Grrr Dish Network!

[Librazoe1982]

Sorry guys but I have to vent. I live in an itty bitty town in the middle of no where so my internet options are limited. They have a chat live feature on the website so I got on that. I waited, waited, and then finally someone came on. Well the representative asked me some questions and then I asked some questions and when he couldn't answer them, he just left. No bye no nothing. So I called Dish to see what they had to offer. A lady answered the phone in a rude tone, I could already tell this was headed towards a bad direction. Me being the person I am, gave her a chance. She was very rude to me, when explaining the packages. I couldn't understand her but I found out after a very frustrating conversation that you can't have internet without the dam* tv channels service. Two different receivers, and both cost more than a hospital visit. Grrrrr, I gave them my thoughts,
Dish Network

[pboychuk]

You should consider yourself lucky, we have a charter monopoly and cannot put a dish on our building. charter is the worst company customer service wise I have ever delt with, also, they love to make mistakes on your bill, of course always to their benefit. I am very proud of myself i recently got our internet+cable bill lowered from $115 to $90 by threatening to cancel my services.

[mbrand2222]

I hear your frustration. I think it must be common among Internet service, cable, phone providers because I'm using MediaCom and it has the same horrible service. At least when I've called. My one year is up this month and I really want to switch because it went up $35/month, but I don't even know who to switch to. I don't even want a land line anymore so it would just be cable or satellite and cell phone service. Any suggestions?

[byzantium]

There are a couple internet only satellite internet providers:

Hughes Internet Satellite High Speed Internet Provider - HughesNet

Wild Blue Internet WildBlue - Official Website - High Speed Internet via Satellite

Just for me, it looks like Hughes is slightly better. Hughes also owns one of the satellite radio companies, I think it's XM Radio that they own. I can't believe that Charter is the reason why you can't put a dish on your house, pboychuk. That sounds like a local ordinance made by politicians in bed with Charter. The big cable and DSL companies are all awful, and have monopolies in their areas. That's what happens when you have a monopoly.

[pboychuk]

There are a couple internet only satellite internet providers:

Hughes Internet Satellite High Speed Internet Provider - HughesNet

Wild Blue Internet WildBlue - Official Website - High Speed Internet via Satellite

Just for me, it looks like Hughes is slightly better. Hughes also owns one of the satellite radio companies, I think it's XM Radio that they own. I can't believe that Charter is the reason why you can't put a dish on your house, pboychuk. That sounds like a local ordinance made by politicians in bed with Charter. The big cable and DSL companies are all awful, and have monopolies in their areas. That's what happens when you have a monopoly.

No, I live in a condo, so its the association ordinance.

[byzantium]

No, I live in a condo, so its the association ordinance.

Ah yes, the famous HOA Nazis. HOA's are famous for pulling that sort of crap. My cousin bought a $400k townhouse in a new development only to have the HOA demand an extra fee-an EXTORTION fee-to allow her to have cable. When she refused to cough up, her cable was turned off, not by Charter but by the HOA. She was forced to use rabbit ears for TV, since her HOA, like yours, forbids satellite dishes. When she was transferred for her job, she could not sell, so she walked away like so many others.

HOA's are pure evil, and are run by fascist Hitler wannabes. That is true without exception. My cousin had to use DSL for internet, since the HOA cut off ALL her connection to Charter. HOA's have been known to forbid swing sets, forbid any sort of antenna (satellite dish, outdoor TV antenna, amateur radio antenna), and basically tell you how the outside of your house is to look. Your property is not your own. Thomas Jefferson, for who the free ownership of property was a right comparable to life and liberty, would be appalled. How far we have fallen.

HOA's are basically extra-governmental entities, set up by developers in order to keep "riffraff" out of pristine developments. Once, deed restrictions were used to keep out "undesirables", usually anybody not white and middle class. When the restrictive deed clause was declared unconstitutional, developers invented HOA's. A deed clause can be stricken by court action, but a HOA offers no recourse, and so far there has not been a SCOTUS ruling on the legality of HOA's.

A true housing center will be able to stand the test of time. Do people want to live there in 30 years? 50 years? A look at most major American cities today will reveal what works and what doesn't. People overwhelmingly vote NOT to have a HOA looking over their shoulder.

[tazman9r]

I have had both Dish Network and Direct TV, and frankly I like Dish better. There have been some frustrations. I, too, live in a small town (not so small we don't have a Wal-Mart, a Home Depot, and a few big name restaurants, but it's not much more than about 30,000 people) and recently had an occasion to think about another option for my satellite service, but all in all it has been a satisfactory relationship.

About HOA's, I can't agree more. I also think they are little fascist Nazi wannabees. I don't get how they don't understand the words "My" and "Property" paired together in a sentence. My sister recently moved into a new construction neighborhood, and she says to me, "there is no HOA here yet. I should form one..." I said to her that if she thought there was no HOA nor a plan for one, she had a big surprise coming. I haven't heard back from her about it, which means she either hasn't pursued it further or she didn't like the answer she got from the developer. I hope she got the answer she didn't like, that being either there will no HOA or that there is one already, she won't get to head it, and that her yard is "unsatisfactory".