var json_comments = new Array("
\"user-pic\"
csparks
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate | Flag for review

Class action coming in 3....2.....1.....

Sorry had to do it, lol.

OH and I dont need to worry, because i make my own satellites at home.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
AnthonyC
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@csparks:
I think the FAA would have something to say about that :-)

Reply
\"user-pic\"
csparks
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@acvicari: I think you mean the FCC, as they control such devices airwaves I think, maybe wrong though.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
PølάrβǽЯ
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@acvicari: I don't think the FEDERAL Aviation Administration controls what is in space, not only outside of the US, but outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
pecan 3.14159265
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Are there actually DirecTV franchises? I know you can buy DirecTV dishes and sign up for service if you go to Best Buy or other stores (I think Circuit City used to do this as well) but I was always under the impression that all of the \"authorized dealers\" were working directly with DirecTV. Like how you can get the iPhone from Apple or Best Buy Mobile, but BB Mobile works directly with Apple.

Reply
4 replies
\"user-pic\"
NeverLetMeDown
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265:


It's a similar deal to Best Buy Mobile - it's a dealer who sells Directv service.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
PHRoG
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@pecan 3.14159265: Yeah...There are franchises. A new one just opened up in our area and comes to the door once a week to get us a better deal on our DirecTV. He is persistent tho, as I have slammed the door in his face about 6 times now and he still keeps coming back...LOL

Reply
\"user-pic\"
wickedpixel
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@PHRoG: It's because of situations like that I wish there were a Do Not Visit list as a companion to the Do Not Call list.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
jvanbrecht
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@PHRoG: Big dogs resolve that problem... We occasionally get cold call door knockers from various contract companies (we live in an old neighborhood, but I do my own house work). Anyways, sometimes they get a little persistent... Same goes for the bible thumpers (regardless of denomination.. the Mormons learned, some other groups did not)..

Long story short.. 180 pound black great dane.. and 75 pound dalmation (who is very protective of the house and my wife).... I usually through them out in the back yard when I answer the door (the dane wants to lick all people to death, the dalmatian wants to eat them), but if they do not go away the first time I say I am not interested, I let the dogs into the house and they lunge at the screen door... only the Mormons seem to come back every now and then.. :) Mormons run fast though.. (okay I added that last sentence for fun, I would never release my dogs to chase people down, but they look mean as hell lunging at the door)

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
rpm773
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Incidents like this are why I always dial the correct phone number.

Reply
6 replies
\"user-pic\"
gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@rpm773: this is why i build my own satellite TV networks at home

Reply
\"user-pic\"
PHRoG
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@rpm773: Never dialed a number wrong by mistake? WOW! I guess it's the OP's fault, huh?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
rpm773
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@PHRoG: Actually, I can't say that. When I do dial the wrong number, I just go with it and make the best of it.

\"Hello? Oh, I was trying to reach the fire department for an emergency, but you're telling me this is a sex party line? Eh, what the hell, I guess I have a few minutes to kill....\"

Reply
\"user-pic\"
subtlefrog
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@rpm773: I like where you're going with this. Children's fundraiser or gay sex line? Meh, either way, win!
[failblog.org]

Reply
\"user-pic\"
squinko
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@PHRoG: While this is incredibly shady, there's a big difference between say, transposing the '3' and the '4' or hitting the '1' instead of the '2', but dialing '888' instead of '800' seems like something you'd known not to do...

Reply
\"user-pic\"
jvanbrecht
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@squinko: I find that in many cases, when people make a note of a toll free number, (especially when its a 1800 333 BLAH type), people will only attempt to remember the actual number, and not the toll free prefix since there are only a few, 1800, 1888 and 1866 I think are the only ones at the moment. It is conceivable to forget the correct prefix and file 888 instead of 800 or vice versa..

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Kogenta
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@squinko: Sort of depends, with so many 1-8xx numbers these days, a lot of people are used to dialing 1-888, 1-800 or whatever depending on what generation of company they've typically been dealing with. If all the companies you deal with all have 888 numbers, I can see how someone would reflexively dial it even if their brain says 800.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
AJ_Syrinx
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

So the DirecTV CSR asks for customer information instead of using a standard greeting like \"Thank you for calling DirecTV?\" This is total douchebaggery. I should try calling that number and challenging the CSR to see what happens.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
bastion72
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@AJ_Syrinx: Post up what happens. nformed consumers what to know.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Wombatish
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@bastion72: I just called and it went about like this (don't have call recording on the new phone):

\"Thanks for calling about DISH one up!\"
-Put on hold-
CSR: Hello, my name is Michael, can I have your phone number starting with area-code first?
Me: Can you pull it up with my account number instead?
CSR: I can't, because (pause) I'm not actually DISH network, I'm an authorized retailer for DirectTV. Would you be willing to talk with me about switching to DirectTV?
Me: No, I'm just trying to get a hold of DISH network, I thought this was their number.
CSR: Yeah, I know. -click-.

They are very aware of their scheme's effects (not even playing dumb, in other words), it seems, but it also seems like they've maybe gotten in trouble a bit. He was very quick to admit who he was when other posts I've seen/the OP say they were strung along for a fair bit.

Reply
","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Covertghost
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Wow, that's one of the seediest things I've seen today!


