It's my turn to talk, Dish Network

Photo by: kamneed

I'm tired of companies forcing consumers to sign contracts. Most cell phones do not cost $400 (you know, the crossed out line - original price - listed on their websites and on store displays). They are not doing me a favor by subsidizing the phone and putting me under contract for two years. Likewise, cable and satellite companies are not offering discounted hardware because they want to bring in more customers... they're both lowering the prices so they can provide a reason that to you need to sign a contract.

Without the contract, they would have to watch how they treat you and constantly compete with each other in order to attract and retain customers. Who wants that? They need to be able to lock you in, treat you poorly and charge as much as you can bear. If you think that's an overexaggeration, look at the satellite "deals" and packages. The companies are so similar in what they offer that they should just merge and save on administration costs. The truth is that contracts and "subsidized" hardware allow them to nearly eliminate competition and treat customers as they desire.

Granted, I know that the desire for company profits ahead of all else is how capitalism is intended, to some degree. However, I am in favor of capitalism because of what it can do for an economy and society rather than what it can do for an individual company. In this case, locking customers in and having poor customer service bring neither innovation nor lowered prices through competition.

With these ideas rattling around in my noggin, I decided that after my last heated conversation with Dish Network that I was no longer going to put up with their crud. They refused to offer me a deal that was clearly stated on their website. It wasn't just the new customer vs. existing customer delimma that strikes many satellite and cell phone customers, but just the plain fact that their web site says one thing, leads you to follow a link which tells you to call a number so they can explain that the website deal is not what you think. This wasn't the first offensive practice that I found with Dish Network, so I decided to get DirecTV.

I'll pay a cancellation fee, even though I'm not really interested in giving money away for nothing. I just think that if I don't do anything, I'll be enabling their behavior. After all, if I don't let my money do my talking, they won't really hear me. Sure, I can call and complain and waste their time and mine, but I can get my statement across much more clearly to their cancellation department... not their retention department.

So, Dish Network, we've had a great time together arguing and bickering. However, I've got to give my $50/mo. for the next few years to DirecTV. I'll send you a copy of my bill each month so you can think about what you've done.