Threatening letter from Dish

I became a new poster today when I surfed the internet to find a non-corporate Dish discussion and comment site. I have a 622 receiver feeding a HD TV in my rec room and a slave TV in another room. I also have a 311 receiver feeding a TV in my kitchen and a slave TV in a bedroom. A Dish installer installed the 622 last year and I installed the 311 to replace an older model.

Since neither receiver is near a telephone outlet, both are connected to remote outlets through transmitters/receivers plugged into available electric outlets. At random times I check connectivity on the screens to avoid the additional charge from Dish. So I was surprised to receive a letter from Dish today telling me that “as of June 14, 2007 one or more of (my) receivers was not connected into a phone line making me liable for an additional $5 programming access fee for the unplugged receiver(s)”.

After I verified that I was properly connected I called the Dish billing operation. I knew I would get a run around and it was as frustrating as the treatment I received during the original installation. I had a hard time understanding the operator and her supervisor (they are located in the Philippines). According to the supervisor the letter is a form letter that was sent to all owners of dual receivers to warn them about connecting their telephone to Dish. Apparently, the June 14 date is meaningless. Instead of sending the letter to customers who have not connected, the letter assumes you are not connected and makes a threat to add $5 to your monthly bill.

Have other dual receiver customers also received this letter? If so, did they get the same answer? I am still not satisfied that I got the correct information and suspect they were trying to get rid of me.

I also got the same letter in the mail this week. When I called in they told me as long as I have a phone line connected I was ok but they never said anything about a mass mailing. It does make sense though because mine was dated 6/14 also. Until I see it on my bill I am not going to worry about it.

This has been an issue for a while. They could certainly send a non-threatening letter or e-mail. They will get their money anyway (by contract) if you don't hook up.

Did I miss something? Based on the opening post I don't see how the letter was threatening. Basically it just sounds like it said "we detected that your receiver is not hooked to a phone line, it needs to be plugged in or we charge you $5". I may be dense or something but if I received a letter like that, which I didn't, I wouldn't consider it threatening.

From Dictionary.com: Threatening - tending or intended to menace: threatening gestures.

I use a wireless adapter for my 622 and when I had VOIP, sometimes I would get a message when I turned it on in the morning indicating that it couldn't detect a phone line connection. Since I went back to a POTS line that hasn't happened.

I got the same letter dated June 14th also. When I called they told me that they were having some technical problems around that time and to ignore the letter. They took the time to check while I was on the phone and said that both of my Dual Receivers were connected to a phone line and I would not be billed the 5.00. In the letter was a 10.00 coupon off my bill and she told to mail it in and I would get a 10.00 credit on my bill.
Ron

BTY the $5 phone line charge deals with dual tuner receivers only, so your 622 must have missed a call in.

Actually what we ALL have is that we get a $5 credit on our bills for having the phone line connected.

Next month new software will allow the ehernet port to make calls on the 622, for those who have high speed internet but no POTS line.

Just more junk mail!!!

You were connected, you weren't billed.
Why not just throw it away and be finis?

fred