cost if the customer had a bunch of 722's or 922's in their home, but home many people have that? Again, if they had cheap SD you can even do your upgrade to Mpeg4 now. It was going to have to happen eventually. Besides, there is a fire sale on the SD equipment now so DISH doesn't care about those receivers any more.

I see it like the electric meter. It is owned by the electric company. Never heard of the utility charging the customer for the cost of a new electric meter lost to a disaster.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Stewart Vernon said:


> IF you have a riding lawnmower... and you loan it to your neighbor to use on his yard... and while he has it in his garage, a tornado hits his garage and destroys your riding lawnmower... Are you going to just go out and buy another one yourself? Or aren't you going to demand that your neighbor pay (either out of pocket or through his insurance) to replace your mower? Be honest.


If a tornado took out my neighbor's garage and not my house I'd be extremely happy.

BTW: Don't read that as a desire to see my neighbor's garage wrecked ... just given the option I wouldn't be worried about my mower.

Of course, that assumes that I like that neighbor enough to let them borrow my lawnmower - and not return it to my house immediately when finished.



Mr-Rick said:


> Furniture, Cars, homes, riding lawn mowers, add whatever you want....those are big ticket items. We are talking about cheap satellite receivers.


No, we're not. We're talking about expensive receivers with a non-return penalty. Paid for owned receivers don't have a non-return penalty. Leased receivers have a non-return fee as stated in the contract: "All standard-definition receivers (301, 311, 322, 381, 512, 522, 625), $100; high-definition (HD) non-DVR receiver (211, 211k, 222, 222k, 411), $200; HD DVR receiver (612, 622, 722, 722k), $300; and SlingLoaded™ DVR receiver (922), $400."

These are the fees one agreed to when one agrees to the lease. Don't like it? Don't lease.

DISH is NOT going to charge people for the non-return of old owned receivers ... and I expect that at the end of the story when people need a new receiver they will be able to lease a replacement. Regardless of the oddly timed complaint allegedly heard on the radio.



> Besides, there is a fire sale on the SD equipment now so DISH doesn't care about those receivers any more.


Who says the lost receivers are all SD? Nobody affected in Joplin had HD?



> I see it like the electric meter. It is owned by the electric company. Never heard of the utility charging the customer for the cost of a new electric meter lost to a disaster.


I don't recall signing a lease agreement on my electric meter. Did you sign one? Honestly? When one cancels electric service in your town do they remove the meter and return it to the power company? No one around here does that. 

If you have to compare a piece of satellite equipment to an electric meter look at the dish. That is the piece of technology that takes the signal from outside of the home and brings it inside the home. When one moves they leave the dish behind (with DISH's hope that the next person will use it). Just like an electric meter. One doesn't leave leased receivers behind ... unless one wants to pay the $100-$400 per receiver fees.


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## jep8821 (Jun 24, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Why?
> 
> If you rent furniture from a store... and you lose that furniture in a flood or worse... is the furniture store going to let you off the hook? Or will they expect you to pay for the furniture you can't return to them?
> 
> ...


Remind me to NEVER move next to you. First, with regards to the mower, I would be more worried about my neighbor and their well being and HELPING them get back on their feet rather than some stupid lawnmower I let them borrow. If you were my neighber and you took that tone w/ me or a fellow neighbor, I would call you a heartless SOB. If it was my lawnmower, I would probably refuse any attempt for them to pay for it unless they made it perfectly clear that their insurance was picking up the tab.

Dish network Stands to lose more by NOT writing those expenses off. I agree that Dish Network doesn't HAVE to but.... they should. It makes business sense to. One, your competitors in the Joplin market have already said they won't make customers pay. In order to stay competitve in Joplin, you have to follow suit. Two, it shows good will. Companies that go above and beyond will build loyality with current and potential customers.

Thanks.

Jason


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Wonder why none of the D.I.R.T. members dont just post the truth, and end the speculation of what will happen.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

I am duboius about this story, however, WHO'S RESPONSIBILITY IS IT??

If you have insurance, they will cover it (unless you are under-insured).

If you did not have insurance - you've made your bed.

I pay several thousand dollars annually in home insurance that will cover replacement of my home an dcontents - If you don't - you've made your bed.

