Blue Sky Satellite Installers for Dish Network - Watch out!!

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zim1951

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
May 24, 2004
15
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Heads up on Blue Sky Dish Network installers. Despite explicit instructions on how to hide the cable, these guys ruined $400.00 worth of vinyl siding by screwing the cable clamps right into the side of my house. This is after I literally showed the installer where I wanted it hidden and to use Vinyl Siding Cable Clips anywhere that the cable had to be exposed. The installer acknowledged the instructions and then proceeded to do the exact thing I told him NOT to do. He used screw in cable clamps that are meant for rafters and other hidden areas of a house during install.

Moral of the story...always directly supervise these installers when they are working on YOUR house. They have no respect and apparently no attention to detail.

I used to install for a Dish Network dealer and I NEVER would have done such a shoddy job to anybody's home. Even if it was a "van down by the river".

FWIW: They refused to replace the vinyl siding they ruined. Had to do it myself. Still dealing with Dish Network to address this damage and I'm not getting anywhere with them.
 
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scubasteve said:
are any Vinyl Siding Cable Clips on the DN approved parts list ?
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I don't believe they are. And to the OP the tech running the cable on the outside of the house is standard. "Free Installation" doesn't include any "hiding" of the cable behind siding. If the tech would have done it, and damaged the siding trying the company would have covered the damage, and then charged the tech for the cost because he didn't follow standard installation techniques. You will probably not have any luck getting your compensation for the replaced siding.
 
scubasteve said:
are any Vinyl Siding Cable Clips on the DN approved parts list ?
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The list I looked at (1/21/11) didn't have any sort of cable clips/stays on it.

The DIRECTV approved list doesn't feature any screwless clips for other than horizontal steel siding. A couple of places list them for use with vinyl siding but they're not designed for that purpose.
 
zim1951 said:
Heads up on Blue Sky Dish Network installers. Despite explicit instructions on how to hide the cable, these guys ruined $400.00 worth of vinyl siding by screwing the cable clamps right into the side of my house. This is after I literally showed the installer where I wanted it hidden and to use Vinyl Siding Cable Clips anywhere that the cable had to be exposed. The installer acknowledged the instructions and then proceeded to do the exact thing I told him NOT to do. He used screw in cable clamps that are meant for rafters and other hidden areas of a house during install.

Moral of the story...always directly supervise these installers when they are working on YOUR house. They have no respect and apparently no attention to detail.

I used to install for a Dish Network dealer and I NEVER would have done such a shoddy job to anybody's home. Even if it was a "van down by the river".

FWIW: They refused to replace the vinyl siding they ruined. Had to do it myself. Still dealing with Dish Network to address this damage and I'm not getting anywhere with them.
Click to expand...

If you'd like, feel free to PM your phone/account number and I can see what's going on, and if anything can be done.
 
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

;) Is the system itself working well and are you satisfied with the equipment?

I NEVER have allowed an installer to run coax in my homes, even the first one. Each installer has arrived to find cable run from the roof where I wanted the dish installed, to multiple drops. Plug and play. Most installers like me. The one who did a poor aiming job did not. And I've never installed for a satco. And I climb on the roof with them. I supervise 100%. And I tip. I even tipped the guy with the poor job (but not when he returned to redo the job). I would have thought you would have run your own cable, with your experience. Perhaps you were unable, or felt you were paying for the service and install and that was sufficient? That's a lot of faith.
 
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The way to get just compensation is to find the right person at Dish and deal with them.

I had an issue last winter with something that would have cost me a good chunk of change and the Dish people were very easy to deal with, but it does take time and you MUST deal with the person at Dish that has authority to remedy your situation.

Once the right person at Dish has the facts, be patient, otherwise you are spinning your wheels.

Industrial bureaucracies are almost as difficult to deal with as government bureaucracies.
 
I honestly do not know of very many installers who carry the siding clips, and the installations where I have seen them used, they tend to not hold the cable properly and the cable starts to sag several months later.

Usually I will just tack the cable to the piece of wood under the bottom of the siding, and the only part you see is where the cable goes up a foot or so when I drill into the room.

You should be able to escallate it with the executive resolutions team and file a damage claim.

If you filed it directly with the installer or RSP, I can see why your not getting anywhere getting it resolved.
 
zim1951 said:
Heads up on Blue Sky Dish Network installers. Despite explicit instructions on how to hide the cable, these guys ruined $400.00 worth of vinyl siding by screwing the cable clamps right into the side of my house. This is after I literally showed the installer where I wanted it hidden and to use Vinyl Siding Cable Clips anywhere that the cable had to be exposed. The installer acknowledged the instructions and then proceeded to do the exact thing I told him NOT to do. He used screw in cable clamps that are meant for rafters and other hidden areas of a house during install.

