I got DishNetwork many years ago. I did a self install. At that time I'm not even sure they HAD installers all over the place. they sent me a box. I installed the dish, ran the cables, activated, everything.
So I call Dish after a few YEARS of service and I'm looking for a second receiver. Or a receiver upgrade or something. Let's just say, I wanted to change something. I called Dish direct, not a local retailer.
OK so the local installer shows up to do my upgrade. Intertech is the local place that Dish apparently calls to set up installs and whatever. They've always been ok... not great... just ok. The job gets done. Some of their guys borrow my tools, my ladder, and generally speaking, while they've all been very nice, I really didn't want them man-handling my AV equipment. And when tehy installed the second dish they ran the cables right over the edge of the roof and over the gutter and then under the eaves and down the side of my house to the "main" dish below. This is what I call a crappy install, but it worked.
Now I find a guy that installs OTA antennas, and is a dealer for Dish and DirecTV. I really like him. He does really nice work. And even if I had to PAY him, I'd rather have him do my upgrades and installs than anyone else. He tells me he can't because Intertech has to do them because I'm like "their" customer or something like that. Like once you have a dish subcontractor do something you have to use them forever.
All I can say is, "WTF?"
Is that how it works? If that's the case, then when my current commitment is up, I'm going to cancel, and have my wife call this guy and add "apartment 1" to our address (even though it's a single family home) so I can use who I want. This is bull**** as far as I'm concerned.
It would be different if I got STARTED with Dish by walking into Intertech and asking them about it. Or if they even did the initial install. But they didn't.
*I* did.
So I call Dish after a few YEARS of service and I'm looking for a second receiver. Or a receiver upgrade or something. Let's just say, I wanted to change something. I called Dish direct, not a local retailer.
OK so the local installer shows up to do my upgrade. Intertech is the local place that Dish apparently calls to set up installs and whatever. They've always been ok... not great... just ok. The job gets done. Some of their guys borrow my tools, my ladder, and generally speaking, while they've all been very nice, I really didn't want them man-handling my AV equipment. And when tehy installed the second dish they ran the cables right over the edge of the roof and over the gutter and then under the eaves and down the side of my house to the "main" dish below. This is what I call a crappy install, but it worked.
Now I find a guy that installs OTA antennas, and is a dealer for Dish and DirecTV. I really like him. He does really nice work. And even if I had to PAY him, I'd rather have him do my upgrades and installs than anyone else. He tells me he can't because Intertech has to do them because I'm like "their" customer or something like that. Like once you have a dish subcontractor do something you have to use them forever.
All I can say is, "WTF?"
Is that how it works? If that's the case, then when my current commitment is up, I'm going to cancel, and have my wife call this guy and add "apartment 1" to our address (even though it's a single family home) so I can use who I want. This is bull**** as far as I'm concerned.
It would be different if I got STARTED with Dish by walking into Intertech and asking them about it. Or if they even did the initial install. But they didn't.
*I* did.