If you can't afford insurance - you should be on an antenna at most.

If you can afford it and still don't have it - no pitty.

Those who lost everything, who cares about a satellite box anyway. A couple of hundred dollars is nothing to think about in those times.

But you cannot rake a company over the coals for a possibly fabricated story about hypothetical people for hypothetical losses that are not the company's responsibility. Look at real true facts and work from there.

There is nothing in my house for which I do not have replacement responsibility. If it's borrowed, if it's leased, if i bought it, if it's destroyed while in my posession, it's my responsibility, not the provider's.

Buck up America, take responsibility, don't ask for a company, or the government out of the goodness of their heart to take on your responsibility - REMEMBER - they have no heart, only people have hearts.

Maybe your friends and neighbors will (and should) help, but demanding help is selfishness and greed - you become a leech off society.

Maybe the real truth will show Dish waiving some of the fees, that would be magnanimous of them, but NO ONE should demand it - more selfishness and greed.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

_Wonder why none of the D.I.R.T. members dont just post the truth, ..... _

I noticed a DIRT reading and was expecting a post.

Guess not.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

You assume they are privy to corporate decisions here??

You assume they know if the story is true or not??

It is not their job or responsibility.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

If there was an actual person in Joplin who had lost their receiver(s) in the tornado participating here I'm sure the DishIRT people would be glad to take their information via PM and do whatever DISH can do for that customer.

I don't see a reason for DishIRT to get publicly involved in speculation about what might happen when a customer calls in to report the loss of their equipment. They are here to help customers, not debate policy.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Back on page one of this thread someone mentions that the message is posted on the Dish FB page. I don't do teeney-bopper fads so I won't be going there, but if it were policy a DIRT could post it here without speculation.


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## jep8821 (Jun 24, 2007)

Most people JUST DON'T GET IT. A lot of these people LOST everything including their JOBS, their houses and potentially some friends and family. This devistated the city. Minor expenses now become Major problems. Let's go over how this might be going down for some of the people in Joplin. Your House.. gone, your cars... gone.... your Job... gone.. No severance pay... no last paycheck.... Your now living on credit cards and the help of others. Insurance... got it... but how long before I get money. How long for adjustors to do their job. Your now staying w/ friends / relatives etc. NO new income coming in right now. It hits you now, you have to start calling the phone company, the gas company, the cable/satellite company, etc. Dish answers the phone and when you say your house was destroyed and you need to terminate service, they say fine, we will charge that credit card $$$ which is the same credit card you NEED to use to keep your family going because the receivers were destroyed. THE SMALL THINGS ADD UP. When a company like dish or direct can help.....just do it. Show some compassion.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

SayWhat? said:


> Back on page one of this thread someone mentions that the message is posted on the Dish FB page. I don't do teeney-bopper fads so I won't be going there, but if it were policy a DIRT could post it here without speculation.


Since there is no link to where it is on DISH's Facebook it is hard to say ... but there are a lot of comments on Facebook that are not made by DISH. It was probably in some other user's comments.



jep8821 said:


> Most people JUST DON'T GET IT. A lot of these people LOST everything including their JOBS, their houses and potentially some friends and family. This devistated the city. Minor expenses now become Major problems.


Yes ... anyone here lose their home in Joplin? Has anyone here been asked to pony up the dough for a missing receiver? Anyone? Anyone?

Those people actually affected ARE taking care of the more pressing problems.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

I still don't get an expectation that Dish or any other national company absorb the loss of leased equipment. Maybe the big picture is difficult to see?

Tornado damage is only one disaster loss type. Here's the big picture for April and May for this one type of loss:


> AIR Worldwide of Boston estimates insured losses from the April 22-28 tornadoes in the Southeast at between $3.7 billion and $5.5 billion. Hartwig said that the past week's storms in Joplin, Mo., and in other states may add an additional $2 billion or more, including $1 billion in Joplin alone.


But that's only only one type of natural disaster affecting Americans _*right now*_! For instance, there's flooding in Montana:








In the meantime, we have this:


> South Dakota appealed for bulldozers and operators and called up 200 more National Guard troops on Sunday in a race to finish levees before heavy Missouri River flows reach the capital, officials said.
> 
> The U.S. government plans to step up releases from several dams along the Missouri River in early June to relieve pressure on reservoirs swollen by heavy rains and melting winter snowcaps from Montana through North and South Dakota.
> 
> ...


