Forum Discussion

cwescott92's avatar
cwescott92
Freshman
7 years ago

Advice from the professors!

I have Gen 4 Prime Plus, 10 GB, for $59.99 month. I had to call today because I have not been able check usage or buy tokens since end of December. No replies from online moderators.  From my call today, they say they are aware of issue and working on it. They can not add tokens(which I am willing to pay for) from their end either. What they want to do is upgrade me to Gen 5, 10 GB, which they say will be $49.99, with a 1 year contract. After 1 year price will stay the same. Then I asked about the Gen 5 Max plan, 20 GB. He said it would only be $69.99. The Gen 4 price for this plan is $129.99! I told him I needed to research it, but I do not get any offers  for Gen 5 when I go to Shop/ Upgrade tab. This deal just seems too good to be true. Can you help? Also, how can I get these "unbelievable" terms in writing? I usually only buy $9 tokens per month, but I can't even do that. I'm pretty sure they may be trying to make me upgrade.

  • BirdDog's avatar
    BirdDog
    Assistant Professor

    Highly doubt you can get anything in writing, even an email.

     

    Only advice I have is get the sales agent name and if you feel they messed you over then one of the mods here can have the call reviewed. Only problem is I'm not sure they keep the calls longer than about 6 months, maybe a year max. So, if you come back in a year to complain there may be no call recording to review.

     

    I suppose you could detail everything here if you do go for it. At least that is a record of some kind. The post should be here indefinitely.

    • cwescott92's avatar
      cwescott92
      Freshman

      If I am willing to tolerate lower speeds if I go over my data limits, do you recommend staying with Gen 4 over Gen 5? It seems like I saw a Professor post that said not to go to Gen 5.

  • GabeU's avatar
    GabeU
    Distinguished Professor IV

    cwescott92

     

    First, the issue of not being able to see your info or buy tokens.  The following may help.  It's a copy/paste from my reply to another person a couple days ago, but it should still work for your issue.  With that said, I'm not positive that you can buy tokens while using the alternate sign on method, but you may be able to.  Again, this is a copy/paste from a previous post.... 

     

     

    But, there is a temporary workaround.  When you go to the MyAccount page (make sure to be signed out of it) and click the button to sign in, rather than actually signing in click on Register.  When you put your info in, like your SAN, which you can find at the top of the System Control Center (click the blue link), and your phone number, you can go through and create a new email and password.  With that new email and password you can sign into the MyAccount page and your info will be there.  You can still use your normal sign on to get in here, but when you need to sign on and see your info use the new email and password that you created.  I can't remember if you have to create a new name for this Community while you're going through the process of creating the new email, but it really doesn't matter as, again, you can continue to use your original sign on info for here, like you have been using. 

     

    And, if you have an alternate browser, you might want to use that so you can avoid having to sign out of your new email and sign into your original one to get in here, and vice versa.  If you don't have an alternate browser it's no big deal, as you can just alternate between the new email sign on for the MyAccount site and your original email sign on for here.  Of course, you're free to use the other sign on and new Community name in here if you want, but it's best to just use the one you already created and have been using.  

     

    Again, this is only a temporary workaround until they fix the issue for you, but at least you'll be able to see your stuff again in the meantime.  Of course, you can keep the second email if you want.  That's entirely up to you.  And I only say temporary in that once they get the site info fixed for your original sign on you'll probably want to go back to using that.  With that said, you can continue to use that sign on to see your info if you wish.  After they fixed the issue for me I signed in using my original info and deleted the new email I had created as I wouldn't use it for anything else.  That's just me.    

     

    Hope this helps.  

     

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     

    Now, regarding the upgrade to Gen5.  The 20/50 Gen5 plan is $69.99.   You can see the prices for all Gen5 plans on the hughesnet.com site.  Just input your address and you'll see the plans and prices available to you.  It's the same plan I have.  Because you are a current HughesNet customer I don't know that you can get the deals shown on the page, but the $69.99 price for the 20/50 Gen5 plan is the regular price.  You also don't see any upgrade info for Gen5 when you sign in as it's defaulting to giving you upgrade options for the service you presently have, which is Gen4.   

     

    On a personal note, you might want to think long and hard about your option of upgrading to Gen5.  Right now some with Gen5 are experiencing considerable speed issues, as I'm sure you've read on here.  Just keep that in mind.  Are the savings worth the possibility of having slower speeds than you do now?  That's what you've got to consider.  Any other time I would recommend upgrading to Gen5 without hesitance, but I can't make that recommendation at present.  :(   

    • C0RR0SIVE's avatar
      C0RR0SIVE
      Associate Professor

      Personally, I feel if you can get a Gen5 plan, while staying on the Gen4 bird (just get a new modem and plan, no satellite repoint!!!!!) then go for it.  However, with the issues Gen5 on the NEWER satellite is having lately, and some those issues going on for so long, I can't say with confidence that Gen5 on ES-19 is worth upgrading to.

      Curious, why can't you purchase tokens?  Have you already purchased too many for the month?  What status meter version are you on?

    • louis69621's avatar
      louis69621
      New Poster

      Here you go.

      For comparison I have Gen 4 Power Max, which has 20 GB anytime data (Service Plan Data) and 20GB bonus bytes (Bonus Zone).

      Below is a speed test at 1/24/18 6:30 pm.

       

       

  • I upgraded Oct 19, 2017, and have been insatisfied since.  Your Gen 4 tokens don't carry over unless you invest a few of calls and can get Hughes to relent and convert part over to Gen5.  Second, the speed, in both terms of actual & consistency, are terrible, over 80% of the time slower than Gen4.  Plan to spend countless hours on the phone getting pushed up to another level & "engineers" but resulting to no lasting consisten sppeds within 60% of the promised "up-to 25).  most will be 3 or less, many times 0.5, even after replacing modem & the receiver thing-a-macmachigy" on the dish.  It's like being promised freeway speeds but only getting congested stoplight in-city speeds.

     

    Don't convert unless they have completely shut you down.  If that is the case, sorry, and there is no real alternative.

  • I upgraded Oct 19, 2017, and have been unsatisfied since.  Your Gen 4 tokens don't carry over unless you invest a few of calls and can get Hughes to relent and convert part of them over to Gen5.  Your Gen4 records exist no more so be sure to note your Gen4 balance. Second, the speed, in both terms of actual & consistency, are terrible, over 80% of the time slower than Gen4.  Plan to spend countless hours on the phone getting pushed up to another level & "engineers" but resulting to no lasting consisten sppeds within 60% of the promised "up-to 25).  most will be 3 or less, many times 0.5, even after replacing modem & the receiver thing-a-macmachigy" on the dish.  It's like being promised freeway speeds but only getting congested stoplight in-city speeds.

     

    Don't convert unless they have completely shut you down.  If that is the case, sorry, and there is no real alternative.