Some of the major satellite television services provided by DISH are the packages and options for customers across the United States. Another important issue that viewers often have is whether DISH hikes its rates after an initial trial period of 24 months. This includes an analysis of DISH’s current and proposed pricing policies and if there is a possibility of getting an increase in prices after 2 years of subscription.
Introductory Pricing and Promotions
As is the case with most pay-TV providers, DISH relies on low initial rates and the use of offers that make the service more attractive. Sometimes they will have vague pricing with additional charges for yearly subscriptions and discounted rates for the first year of being a DISH customer. This assists in attracting new customers, especially because the offers are mostly for people who have never been associated with the organization. It’s possible to draw distinctions but fundamentally, you are tied at a fixed, introductory rate of interest for about a year to two years.
But I would like to discuss what happens after two years or so when it may take one to two years approximately to complete the project.
Although DISH offers certain TV packages at a fixed price for 24 months, after this promotional period DISH can increase the price for a specific package with a particular customer. On a page of DISH, the provider states that the prices of their services can be changed at any given time. The main ways they tend to raise prices include:
- Raising rates for services not offered on the basic package
- Adding a broadcast TV fee One of the main reasons that cable companies can charge less than broadcast TV networks is that those networks have a significant fixed cost in the form of programming.
- Further raising the fees of receiver, DVR, and HD.
- They also pay Regional sports network (RSN) fees
Also after 2 years of subscribing to your underlying TV channel package, they can decide to charge you extra costs for things like hardware rentals, broadcasting channels, sports channels, etc. Other services such as the Protection Plan coverage might also rise. Therefore, DISH is a definite bet for lower initial costs but a potential drawback of higher monthly charges in years 3, 4, and beyond.
To what extent is the price going to be raised?
However, DISH does not publicly disclose average price rise information where the prices are set after the expiration of promotional offers. This means that you’ll have to go through your bill to identify each fee that has been hiked every year. Nonetheless, price increases in the range of $3 to $10 per month appear to be standard or at least frequently reported, as evidenced by the DISH client’s grievances and online discussions. For instance, your package could be priced at $80/month but may rise to $90/month after two years of subscription. It is not a small change but it is not often a dramatic change all the same.
Sports fees can be even higher but it depends on the channels available in your locality. And as per the complaints, some fees such as the DVR service fee, look like they rise at a much faster pace in the subsequent years. Thus, should you roll your eyes at this point and opt not to upgrade your package or buy costly equipment accessories, it seems that a single-digit price increment is the order of the day at DISH. Of course, it implies that your bill can be $15-$30 higher as compared to your promotional rate for 4 years.
How Do I Find Out That Prices Are Going Up?
You do have some options to avoid paying the higher long-term pricing with DISH Network:
- Downgrade Your Package: The best way to get a lower bill is to downgrade a channel tier, although it’s rarely perfect, as it will lower your bill.
- Call DISH: Such complaints or threats when making a call to DISH can lead them to offer a discount or guarantee that they will not increase the rates for some time. There are no assurances, but if the tablet is valuable to you, it will not be a bad idea to try calling the DISH retention department. But as long as you are fine with it, you can cancel whenever you want without the hassle of having to face negative consequences.
- Switch Providers: New customers only is the most common one, but quite often the competitors of DISH, such as DISH’s own Sling TV, will offer you a better deal. If any early termination fees are involved, just calculate them on their face value.
- Cut The Cord: Since you can cancel anytime, Netflix and other streaming services are better if you don’t need traditional dish or cable television. HD antenna also allows you to see some channels for free within many areas as a local broadcast.
However, in the majority of such situations, DISH will increase its prices after the 2-year contract as stipulated by the set-up fees agreements. As for the price, it varies depending on the details of the chosen package and your location; however, average raises of $5+ monthly have been reported in the DISH reviews and clients’ testimonials. Therefore, in the absence of taking that action or threatening to cancel your subscription, it will be incumbent on you to pay more for the same programming once the DISH introductory rates expire.
Ready to upgrade your TV experience? Call us now at (877) 471-4808 to find the perfect Dish Network plan for you! Don’t miss out on great entertainment—our team is here to help you choose the best package and get you started today.