Then if you want another type of disaster to talk about, how about this:


> A partially contained wildfire in a rural area of Southern California was threatening homes Saturday, forestry officials said.
> 
> ...About 400 homes around the lake were evacuated and 100 were considered threatened Friday night, Kern County fire officials told the Los Angeles Times.


If you search "wildfire' on Google News you'll also find stories about homes lost in the past two months in the Southwest and the Southeast. (I started up my Fire season 2011 begins thread in February and am remiss in keeping it up.)

And right now there's a mudslide threatening homes in Alton, IL.

This is why people buy homeowners and renters insurance and why companies like Dish expect to be reimbursed for their lost equipment.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I believe in a flood, you have plenty of time and warning to remove your furniture, satellite equipment. Same with a hurricane. I highly doubt with 5 to 24 MINUTES of warning, you are going to be concerned with saving anything except your life and your family.

I every ONE of the above examples, there is time to remove items from your home (except perhaps the people in immediate danger from wildfire).


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

"Davenlr" said:


> I believe in a flood, you have plenty of time and warning to remove your furniture, satellite equipment. Same with a hurricane. I highly doubt with 5 to 24 MINUTES of warning, you are going to be concerned with saving anything except your life and your family.
> 
> I every ONE of the above examples, there is time to remove items from your home (except perhaps the people in immediate danger from wildfire).


All I can tell you is that my in-laws had less than 15 minutes to grab some photos and valuables before they had to leave because of a flood. In less than an hour the water reached the ceiling of the 2nd story along with the mud and the heating oil.

They lost most everything though the house was cleaned up and remodeled. No time to move the refrigerator. The TV and other small appliances really were not on "the save at any risk" list.

As someone whose been the guy in charge for local government, I can tell you it's rare that people move their stuff. If you have some lead time like with hurricanes today people board up windows, but they don't gather up the small appliances.


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## Slamminc11 (Jan 28, 2005)

For those of you here saying that Dish should just absorb the cost and pay for all lost receivers in natural disasters. Please don't come back here whining and b**ching when your Dish bill goes up next time, because guess who will end up having to cover those lost costs...yep *YOU*! 
So by saying that Dish should just eat it, then I say next rate hike, you should just eat it!


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## jep8821 (Jun 24, 2007)

Slamminc11 said:


> For those of you here saying that Dish should just absorb the cost and pay for all lost receivers in natural disasters. Please don't come back here whining and b**ching when your Dish bill goes up next time, because guess who will end up having to cover those lost costs...yep *YOU*!
> So by saying that Dish should just eat it, then I say next rate hike, you should just eat it!


First off, Directv and Dish Network for YEARS GAVE equipment away that WAS OWNED not LEASED. People forget what dish and direct are really selling.... IT is a MONTHY programming subscription. W/O a box, you can't get it. They need users to HAVE boxes as much as the users do. W/O a box, people won't subscribe to their service. People want to compare a leased reciever to a leased car, a leased appliance, those comparisons are fundamentally flawed. You lease a car from FORD or CHEVY and not from a gas company like Shell gas. When you lease a car from Ford, you don't agree to put $$$ of shell gas in that car per month. Ford gets no money back per month from Shell because you put their brand of gas in it. Same way with appliances. You don't lease a washer from TIDE w/ the agreement that you will put $$$ of tide in there per month. Name me any other monthly subscription service that you Lease equipment from.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

jep8821 said:


> First off, Directv and Dish Network for YEARS GAVE equipment away that WAS OWNED not LEASED.


I paid for my owned equipment up front. At the time there was a rebate plan that refunded the cost of the equipment by reducing the monthly bill for a couple of years.

Perhaps you know more about your own service provider than DISH. DISH doesn't give away receivers for free. Everything for the past few years has been leased or sold at a retail price.



> They need users to HAVE boxes as much as the users do. W/O a box, people won't subscribe to their service.


