Complaint

0
Timothy Cerar
Country: United States
Halunen & Associates is a class action law firm investigating Dish Network’s practice of charging early termination fees
(cancellation fees) to customers who terminate their service.  We believe this practice violates the law. If you or someone you know has
been charged this fee, please contact  Shawn Wanta at: wanta@halunenlaw.com or call at (612) 605-4098. Thank you.

Comments

  • 0
    Ken
    I was a loyal DISH customer and liked their service very much. Personally, I think they have better HD video quality then ATT HD service.

    Back in Dec, I moved to new apartment which happened to be 'North Facing' apartment without DISH signal, which I was not aware till DISH rep told me about it. And as a layman, I had no clue that 'North Facing' apartment would not have DISH signal. If I knew it, I wouldnt have moved to North Facing apartment, anyway who wants to pay early termination fees for no reason!

    After moving to my new apartment, I called DISH and scheduled a move service. As expected, DISH rep came to my apartment on weekends morning and tried to figure out if he can get DISH signal which he couldn't. I lived in 3rd floor there is a apartment fence right next to my building which has 5-6 DISH and Direct TV antenna attached to fence. I asked DISH rep if he can put my DISH on apartment fence and can run the wire from there. Without analyzing much, he said apartment wont let him do it and he can clearly see wires chopped from those antenna. Since it was weekend, I didn't had option to call my apartment and ensure that information provided by DISH rep was correct.

    Since, it was not possible for me to get DISH signal ( as per that DISH rep), I called DISH same day and terminated my service. When explaining the north facing apartment and signal issue situation to DISH rep in phone, I was yelled and told that I am gonna have to pay that termination fee regardless. It looked like that DISH lady on the phone was having bad weekends.

    The irony here is, when I checked with my apartment manager next week about having DISH antenna on their fence, she told me that its perfectly fine and I can do it, and that is what other residents were doing. Those chopped wires were from those resident's DISH who had moved out of that apartment community. There you go... If that DISH rep would have waited till next day and checked with my apartment manager, I would have to terminate my service and pay early termination fee !!!!!

    Now can some one reading this explain me if it was fair enough for me to pay early termination fee just because my apartment was north facing with no DISH signal and on the top of that DISH rep misled me saying I cant have my DISH in apartment fence without checking with my apartment management even though it was possible !! Average people in this world wouldnt know that north facing apartment will not have DISH signal!
  • 0
    Tiffany of Wayland, MI
    I have the same issues with DISH! I had dish tv and it was great for 1 year. No issues, price was ok, no problems. Then when dish internet came out I decided to switch from att internet to dish internet. Boy was I wrong to do this!
    Internet ran great for the first day installed. But after that it was acting up and running very slow. I called dish and they told me that my 10g a month limit was up! That I had to pay $10 extra per 1g if I wanted more data to have the faster internet. Other wise I'd have to wait until the following month in order to have the fast internet again. I had done nothing out of the ordinary that I hadn't done with my previous att internet that also had a data limit on. So, What happened was dish advertises that you can download/watch movies from the dish receiver if you have an active internet hooked to it. Yeah, No problem. I had it hooked up when I had att internet and had downloaded/watched the free movies that dish offered. So after I got the dish internet there was a couple movies that I had wanted to download/watch in their free section. So I did. Also online on dish's website you can watch tv shows and movies from it as well ((Kind of like Netflix)). So I went to watch a movie from there while I waited for the other movies to download to my receiver to watch later with my husband and son. The following day ((1 day of having internet service through dish)) the internet was running so slow, I couldn't watch videos on youtube, dish's movie website, nothing! So when I called and talked to the rep he told me that my data had been used up. He then informed me that the movies if they are around normal size/length ( 1 1/2 hours) each movie takes about 2-3 gigs worth of data just to download to the receiver, or to watch fully on the PC. So when I watched 1 movie online and downloaded 2 via dish receiver it used up all of the data.

    So, you tell me... Does it make any sense to offer "Free Movies" to watch via your pc or download to your receiver if all it does is use up your data so quick you have to either buy more, or wait a whole month for it to refresh??? The fact that in order to download to the receiver or to watch online any movies, You end up needing a different internet provider that gives you unlimited data like Charter/Comcast cable internet in order to use their "Movies" services!

