Social Feed

Hey Guys;

I've been a happy customer of DirecTV since 1999, and didn't think I would change, however recently my house burnt down. After dealing with everything related to that, I was looking at getting my DirecTV system set back up w/ 2 DVRs.

The new place has a previous Dish 500 installed, and there is a line of site between some trees to 110/119*... There is also a shot to 101* about 5 feet to the right of the Dish 500... it's a narrow shot, but it is there--I wasn't exact about 99* or 103* but I was sure about 101*. Considering the circumstances, D* gave me a break on my 2 burnt up HR20's, and offered me a full HD system install for $200, with 2 more HR20's, or a free 2 SD DVR system if I didn't have a line of sight for HD. I accepted this, and the first installer came out from Ironwood Communications... Having installed D* a number of times myself, I have a pretty good eye for where the sats are in the sky. I've had 2 professional installations done for myself, and both went flawless...

Appointment 1:
This guy had a bad attitude from the start--took one reading from standing on the back deck and said "no way" I could get 99-119*... he said I needed 103, which was to the right of 119*... I told him I knew it was between 101* and 110*, and that since Dish was pointing to 110/119 already and got perfect signal, 99-103 was the only issue. He told me I didn't know what I was talking about, that Dish is in a totally different place, and that the way they display in the system is the order they are in the sky... If anyone could put a system in, it would be him. Yeah--right. He said he would only put the system in 100+ feet from the house, for $300 in cable, and I'd have to sink the pole myself. I said no way, since this is only a temp place for a year or so--I just want the SD system--and that I've bought 1000 feet of shielded, underground RG-6 for less than $100 bucks...

He says the paperwork was only for an HD system, he didn't have the SD equipment, and that I needed to reschedule, although "I don't know what kind of good that will do you"....

Appointment 2:
This guy shows up late, and was very ticked at the thought that he had to INSTALL the system... his paperwork says "Service Call" on it, and he is sticking with that--it doesn't matter that directv.com says INSTALL... it doesn't matter that DirecTV says INSTALL when I call them... he calls his dispatch, hands me the phone and she basically says "Whoops! Sorry! You'll have to reschedule"... He also has a BAD attitude, but he said that since it was a service call, he would look for line of sight to 101*--he finds it just where I suspected, 5 feet to the right of the Dish 500... he tells me that it is one narrow shot, and the dish needs to be placed within about a 12" area--but it is there--he even let me check with the meter he was using to confirm--yep I was right... but since this is a SERVICE CALL, he won't touch anything... I need to reschedule.... FINE.

Appointment 3:
They send the first guy again... It was painfully obvious that he didn't want to be there. "So is it going in the yard?"... I told him that we were just doing a signle shot to 101* from the roof, and that I had a previous tech come out and tell me where it goes on the roof. This guy goes out, stands on the back deck again, takes one reading, shakes his head, says "No way--not happening"... I told him to look exactly where the other tech was--he does "Nope". I asked him to let me check it myself with his meter "Nope can't do that..."... at this point I just asked to do it myself... Just leave me the dish & receiver & I'll do it myself... he gets lippy "I pay for this equipment--I can't leave it with you!"...

I asked him to just put it up and try--I've done this enough, and the other tech confirmed it will work... "I'm not going to do that--It won't work--if you want it in the yard, sink the pole, pay 300 and you'll have it--if not, I'm leaving"... At this point I'll admit I sort of lost it and told him to get off my property in very colorful words, and that I thought he was coming up with excuses for me to buy cable--at this point he stomped off, and his assistant came in--I was fired up, but he had a much better attitude so it calmed me down... the assistant told me he thinks he sees the shot I'm talking about but "I think he's taking this personal--I've never seen him like this" about the other installer. He says he's off training in 3 days, and I can request him if I can't get the other tech--but that the other guy has made up his mind--he doesn't want to do the install, or even try... I have to rescedule...

So I call up DirecTV, and go directly to their rententions group... they can't believe what happened, and conference me with Ironwood Communications... who conveniently lost the name of the tech who came the middle time who was willing to install--if it hadn't shown up as a service call. They say they will send a "lead installer" for APPOINTMENT 4. This "lead installer" better get it in, because I have Dish Network coming the next day to simply add DVRs to the existing Dish 500 system... I don't want to go that way since I am so used to DirecTV's channel numbers and planned on getting a Tivo-based R10 in a bit for the front room--but this just pushes it.

SO, this leads me to primary questions:

1. Is there any way to get a different installer than Ironwood through DirecTV? I looked around online and it looks like I'm not the only one who has had issues with them. I had an install done with a company called DirecStar (I believe) and it was PERFECT.

2. Is there any truth to this "I buy the receivers--they don't pay me for them back until they are installed" BS from the installers? I always thought an installer could drop equipment off, and as long as I signed for it, I could install it myself or do whatever.

3. Is there any way to just have DirecTV ship me everything? I never had these issues when I installed myself... I don't even need to use too much cable since there are already cable runs from the Dish dish.

Anyways, sorry about the rant--I have honestly never had a reason to be ticked at DirecTV--until now--and it wasn't even D*'s fault--it was their stupid installer... We'll see if number 4 is the charm. If not, E* just picked up a new customer.

--Nat