What Happens If I Don’t Pay My Dish Network Bill?

Paying your bills on time is important. But life happens, and sometimes your Dish Network bill gets missed or goes unpaid. What are the consequences of not paying your Dish Network satellite TV bill? Let’s take a look.

Your Service Could Get Disconnected

One of the first things that will happen if you don’t pay your Dish Network bill is that your service will get disconnected. Dish states in its Residential Customer Agreement that if your account has an outstanding balance your service can be deactivated.

This makes sense – Dish is a business providing you a service, and if you’re not paying for that service, they have the right to discontinue providing it. No one likes getting their service cut off, but it’s a predictable outcome of not paying what you owe.

You’ll Owe Fees for Unreturned Equipment

In addition to disconnecting your service, Dish may charge you fees for any leased equipment you fail to return after nonpayment cancellations. These fees are known as Unreturned Equipment Charges.

Dish equipment like receivers, DVRs, and remotes remain property of Dish even though you have them in your home. If you don’t send back devices you’re leasing within 30 days of deactivation, Dish will add their value to your outstanding balance

For example, the Hopper Duo DVR receiver is worth about $99. If you rented a Hopper Duo and didn’t return it after it was turned off by default, you will be charged $99 These fees can add up fast if you have multiple leased components.

Your Account is Sent to Collections

If your outstanding balance remains unpaid for an extended period Dish Network will eventually send the delinquent account to collections. This is another predictable consequence of not paying a bill.

As of now, Dish Network has pretty much given up trying to get you to pay their debt. This is called “going to collections.” They give or sell the debt to a third-party collection agency, which then starts to try to get the money back.

Having an account in collections severely damages your credit, and the agency will use methods like phone calls and letters demanding payment. It’s best to avoid this if at all possible by paying your Dish Network bill.

Your Credit Score Could Drop

Speaking of damage to your credit, not paying your Dish Network bill can negatively impact your credit scores as well.

When an account is sent to collections, it will appear on your credit reports. Unpaid collections accounts can cause a credit score drop of over 100 points. Your high credit utilization from the unpaid balance can also lower scores.

Even if your Dish Network account hasn’t gone to collections yet, you can still see minor dings from late payments reported to the credit bureaus. Your scores go down a little each month a payment is past due.

You Might Face Legal Action

If the unpaid balance on your Dish Network account is substantial enough, it’s possible Dish or the collections agency may pursue legal action to recover what you owe.

If sued over your debt, you could be ordered to repay through wage garnishment or bank account levies. You could even have certain assets seized and sold to pay the judgment.

Lawsuits are time-consuming and expensive for everyone though, so creditors like avoiding them if possible. But they remain an option for recouping large balances gone unpaid for long periods.

Tips for Avoiding Nonpayment Shutoffs

Now that you know what can happen if you don’t pay your Dish Network bill, here are some tips to help avoid service interruptions and the fallout that follows:

• Set payment reminders: Mark payment due dates on your calendar and set bill reminders on your phone so your Dish Network bill doesn’t get overlooked.

• Enroll in autopay: Having payments automatically charged to your debit or credit card ensures they’re never late. Dish offers an autopay discount too.

• See if you qualify for an extension: Dish might grant extensions to customers going through temporary financial hardship. Ask before your account becomes past due.

• Consider a flexible payment plan: Setting up smaller recurring payments through Dish’s payment plan option can make monthly bills more affordable.

• Lower your bill: Downgrading programming packages or cutting premium channels can potentially reduce how much you owe each month.

• Comparison shop: See if you can get cheaper TV service through a provider like Sling TV or DirecTV Stream and make the switch.

What If I Just Cancelled Service Without Paying?

Canceling your Dish service without paying outstanding balances first doesn’t let you off the hook. Any unpaid amount left when your account closed will be sent to collections if it goes too long without payment.

Your service may have been disconnected when you canceled, but the money you still owe doesn’t just disappear. Dish Network retains the right to recover what you rightfully owe them. The same potential consequences of damaged credit, collections calls, and legal action still apply.

Can Dish Make Me Pay Immediately?

If your bill is past due or Dish finds other violations of its terms and conditions, the provider reserves the right to declare your entire outstanding balance as immediately due and payable.

However, Dish cannot actually force payment right away or make unauthorized withdrawals from your bank account. Declaring the full balance due just means you technically owe that amount. You’d still have to voluntarily pay it or Dish would need to pursue collections.

How Long Until Debt is Written Off?

Debt typically must go unpaid for a number of years before being written off or canceled. The statute of limitations dictates how long creditors can sue over debts. This ranges from 3-6 years depending on your state.

But to be clear – these statutes only restrict lawsuits, not collections. Until it is paid, Dish Network can continue trying to collect even very old debt. And the negative marks stay on your credit report for 7 years.

Key Takeaways

• Not paying your Dish Network bill can result in service disconnection, fees for unreturned equipment, harm to your credit, and account collection.

• If an unpaid Dish balance persists long enough without payment, you may face the possibility of legal action.

• Setting reminders, enrolling in autopay, comparison shopping, and other steps can help you avoid nonpayment consequences.

• Canceling with an outstanding balance still leaves you liable for paying what you owe Dish Network.

• While Dish can declare your full balance due upon violation of terms, they cannot force immediate payment.

Paying your Dish Network bill protects your credit, avoids collections hassle, and keeps your programming uninterrupted. But if you do slip up, it’s important to understand the potential effects of nonpayment as you work to resolve the situation.