Moral of the story...always directly supervise these installers when they are working on YOUR house. They have no respect and apparently no attention to detail.

I used to install for a Dish Network dealer and I NEVER would have done such a shoddy job to anybody's home. Even if it was a "van down by the river".

FWIW: They refused to replace the vinyl siding they ruined. Had to do it myself. Still dealing with Dish Network to address this damage and I'm not getting anywhere with them.
Click to expand...

Fun Fact: You installed for a dealer.

Did you have vinyl clips? I have worked BSS and DNS for almost 4 years and only once seen vinyl siding cable clips...on a self-installed 300 dish. Why didn't you just run the cabling yourself? I'm sure he would have been happy to let you do the work, or have it already done when the he got there.

Just saying...
 
I always hid the wire in the edges of the siding. Heck that is quicker and easier and looks better than using the screw on clips in my opinion and does no damage to the siding. If not that then I would bury it. The only time I used the clips was on wood or if the customer specified to use it on wood. I had one once wanted me to put it on the brick home so I had to use concrete bits and plastic holders to hold the screws in. Always respect the customer's wishes and ask first is a rule of thumb. I always ask if it is ok for me to drill here or there and ask for approval of location of satellite dish and give them options of where it can be placed.
 
scoobyxj said:
I don't believe they are. And to the OP the tech running the cable on the outside of the house is standard. "Free Installation" doesn't include any "hiding" of the cable behind siding. If the tech would have done it, and damaged the siding trying the company would have covered the damage, and then charged the tech for the cost because he didn't follow standard installation techniques. You will probably not have any luck getting your compensation for the replaced siding.
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Hi, even if the install was not standard after the home owner stated how they wanted the job done it should have been up to the installer to talk it over with the home owner and try to come up with something the home owner would be happy with before drilling holes and messing up the house. If they could not come to an agreement on how to do the install the installer should have canceled. I think the OP has a case! Later, DC
 
All this installer had to do was tell me he didn't know what I was explaining or tell me he didn't have those kind of clips. I would have just let him run the cable and I would have hid it myself. Instead he said "OK" after I explained in detail how I wanted it done. Lessoned learned for me and just wanted to give a heads up to others. I had to run to work and didn't supervise every aspect of the install. The equipment works fine. I could have installed the entire additional receiver, but DN said the install was "free". Well, now it's not so free. Dish Network's complaint resolution guy has refused to compensate, even though on the Blue Sky resolution form I had them write in that I would send DN the bill for repairing the damage. Blue Sky refused to replace the siding.

There are professional installers out there folks, and then there are not-so-professional companies that hire people who either don't give a $#^& or are just uneducated/inexperienced.

You'd think DN would do some vetting on their sub-contractos.
 
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The installer should have explained that what was being asked could not be done and worked with you to come up with an alternative plan. That being said, with your experience (and you should have known that your wishes are not included in the "free" install) why didn't you do the cable run yourself? In the long run it would have been less work.
 
The OP didn't ask for anything extra, he wanted to him to not do something (screw into the siding), which he did anyway.
The vinyl clips are another issue. The installer should have simply informed him he didn't have them, and then the OP could have taken care of it himself later.
 
If I had vinyl siding on my home then I would not want clips screwed into it either. The installer was probably trained to do it in this manner.
 
If the installer was told to NOT screw into the siding and did it anyway, then the installer IS at fault. The installation company should bear the cost of repairs. They are required to carry insurance for these types of circumstances.
 
Dish Networks response

DN has offered me Free HD for life. A savings in $$ for sure. The issue of replacing the siding is complicated by the Vinyl Siding Manufacturer's color pallete is different now and there is no exact match for my siding. I have rerouted the wire and filled the screw holes with gray latex caulk.

My orginal warning still applies. Supervise the installation every step of the way, or install it yourself. YRMV.
 
Installers are required to carry million dollar insurance policy. I'd continue to go after them since you explicitly told him not to do it. I'd make them pay for all the siding on the house since they gave you the runaround if they cannot find a match for the siding that is on it, plus labor, estimate from a reputable contractor such as Sears. Maybe a lawyer is needed? Maybe they need to be told that you will have to contact your lawyer and that you will add that to the bill.
 
zim1951 said:
DN has offered me Free HD for life. A savings in $$ for sure. The issue of replacing the siding is complicated by the Vinyl Siding Manufacturer's color pallete is different now and there is no exact match for my siding. I have rerouted the wire and filled the screw holes with gray latex caulk.

My orginal warning still applies. Supervise the installation every step of the way, or install it yourself. YRMV.
Click to expand...

Every ad that I have seen, offers free HD for life. Doesn't sound like they really offered you anything.
 

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