$399 Installed for VOOM? (Yes, it is confirmed...)

[jabroni]

I am reading on other forums (AVS) that Voom is now being offered for $399 bucks, installled and with one month free programming.

Can anyone here confirm this or should I just call Voom?

 

[Sean Mota]

Just called VOOM and I got no verification of such offer.

 

[Sean Mota]

Ok, here is the deal. I got the following from AVS

Posted by: podtaker
Just received Voom mailer offering its hd services for $399.
This is what you get:
1. 30 days of all monthly voom programming free
2. Free install
3. 2 yr in-home service plan
4. 30 day money back guarantee
Is there a sweeter deal for voom out there. The price that I have seen advertised is $750. I am ready to pull the trigger. Any reason not to?

There is a certificate number attach to this mailer. The only way I could find out about the deal was that I told them that my neighbor got the offer and told me about it. You have to tell them items 1-4 and the $399 offer that you heard from your neighbor. This only applies to new subscribers. The csr told me I could use the offer even though I did not have the certificate number. Great!

 

[JaydeeD]

So basically, I wasted 351 dollars, I have had Voom a month, its still not working right, and now they will sell it to NON early adopters for half what I paid....what a %#^%@^ DEAL!!!

So much for standing by the customers who got you going in the first place

 

[jabroni]

Wow, Now I am glad I waited. This really makes for a good deal!

 

[Sean Mota]

JaydeeD,

all early adopters are in the same boat including me. I feel the same way. I do not feel sorry for myself since my boxes have not been problematic and I got a lot out of them. Yet I hate this from our point of view (not the new subscribers). I feel real bad for those of you that are still having problems and paid $800 for the initiation fee. I really hope that VOOM comes up with some kind of compensation for us early adopters. We are feeling cheated. Although to be honest, we all knew that somehow the price will have to come down. I just did not think it was going to be this quickly. I also expect a leasing program put in place very soon.

This also tells you that VOOM business model did not work at $800. They needed to adjust and this is a good adjustment. It could also signify that the new addition of channels will be happening soon.

 

[joe_s2k]

I'm on the phone right now and the CSR hasn't heard about this deal. She went to talk to her manager....

...<waiting>....


That's what I get for signing up last night.

 

[joe_s2k]

The CSR, named Barbara P., told me that ONLY the people who receive the mailer are eligible. I responded that I just signed up last night and would like to partake in this special offer. She then answers that she can't offer me that deal. I then ask to have my service/installation cancelled since I don't feel that this is fair to me. She graciously pulls up the computer screens to cancel my request.

Talk about trying to build up their customer base.

Oh well. It was fun for a day knowing that I could have had an HD Satellite.

End of story...

 

[Sean Mota]

I will suggest you to try in a week...

 

[TheForce]

Seems that they heard so many of us at the VOOM booth state their $750 deal was ridiculous. Standing by I heard many say that at CES. I had suggested their value was at $199 for the receiver and a $100/month every-channel offered except for PPV's package deal. Others I heard at the counter were saying $299 for the receiver install would be fair. My price of $199 was based on receiver purchase for those wishing to switch from E* who already had the 61.5 dish installed. I liked that these reps at VOOM were very attentative to ideas like I presented. I got the feeling that they wanted feedback from the people so they could adjust their plan over the next few months.


Sorry to all of you who jumped on board but you all should know that is the price of the early adopter. I, too, suffered several hundred dollars for early purchase of some HDTV recording equipment that didn't work right only to see special deals offered a month later. It goes with the territory!

If Voom offers me a $299 deal and the $100 per month all channels I would go for it today.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I think I would too Don.

Wilt has my mailing address.

 

[Sean Mota]

C'mmon guys,

$399 is a good deal. Just think of it like this... $199 for receiver + $100 for installation and antenna and 2 years guaranteed + $100 for the All channels free programming for a month... and your be

 

[AndyMon]

Aren't the early adopters going to get a free DVR upgrade? I believe that Wilt intimated that some perks were in order for you guys. That may ease the pain somewhat, no?

 

[Dan Berndt]

I just talked to the VOOM CSR. She confirmed the $399 price for new subscribers but would not give it to me on my previous installation. I asked her about the DVR upgrade and she told me VOOM did not know yet whether it was going to be a straight across trade in or a paid upgrade for the VOOM box.

She said that we might be able to cancel our service and get the lower price after February. So what are we going to do?

 

[Sean Mota]

Two different reports from AVS:

DougTalley
Senior Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Golden. CO, USA
Posts: 307
I called Voom and they would not take the order without a certificate number. Anybody have a certificate number they would care to post?

Marissadad
Got Widescreen?

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Woodburn, OR
Posts: 1777
I just called VOOM and this $399 deal is only good in 10 states and Oregon is not one of them. The rep went ahead and took my name and created an account for me and he said that they have specials going out all the time and I would be included in the next wave of offers.

