Attorney General Phil Weiser announces DISH will stop charging customers outdated HD fee
March 23, 2022 (DENVER) –DISH Network will no longer charge consumers an unnecessary HD fee under a settlement reached with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announced today. In some cases, Coloradans could save as much as $120 a year on their bills because of this action.
The company charged the HD fee for years after high-definition television became standard. Doing so, as the Attorney General’s Office explained, is an unfair and misleading practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
DISH, a Colorado-based company, eliminated its HD service fee for new subscribers in 2015. Nonetheless, it continued to charge the $10 monthly fee to some customers who signed up prior to 2015. When the Attorney General’s Office began its investigation, DISH acted quickly in early 2022 to halt that charge for the 2,480 Colorado customers who were still paying it. As of Feb. 15, 2022, no Colorado DISH customers are paying the HD fee.
“Charging an outdated fee is a practice we’ve seen providers use to drive up prices unfairly for Colorado consumers. We will continue to stand up for consumers and protect them from unfair fees,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said. “Even a $10-a-month fee can add up quickly, especially when hardworking Coloradans have other bills to manage. I commend DISH for taking responsibility following the start of our investigation to voluntarily remove this misleading fee charged to its customers.”
In 2021, the Attorney General’s Office also reached a settlement with DIRECTV that included a $1-$3 monthly credit to Coloradans who were charged the HD fee.
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StopFraudColorado.gov is a website for the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division that is designed to emphasize consumer protection outreach and makes it easier for Coloradans to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, while streamlining the process for filing fraud reports. If you notice any scams, fraud, price gouging, or other attempts to take advantage of Coloradans, contact Stop Fraud Colorado at 800-222-4444 or www.StopFraudColorado.gov.