My failed DirecTV install

[chaddux]

After 8.5 years of being a Dish customer, I finally decided to switch to DirecTV. Apparently, that was a mistake and DirecTV has gone out of their way to keep me from becoming a customer. My first install date was last Friday. No one ever showed up. No one called. Nothing. I had to call them late in the evening and they rescheduled it for today.

Although they showed up this time, they were late. He first wanted to know where my existing wiring exited the house so he wanted to get in the attic. This seemed to be a little odd since it would be a lot easier to see where it exited the house to simply walk to the backyard and look at the wires. Why would you go into the attic to find where an existing wire exits the house? It exits the house where the current dish is located. Duh. Instead of going to the attic, we went to the backyard. He seemed surprised that the wire was there. I'm not sure where he expected it to be.

I had built a custom mount on the side of my house so that it wouldn't have to be installed on my roof. Immediately, the technician refused to install it where I wanted it installed. He said DirecTV requires it be installed on the roof or a pole. Nowhere else, no exceptions. I noted that it is literally right next to my Dish dish which is installed the exact same way. Never had a problem with it in 8.5 years. I also noted that the mount is secured to the house with TEN very large bolts and two steel brackets. I would be very surprised if it ever moves. Nope. They still refused to install it.

Does anyone know if DirecTV really has a rule that says it can only be installed on the roof or a pole? I've seen DirecTV dishes installed on places other than a roof or pole.

 

[Hutch1814]

Yes, if you had an HSP tech he can't install on anything except the 2. Every now and then we will slip one through if we can get management to approve it but this is very rare. Understand the roof mount but why are you against a pole mount?

 

[chaddux]

There is a two-story house to the south of my one-story house. For a pole mount to still have LOS, it would have to be a tall pole, be towards the middle of my backyard or be in my front yard. One of the advantages of my backyard is that it is open and has plenty of room for games. A pole with a satellite dish in the middle of the yard would ruin that. I definitely don't want a dish in my front yard.

DirecTV's own install tips says the dish is normally installed on a roof or balcony. A balcony is neither the roof nor a pole so that doesn't match what the technician said.

 

[chaddux]

From http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=700002

"A certified installer will:

Install a dish on your roof, side of home, balcony or other location."

 

[Hutch1814]

There is a two-story house to the south of my one-story house. For a pole mount to still have LOS, it would have to be a tall pole, be towards the middle of my backyard or be in my front yard. One of the advantages of my backyard is that it is open and has plenty of room for games. A pole with a satellite dish in the middle of the yard would ruin that. I definitely don't want a dish in my front yard.

DirecTV's own install tips says the dish is normally installed on a roof or balcony. A balcony is neither the roof nor a pole so that doesn't match what the technician said.

When was these install tips updated? They've all but done away with rail mounts, S-tube mounts are a specialty for ONLY rare occasions too. The actual QC papers and test also fail all excluding roof and pole mounts. We use non-pen mounts but commercial installs only. A very very large dental chain was refused almost 1,200 installs due to them demanding a pole mount on the roof. Directv is really strict on where the dishes are located anymore. Can't even install a dish in the front of a home unless LOS is an issue without having to go back out and relocate it if its QC'd.

 

[chaddux]

It's currently on their website (see my link above) and is what they email to you when you sign up. I also just talked to DirecTV and they agreed that it can be installed on the side of a house. If a customer tells you to put it somewhere, you probably better do it unless there is serious reason not to do so. Arbitrary rules are just that: arbitrary. They serve no purpose except to annoy customers (or potential customers). Like I said, my Dish dish has been in the same spot for 8.5 years and never had a problem so I don't believe there is any quality concern. If my Dish dish (which is secured with only three bolts) hasn't moved, I'm betting the DirecTV dish (which would be secured with 14 bolts in total) definitely isn't going to move. On the roof, it would be completely exposed to wind. Where I want it installed, it would be partially shielded by the house itself.

 

[Hutch1814]

I believe your best bet would be to make contact with the OOP. Throw this at them and be done. We installers can only install a job within our standards. We're told not to yet these rules are black and white. Please let me know how this ends up, I agree with you but I'm curious how the local HSP ends up doing it or not doing it. Keep me informed

 

[chaddux]

I will post an update when I have one. I understand the actual technician was bound by what his boss told him but that doesn't mean the decision was correct. If I wasn't so disgusted with Dish's treatment of me as a very long-time customer, I'd just give up.

 

[Jimbo]

I will post an update when I have one. I understand the actual technician was bound by what his boss told him but that doesn't mean the decision was correct. If I wasn't so disgusted with Dish's treatment of me as a very long-time customer, I'd just give up.

IF this doesn't work with the next Installer, you could probably try the Local installers, theres usually a company local that also deals with D* installs ... they don't have the same restrictions that the HSP's have.
However, you may have to pay for that install.

