Dish Net's Dishnow program

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Last year I bought a receiver/dish system from Radio Shack for the Dish Now program. It is a pay as you go. You buy $40 card from Radio Shack and use your phone to activate you system.

Last year was great, it worked flawlessly for us. This past Friday, I put my boat in and got the dish set up. Went to activate my card and got the following message.

"Your system cannot be turned on with the existing smart card." Have you received your smart card? Yes or No answer needed. I said NO. Then it asks "Has it been over 10 days? yes or no answer needed. I said yes. Finally a real live barely English speaking person came on the phone. I started to ask and then it hangs up on me.

I call again and spend 15 minuets getting to the point I was at before loosing the connection. Bam, it hung up on me again. Now I'm a bit peeved and don't know why I'm getting hung up on. I haven't been rude or disrespectful in any way towards them,,,,,,,,,,yet!

I needed to bring the tow vehicle and trailer back to my house. So I used my land line vs using up minuets on my cell. This time I got a a person that commands the English language in way that is understandable.

I asked him "How can you send me a smart card when you have no idea what my address is?" I paid cash for the system, it is a no contract system, but a prepay system. So the statement in which a card is in the mail is a false thing to say to people owning these Dish Now systems. He said I was correct and that they are depending on people calling to get the proper address to send them their new smart card. He said that I should have the new card within 10 business days. For the inconvenience, I'm getting a $40 coupon for a Dish Now card for time on the dish.

I then asked him if this is going to be annual thing each year. He says no. It is because somehow the existing smart cards got hacked where people was able to get programming for free. That is the reason they are changing the smart cards.

So if anyone has these systems that they use at a camp ground or on your boat, you may want to be checking out if you need a new smart card. Again, this is only on the prepay system they call "Dish Now"...............SS

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

As I'm reading your post
about the smart card swap thing one of the pop up ad's right next to it is for hacking dishnet. I just got a new too me receiver and the new smartcard up here in Canada for Bell [same as dishnet but Canadian] was going to be $100. Luckily the card that came with the receiver was new enough I never needed the new one. By the way that ad for the N3 fix is a scam as there is no fix to hack dishnet yet.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but, guys here at work, in canada here, have hacked into dishnet. actually bell expressvu is all changed in canada. it's not been hacked into yet. but the dish net is still being hacked into. actually they use that free to air stuff.

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

Dishnet and Bell run the same security system. Bell has switched completely to a new system and Dish is in the process of switching over to the new system. It won't be long before Dish is all black just like Bell. There is no fix for the new system.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

Those twits did get my smart card sent out. Received it today............NO COUPONS as promised......I figured as much.........SS

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

Dishnet and Bell run the same security system. Bell has switched completely to a new system and Dish is in the process of switching over to the new system. It won't be long before Dish is all black just like Bell. There is no fix for the new system.

oh for sure. it's only a matter of time. i don't bother with it, it's nice to know that when i'm watching a movie, i don't have to worry about the programming going down.

 

[flingus]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

Love Dish. It's probably the least expensive choice out there. My roomate used to program those smart cards, but I think he did that with Direct TV. We litteraly had 999 channels. He had this see through blue plastic drive you would put the card in, and it would program it.. Every two weeks it would get "Zapped" and he would have to re-do the process. Anyway, after he moved out I ordered Dish since it was so cheap and, I'm a big no contract guy. Plus, something about jail worries me.

Anyway, Dish Networks record has been spotty with me. They are alright but, if they werent so cheap I would have dumped them last year. I had a receiver go, then they sent me a new one free, and then the new one wouldnt work because the installer did something funky when it was originally installed. So, they charged me $40 to have a tech come out because they thought I just wasnt hooking up the new receiver correctly. Well, the tech had to re-wire the entire system. :S

My point to Dish was, I could cancel the service, send everything back for free, and just order Dish all over again and have a tech come out for free if I did this in my girlfriends name. But, since I was honest I got charged $40 for a tech to fix an existing system. Bah, whatever. Thats how the treat 2 year loyal customer.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

I have dishnet at home and they sent me the card last month. Up until then my system needed no card to run, now apparently I have to have one in at all times. As far as love it or hate it. We have an up and down relationship. it's out more then in it seems, wind blowing, snow, rain etc, everything seems to interrupt the service. It is better since I redirected the dish, their guy did a very hurried job of installing the system that was incompetent at best.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

if you know how to adjust the dish you shouldn't have any issues with weather, with the exception of the odd heavy cloud cover that may interfere.

there is this guy here in town, and i should go and take a picture, that has his dish bolted to a tree. i swear on this. i wonder how his reception is, especially on windy days. lmao.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

you'd have to know the weather in Wis. It stinks. the system does go out more then our cable system did but we now live in the country so dish is all that is available. it is much better now, I put the dish on a 4X4 that is concreted in. I wanted it on my roof but my installer forgot his ladder when he came. Thought I would have one for him to use. (He was kind enough to keep the wires short so it won't go up to the roof now). OF course he also forgot his sockets and other tools, thought he'd be able to use mine. I offered to rent him some tools. If you're coming to do a job you should be prepared. I told him to leave but the sig other wanted her tv set up right away so he rigged the crap together. When I called dish net to have it redone, they offered to have someone come out right away............for $129!

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Dish Net's Dishnow program

One thing with the dishes they usually supply is they are too small. Sure on a clear day they work ok but a little wind or heavy cloud or maybe a couple of leaves in the way your picture goes in and out. I would get a minimum 24" or better yet a 30" from a satellite shop and the picture is way more reliable. I spent $60. on a 36 and the only time it cuts out now is in a torrential downpour.