Dish Network in the News

Be Careful of Satellite TV 'Deals'

March 20, 2001 - There are many deals right now for satellite TV, but are you paying too much for too little?

A couple of customers told On Your Side Troubleshooter Chris Caswell that they were duped for $1,000.

Meredith Starman and Scott Jeppesen are only two of many consumers who thought that they had a deal. They were then asked to sign a contract, but by then, they said that it was too late.

An ad saying "Lower your cable cost, pay only $19.99 a month" grabbed Starman's eye.

"We were thinking, '$19.99 a month -- wow, we can afford that,'" Starman said.

Jeppesen also called to find out more.

"Part of the package was a free year's subscription through Dish Network," he said.

Both Starman and Jeppesen set up an appointment with USA Cable Co. Inc., a Michigan-based company.

Starman said that when the employee showed up, the sales pitch took a twist.

"It ended up being (that) you had to pay that $19.99 a month up front," she said.

It cost $19.99 for five years of service, not one, totaling more than $1,000. Starman said that she had no choice but to write a check.

The USA Cable employee installed the dish onto Starman's home before she saw any of the paperwork, WEWS reports. If she changed her mind or didn't like the deal, she'd have to pay a $250 restocking fee.

The fee was listed in fine print on the contract, and neither Starman nor Jeppesen saw it until the dish was in place.

To make matters worse, they both got a bill a month later from Dish Network, stating that they owed $40 for that month of service.

"They take your money, they don't pay the Dish Network people, then Dish Network sends notices that your service is going to be cut off," Starman said.

The Ohio attorney general's office has 40 similar complaints against the USA Cable Co., and Michigan has 60.

USA Cable Co. general manager Ray Lauers told Five On Your Side that with close to 55,000 customers across three states, the number of complaints is within ratio to the number of customers.

"If they're taking advantage of this many people, they need to be put out of business," Lauers said.

Jeppesen said that he never got his free first year, and Starman took her case to court and won, because USA Cable never showed up.

If a deal sounds good over the phone, ask the company to send you the promise in writing before you allow a representative to show up at your home, WEWS reports.