It can be difficult to leave Dish Network as it charges high cancellation fees but here are some legal methods of exiting your agreement early. Here are the main options to consider if you want to cancel Dish before your contract is up:
Weigh Your Demands for Cancelling
Take your time and decide why you want to quit your job at Dish, before you make any decision. This is a rather basic question, but are you relocating to a place that Dish doesn’t cover? Do you frequently encounter technical problems that Dish has not been able to address? Has your financial situation significantly shifted? Ensuring you have a valid, provable reason for seeking to be let off your contract will help you when engaging Dish.
DISH – Check Whether You Can Get Out
Nonetheless, it is not a legal requirement for satellite and cable companies to do so but there are cases when they do allow early termination of contracts without any repercussions. Begin by dialing Dish customer service center and politely and logically state why you want to terminate the contract early. It is also important to supply any documents relevant to your explanations for the need to leave such as a letter of assignment to a new station. Speak clearly and kindly while stating your needs and desires. That said, there is no way of knowing whether Dish will agree to waive the fees or not, but at least you will be giving it a try. You might just get a good rep who is willing to listen and empathize with your situation.
Often it is possible to avoid early termination fees by simply paying the amount due, which could come to a few hundred dollars.
There is always a paragraph in every Dish customer agreement that highlights the consequences of early termination of the service. This often means that you will be charged a pro-rata fee of the monthly subscription fee remaining on your contract term; it might end up costing you over $400 depending on how long you have left. If you are in a position to pay the termination charges, then this is the easiest and quickest method of separating from Dish without any complications. It is worth to remember, however, that early cancellation fees are non-refundable even if you re-subscribe with Dish at some point.
Transfer Service Into Someone Else’s Name
If you are relocating to a place that Dish services, perhaps it is a better idea to transfer or assign your Dish contract to the new resident of your home rather than cancelling it outright. In fact, all that is required is that the new person must meet credit requirements and from there they can assume your contractual agreement with the said company at the same agreed rate and with the same expiration date. First, you will have to have their written consent but this solution ensures that you do not incur cancellation penalties and the next occupants of the house get to enjoy Dish without going through the process of being deemed a new customer and having to pay new customer setup and installation charges.
Persuade the Case with Customer Retention
If you are not getting any favorable response from the regular Dish customer service representatives regarding the early termination then it is not time to quit. Request to be connected to Dish’s cancellation or customer retention division. Reiterate all the legal reasons why it is no longer possible and advisable to go on providing the service as provided by the existing contract. Stress the fact that you would love to continue working with Dish but some circumstances prevent you from doing so. Be polite but unyielding at the same time. You might be surprised when the retention team agrees to reduce or even eliminate your termination charges for the same reason that you are not to switch to another provider. So, trying to be angry or threatening will only worsen the situation.
To report a complaint, you should approach the better business bureau.
However, if you have a genuine reason to believe that Dish is wrong in not allowing you to breach the contract, you should take your complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Provide a chronological account of your interactions with Dish detailing any time a scheduled appointment was missed, charges were made in error, or unresolved technical issues exist. Ensure you have as much written work as possible to back your experience. At times, informing Dish that you are going to file a complaint with the BBB is enough to have them agree to some form of compromise such as allowing you to break the contract without having to pay penalties that are stated in the contract. It is not very likely to produce results but it is another approach which can be tried.
Consider Legal Options
This should be the final step; however, if you believe Dish has violated the terms of the contract by not providing satisfactory service as agreed upon and they continue to deny cancellation, then it would be pertinent to seek legal advice. An attorney can go through the details of your case and the Dish customer agreement to see if there is a strong legal case. This is because they may be able to talk to Dish on your behalf or inform you of any consumer rights that may supersede the fine print in contracts. However if it is to reach this extent of a lawsuit, prepare for a long drawn process that would include a steep price.
Sling TV is another service by Dish and is currently the most popular option for cord-cutters.
If the thought of dealing with customer service or paying hefty termination fees does not appeal to you, there is another way out of a Dish satellite contract without penalties – switch to Sling TV. Sling is, in fact, a streaming television service operated by Dish Network, so you don’t have to have a satellite dish installed or sign a home contract to avail it. Sling has no-contract options, and also allows you to transfer some of your unused ‘credits’ from a disconnected Dish account to pay for Sling. You will be limited in some ways with services available only through satellite but by going with Sling TV, you can cut your ties with Dish and still give your business to the same parent company.
Do Not Stop Paying Your Bill Before Suspending the Service
I hope it is obvious, but in addition to this request, you should continue to make monthly payments as per the Dish billing cycle. Even if your contract has not been voided, if you fail to make auto-pay or allow your account balance to go to collections, Dish will still consider you in breach of your agreement. This means that they have a reason to request you to pay the balance of your contract or service in one lump sum. To avoid such complications it is wiser to defer unnecessary hassles by ensuring all payments are up to date once all issues have been cleared.
Ending a television package deal with Dish Network prior to the fulfillment of the agreed-upon contract terms is always possible but not easy. However, there are legal grounds for the desire to dissolve the agreement based on personal or practical concerns. If you follow the tips provided here and be patient when dealing with Dish customer service, then with some measure of fortune, you should be able to find a way out of the contract without the added stress or penalties.
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