Which is why they lease their boxes ... to make getting the service more affordable. They DO NOT give away their boxes. It is more important for DISH to stay in business so they can continue to collect monthly subscriptions. Giving away receivers would raise the cost of doing business to the point of putting them out of business.



> Name me any other monthly subscription service that you Lease equipment from.


Do you have a monthly subscription to Shell gas? Pay it whether or not you use their fuel? It seems that irrelevant comparisons abound!

The commitment that DISH Network subscribers make when agreeing to lease equipment is the point here. If one doesn't like that commitment they can find another provider. The era of giving out free receivers and recouping the cost in monthly revenue is OVER ... it ended a long time ago. Look around - you are more likely to find service providers with an upfront equipment charge or required lease than anyone giving anything away.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

jep8821 said:


> First off, Directv and Dish Network for YEARS GAVE equipment away that WAS OWNED not LEASED. People forget what dish and direct are really selling.... IT is a MONTHY programming subscription. W/O a box, you can't get it. They need users to HAVE boxes as much as the users do. W/O a box, people won't subscribe to their service. Name me any other monthly subscription service that you Lease equipment from.


There is so much wrong with your statements it is hard to know where to begin. Remember you are posting to people who have had Dish and or Direct for many many years, myself included. Dish has never given away receivers, especially in the era of DVR's.

You want examples? Many rent their water heater from their oil company, while getting automatic delivery - a subscription. Many rent their modem while subscribing to their internet provider. For years people rented their phone from the phone companies. The electronic rental company here will rent you new movie releases (programming) when they first come out, only if you rent their Blu-ray player. (Receiver)


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## jep8821 (Jun 24, 2007)

I want to make it clear on a couple of points. One if the user wants to continue service with new equipment, I have no problem with dish requiring a new contract to REPLACE the equipment. If they want just cancel because of having no house, I can see maybe still charging the early termination charge (even though I would wave it). My problem is when you add on charges because they can't return the equipment because of a natural dissaster. Dish Network needs to go thru the "give 'Em the pickle" training!!!


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## jep8821 (Jun 24, 2007)

tampa8 said:


> There is so much wrong with your statements it is hard to know where to begin. Remember you are posting to people who have had Dish and or Direct for many many years, myself included. Dish has never given away receivers, especially in the era of DVR's.


Sorry to break it to you but Dish has GIVEN RECEIVERS AWAY. When I still had C band years ago, dish was running promo mailings GIVING away 2 reciever setups to get people to switch. I had dish by the way. But it was a loooong time ago. I had the first DVR dish EVER offered. The dishplayer 7100. I had it before it could even record. I got it so early on that it didn't even always buffer. When you hit the the pause, it had to activate the buffer. I ended up leaving dish after the dishplayer 7100/7200 debacle.


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## Slamminc11 (Jan 28, 2005)

jep8821 said:


> Sorry to break it to you but Dish has GIVEN RECEIVERS AWAY. When I still had C band years ago, dish was running promo mailings GIVING away 2 reciever setups to get people to switch


Which was what, 15 years ago. 
And considering the extremely long list of Direct Receivers you have listed, it's obvious you don't have a dog in this hunt.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

jep8821 said:


> I ended up leaving dish after the dishplayer 7100/7200 debacle.


The world has changed a lot since then. Perhaps you need to catch up with how the industry works TODAY.


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

4 pages and 60 + posts on something that shouldn't even be a debate.. Based on hearsay, with no proof, and a handful of people that immediately assume companies should give things away in a disaster. 

Many companies do give quite a few things during disasters, most don't try and go around and say "look what I did", if it gets some publicity without them going out of there way to do it, and they get some kudos, more power to them.

However, a few hundred dollar sat receiver, when most people don't have a house, some people are missing, hundreds dead in severe weather, and there is a debate on whether Dish should replace them for nothing, this is the least of these people's worries.

Some people really need to get a life...


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Mr-Rick said:


> Furniture, Cars, homes, riding lawn mowers, add whatever you want....those are big ticket items. We are talking about cheap satellite receivers. Many of which are fully depreciated. We were talking about public relations and the effect it will have on DISH. To replace receivers for these customers who pay monthly for service and can go where ever they want for "TV", I would replace those leased receivers for free if I were in charge at DISH.


