How I've gone from Love to Hate for Dish Network

Ever been Nickel 'n' Dimed?  Felt like you're getting bent over a barrel?  Pretty much how I'm feeling right now!  I've gone from loving Dish Network to loathing them with my every being....all in less than a week.

After seven years of loyal servitude, Trey and I decided to join the DVR revolution!  That was the high point of the week.  After talking to three different customer service agents over the weekend - all speaking from the same script - I finally committed, getting our upgrade at a discounted price of $70; adding to our existing bill $11 a month, including a new fee for not having a phone line.  We haven't had a phone line in four years, now they're charging us for that?  Hmmm...it's still cheaper than an actual phone line.

Weds. comes and the dumbest Dish subcontractor in St. Louis shows up.  I had to tell him three times which receiver went where.  Because I had company over - safety in numbers for the stay-home mom! - it was a bit chaotic around the house when Dish Guy said that everything was good to go.  It wasn't until two hours later that I tried to turn up the sound, only to find we had none!  Two hours after that - including a phone call to Dish Guy who said maybe the "Mute" button was on - I give up, and sit down on the couch.  Which gives me the perfect angle to see the audio cables lying on the glass shelf, as opposed to being plugged in!  What a friggin' genius!  

But it gets better - later that night, I set up the DVR to pull in our local channels - which we get over the air on a rockin' antenna, giving us more local stations, in HD, than we could pay Dish for.  For FREE!  It worked like a charm on our regular HD receiver, which now resides in our bedroom.  But to my dismay, there was no programming info once I added the locals - I have no idea what's on, it just says "Digital Service" on every local channel.  Which completely defeats the purpose of recording my favorite shows with the DVR!  But we got programming info on the old receiver, so I thought I'd give it over night.  At this point, Trey points out the dent in the wall from Dish Guy moving our dresser to install the receiver in the bedroom.  Here's where the weariness over our supposedly-awesome upgrade starts to set in!

Next day, still no programming.  Oh, maybe I have to reset the whole thing.  No problem, can do!  Hmm..still no information.  Must it needs another night.

By Friday afternoon, I started thinking....Dish is screwing me, aren't they?  I do a some Googling, and find some forums that say the new DVR does not read the programming - so that Dish can screw us out of more money.  I decide to call to confirm, and thus began my most painful conversation yet with Dish no-customer service.  Even though I explained my situation in full from the beginning, it took the agent a full seven minutes to understand I don't subscribe to locals.  Ahem.  From there, her only solution, no matter which angle I took - even as far as, "But you're screwing me out of my money!" - was "to add local channels."  That must be what her script said, cuz that's all I heard.  She also told me that I could not manually set a timer, but I could record anything just by hitting the record button!  Which, again, defeats the whole DVR concept!  Of course, I could always just add local channels.  I almost felt bad for her, as I had lost most of my manners by this point.

A little more research, I found out I can use Zap2It to find out what was on, and I can, in fact, manually set a timer (though all the shows recorded this way would all be called "Manual Timer"), I was feeling not great, but not lost.  Then reality set in - recording shows like this is work - researching, planning ahead, dealing with 15 shows all called "Manual Timer."  Didn't I just spend $70, plus $11 a month, to make my life easier?  I decided that adding local channels wouldn't kill me.  

So I called back.  Talking to the fifth Dish service agent in a week, and keeping India's economy running strong, I order local channels.  Only to be told that the dish that was just installed on Weds. doesn't have the antenna necessary for local channels, and for the discounted rate of only $59, they would upgrade my dish and send a technician out next week!  Between the thought of another Dish Guy and the slow milking of even more of our money...

I actually started crying.  To a woman in India speaking very rehearsed English.  Who just kept telling me that it was only $59, and she'd be happy to help me today.  

Somehow, I have not resorted to drinking.  

EDITED TO ADD:  I believe I have resolved all of this!  Check it out!