DISH equipment protection fee

[Gary Cunningham]

As a new convert to DISH, we've been offered free equipment protection for 6 months. When that expires, an $8 monthly fee will be incurred unless we cancel the coverage. As in all insurance, I realize there is comfort vs risk. But I would be curious how frequently users on this forum used the DISH plan, or if they felt it was a waste of money.

[Ronbo]

We have it through directs. It covers any device we have that can receive directtv. My DW received a new iPad Air for $50 when the processor in her iPad gen 2 went bad.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

When I had my RV registered for DNS with Dish (a couple of years ago), my Protection Plan was cancelled as Dish would not provide the plan for house with wheels.

 

At the time, I when back and analyzed how much I had used the plan versus the cost if I had not had it. I was about a break even.

 

But since then I have yet to have a billable service with Dish. I did have to pay for shipping when I got extra remotes for the Hopper that would have been covered by the Protection Plan. And Iam about to order extra remotes for my Hopper 3.

 

So I would say that the Protection Plan is insurance against $95 service calls that Dish might not do anyways.

 

The equipment is given to you. There is no expense and if it fails, it will be replaced. The most cost will be the shipping.

[chirakawa]

If you need a service call, you can always sign up for the protection plan when you need it. No need to carry it all the time.

 

As said above, DISH will replace your equipment without charge anyway, you only pay shipping.

[skp51443]

I pay for the protection plan because I own some of my receivers and without it I'd be stuck when they break and that has happened a few times now.

 

If you are using Dish owned receivers the plan is less likely to be a good deal as the usual Dish repair guy isn't going to do much wiring work on an RV but it will cover the antenna if it gets damaged.

[chirakawa]

Stanley, if you own a receiver which goes bad and DISH replaces it, does it still belong to you or is it now a leased receiver?

[skp51443]

They tell me it is still mine, started out with a 622 and had it replaced with another 622 after a disk failure, couple years later that one died and they shipped me a 722 as a replacement and it is still showing the 722 as mine.

[Dutch_12078]

As chirakawa said, there's no need to pay for the protection plan until you need it, regardless of who owns the equipment. There is a minimum time that it has to be kept in place once activated though.