The almost Cliff'sNotesVersion:
-our "2nd receiver" that drives the bedrooms TVs flashed the need for a Smart Card replacement a month ago. I called DISH
as directed and they sent me one in a week. I replaced the card, spent 2 hrs on phone with DISH tech to get the programming and guides to download properly with the new card.

They assured me I would not need a new/updated Smart Card for our main receiver...

In fact, that card above came on an instruction sheet that had 2 spaces:
one for the replacement card with the specific serial #s and another empty space listing my main receiver; the
one that would not need a replacement.

-Last Thursday, a week ago, we saw the "New Smart Card Needed" Warning on our main TV, driven by our other
receiver/PVR gizmo.
It said we had 3 days to install a new/updated Smart Card. I jumped on the phone with a few calls daily, to nail one down. We lost 98% of our programming, on our main TV, 3+ days later as promised. More calls and rants to beg them for the back ordered Card. "Why not send out both cards", "when is our new card coming", etc., fell on $9/hr unempowered menu reading grunts.

-Late today, Friday, 7 days later, we got our new/replacement Smart Card, which then entailed 2+ hrs on the phone to get it "to work".

We get ~5% time drop outs, (I don't mean pixelization), incorrect monthly bills, we are on our 3rd "replacement main PVR receiver", (all "re-manufactured", which we had to buy to "replace"), and on, and on...

We have simply 2 choices here on the Mtn: DISH or, Direct. I am not here to rant/debate the "merits" of either...when we finally succumb to High Def TV at this house, it will be a bidding war, but I suspect DISH, whom has never shown a fookin iota of "caring" or, real customer service for us as an 8 year customer, will lose to Direct when we do go high def here.

I have ComCrap in FL, their entire pkg, and while they can drive one crazy, if I could have them here, I would sign up, for "lifetime",
in a NY min.

Thanks for reading...I realize this was not Twitter in length.
BR,mD
[email protected]