CableCARD ordering experience.

[David R]

I got tired of Brighthouse's DVR and I finally went ahead and got one of the Series 3 Tivos (I've used Tivo in the past and I've always been extremely happy with it.)

I called to order two CableCARDs and what ensued was a 15 minute argument. It went pretty much like this (I'm not exaggerating or making anything up):

"Oh, do you have a TV that takes CableCards?"
"No I got a Tivo"
"You do realize that the CableCard only lets you change channels, you won't have the on-screen guide."
"That's fine, Tivo has one."
"You won't be able to record channels and pause live TV."
"Tivo will handle that."
"So can our DVR."
"I know, but I'm not satisfied with it so I'm switching to Tivo."
"Our DVR can handle HD channels."
"So can my Tivo."
"You also won't have access to the OnDemand channels."
"I realize that, not a big deal."
"Tivo has monthly fees."
"I had my lifetime service transferred to my Tivo."

After putting me on hold twice, he finally gives up and gets me set up for installation for the CableCards and informs me that there will be a $19.95 charge. How nice.

I then tell him that they might as well take their DVR with them when they come. He says that by doing that, I'll lose the promotion that I have and my bill will go up $40.

What?! How would returning the free-DVR (part of my promotion) increase my cost? We argued about this, he wouldn't budge (after putting me on hold one more time.) Finally I asked what if I just keep it in my closet, will my account still have the promotion? Yes, he says. Fine, I'll store the box for Brighthouse in my closet.

It felt like I was fighting them for the privilege of renting a couple CableCards from them.

 

[Kirby Baker]

You might want to make sure the local office is notified that you are just storing that DVR. I am not sure how BH does it, but on Charter, if a receiver of theirs isnt responding (by being disconnected for X days) they supposedly will try to come out and diagnose it, which I was told would result in a truck roll-fee of like $30. I was going to do the same with my Charter HD box (non DVR) because it has to be on the account to get the promo rate.

 

[David R]

Thanks, I'll tell them that. Or to avoid more arguments, maybe I'll just hook it up to a barely used TV and forget about it.

 

[razorphreak900]

Damn!!!, if that was me i would of just canceled my account all together!!! and tell him to stick the cards up his a&&! *idc*, talking about bad luck man....but really how ignorant can that service reb. be? and yea what an as-shole with charging you alot more just cause you want to use your own cable box...was it that hard for the service reb, to just say ok, i will hook u up with the smart cards and explain a few things about the use of a smart card and thats it...geez...

but really i will be honest. the 8300hd are kinda crappy (but not the worst), even the Motorola from comcast and verizon are way better... (wish they did thru bhn).

i like bhn, never had an issue and always had great service...but i have notice, that the longer u are with them..ur not as "valuable" as when they first try to keep with with them...if i call for anything, they kinda act like " yea what you want" type of attitude...thought i do get some great service/sales rep at times to times, when i call if i need a ? or upgrade to something, etc...but those who seem like an a&&, i just hang up, call again till i get somebody nice...cause i know i would start an argument to lol...

so yea,good luck man, is it all i can say..i would really call and complain about that s5hit, its not a big deal..but i get very bothered by small things like that....,you are the customer so you (within reason) ask for WHATEVER you want,and believe me, promotion or not u are able to change things in the package, without having to pay for the change or w/e,so yea, they don't seem to look at you as a "valuable" customer, or at least from that dumba&&....!protest:exclamati

 

[stevenl]

Damn!!!, if that was me i would of just canceled my account all together!!! and tell him to stick the cards up his a&&! *idc*, talking about bad luck man....but really how ignorant can that service reb. be? and yea what an as-shole with charging you alot more just cause you want to use your own cable box...was it that hard for the service reb, to just say ok, i will hook u up with the smart cards and explain a few things about the use of a smart card and thats it...geez...

but really i will be honest. the 8300hd are kinda crappy (but not the worst), even the Motorola from comcast and verizon are way better... (wish they did thru bhn).

i like bhn, never had an issue and always had great service...but i have notice, that the longer u are with them..ur not as "valuable" as when they first try to keep with with them...if i call for anything, they kinda act like " yea what you want" type of attitude...thought i do get some great service/sales rep at times to times, when i call if i need a ? or upgrade to something, etc...but those who seem like an a&&, i just hang up, call again till i get somebody nice...cause i know i would start an argument to lol...

so yea,good luck man, is it all i can say..i would really call and complain about that s5hit, its not a big deal..but i get very bothered by small things like that....,you are the customer so you (within reason) ask for WHATEVER you want,and believe me, promotion or not u are able to change things in the package, without having to pay for the change or w/e,so yea, they don't seem to look at you as a "valuable" customer, or at least from that dumba&&....!protest:exclamati

I think thats advice for anyone to following calling any company.. Becaue you never know when your gonna get that disgruntled employee who doesnt care anymore, or that guy whos leaveing next week and doesnt car, or that guy who has other motovations.. If a call doesnt start going my way when I first iniate it I asked to be transferd or I hang up try again. It sucks but in a call center of 300+ people a few of them are bound to be idiots and or a-holes....

