Dish Network problems

Bobby A · Oct 23, 2010

Why does Dish Network give me such a hard time when I try to get them to change programming from my summer home in Mi to our winter home in Fl. ?? When you mention RV they say " O we don't do that " They had my blood a boiling today when trying to switch services. What am I suppose to say ?? Some years I have no problem at all, and other years I get such a hard time. I will wait to hear from others that have had the same problem before I call again, I need some kind of majic word, and I don't know what that is. If I could of reached through the phone today I would of strangled that S.O.*********** There goes my blood pressure again gotta stop.

Bobby A

DW_Gray · Oct 23, 2010

Bobby, sorry to hear about your problem. I know how you feel. I'll just share what DW wrote on our travelogue recently.

Attention All RVers

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT USE DISH NETWORK as your TV provider. They WILL NOT satisfy you as the customer. After being serviced by them last year (at the RV FamCamp on VAFB) they now tell us they do not service RVers. and will NOT help us with our problem. They say we should NEVER have been given this “sophisticated” dish and that we should have been given the 500 dish which is NOT HD. What???? I thought it was “illegal” to have nothing LESS than HD these days. The people we talk to just go ’round and ’round with their agenda and will NOT answer our questions. (Much like liberals.) They do NOT know the meaning of “Customer Service”. Please DO NOT use them. You WILL be sorry.

Note: For a while I was doing the change by email. But they even stopped helping me that way too. I made phone calls all the way up to the corporate office to no avail. Here's an email example:

To: care@customermail.dishnetwork.com
Hello,
Please update my physical service address. I am currently located at the following address:

Building 5010, Space 14
Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437

David Gray is the name that appears on the account.
My current ZIP code of the service address on the account is 32433-7014
The amount of the last payment made to the account was $131.40 made on 08/18/10.
My billing address has not changed.

Thanks,
David Gray

Best advice, never tell them you're in a RV. Try using the Dish Mover option online.

I now get my "local channels" through All American Direct. (Sobongo)
https://www.mydistantnetworks.com/

wdk450 · Oct 23, 2010

Bobby:
I have done this before, and you just need to know exactly what to say (and have a competent telephone representative). Forget explaining the RV, cabin or other reason why you are doing this and just say: "I want to change my Dish Network Service Address. I want my billing address to remain the same". Then give them the address of the campground where you are at. DO NOT MENTION A SPACE NUMBER. If there are any problems beyond this, ask to speak to a supervisor.

Also, you can read them the leagalese from their own Residental Customers Agreement Section 9, Paragraph B that REQUIRES you to notify Dish Network if your receiving equipment is moved to another address (RV use would constitute this).
Here is the agreement URL from the internet: http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/legal/RCA.pdf

BTW, the agreement does say that you may NOT move your equipment to a new service address if you LEASE (not own) the equipment. Also, there is no wording in their legal agreement as to what models or types of equipment you may use in your RV.

I did some looking around from other forums, and one of the bits of advice was just give up your home spot programming and networks temporarily, aim your dish, get the system to work, and don't tell Dish Network a thing while you travel. They seem to think that you can't get HD to work in an RV.

Hope this helps.

westxsrt10 · Oct 23, 2010

We have Dish and use it in any state without changing any programming. Can't you just take the box and card with you? I bought a dish and head online and use that without telling them anything.

Bobby A · Oct 23, 2010

Thanks guys, I will give that a try, what a pain in the a** will post with the results. I have been doing this for 20 years, I know it all depends on the person you talk to at Dish. As I said, some years are no hastly, other years you wanna hurt somebody.

Bobby A · Oct 23, 2010

What a difference 6 hours and a different representive makes. Totally the opposite than the 1st call I made. The rep was pleasant and helpful. He told me he would tag my account as a snowbird account, that is the majic words "snowbird account" so when I wanna change service from one location to another to call and tell them to update my physical address. BTW, I did not say anything about RV though. I wish I would of gotten this guy the first time around. Now I can put that bottle of aniexity medicine away (lol)

Thank you to those who replied, you were very helpful

Bobby A · Oct 23, 2010

westxsrt10 said:
We have Dish and use it in any state without changing any programming. Can't you just take the box and card with you? I bought a dish and head online and use that without telling them anything.

Your probably right, however in order to get local programming from the dish I think you have to give them a new physical address. I do take my receiver with me all the time. I think some station might not come through if your in a location other than your physical address on file, not a100% sure though. Either way, I will try it next year and see what happens before I call and go through the headache again.

jmgratz · Oct 23, 2010

I take one from the sticks and bricks with us too (Direct TV). I don't call to give them a new address but use the OTA antenna for the local stations and the satellite dish for everything else. So far it has worked great.

hoefler · Oct 23, 2010

I call in and just ask to have my physical address changed to where ever I happen to camp for that night. Never have had a problem.

TXBobcat · Oct 23, 2010

We also use DirecTV. I use out door antenna or cable to get local news and weather. I use DSN and get the major stations on east and west coast. (Watched the Rangers kick the Yankees bu$$ on ABC7 New York Hee Hee.) Wish I could have watch Dallas stations.

I wish I could go on line and change my zip code and get the local stations on Satellite.

