Mark
Green Bay
administrator
I'm looking into DISH Network and TurboHD as my only real alternative to Time Warner and had a few questions for those who know or might have it themselves:
1. Is it right that you can opt out of the 24-month contract if you pay the activation fee? In that case, if I'm only in my apartment for six more months, could I cancel at that time?
2. They say they can't install a dish on the third or higher floors. There are "technically" three floors on my building and I'm on the highest floor. On my south-facing wall, there are only two floors visible (the lowest level is half built into the ground at the back and fully in the front). Would this preclude me from getting a dish?
3. Looking at other dish installations nearby, they seem to like going through the wall air conditioner slip rather than drilling a hole through the wall. Is there any downside to this? Is this "code legal"?
4. If I pay the activation in lieu of a contract, is the equipment still free or will I have to buy stuff?
5. If I have to have them mount the dish on a pole at ground level in lieu of them attaching it to the wall, is that covered under the free installation or will I get charged for that?
6. What are the better local resellers/installers I should go through?
Posted September 8, 2008 2:03pm in
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Boy, there are so many
Boy, there are so many damned Dish re-sellers out there that you can get a lot of different answers to the same questions when you ask them (and can get different answers calling Dish direct too).
I wouldn't bet my life on any of these answers, but my understanding of the answers to your questions:
1. If you pay the activation fee ($50), you should be able to cancel at any time. The activation fee is waved when you sign a 24 month contract. You can cancel the 24 month contract at any time too, but they'll charge you $10 for every month remaining on the contract (so after 6 months, you'd have 18 months remaining on the contract and be charged $180 for canceling).
2. No idea...probably depends on the installer.
3. No idea. Don't think it would be a code violation, but not sure.
4. The way I read their contract and the way it was explained to me is that if you pay the activation fee they'll still provide you the equipment and charge you a rental fee for each month you have service, but you can return the equipment and cancel at anytime. Dish gives you the impression that you have to rent their equipment from them, but that doesn't appear to be the case as when I told them I was considering purchasing some equipment off of ebay they said I could activate it if the previous owner did not have an outstanding balance on their account.
5. Any beyond normal installation (such as using a pole) is an extra fee.
6. No idea. I wasn't impressed with the installer who came to my house and I was in contact with him via Dish Network phone number on their website.
Note: I've decided to give this a shot myself, but I'm doing much of the work myself with the help of a friend. Will post more after it's done.