I am sorry for your problems getting those cable cards, it really isnt BHN policy to be a dick , and he wasnt being one saying theyd raise your rate, Its becasue the computer/billing system is designed as such when your on a apckage if the services arent activated it want let you be on that package. So if you turned in the boxs the package would disapear as the services werent active.. The rep however could of been nice and offered to "credit" your account the differnce each month till the end of your term or something of that nature, but he probley didnt know how to do that or what was involved.. Could of been a new hire just doing what the computer screen tells him he can/cant do, that or he is just somoene that does minimal work, just enough to get by and doesnt choose togo above and beyond for the customers.. Takes a speical person to be a good CS rep.. Not everyone can be so caring and nice to people, when 10mins before hand they got screamed at and yelled at and treated like a dog, to no fault of their own...

 

[razorphreak900]

agreed ^^^:, well im out, im :! lol

 

[casper04]

Yea...perty much what steven said lol... it's true we dont love them either, they screw up all the time... That's just the way it is I guess. The reason he asked u all the questions is probably because he has a list of questions they have to ask the customers before they put in the order for cable cards.... Alot of them probably don't even know that they can go in to Tivos

Also David R's comment.... no that won't happen, the only thing that could happen is if it sits in ur closet for like 2-3 weeks and u hook it up (maybe to another tv) It might not boot. It's going to say "Your Digital service has been disconnected, Please call the your provider at xxx-xxx-xxxx"
So then you would need to call cust services and have them refresh the box

 

[ddeloach1228]

My experience was different with a cable card request. The lady was very nice, informed me of the changes in services, etc., and scheduled the install. The guy arrived, asked me to install the card, which I did. Apparently, a concern regarding the "pins" being damaged and liability. Anyway, it was easy to do and everything works fine. I like it. The serviceman took the old box and left. Credit and changes appeared on my account (online) a few business days later. Incidentally, my TV has the TV Guide Program built in. I set it up for BHN Orlando and after two days, the full guide was there. A little bit more cumbersome than the regular BHN guide, but useful.

 

[VinceT3]

I went through tourture with the whole cable card stuff.. they tried all the same things to get me to use their boxes.. Wait till you have an issue with your line.. They'll send someone out 12 times to replace the cable card rather than seeing what you line looks like.. I got fed up with them and left cable for sat..

 

[digiblur]

I got one better than you guys. I only have basic cable since I refuse to pay that much for all the analog junk or rent their digital box. I wanted to get the HD channels they had so I called them up about the cable card. The guy was going to rent me a cable card to get the locals in HD. I told him he was out of his mind as I already had those scanned in. He argued with me that there was no way I was watching NBC, ABC, etc in HD over the cable line. He told me I must live close to the towers and pick up the signals without and antenna. I was laughing at him so hard I couldn't continue the phone call.

 

[David R]

For future reference, I emailed BHN about keeping the box in the closet and they told me not to worry about it. There won't be any charges or service calls. Now I have it in writing.

 

[casper04]

well.... cable cards are very picky and I usually don't recommend them to ppl, Not the most reliable service BHN offers. There's also alot of problems with the cable card not mating with the TV.... I guess there's not much communication with the cable card manufacturers and the tv manufacturers

 

[stevenl]

well.... cable cards are very picky and I usually don't recommend them to ppl, Not the most reliable service BHN offers. There's also alot of problems with the cable card not mating with the TV.... I guess there's not much communication with the cable card manufacturers and the tv manufacturers

:up

I dont recomend them often. Not ebcause the box is more expensive. (i could care less what you pay) But because you lose ALOT of services, that personnaly I find the only reason to have TV On-Demand!!! I recomend the CC for customers who have tvs mounted on the wall and such because you dont have to try to hide the box, but other then that they are worthless... and are very iffy in how they work.

 

[VinceT3]

Also a little note, do not move the card to anything other than the tv/tivo it's hooked up to otherwise it will stop working.. I learned that the fun way.. got a new tv, plugged it in to see how the new one looked/worked and they had to come out to fix it.. and install a card in the other tv.. *sigh*

 

[David R]

Installation was today. Everything went great except for the fact that BHN kept insisting on taking me off my promotion. The tech had to give me his phone so that customer service could tell me that activating the cablecards would take me out of my promotion.

I fought them on this. I said that it made no sense that adding a service to my account would take me out of my promotion and that if I was to add Digital Phone, I'm sure it would not take me out of the promotion.

They said that the CableCards take the place of the DVR and that the promotion is tied to my DVR. So I said "I'm not getting rid of the DVR, I already went through this when I called to order the cablecards." At that point they let me keep my promotion.

I don't know why they keep insisting on taking me off my promotion, but they sure tried yet one more time.

But it's all take care of. My Tivo is working beautifully and my DVR is sitting in a closet saving me money.

By the way, the guy they sent to install the cards was fantastic. Very friendly and very knowledgeable.

 

[jcarrera]

Don't be so quick to say it's taken care of until you see your next bill. The computer may decide to remove the promotion on its own.

 

[ddeloach1228]

Well, you guys from BHN are right. Cable cards are quirky little things. I finally thru in the towel and went back to a box today. Just not very reliable. My previous advocacy is withdrawn.

 

[jcarrera]

I don't think the industry wants them to work well. They were forced to offer them by the ? FCC.

 

[stevenl]

they were forced to offer them,

 

[jcarrera]

they were forced to offer them,

I don't think the industry wants them to work well. They were forced to offer them by the ? FCC.

That's what I was sayting. They don't want customers to have them, so they charge high prices, and make no effort to deliver a quality product. They are perfectly happy that cable cards are problematic.