At whose expense would you do this? Your own salary? Your employees salaries? The receivers have to be paid for... so if you are giving away replacements and waiving fees for non-returned lease receivers... someone at the company has to pay for that.

Maybe you would just raise the price on the bill the next year to recoup your losses on paying for those replacements?



Mr-Rick said:


> What could it possibly cost them?


Money... and potentially lots of it if there are a lot of receivers to be replaced.

Some people are behaving as if they think companies just have piles of money sitting around.

Why can't these people pay to replace their own receivers if it costs so little? On the one hand some are saying it is major devastation to have to pay for a lost receiver... on the other it is "cheap" so why can't Dish pay? You can't have it both ways.



Mr-Rick said:


> I see it like the electric meter. It is owned by the electric company. Never heard of the utility charging the customer for the cost of a new electric meter lost to a disaster.


Not a good example. You don't lease your power meter... You pay for electricity. The meter determines how much you use, so they know how much to bill you... It behooves them to make sure you have a working meter installed!

Dish doesn't charge you to calculate your bill each month... and you don't have to buy them a new calculator if theirs breaks.



jep8821 said:


> Remind me to NEVER move next to you. First, with regards to the mower, I would be more worried about my neighbor and their well being and HELPING them get back on their feet rather than some stupid lawnmower I let them borrow.


Sorry... Where did I say I didn't care and wouldn't be concerned about my neighbor? The two are not mutually exclusive!

I can care about my neighbor and offer to help them... but how does my yard get mowed?

I live in a HOA that sends out nasti-grams if you don't mow your yard on schedule. So... say I've loaned my mower to a neighbor who loses it in a storm... then I can't mow my yard and I can't afford to buy a new mower either... so now I can't mow my yard, the HOA sends me nasty letters and threatens me if I don't.

Everything is connected... You want your Dish receiver replaced for free... but you don't care that you lost your neighbor's mower and you are causing him trouble that will cost him money.



jep8821 said:


> Companies that go above and beyond will build loyality with current and potential customers.


You're kidding, right?

The same people who complain that Dish is robbing them when the price of service goes up $2 per month? These same people will be "loyal" customers to Dish forever because Dish ate the cost of a lost receiver?

This forum is filled with people who have been 5-10 year Dish customers who threaten to move to DirecTV or cable to save a few bucks a month for a year... so I seriously doubt any of them will remember that Dish forgave them a receiver lost to storm damage.



jep8821 said:


> Most people JUST DON'T GET IT. A lot of these people LOST everything including their JOBS, their houses and potentially some friends and family. This devistated the city. Minor expenses now become Major problems. Let's go over how this might be going down for some of the people in Joplin. Your House.. gone, your cars... gone.... your Job... gone.. No severance pay... no last paycheck.... Your now living on credit cards and the help of others. Insurance... got it... but how long before I get money. How long for adjustors to do their job. Your now staying w/ friends / relatives etc. NO new income coming in right now. It hits you now, you have to start calling the phone company, the gas company, the cable/satellite company, etc. Dish answers the phone and when you say your house was destroyed and you need to terminate service, they say fine, we will charge that credit card $$$ which is the same credit card you NEED to use to keep your family going because the receivers were destroyed. THE SMALL THINGS ADD UP. When a company like dish or direct can help.....just do it. Show some compassion.


We get it. We also get personal responsibility.

ALL of these people who have been devastated have far more things to worry about than their Dish Network... and to be fair, no one in this thread has actually proven that Dish has forced anyone to pay for a lost receiver yet.

Meanwhile... IF these people are insured, then their Dish receivers will be covered by insurance... IF these people are NOT insured, then that's a choice they made... to save money... and they don't get a free pass for not having insurance.

I don't think Dish is harassing people over this... someone has just stirred up this argument on the internet.

I'm just arguing that IF it comes to pass... I would be grateful if Dish waived such fees, but I wouldn't expect it. They don't owe me that. People sure seem to have a sense of entitlement about things... but then when it comes time to pay for something, they don't want to pay for it!

There's a very real "I want to be covered, but I don't want to pay for other people's problems" vibe going on in this country right now. It's amazing.