    Near as I can see it DISH is rigged to charge you up the butt in fee's. You run out of data, you have to buy more! I mean its not like a cell phone company and using a cell phone that you can't use that much data. Dish offers free movie downloads or to watch via online on their website, but no one mentions that if you just watch 2-3 movies your data will be gone and then your stuck with "Dial Up" speeds until you pay for more data or wait till the next month. But I swear the "Free" movies if you have to buy more data in order to watch it... Look at it this way: If you need to pay $10 for 1 gig of data extra over your limit, but yet a movie to download is lets say 2-3 gigs worth of data to download. Then wouldn't that free movie end up costing you $20-30 dollars?!? Who's getting screwed here? ME!

    Anyways, after I was told that I told them I did not want the internet. I'd keep the tv service because I'd never had any issues with it. But I want the internet service canceled. Boy that was a mistake. I am now stuck with this crappy internet service for almost 2 years per their contract because even having it for "1" day I'd still have to pay the over $400 early termination fee!

    Then after that the "DISH" programing decides to change! Like the "Outdoor" channel that my husband loves to watch was gone. After having the 200+ package because the only way to get all the channels you actually want to watch is to have the higher package. They decided to "Take" some of their channels and switch them to an even higher package.... Or in the case of the "Outdoor" channel they took that channel and 3 other hunting, fishing, ect channel and put it into a 4 channel "SPECIAL PACKAGE" deal for $4 more you could "Add" the channels back. Are you kidding me?!? I had them free the day before, now you take them away and expect me to pay more money for it if I want to keep it?!?

    Its so bad that we can't even afford tv or internet because our bill was almost $200 a month for tv and internet. We had to downgrade to the tv package that we only get like 10 channels we actually like to watch and about 50-60 OTHER BULLCRAP channels that are trying to sell you something or just stupid and no one in their right mind would watch it! And at that it is still about $60 for tv that we can only watch a handful of channels. Its like less than "Basic" channels you get from a cable company! Its like... Remember back when they still had analog tv and if you hooked up a tv with an antenna you could get channels on it? Its like that many... but actually instead of getting them for free like back in the day... now I'm being charged $60. Then with the internet we had to downgrade to the 5gig a month plan and that's still $40 and as it is right now the data was used up in a week and that's even with watching NO movies/videos, just surfing the internet. So for 3 weeks each month I have to deal with dial up speeds until it renews the next month. After fee's ect... My bill is still about $130 a month... AND FOR WHAT? [***] tv with no programing worth watching, and an internet that I can't use for 3 out of the 4 weeks each month!

