that's beyond bizarre!! i can't imagine anyone stealing something like this unless they thought they could get some $$$ through copper wiring or something which i doubt it even has.

the scenarios you mentioned seem unlikely. either would have had to drive around to even find a dish and then come back under cover of darkness to take it.

definitely a head scratcher!!

That is really odd. Are there any security cameras around that would have recorded the activity? The person would have had to use a ladder and it isn’t a simple process to disconnect and reconnect an antenna unless you kinda know what you’re doing.

We just had ours moved a few months ago because our service was being hampered by tree growth after 20+ years of being installed. That took a while and we did get a new antenna in the process.

TV, do you think the company might help with the replacement costs? Theft everywhere seems to be a problem, but the proprietary equipment used might persuade the company to help you (and maybe putting a location chip in the new one in the hope the same thief returns). Just a guess, if some employee or ex emplyee did this to you, it might have been done to others.

Can they trace the dish that they 'installed' to the thief using the serial number on that dish?

I cut the cable about a year ago but still have the Dish network on a pole out in my yard. You are welcome to it!

Fortunately this isn't a dish I own, but it is "rented" as part of the internet service I subscribe to - so they replaced my non-function one with one that works. And by next week, I think I'll have Starlink, and my (owned) dish will be a dozen feet above my roof.

That was very sneaky.mHonestly, the stuff that goes on these days. I dont suppose you had a camera. Glad you had a happy ending.

That is the oddest theft I have ever heard. I am so sorry that happened to you! Weird and bizarre indeed.

Where do you live that neighbors didn't notice??? Awful. What a world we live in. Sorry.

One good thing about starlink is you can’t get service on a unit owned by someone else unless they transfer service on that unit to the new owner. I think it slows down theft somewhat, but there are always those looking for a good deal who unwittingly buy stolen units only to find they can’t get service to use them. The Starlink groups I belong to have to deliver that bad news to purchasers of those units who can’t believe their good deal is useless to them.

What is so bizarre about your theft is that if someone were just scrapping metal, they would have sold both units.

" Where do you live that neighbors didn't notice? "

What's the difference between a neighbor noticing the absence or the homeowner doing so? It's gone either way.

And if the practice in that region is to rent such things (which sounds odd but I think broadly more typical in Canada than in the US), then seeing dishes installed and removed wouldn't be an unusual sight.

Weird fer sure. A common thief would usually just steal it and not replace it with a fake that you would surely notice, as you did. Why buy more time for the crime unless one is stealing the Hope Diamond and switching it with a imitation? But a satellite dish? Hope you resolve it without too much trouble from the dish company.

" Where do you live that neighbors didn't notice??? "

I live behind about 200' of trees from my nearest neighbour to the north; on the other side of me is a farm field, and across the street is......I dunno. A bunch of uncleared land that must be owned by someone, but is just a wall of trees right now.

What a thing to have stolen, but I’m glad you aren’t liable for replacing it.

Its time for security cameras . It sounds like the thief had plenty of time and privacy. At least thats all he did. It is strange.

Now I've heard it all. Unbelievable. It's crazy out there.

It’s time to install security cameras. They might come again for the new one.

Thinking about renting sat dishes in Canada reminded me of my own experience some years ago when I decided to switch from cable TV to DISH. Not only was the sat dish free, so too was the installation. Had mine been taken (something I never heard of happening here), I would have called them with the proposition that either they install a new one (free) or I'd cancel the service. I know what the outcome of that would have been. I've since shifted to streaming-only with YouTube TV and other content providers. The sat dish remains in place on a dormer end, I need to remember the next time I have a workman around to ask it be removed.

I've also heard that in Canada, water heaters can be rented. Unheard of down here.

We once has a couple of security cameras stolen-no kidding. Useless without the linked monitor of course but? We hardened the wiring protection so it cant be easily cut.

Removing a dish is not an easy job by the way. We had one for our internet service that wanted it back when we dropped their service. They expected us to pay them a fee to come and get it. It was a job getting it down but DH did it himself.

TV — I’m sorry you dish was stolen. I wonder how the theif knew it was there (it was out of sight?)

I mispoke, my DISH antenna is attached to the protruding end of the top beam on a gable end. The bracket is screwed into the beam and the antenna bolted on to that. A few bolts and screws will do it, along with pulling off the coax cable. Less than 10 minutes would be enough time.

Wow! That is so crazy!