Good thing I've only been awake for a couple hours <_<

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
bloggerX
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Wow...I don't think Comcast could do something like that!

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
EdnaLegume
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@bloggerX: they've already fired the morons who didn't think of this first.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
korybing
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

If the number on the screen said 1-800-333-DISH why did he call 1-888-333-DISH?

Also: wow that is really scummy business practices. There's no way that's legal, is it? Impersonating a different service or intentionally misleading and confusing customers?

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
Rachacha
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@korybing: \"Squating\" on the numbers is probably not illegal, but depending on how they are interacting with the customers and how they are presenting themselves.


This is no different than someone squating on common domain misspellings, or different domain extensions. Unless someone has a trademark on the name, or the squat site domain is not relavent to the content of the site it is perfectly legit.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Aaronjk
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Rachacha: But \"Slamming\", changing the service without authorization, is illegal.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
korybing
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Rachacha: Yes, but it seems like confusing people who accidentally misdialed the phone into making them think they have the correct number in order to screw them out of money would be a little on the illegal side.

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
georgi55
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

When you call you get a message that says \"thank you for calling DISH one up\" what kind of BS slogan is that? Dish one up? more like douche one up.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
floraposte
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@georgi55: Hmm, that might explain a telemarketing weirdness I experienced a couple of years ago. Despite being on the Do Not Call list, I got a call pushing DirectTV (no, I don't have it); within about two hours, I got virtually word-for-word the same call for DISH. I bet somebody had finagled a probably illicit deal whereby they were reselling for both.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
dvdchris
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Interesting...when I dial a wrong 800 number I always get a sex line.

Reply
3 replies
\"user-pic\"
xl22k
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@dvdchris:


Several years ago when I was younger, I dialed the 1-800 version of my home phone #... sure enough, sex hotline.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
Radi0logy
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@dvdchris: Me too!! Fortunately, I was trying to call a sex line in the first place, so its all good.

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
IowaJezebel
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Actually, this happened to me about two years ago. I needed to call, but I didn't have the number in front of me, so I tried the 888 number first. I have had dish for about 12 years now. In the first couple years, the 888 number *was* their number.
As soon as the guy asked for my information, I knew something was up, and I asked if I had really called dish network. He said that I had called the premier dish network or some sort of thing like that, and I could tell he was being disingenuous to say the least. I hung up and called the 800 number.

Reply
","","","","
\"user-pic\"
gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

shady, scammy... but wow, that's kind of creative - i applaud them in the \"i'll stab you in the face if i ever meet you\" kind of way

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
lehrdude
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

This is probably Urban Legend...but back in the days where you could pick a Long Distance carrier when you set up your local services, didn't there used to be a company called or designated \"I don't know\", or \"I don't care\"...so when the rep asked you who you wanted for your long distance carrier, if you said any of the above, they would then become your carrier until you noticed the outrageous rates they were charging and cancelled...

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
Cantras
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@lehrdude: My father always told me that too, except having to do with who your carrier would be on collect calls and other such things from a payphone.
@mmcnary: In my father's ravings about this, we were not only supposed to specify a company, but also not say \"I'll take sprint\" or \"sprint please\" or \"um, sprint\" because these were evil puppet carriers as well. Only say \"sprint\" What's the word on that, if you remember?

Reply
\"user-pic\"
mmcnary
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@lehrdude: That's not an urban legend, it's true. I used to work for MCI back in the day, and I had access to the PIC list. It included 'I don't care', 'I don't know' and 'whatever' long distance companies. I have no idea of their rates, but my bet is on the high side of outrageous.

Reply
","","","","","","","","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
txinfo
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

While I don't agree with the practice of pretending to be another company, personally, if it causes even one person to leave the crooked company that is DISH, then I say more power to them.

Reply
2 replies
\"user-pic\"
mrscoach
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@txinfo: I've been a Dish customer for about 8 years, and have had no problems with the company. Only trouble we had was with an installer when we moved and he didn't have a clue what he was doing. They took care of it, though.


I take it back, the only other trouble we have had is with their automatic phone calls that we haven't paid our bill. Panic ensues until I log on and see that it WAS paid, but there was some sort of glitch in the phone system. Has happened twice, several months apart.

Reply
\"user-pic\"
MrChrisCarey
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@txinfo: I'm a fairly new Dish Network customer. Can please explain what type of crookedness I should expect?

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
Ronin-Democrat
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

one more reason to use a credit card and NOT let people make withdrawls from your bank account...

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
Tambar
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Ronin-Democrat: 'Withdrawl' - is that when you take your money out of a Southern Bank?

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
Mr_Mantastic
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

I keep calling and playing this song when they answer. They finally hang up.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
casualreader
November 18, 2009 4:52 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

888-333-Dish used to sell both DISH and DIRECTTV. My guess is they either lost the DISH contract, or Direct-TV is paying them a bigger bonus.

Who ever 'lost' the account for DISH should be looking for work

Reply
","","","","","
\"user-pic\"
Insider2112
January 21, 2010 8:42 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

In order for you to change sat carriers, you need to change more than the boxes.
Dish Network satellites are not in the same orbital space as DTV satellites.
I'm calling shenanigans on this one.

Reply
");