    So, anyone thinking about getting Dish Network Programing TV or their "DishNet" services... Read what I had to say and STAY AWAY! I'd never refer a friend/family member either just for their "FREE $50 off", because in the end they will hate it too and will also be stuck in a contract! I can't wait until its up and then they can go "Bleep" themselves!
  • 0
    Keith
    just curious.... I lost Headline News and CNN and a few other channels  that I'm paying for .... are they in violation of the contract by not giving me the channels that I'm paying for or am I entitled some partial or percentage of a refund for not giving me the service that I was paying for all along?....they sure seem to want to charge us for anything extra why don't they have to pay it back when they take things away
  • 0
    hec in south texas
    Dish needs to be terminated, I cannot remember no contract or signing a contract. Soon as prices began to go up from what they advertise, IN America we have a right to terminate services. They began to strong arm people by stating, we'll give you another deal and you will not have to pay fees for canceling. Well this is a practice low life s practice and I will not fall into that hole. I agree this is a company that needs to not exist. hec en alice tejas
  • 0
    S. McDaniel
    I cancelled Dish service on Jan 7, 2015 because of poor reception.They offered to let me pay $9.95 per month, which I found out later was only to extend the contract. No, the dish representative did NOT tell me that. Why would I want to pay them $9.95 a month for nothing. At the time of cancellation I ask for boxes and a final bill was told that I would receive them within 7 to 10 business days. One week later I called again,Dish representative told once again they would be sent within 7-10 business days. I did receive the boxes 5 days after the third call. I had to climb on top of my garage to take down what they wanted sent back. I'm an old woman with congestive heart failure. Today I receive an email with a final balance, not the paper bill I requested, and they have the nerve to add state and local sales tax to that balance. I'm still trying to figure out what I bought! My contact says nothing about these  "sales taxes". Just another way for Dish Network to rip people off.
  • 0
    AntonioM52
    | 1 reply
    Dish Network charge me over 300.00 dollars  for  early  termination fee , i lived on  SS , i complain to  my  credit card  about  this  charge ( Discover ) they  ruled  in favor  of  this Co  , it's totally  frustrated  tryiend to fight , Corporations  do  whatever  they  want  we  us the  consumers , they all are doing  the  same .
    I need  adviced how  to  fight  this  please  !!!  let me  know soon
    Thank  you
    • 0
      Peter Economou replies to AntonioM52
      My name is Peter Economou and I am a law clerk for Halunen Law in Minneapolis, MN. WE ARE NO LONGER TAKING INQUIRIES ABOUT DIRECTV ISSUES AS IT HAD BEEN POSTED IN APRIL OF 2011. The investigation has been closed and we will not be responding to any more contacts. Thank you for your understanding.
  • 0
    Peter Economou
    | 2 replies
    My name is Peter Economou and I am a law clerk for Halunen Law in Minneapolis, MN. WE ARE NO LONGER TAKING INQUIRIES ABOUT DIRECTV ISSUES AS IT HAD BEEN POSTED IN APRIL OF 2011. The investigation has been closed and we will not be responding to any more contacts. Thank you for your understanding.
    • 0
      Courtney Blair Miller replies to Peter Economou
      AT&T bought Direct TV........
    • 0
      alan replies to Peter Economou
      Assume your firm had no luck in suing DISH for theit deceptive practices, and ripping people off!
      They juast ripped me off also $480.00 tremination fee for less than 1 week service.
  • 0
    Courtney Blair Miller
    I have read most of these posts and agree with them.  I got Dish Internet in April.  I already had Dish TV since 2004.  The internet service is horrible.  It's so slow that I end up using my cell phone as a "hot spot" so I can open web pages.  I have called their tech people and they tell me that I'm getting good speed (testmy.net) for uploading files and downloading files.  I tried to decipher the report.....you have to be a computer programmer to make sense of it.   All I know is when I had DSL my internet connection was NOT metered and it was not this slow.  I'm stuck in a 2 year contract and a huge cancellation fee.  I believe they are slowing down the connection so that I will have to purchase more data speed or whatever they call it for $10.00 dollars more each month.  If I cancel just the Internet part of this bundle, will they cancel my TV as well?  I want my AT&T DSL back.  Dish Internet sucks (sidebar:  Dish Internet is actually Hughes net which had horrible ratings for service.  When I ordered the service, I had no idea it was Hughes net that I was getting........isn't that a "bait and switch"?????
  • 0
    Shirline
    I had signed up for dish in the month of August and from day one I was having problems. They build you every two weeks instead of every month. Even before I had my services for two weeks I got a bill. I called dish and I told them this is not right. They kept switching the price all the time. I was supposed to get free installation but they charged me $10.I disputed it and it was taken off. A month after I had the service I lost my job. I called again and told them I am currently unemployed and I don't know how soon I'll get a job and if they can cancel my services. They told me I'll have to pay an early termination fee. I told them if I don't have a job how can I pay it. They response to me is we'll just keep hitting your account until we get it. I told them they have no permission to go into my account and they say yes we do you signed a contract. I ask what contract did I sign. I told them I'm going to report them to the BBB because what they doing is not right. When they get you into the contract then a lot of clauses keeps coming up. This is not right at all. They are a bunch of thieves.
  • 0
    Anne Widner
    I decided to contribute my horror story about Dish Network, and this is my complaint that I filed with the Better Business Bureau:
    We decided to get Dish Network because they provide the PAC 12 games, so on April 25, 2016 we had the service installed with their Hopper and Joey DVRs. There have been numerous problems and aggravations with the service, and here are just a few:

    1. The Hopper doesn't always record when you schedule your shows to record, and that also means that the whole series of shows won't record either. 2. Baseball games don't always record, and when a game is scheduled to record, and while watching the game switch to another channel planning to return to the game later, it hasn't recorded so you miss most of the game. 3. Frequent loss of picture with a black screen, and the only way to fix it is to unplug the Hopper for 15 seconds and plug it back in, which interrupts the programs and recordings (if it records). 4. The favorite list has a system wide technical issue and doesn't save your favorite channels. 5. The small Joey doesn't always work with the main Hopper, so at times the list of recordings showing on the Hopper do not appear on the Joey.

    These problems are on a daily basis, and it has become so frustrating that watching TV isn't as enjoyable as it should be considering how much we were paying. Our monthly rate was $105, and now they want to charge us a $460 early termination fee even though they know we were having many issues. On May 24 a technician came to our home. He said that the DVRs were working fine.

