Direct-to-home (DTH) providers have been providing us entertainment for many years now; be it catching your favourite daily soap or watching a match live. What makes DTH better than cable connection is the plethora of features you can avail of, which often leads to this technology being referred to as the progressive counterpart of cable TV.

Due to its increased popularity, there are many DTH providers that you can choose from, each competing with each other to provide better quality, more channels and features, and a personalised customer experience. But, what if you buy a DTH package and aren’t happy with the services, or wish to cancel the connection for another reason?

In this blog, we will go over the replacement and refund policy for each of the top DTH providers to give you an in-depth understanding of your options if you’re planning to cancel your subscription.

Tata Sky

If you are looking to cancel your Tata Sky DTH connection, there are certain terms that you have to meet in order to be eligible for a refund of your current account balance. We’ve mentioned the terms in the refund policy below:

1. Users will be eligible for a refund of their Account Balance if their Subscriber Account is deactivated/terminated in a timely manner, which can be done by contacting the company to cancel or completely stop using their services.
2. However, if the subscriptions to any of the services are well within the lock-in term or minimum duration guarantee declared by the company relating to a given scheme or offer, the company maintains the power to deny any deactivating requests. In this instance, the company holds the right to modify the Subscriber’s Cancellation claim effective as of the date upon which lock-in term or minimum time guarantee expires.

That being said, in their refund policy, Tata Sky has mentioned certain instances wherein they will deny refunding the balance in your account. For example, if Tata Sky decides to terminate your services for the following reasons:

1. for servicing or testing;
2. to enhance the confidentiality and security of the Services or for technical reasons; or
3. if the government so directs.

Cancelling Your Tata Sky Account

To deactivate your User Account you can use the following ways to send a Cancellation Application to the Company:

• Contact the Helpline no. 1860 500 6633; or
• Send an email to [email protected]
• Go to their website https://www.tatasky.com/dth/help and use the chat option.

Tata Sky Refund Process

Follow the steps below to get your Tata Sky refund after cancelling the subscription:

1. To be able to get a refund, the User must implement the Cancellation request using any of the methods specified above.
2. If the User acquired a Tata Sky connection through a Rental or Entrustment Plan, the User must return immediately the CPE to the company in accordance with the company’s current refund policy and the terms specified in the Subscription Agreement.
3. The company will complete the refund to the user’s bank account, so the user needs to send a photocopy of the cancelled cheque to the company.
4. The company will process the full refund within 20 Business Days from the date of the Cancellation request, supporting paperwork, and effective return of CPE by the User to the Organization (if applicable).

Moreover, you should keep certain factors in mind during the refund process:

• The company will only refund the unused account balance in the Subscriber Account at the time of cancellation, which does not include either of these: CPE costs acquired by the Subscriber, CPE charges, Network Capacity Fees, Set-up fees, Activation Charges, subscription fees or even the Company’s taxes, unlet.

• The users that have cancelled their subscription and paid a rebate will not be permitted to reinstate the connection.

• The company retains the right at all times to modify or change all or any one of the conditions or to change, in whole or in part, the return policy without advance notification and without giving any explanation and without any responsibility whatsoever.

Dish TV

While you can cancel your Dish TV subscription at any time, this DTH provider doesn’t offer a refund for any balance in your account at the time of cancellation. Ideally, you should use the connection till the balance runs out and then cancel.

However, if you’ve recharged your DishTV package and your credit card or bank account has been credited with the amount, but it is not reflected in your DishTV card within 24 hours, you are entitled to a full refund.

In such cases, you need to reach out to their customer support email [email protected] or by submitting an e-mail on the Contact Form or by talking to an agent.

To initiate the refund, they require your registered mobile number, card number, refund value, date of transaction and order number. You can include all this information in the email.

Once the complaint is raised, DishTV will examine the event and you will be reimbursed within 6 business days, from the day your email was received if the money has actually been paid by your card or bank account. However, if you raise a complaint after 7 days of the event, they will not reimburse the money.

DishTV will only refund the money if you have recharged your package using their official website or application. Any transaction on a third-party website will not be refunded by DishTV.

Furthermore, if you have paid an additional cost for an a la carte channel, but your package hasn’t been updated within 48 to 72 hours, you’re eligible for a refund. Please contact customer support to lodge a complaint and follow the same process mentioned above.

Sun Direct

Sun Direct doesn’t offer any refund or cancellation for the connection before the tenure of the recharge or the funds is over. However, for refunds due to technical reasons, you can reach out to their customer care and explain the problem.

But, as these events are handled on a case-to-case basis, there’s no guarantee that you’ll receive a refund. If you are granted a refund, the money will be credited to your account within 7-10 business days.

Airtel Digital TV

Airtel offers two kinds of DTH services and the refund policy for each differs slightly. We’ve mentioned the terms for each type below:

Hire‐Purchase

If the client wishes to return the CPE obtained through Hire-purchase before the end of the payback term, the reimbursement will be given by subtracting 10% of the paid amount to devaluation on a six-month cycle subject to the return of the CPE.

Any transfers or re‐location conducted by the organization will be charged as per corporate policy. The repair/replacement of malfunctioning CPE throughout the payment period under the aforementioned plan will be given without any cost to the client. All additional costs are in accordance with business policy.

Rental Offer

Even during rental program time, no transferring or relocation is permitted without prior authorization from Airtel Digital TV. Any transfer or relocation carried out by the organisation will be billed in accordance with company policy.

The repair/replacement of damaged STBs throughout the payment period in the preceding plan will be provided at no cost to the client. All additional costs are in accordance with business policy.

Conclusion

There could be a myriad of reasons why you want to cancel your DTH connection before the tenure or recharge package is over. By understanding the options available to you, you might be able to get a substantial amount refunded to you, thereby ensuring you aren’t paying for services that you’re no longer using.

However, as these terms are conditions are constantly updated by DTH providers, we recommend checking with the company before making a decision.