Just curious, did you do your DISH install yourself ?
I'm thinking that DISH would have the same requirements that D* has.

 

[Liquidforce88]

Post a picture of your mount so we can see it.

Directv is very specific on what they want for the mount. If it uses the j mount it must have mono poles. Does your mounting area allow for the mono poles to be installed correctly? Roof mount is pretty straight forward as well as a pole mount. Side of house mount is only allowed if it is a wood sided house, vinyl and aluminum siding is a no go and mono poles must be used.

You have to look at the fact that an 8 year old Dish mount is just that. 8 years ago thse companies would do anything to get a customer. Now it's all about CYA and the money. Those old dishes were much smaller and much lighter than the new ones. It did not take as muchof a mount to hold them.

 

[Neutron]

I sent the OP the email address for the corporate office for Directv.

 

[steecoe]

Another reason why I love doing my own stuff...I can mount my dish to the back of a dead squirrel if I want. I feel bad for the new customers these days, self install was a selling point for me all those years ago...

 

[raoul5788]

Another reason why I love doing my own stuff...I can mount my dish to the back of a dead squirrel if I want. I feel bad for the new customers these days, self install was a selling point for me all those years ago...

I wouldn't do that. It will smell bad and when the squirrel rots, and it will, your signal levels will be horrible.....

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

Granted i used to be a tech, and i still know alot of techs, when i moved into my new apartment, i put a dish on the porch roof, ran 4 wires to a ground block, ran 6 wires into my attic (extras) "obtained" a swm8, wallfished two lines to each bedroom, and 2 lines to two different walls in my living room, wired what i was using up, called in ordered, tech showed up im like yea u just need the boxes and 3jumpers lol

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[chaddux]

Just curious, did you do your DISH install yourself ?
I'm thinking that DISH would have the same requirements that D* has.

No it was installed by Dish.

 

[chaddux]

The corporate office called me. A very nice woman said she had looked over their various mounting options and named a half-dozen options, including corner mounts, easement mounts, etc. She is trying to get an installation appointment scheduled for Sunday afternoon with a corporate installer, not the local company. We'll see!

 

[Neutron]

The corporate office called me. A very nice woman said she had looked over their various mounting options and named a half-dozen options, including corner mounts, easement mounts, etc. She is trying to get an installation appointment scheduled for Sunday afternoon with a corporate installer, not the local company. We'll see!

Good to hear!! Hopefully we will see a post from you on Sunday stating a successful install.

We are in the same market and I don't remember who did our install as I was at work. Mine is roof mount as you know.

On the other hand my father in law just had Directv installed at the camp house he rents by a private lake and it replaced a DISH dish, on a pole mount. The installer had no issues with that.

 

[supermod38]

i came back to D* in Nov. and the first tech would not mount the dish "where the previous D* dish was mounted" so i cancelled and called to reschedule and the next tech said it was fine.! go figure.......... first tech was under 30 yrs old., second tech was over 60............. 45 minutes for a total install of dish plus Genie and one Client!
great guy and he also got a good TIP>!!!

 

[Liquidforce88]

The corporate office called me. A very nice woman said she had looked over their various mounting options and named a half-dozen options, including corner mounts, easement mounts, etc. She is trying to get an installation appointment scheduled for Sunday afternoon with a corporate installer, not the local company. We'll see!

Please don't take this the wrong way, but those people on the phone have no clue what the requirements are for the installers. They will tell you anything to try and keep you from canceling the order though. As far as the installer goes not sure there will be any other option for the company that does it. There is probably only one main company in the area.

With that said some installers are willing to get things done. I for one as a contractor will figure out a way to get the system in and make the customer happy. Some times that means bending an install rule to do so. But sometimes the people on the phone make promises that can't be kept. Can't tell you how many times they have told people the a fascia mount or side of the house mount is no problem. Most fascia's are not large enough or strong enough to hold the slimline dish. Most people have vinyl siding. That means many times a wall mount and fascia mount wont work and are not allowed.

I hope the next installer can come up with a solution for you.

 

[Hutch1814]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but those people on the phone have no clue what the requirements are for the installers. They will tell you anything to try and keep you from canceling the order though. As far as the installer goes not sure there will be any other option for the company that does it. There is probably only one main company in the area.

With that said some installers are willing to get things done. I for one as a contractor will figure out a way to get the system in and make the customer happy. Some times that means bending an install rule to do so. But sometimes the people on the phone make promises that can't be kept. Can't tell you how many times they have told people the a fascia mount or side of the house mount is no problem. Most fascia's are not large enough or strong enough to hold the slimline dish. Most people have vinyl siding. That means many times a wall mount and fascia mount wont work and are not allowed.

I hope the next installer can come up with a solution for you.

This is why I told him his best bet was to contact the OOP. He can tell them his demands and nobody gets their arses in a bind installing something that shouldn't be installed