When subscribing to any DISH TV package you are likely to be bound by a contract which determines the period of service you are going to be using which is normally 24 months. This means that more customers can subscribe to DISH TV because the company can provide them with short-term subscription rates that are lower than regular prices. However, situations may occur where one is forced or would wish to cancel his/her DISH subscription before the agreed time is up. So, one natural question is - can you cancel, DISH anytime you’d like?
The Short Answer
From a legal perspective, the answer is negative; if the particular is under contract with DISH, he cannot cancel the service at any time he wants without paying an early termination fee. It is also important to note that DISH contract terms are legal and, as a result, if you wish to exercise your rights and terminate the contract, you will be subjected to a termination fee of between $10- $20 per the remaining months on the contract.
That said, there are a few circumstances where you may be off the hook for cancellation fees with DISH, such as:
- If you relocate to a region where DISH is not offering its services,
- If DISH violates or does not fulfill its part of the contract
- This means if you were able to show that financial difficulties made it tough for you to pay the debt then you will be spared from getting arrested.
You Need to Move
There is only one instance that will enable you to cancel your DISH contract without having to pay an early termination fee and that is if you have moved outside the service area of the DISH. Depending on the policy, DISH may request proof of your move such as your new lease agreement or utility bill.
The only way you can be locked in is if you fail to provide sufficient proof that DISH does not serve your new home address, and then you stop paying up on the remaining months’ fees. All one has to do is call DISH customer service and inform them that you are moving, hence requiring them to deactivate services.
Breach of Contract
If the company fails to provide the services as agreed in a customer-service contract, then it becomes a contract violation. This would include things like continuously losing your local TV channels for a long time without any warning or increasing your rates after you’ve signed a contract with the company.
Where such a situation is present, you are allowed to terminate the services without incurring any penalties since DISH has failed to fulfill its contractual requirements. Ensure that you record all incidents properly as you report the problems to the customer service team of DISH. If the representatives are unrelenting and unwilling to release you from the contract, then you may need to take it a step further or seek assistance from a consumer protection body.
Financial Hardship
Some customers try to cancel DISH by offering an unexpected negative change in their financial situation including loss of a job, sickness, disability, or other family issues that require financial attention. Although DISH is legally allowed to charge an early termination fee to you, you can claim that you are experiencing some financial difficulties and thus be exempted. This might make them drop the cancellation penalties, but this all depends on so many factors about your case.
Nevertheless, it is advisable to be extremely polite but assertive when communicating with DISH representatives if you intend to cancel the contract early due to hardship circumstances. If you are unable to pay, make sure to focus on the specific points which led to the situation and perhaps they would consider you on those grounds. This means that anyone thinking that cancellation of financial hardship is mandatory is sorely mistaken as it is a courtesy.
Possible actions instead of early cancellation of the DISH
Before you try to cut your DISH, cable service, and pay hefty amounts for ETFs here are a few ways to lessen or even freeze your DISH bill.
- Downgrade Programming – The customer may be able to lower their bill by removing certain channels or channel packages deemed too expensive for the customer’s needs. Additional applications for sports and movies can be very easy to uninstall or even downgrade. Simply do not go below America’s Top 120 when choosing your cable channel lineup.
- Suspend Account – This is also quite a flexible option, and you can pause the services of DISH for up to 6 months on the grounds of a seasonal change of residence. This puts your contract and billing on hold, which means you won’t be charged until you resume your membership.
- Transfer Service - Do you say someone else will be occupying your home when you leave? Yes, you are allowed by law to transfer your DISH contract and all the equipment you possess to the new occupant. Then they adopt your current customer agreement with different assumptions.
- Sublet Account – If you are leaving home for an extended period and someone else will live in the home, ask DISH to sublet the account. This means that there is a shift of responsibility during that time frame but no contract transfer.
In conclusion, dish early termination fee exist just because you sign up for a continuous kind of service. But they are realistic provided there is a genuine reason, which may warrant your early cancellation of the subscription. In case you will need to cancel before the set date, it is recommended to contact DISH as soon as possible.
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