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## Orion9 (Jan 31, 2011)

I suppose we could move to a world in which Dish, plus car, house, furniture, refrigerator, vacuum, etc. companies replaced items whenever there was a disaster/fire etc. Then we wouldn't need homeowners insurance. Of course, the prices of those items would rise by an amount that would probably work out to be just about the same as the old insurance since now all of those companies would be supplying replacements, hiring claims adjusters etc. Seems like it would work out about the same only now a victim would have maybe 50 claims adjusters to deal with instead of 1 or 2.

Of course, if one or more of those companies wants to help out, that's OK with me. And I would expect the homeowners insurance adjustment to be reduced by the value that the other company helps out with. Again, seems kind of the same to me.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

_Meanwhile... IF these people are insured, then their Dish receivers will be covered by insurance... _

Which we still all pay for one way or another.


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## [email protected] Network (Jan 6, 2011)

First and foremost, we hope the lost or damaged pieces of equipment are the biggest issues you have during a time like this. To us, that would be a blessing.

DIRT is here to help you with regard to your DISH Network gear, and we will work quickly and to the best of our ability to provide you with comfort and piece of mind. You have enough to worry about, and we will handle the rest. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this disaster.

PM any member of DIRT and we will resolve your issues quickly with regard to this.


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## Mr-Rick (Dec 1, 2004)

Well you certainly don't own your electric meter do you? I don't own mine and I can't disconnect it or tamper with it. When it goes bad, the electric company replaces it. And they get a check from me every month. The cost of that meter is in the electric rate.

The bottom line is this, SD receivers are still the majority. They have been fully depreciated. It would cost DISH more in bad publicity than it would cost to replace it for free. Heck a 625 goes for $50 nowadays. The moment DISH starts to jam people for early terminations or not returning a satellite receiver that has probably been blown into the next county, they will pay a steep price in customer relations.

We are talking 2000 buildings/homes were damaged/destroyed in Joplin. If DISH has 20% of the market, that's 400 full replacements. Even if it cost DISH $600 per home, it's only $240,000. This amount is nothing to a multi-BILLION dollar corporation that profited $500 million last quarter. Pennies.


Any cable company that caught onto this would exploit this in full page ads in the newspaper once things start to settle down.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Slamminc11 said:


> Which was what, 15 years ago.
> And considering the extremely long list of Direct Receivers you have listed, it's obvious you don't have a dog in this hunt.


Less then that; at least when I did installs in 2000-2004 years.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

phrelin said:


> All I can tell you is that my in-laws had less than 15 minutes to grab some photos and valuables before they had to leave because of a flood. In less than an hour the water reached the ceiling of the 2nd story along with the mud and the heating oil.
> .


I would consider that a flash flood. A flood (not flash) would be what we have around here every year. They tell you a week or more in advance what the expected water level will rise to. I understand you dont always have time in a flash flood, but those are pretty limited to small areas, and are usually listed as being in a flood plain by the government, in which case, it would probably be required by your mortgage company that you carry flood insurance as a prerequisite to get your loan. Tornadoes are pretty much all alone in that they can drop anywhere, for any distance, give little to no warning, and wipe out major metro areas. Even flash floods rarely affect metro areas, which usually have flood walls or levys to protect them from a sudden surge of water from a Thunderstorm.

I suspect, when all is said and done, there are very few homeowners in Joplin who did not have insurance. Whether the cost to rebuild (at todays dollar) is higher or lower than the payment they will get, might cause them to build smaller, etc. Most should cover contents as well. For those few (renters w/o insurance, people who have a crappy insurance company that tries to avoid paying, etc), I would think the Dish company or cable co would be happier excusing them from their contract/lost receiver fee, and keep a customer...spread goodwill and PR...etc.

If they dont, then they are entirely within their rights if their TOS so states, but a tax writeoff on the loss would be a much wiser decision, business wise. As much as the TV providers spend in advertising, how much advertising would it take to counter ONE bad story from Joplin, or Alabama getting picked up by the national media?

And I am speaking in general terms of providers, not one in particular. Since the DIRT team has replied with that companies position, and it sounds to me like they will work with individuals, I would say that is a good company position.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Mr-Rick said:


> Well you certainly don't own your electric meter do you?