Explain this to me. Why was there no press release about this or something in their website to say everything there is to know about the promotion? Why do we have to find all the pieces of the puzzle without an official statement?

 

[Sean Mota]

Here's another one from Yahoo group. Mark was about his current situation as an early adopter and how VOOM was going to handle this new promotion.

From: Wilt Hildenbrand <wilth@o...>
Date: Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:41 pm
Subject: RE: [VOOM] Re: $399

Not with me, it's not the stuff I typically get into.
On the other hand, I think that to date they've been pretty fair, so I wouldn't get too worked up without data.
On yet another hand, name a service, company, business, etc., that doesn't run specials, change things, etc. and those aren't always available to earlier users, customers, adopters, etc.
Hell, I bought a portable DVD player a couple of years ago for $1000, wasn't long afterwards that they were much less, and now it's hard to crack $300. ;-(
Not meant to imply there are or aren't any potentials here, just saying that, first and foremost, I don't know a lot about this area.
Wilt
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Wheeler [mailto:mwheeler@cfl.rr.com]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 3:34 PM
To: VOOM@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [VOOM] Re: $399



Wilt

Can you give us an idea of how VOOM is going to handle this? I am sure it
has been discussed.

Thanks

Mark

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Another from the Voom Group, it is Wilt's Reply.

(Hey Wilt your a member here stop in and say HI!)

Not with me, it's not the stuff I typically get into.
On the other hand, I think that to date they've been pretty fair, so I wouldn't get too worked up without data.
On yet another hand, name a service, company, business, etc., that doesn't run specials, change things, etc. and those aren't always available to earlier users, customers, adopters, etc.
Hell, I bought a portable DVD player a couple of years ago for $1000, wasn't long afterwards that they were much less, and now it's hard to crack $300. ;-(
Not meant to imply there are or aren't any potentials here, just saying that, first and foremost, I don't know a lot about this area.
Wilt

 

[Geno]

I've got a good mind to cancel right now, get my money back, and get in under the new deal. It could easily be done. Get a certificate, order under my spouses name, and I'd get a later and more bug free box! Boy, am I tempted. Unless maybe someone from VOOM would tell me that since I paid the $750, I'd get a free DVR upgrade.

YOU BETTER START TALKING TO US VOOM !!!

 

[Sean Mota]

guys, this is my own opinion but I feel that there is something wrong here that does not make sense. Why the urgency of dropping the initiation fee and pissing your current base of subscribers if you are not going to reimburse the money or give additional incentive to early adopters? Is there more than meets the eye here? Don't you think that VOOM knows this is also a risky proposition. I like to believe that they just shot themselves on the foot and made a mistake but VOOM is too smart to do that. Why not wait until 3/1/04 when the free period is over?

Two scenario

1. either they know what's going on and there is a plan and hopefully we will know soon.

or

2. there is a power struggle within the organization. Some are happy and some are not (could this be tie in to Cablevision laying off workers as was reported).

This is weird and I for sure do not like it when a move like this is not made with advanced notice to the public of what's going to happen. I hope that I am wrong because I really like VOOM and would love them to succeed in the HD arena.


Disclaimer: this is my subjective opinion and in no way I know anything beyond what I read from different forums or talk to people not related in anyway to VOOM or Cablevision.

 

[Michael Crawford MWC]

While I fully understand the dangers inherent in early adoption, that doesn't apply here. The people buying today are STILL early adopters. This isn't as if I've been subscribed to D* for a year, and they run a new promotion for new customers only to add customer base. The early adopters are only a couple months old, and we're still on a free plan, with a money back guarantee. That means piss me off now, and I send this stuff back.

BTW, I'm sure they'd also make the argument that I've gotten two months of 'free' programming, ignoring the fact that if you count that, it's no longer 'free'. In essence, they'd be saying that I paid $750 for mine but I got $200 worth of programming that the folks paying $400 didn't. So those two months aren't free, I paid for them in my $750! Uh, no, I don't think so.

That being said, I suspect Voom will try to do something about this, and fairly soon. I like Voom, but with the sudden announcements and strides being made by D*, E* and cable, I'm less inclined to stick with my $750 investment. Sure, the new whole house equipment looks great, but if I drop out now there's no reason I won't get that equipment for practically the same overall cost later. Voom has to entice me to stay, and they aren't doing it. It's mid-January, and since I signed up at Thanksgiving they've added what, two hd channels and one sd? No HBO yet, no Cinemax, no ESPN-HD...

Voom seems to have tried to do their best with customer service so far - I'd hope they realize what a fiasco this could be for them considering the timing if they don't a) get the software upgrade and new channels promised running in the next two weeks and b) counter this offer with something for the early early adopters.

Michael
MWC