The Dish Network User's Resource
The Dish Network User's Resource
This page is for historical purposes only.
Dishnets was the name for Dish Network's distant network package. This page was written while Dish Network was able to provide distant network channels and a subscriber could cheat their way into buying the package when they did not qualify. Due to the court cases mentioned below, some subscribers were getting cut off from this package but for the most part, subscribers could keep their distant network package. This page was written as advice on how not to lose your distant network channels. For the current info (and some other historical info) go to the DishNets page.
Dish Network is feverishly working on settlements with the networks and have reached a deal with ABC, CBS and NBC. However Fox (owned by NewsCorp) is refusing to settle and DirecTV (which is also owned by NewsCorp) is asking for an injunction on the settlement.
This is a very fluid situation. Until something is settled in the courts the old info on this page is still current.
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The only ways you can lose your nets are as as follows:
1) Your account is disconnected for any reason and the CSR has to re-qualify you.
2) You ask for some other nets besides the ones you are getting and the CSR sees you no longer qualify for the ones you have, even then, if the CSR is following procedure they are not to remove them. It is not their job to do so.
3) A macro is run in CSG (the program that DISH uses for programming and billing, ie: customer database) that looks for certain ZIP codes with certain programming codes and the macro sees you no longer qualify. This is also generating alot of calls because sometimes certain ZIP codes make it into the macro that should not be removed. This is because there is a FCC liaison that inputs all of the ZIP codes into said macro. This is being worked on and should be resolved soon. DISH does apologize for these errors, but it is not their fault, really it isn't.
When you call DISH and your account is brought up, all the CSR sees is what you have right now. Network qualification is a whole other program that has to be opened and your address has to be typed in, almost like the "Address Broker" app on the DISH website. The CSRs are not supposed to do this unless you ask to add networks or you ask what nets you qualify for. As stated before, even if you do not qualify for the nets you have, all the CSR is supposed to do is warn you that you may be in danger of having your nets disconnected.
01/20/00 Late breaking information
The network macro can be run at anytime. It doesn't matter if you call in to make changes or not, they are run through the entire database almost weekly. You have just as much chance getting cut off if you haven't called Dish in a year as someone who calls everyday.....
The first thing to do, if you haven't already, is to call Dish and try to requalify. You shouldn't lose anymore nets by doing this because as stated, the CSR's are not allowed to remove nets unless asked to by the customer. If you find that you don't qualify, then you need to request waivers. I know this is a pain, but if you write one letter to Dish, they will request waivers for all of your nets on your behalf. This does work, and we have already seen the codes on customers accounts. The address to write to is:
Dish Network Attn: Waiver Dept
P.O. Box 9036
Littleton, CO. 80160
Make sure to include some identifying information, such as your address, phone number and Dish account number.
From what I have seen, the process can take as little as one week or a month, depending on how many requests they have at once. The good thing is, is that if Dish doesn't hear back from them within 30 days of the request, you recieve a "blanket waiver" which will give you the nets back. They have to specifically request that you don't have them from Dish or you get them. As for notice, there really is none. Dish treats waiver requests as requests to add programming. Once you have the waiver, even "blanket", the nets will be added.
03/06/00 Flash Waivers may now be requested by telephone.