RE: TV Japan viewing

[Richard Webb <rlwebb@puc.edu>]

At 4:43 PM -0700 10/1/98, rshapiro wrote:
>Rich,
>
>The 'by the day' option is a new one on me.  PLEASE let me know if it is
>true.  Big savings since all we use the dish for Sumo!
>
Since others may also be interested, I called them to verify this.  There 
is one (small) catch.  Provided that you maintain other service (e.g. their 
"Top 100 CD" plan), you can start up TV Japan any time you like and cancel 
service any time you like.  At the time that you cancel TV Japan there will 
be a $5 change-in-service charge.  During the time that you have TV Japan, 
it will be prorated from the monthly fee of $25.  Thus, to receive 15 days 
of a basho it will cost roughly $13 in prorated TV Japan subscription and 
$5 for change-in-service for a total 1-basho bill of around $18.

IF you do not elect to maintain a viewing service between bashos, then you 
will have to pay an additional $25 restart fee everytime you start service 
up again.  Obviously this would suck--you would save roughly $7 every two 
months over the cost of maintaining TV Japan year-round.

BUT, I was told that there is a loophole that can be used.  You can 
"suspend service," an option to allow you to go on vacation without having 
to pay for all of your normal services while on vacation.  There is a $5 
fee for suspending service so in the end, if all you wanted to watch was 
sumo, you could subscribe to TV Japan but suspend service for all but two 
weeks every month and still pay just $18 per basho.  Of course, before I 
started such a plan I would try to make sure that there would not be a 
problem with repeated suspensions of service and more time suspended than 
in actual operation.  Maybe get it in writing or at least allow them to 
record a promise that there is not a problem and no additional fees will be 
charged.

BTW, my brother purchased his second dish for $109 + shipping.  His 
controller and first dish was $139 a year ago and even cheaper now (but 
includes a service contract that you must buy).

Richard Webb
rlwebb@raiderfans.com              http://www.puc.edu/Faculty/Richard_Webb/
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