    The temporary solution is to have our Dish package reduced from $105 per month to $26.81 per month so that we don't terminate our account and have to pay $460. This would automatically deduct from the credit card we had to agree to having on file with Dish Network. Please note that we would still be paying them over $600 to avoid early termination, and we will not be receiving any service from Dish. How can this be considered fair? They are getting paid for nothing.

    We have switched back to Direct TV, and really regret leaving them in the first place. Now I have to find a way to be let out of our contract with Dish, and have them waive the $460 early termination fee.
  • 0
    Marci
    I've had dish for 6 days and have been requesting to terminate service since the 5th day. Signed a contract on installers phone for 2 years although expressed I was unable to read it due to how fast it scrolled. I want out but they are saying I have to pay $480.00 for termination now...for 5/6 days of service. I told them I was having internet installed  after their installation and was concerned about dish network using both of my coax and whether if would be a issue with Internet being installed,  they said No. I now can't get internet because dish said internet company would just put a  splitter on coax ...not true , not possible. I'm beyond words. Customers need to be protected and have at least a 15 day cancellation period with no repercussions!!! SHADY, SHADY, SHADY
  • 0
    Pat
    Got Dish a year ago when they had NFL network, now they don't and they don't when they will have it.  I have another year on the initial 2 year contract. How do I get out of the early cancellation fee so I can go with a provider who has NFL?
  • 0
    Richard C Rollensen
    My message is the same, installation from the Dish guy, he cut my comcast internet cables and the Directv cables.
    After countless hours of talking with Dish, they adjusted my bill for all of the hassle of fixing my internet cables.
    A couple of months later all bets were  off, up went the monthly bill.
    Fortunately during all of this my credit card had been lost and I received a new number!!
    Now they have to bill me!!
    I cancelled  and am in the process of negotiating a reasonable conclusion to this business relationship, absolutely no understanding on their part!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    They, DISH, are absolutely the worst company on this earth.................
  • 0
    ALAN
    | 1 reply
    Anyone have a clue how to get together and Class action against DISH.
    They are totally deceptive and greedy.
    • 0
      Susan Fitz replies to ALAN
      I wish we could but it states in the contract that the only way anyone can start arbitration is in small claims court. We're not allowed to join a class action lawsuit or even hire a lawyer! My 87 year old mother was a customer of dish for 15 years. When my dad passed,  her social security decreased significantly  so when DirecTV came out with a really good deal, she switched and had DirecTV for a year. Well don't you know, that dish kept sending her offers of a $200 gift card and $30 a month for 2 years, so she went back to Dish. You know how the HBO Cinemax and Showtime are free for 3 months? Well I made sure I cancelled a week ahead of time and they continued to charge my mother $50 a month for 4 months for the premium channels. Even though I called  repeatedly and told them we did not have these channels and that they were overcharging us. They kept saying they were going to credit her account every month,but continued to charge her! They are absolute idiots! I really don't think any of them can read!! They would give her a credit of $30 and then turn around and charge her $80 for the channels again! After 4 months of this, I called and cancelled and was directed to the "president's office" and was told that no, they would not waive the early termination fee! Oh I was livid!. My mother wants her $200 back, not to mention the 80 phone calls I have on my cell phone from these [***]! They were in breach of contract for charging for a service my mother didn't even have!!. But their contract covers their [***] very very well. They can change prices, fees, programming, and the wording of the contract itself without notifying us! I've hired a lawyer regardless of what the contract says, they are not going to take advantage to my mother like that! I'm not going to stop until I get her $200 back and $500 for each phone call on my cell phone! (Yeah right, Lol)That's the plan anyway, I at least want to get satisfaction for her. How can a company do that?? Just keep taking money out of someone's account and not even provide the service they're charging for!! I guess they thought I was just going to let them continue to overcharge her for the next two years!! I don't think so, not on my watch!
  • 0
    unknown
    Dish is awful!!!!! They will rip you... They took my money out my account and didn't even notified me .. now they are saying they didn't take the money I should notified my bank because they did it. I have been with my bank for 15 years and haven't had a problem with them taking money from my account. ANYONE I ADVICES  YOU NOT USE DISH NETWORK THEIR A RIP OFF
  • 0
    Ron
    Just moved to a new apartment. The installation team came and said it would cost me $500 to run a wire. So I have a choice between that and a $360 termination fee. How is this legal? What should I do? This is so unethical.

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