Do you lease your electric meter? Did you sign a contract when you began electric service at your home with specific penalties for not returning that meter when you terminated electrical service? No.

DISH Network customers with leased equipment HAVE signed such a contract. And that should be the end of the crazy comparisons to things people don't lease - but I'm sure there will be more. 



> The moment DISH starts to jam people for early terminations or not returning a satellite receiver that has probably been blown into the next county, they will pay a steep price in customer relations.


Fine ... yet another prediction of the downfall of DISH Network over some small rumor. I'm sure it will be just as accurate as all of the previous predictions of doom for DISH.



> This amount is nothing to a multi-BILLION dollar corporation that profited $500 million last quarter. Pennies.


Joplin isn't that special. Read the thread above and consider replacing all of the receivers lost in floods and other natural disasters. Then add in all the individual problems such as house fires, etc. Why should the people of Joplin be treated any different than anyone else who lost it all including leased receivers?

DISH didn't make money every year since 2002 by writing off costs that do not need to be written off.



> Any cable company that caught onto this would exploit this in full page ads in the newspaper once things start to settle down.


Yes, there are always those who will take advantage of a tragedy for their own self promotion and profit. That isn't something to be proud of, is it?

DISH will deal with their Joplin customers as they have with others who have faced a disaster and in the process lost a receiver. On an individual basis.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

2011 Federal Disasters;

http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema

This does not include events that may have caused widespread damage, but fell below Federal guidelines.

I count 37 Major Disaster Declarations, 7 Emergency Declarations and 51 Fire Management Assistance Declarations. I have no idea how many homes and business were lost in those events, but the numbers would surely be well into the thousands.


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## Lucavex (Apr 26, 2011)

Why is this still being discussed? Until there's a case out there of this actually happening, all I really see going on here is a contest about who can stand on the tallest stack of soap boxes. Can we let this die until someone actually musters up some proof of this?


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## Mr-Rick (Dec 1, 2004)

Well it seems this issue has been solved. The link below to a NY Times article shows that both Bright House Cable and Charter Communications are not charging for equipment that was lost or damaged by the tornadoes in Alabama. While the initial thought was that the customers insurance company would pay for it, these two cable companies changed and will not charge.

They obviously can see the cost to stiff these people will certainly be much higher than replacing a set-top-box.

http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/dont-forget-the-cable-box-in-a-disaster/


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Lucavex said:


> Why is this still being discussed? Until there's a case out there of this actually happening, all I really see going on here is a contest about who can stand on the tallest stack of soap boxes. Can we let this die until someone actually musters up some proof of this?


Because of freedom of speech. Because not everyone is coldblooded ...


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

coldblooded? Come on, not even an actual link to a substantive claim of "DISH SCREWED ME." Give folks a break.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

SayWhat? said:


> 2011 Federal Disasters;
> 
> http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema
> 
> ...


Now add to that 10% (maximum) of dish service subscribers and you'll end up with HUNDREDS cases. As we already pointed.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

As soon as someone has a specific reference to a Dish customer who was not helped by Dish, please post it. A member of the Dish Internet Response Team has posted in this thread and asked that anyone affected contact them for assistance. So I'm not seeing Dish being callous here.

That said...

It's still amazing what people want for free these days, and what they feel entitled to... I feel much more for the people who lost their homes and loved ones than I do for the ones who lost a Dish receiver.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Stewart Vernon said:


> As soon as someone has a specific reference to a Dish customer who was not helped by Dish, please post it. A member of the Dish Internet Response Team has posted in this thread and asked that anyone affected contact them for assistance. So I'm not seeing Dish being callous here.
> 
> That said...
> 
> It's still amazing what people want for free these days, and what they feel entitled to... *I feel much more for the people who lost their homes and loved ones than I do for the ones who lost a Dish receiver.*


This time they are the same ppl ...


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## Lucavex (Apr 26, 2011)

P Smith said:


> Because of freedom of speech. Because not everyone is coldblooded ...


Cold-blooded? I'm not sure where you were going with that. I don't know how I was being cold-blooded. I just wonder why this is still a topic of conversation when there hasn't been one single person who's made the claim that this has happened.

In my eyes, it's not worth talking about a situation that hasn't even occurred. Speculation gets folks nowhere.


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