BC

cookie · Oct 24, 2010

When we travel and set up for a while, I just call DTV and tell them I moved and took my dish along. I give them the address of the RV park and they send me the local channels. No problem. As stated before, never tell them you are in an RV.
Channels other than local are sent to the dish by "conus beam". Locals are sent by "spot beam".
Here are some links that explain a few things.
One general expanation, two spot beam maps for Dish and one spot map for DTV.

http://www.satelliteone.com/support-files/Spot_Beam_Short.pdf
http://www.satelliteone.com/support-files/SpotBeam-110.jpg
http://www.satelliteone.com/support-files/SpotBeam-119.jpg
http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/dtv.html

Peace
Dave

SLJKansas · Oct 26, 2010

Here is the dirct number of the Advanced tech support for Dish. They have more common sense than the tech support you get when yopu call the customer service number.

Dish Advance Tech Support 888-681-0879

I got this number after tech support transfeered me to Advance tech support and when we were finished they asked if there was anything else they could help me with. I said yes I like your direct number because I just spent 45 minutes talking to a someone that know less about their systems than I do. He gave me the number, and said to call if I have any more problems.

Now if you do have a RV or portable dish they may not want to help, but I explained I had a dish 500 dish and a reciever from my house, and coax directly from dish to receiver (partial truth), and they helped without any fo the nornal BS from the regular support.

Jellystone · Oct 26, 2010

Bobby A, I agree with you completely. Dish Network is a pain in the rear overall. On most of our river boats (towboats) we used to use DirecTV but we've been using Dish Network on some of them to try them out--problems,problems,problems.

First off, there are 2 satellites to find-119 & 110-in order to get all your channels you are paying for. Slim chance of that happening with a KVH tracking device while heading down the Lower Mississippi River at 12 mph pushing barges.

Next, the transponder it locks on will never provide adequate signal strenth to watch trouble free television. In & out picture.

Also, Dish Network is always having "arguments" with sports channels-ex. Fox Sports South. That means you can't watch your game.

These are a few examples and there are plenty more, but you get the idea. We never had or have these problems with DirecTV. It seems to do great all the time while moving or stopped (obviously,not in a pouring thunderstorm, though).

In conclusion, my personal experience with Dish Network is that you should stay away from it and go with DirecTV.

Bobby A · Oct 26, 2010

SLJKansas said:
Here is the dirct number of the Advanced tech support for Dish. They have more common sense than the tech support you get when yopu call the customer service number.

Dish Advance Tech Support 888-681-0879

I got this number after tech support transfeered me to Advance tech support and when we were finished they asked if there was anything else they could help me with. I said yes I like your direct number because I just spent 45 minutes talking to a someone that know less about their systems than I do. He gave me the number, and said to call if I have any more problems.

Now if you do have a RV or portable dish they may not want to help, but I explained I had a dish 500 dish and a reciever from my house, and coax directly from dish to receiver (partial truth), and they helped without any fo the nornal BS from the regular support.[/QUOTE

Yes, you are absolutly right, I always talk to advanced tech support, and 90 % of the time its a flawless experiance. But this last time as I memtioned in my Thread was a real nighmare !! And yes it was advanced tech support, and even talked to a supervisor of advanced tech support and he would not budge !!

Jellystone,
I have been with dish close to 15 years, yes, some year are challanging, but until they flat out deny me of what I wanna do after talking to more than one rep, thats when I will switch to Direct. At least I have that option. I told this supervisor, " are you guys trying to pi** off all your customers so we all switch to another provider" ?? I was HOT !!

mongarkrams · Jan 10, 2011

Hi Dave and Mary. We are new owners of Bighorn 3585RL 2011 and it is our first RV as well. We tried to have cable hooked up as we are parked for a few months. The cable guy said we have a "combiner" that ties in the antenna and weakens the signal too much. We have dish at home and would like to try that have you had any issues with this combiner? We are so new at this it is overwhelming. we appreciate any help we can get. Thanks, Samantha and Matt Mongar-Kram

cookie · Jan 10, 2011

Mongarkrams, yes I have had problems with the combiner (splitter). I have done a few things to overcome that small problem. I have a DVR in the living room so I had to get one more line to the entertainment center. Behind the UDC I disconnected one coax which was the one that runs to the roof and connected the new coax I ran to the rear. Behind the bulkhead I cut the coax that goes to the bedroom and made a splice and ran that to the UDC. That is the line that runs to a combiner (splitter). Now I have two satellite feeds at the entertainment center for the DVR and on feed to the bedroom TV.
Any questions, just contact me I will be happy to help you out. In all, it was an easy project.

Peace
Dave

lew2885 · Jan 10, 2011

I called Dish to drop local channels in NC and install local channels in South TX with no problem. Maybe you just need to ask the person to speak to his/her supervisor OR as if Directv has a better system? They really don't know all the answers. Hold back a payment or two to get their attention. Rita Lewis/lew2885

Stinger381 · Jan 10, 2011

I think it has to do with how you pay your bill as well ? If you are signed up with Auto-payments they don't care where you are and will send the spot beamed local channels to your location. If you are paying by hand every month then they are worried that you won't receive their bill and they won't get their payments in a timely manner.

mongarkrams · Jan 10, 2011

Oh my. Stupid question what is UDC? I think we are too clueless to become RVrs. Thanks so much for your help. We will try to take that on in the near future. Matt and Sam

jimtoo · Jan 10, 2011

Hi Matt and Sam,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

There is no such thing as a stupid question. We all started new at some point in time and we all had to ask questions. That is the way we learn. So ask your questions and I'm sure someone will have an answer for you.

Oh,,, almost forgot,,, UDC is the Universal Docking Center. This is where your water hookup is and drain valve handles, cable TV stuff.

Enjoy your new unit and the forum.

Jim M

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