Dish Network Dish Satellite Dish TV FREE IPAD offer - Not really free. Free Hopper Offer - not really free. Whole-home HD TV - not really whole-home. USA USA

I called Dish Satellite TV today to discuss cost of service and current offers. I was interested in the offer for a free IPAD 2 and a free Hopper.  I was informed that the free IPAD is free ONLY if I sign up for service that charges me $25/mo more than the service I'd get if I didn't want the free IPAD.  This additional fee for service applies for the first year, so essentially, they SAY they are giving me a free IPAD, but I'm really PAYING for an IPAD at a cost of $25/mo for the first year of service, which results in an extra $300 that goes into the Dish coffers.  

So, the free IPAD 2 actually costs the customer $300, which is more that the current fair market rate for a device that is currently obsolete. Talk about misleading!  This scam is top-shelf in that department!

Now, as for the free Hopper, if I want whole-home HD and I have only 1 TV, all I need is the Hopper. However, the Hopper isn't really free; it costs $12/mo to have the darn thing sitting in my home.  The only thing that's free about it is the hardware delivery and installation.  

Here's the kicker - if I have more than 1 TV and I want HD on all TVs, then I also need a thing called a Joey.  The Joey AND the Hopper cost $6/mo and $12/mo, respectively.  So, again, something they advertise as free actually costs $18/mo or $216/yr.  I'll need the Joey thingy for each additional TV I have in the house, so for 3 TVs, the cost is $24/mo; 4 TVs the cost is $30/mo, etc.  

Bottom line is that the free part actually applies to Dish where the customer lets THEM into their home for free so DISH gets FREE access to their bank account to extract additional cash every month for the privilege of having their hardware in the customers home.  

 If I really wanted HD broadcast to all my TVs, I’d need a Hopper, a bunch of Joey’s and a zoo keeper to boot! This type of marketing is insidious, takes advantage of people, and does not deliver what the customer expects.  It’s all about giving DISH access to ever-increasing recurring fees paid by their customers.  Like the proverbial frog in the pot of slowly heating water; the frog will never jump out if the water is heated slowly enough.  DISH is trying to slowly heat the water around its customers hoping they don’t jump ship.