Dish Network Misrepresentation of services including false advertising, breach of contract & unfair billing practices Internet

I was solicited at a Blockbuster store regarding a Dish promotion that the store was promoting. I was told the service was great and that the promotion at the time running was for 3 months of free HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz and Blockbuster @ Home channels. I signed up for the America's Top 200 with HD package for $51.99 month.

I received my first bill for $231.45, this bill included a charge for a modem plus shipping & handling and all of the premium channels that were supposed to be free for 3 months. I never purchased a modem from Dish Network because I already owned my own modem. When I called Dish customer service about this bill they said I had to pay the full amount and that later they would credit me.

Why would anyone be told by a company that they had to pay for something for already owned like the example with my modem? This is completely ridiculous to me and unethical as a business practice.

I had to cancel to the premium channels that I was supposed to be given for free for 3 months because a Dish rep refused to adjust my bill. I was told I was going to be charged for the premium despite the promotion advertised. Even though, I cancelled the premium channels, I would still have to pay for them and told I was going to get credit the following month. That credit did not happen according to a different Dish rep.

In total, I have spoken to or been in contact with the following Dish employees: Vienna, Linda, Kristy, Keisha, Victor, Doug, Liz, Heather (supervisor) and someone else who left a message that was so hard to understand that I couldn't get his name or the full message.  I then spoke to Jordan and McKenna who told me that I had to pay all the charges on my bill regardless of the error that Dish made and that I would be credited for the amounts later. I have received no credit as of 11/26/12.

Dish Network's billing practices are as follows: you sign up for a service at a certain price, they add charges for items that were not included in their advertising or their contracts, then you are liable to pay for the entire bill despite their errors, only to be told that you'll be credited the following month (and that might not even happen).

Dish Network reps stated to me that once a bill is sent out, that bill cannot be changed or corrected and that the customer must pay the full amount. When I asked if I could pay what my contract was actually for, they told me I could not pay a partial payment.  I found out recently from a regional manager that I could in fact pay a partial payment, which I did on 11/21/12.

Dish Network has suspended my service and has threatened an early cancellation fee, despite my partial payment for what the contract & promotion actually reflects.

I do not believe that Dish Network is in the business of providing quality satellite TV & internet. I believe that this is a bait & switch tactic to scam consumers to eventually pay for early termination fees and improper billing.