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My aunt died and dish is charging us the ETF
EliteLamer
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This is the most messed up thing ever. My mom got my poor aunt dish a few months ago. She asked if she died if they would let the contract go and they said yes. So my aunt died last night and we are canceling services. So we call dish to cancel and they said since my mom is also on the contract she has to pay the 300
Also my aunt sign the contract not my mom but they said my mom agreed to the terms on the phone.
Also my aunt sign the contract not my mom but they said my mom agreed to the terms on the phone.
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Most of the people who answer the phones for customer service have a script, and they can't deviate from what they can tell people lest they be fired (they simply don't have the authorization to cut deals or make exceptions). So make sure you talk to someone higher-up, and emphasize that they told you this would be no problem, and now they're trying to get money out of you and your aunt is freaking dead and don't they have any sympathy or ethics for trying to collect on the deceased for a contract?
Your aunt's estate will be charged the fee though
This, and just keep going up the food chain. Follow this short mantra:
If they don't have the authority to say "Yes" they don't have the authority to say "No."
Failing that, The Consumerist would love to hear about this, and would be delighted to help you shit all over Dishnetwork. Edit - As would your local news outlet.
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This. Though if your mom was on the account you're stuck paying. Since your mom set up the account and was paying though, it does sound like she was on the account as you really can't set up an account in someone else's name. I'd dig out old bills and such to see if your mom is on the account solo or with the aunt.
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she was on the account just like I put my roommates on my cable bill to make payments . I don't see how that would entile my roommates to take care of the bill if I died. Even if this is so this is so they lied because when my mom set up the account they said there would be no etf if she died. I just don't understand why it is unreasonable to be released from dish upon death
Your mom called up and made the contract, if I am correct, and you can't make an account in someone else's name for a variety of reasons (including that this would open the door to identity theft) so odds are the account is in your mom's name and your aunt was the one who was on it as an authorized person. If this is the case then your mom is responsible because it's her contract.
If the aunt called up and set up an account then upon her death her estate would be responsible for any remaining bills and your mom would not personally be liable.
CC companies and collection agencies pull shit like this all the time to strongarm people out of cash.
the phrase that i've found works with my own customer service experiences (and what works on me while i'm AT work, more often that i care to admit) is "i'm sorry, i'm not angry at you i'm angry at the situtation".
I had this happen when I signed a contract with that wireless internet company whose name I can't think of right now. Ummmm...Clearwire. I cancelled early, and they want to hit me with a $230 early termination charge. I stayed on the line and stayed polite, didn't raise my voice, didn't use any swear words, and so on. What I did do was firmly maintain that I didn't think it was fair that I should pay this fee (I think my beef was over the download caps they institute that made my netflix On Demand worthless). Eventually a supervisor got tired of my shit and said "Fine, we'll waive the fee." He was probably thinking "...asshole" when he said that, but I didn't give a shit, I got out of paying a bunch of money I couldn't afford.
Yes! Very good stuff. I would also add something like "Well [drone's name], you've been really helpful and polite to me, and I want to stress that I am in no way unhappy with how you've helped me, but I was wondering if I could speak with your supervisor?" And then praise the previous drone when you get the next one. I think you're more likely to get moved up the chain if the current drone doesn't think you're going to stick a dagger in their back as soon as you get a supe on the horn.
The dagger in their back is gonna come from the supe they're putting you through to. Sad truth.
Why do you think its so hard to get a supe on the phone most times? They (the supes and the reps) gotta play a constant balancing act between towing the company line and being a decent human being. Phone customer service is a hell like no other.
E-mail this to the consumerist and dish corporate and save yourself and some phone jockeys the discomfort.
Providing that the account is in your Aunt's name, normally you would just need to fax a copy of the death certificate for confirmation and they will close the account and waive any etf's. If it was an account in your mother's name it can be really tricky. It's the sort of thing that supervisor's have to weigh when dealing with these situations but they do have the authority to waive the fee.
Good idea on the email though, that way if things fall through with a sup then you have something to fall back on.