Frustrated and Angry at DTV. Need some advice

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gpetrowich

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Dec 23, 2007
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So I signed up for DirecTV and the first installer came out on Friday. Scouted my very wooded lot (with his little sextant device) and came up with one place where he advised if I cut down one tree, he'd be able to make it work. Rescheduled for Monday. I cut the tree down and a different installer came out on Monday with a very fancy "$800 scope" and said there is no way it would work from that spot. He did not see any place on the lot it would work, and he was dismayed that the first installer advised me to cut a tree down.

My order has now been canceled.

Needless to say I am PO'd.

Any advice on recourse?
 
As your lot is apparently unsuitable, I'd try something other than satellite. Line of sight is everything.
 
gpetrowich said:
So I signed up for DirecTV and the first installer came out on Friday. Scouted my very wooded lot (with his little sextant device) and came up with one place where he advised if I cut down one tree, he'd be able to make it work. Rescheduled for Monday. I cut the tree down and a different installer came out on Monday with a very fancy "$800 scope" and said there is no way it would work from that spot. He did not see any place on the lot it would work, and he was dismayed that the first installer advised me to cut a tree down.

My order has now been canceled.

Needless to say I am PO'd.

Any advice on recourse?
Click to expand...

As Harshness said, you may have no other recourse than to try ATT, cable, or Verizon. I have no idea where you are so I don't know what's available. You may wish to contact a local installation company and get their opinion. The Directv contractors aren't paid much compared to a private installation company who will likely try harder. They will at least let you know if you have any options for satellite, like installing a small tower to see over the trees. Where are you located anyway? Oh, and don't blame Directv, it was probably a local company that may have given you bad information.
 
Location is Southern Illinois 62903. The lot is heavily wooded, so it does not surprise me.

My frustration is more that one installer says it will work and has me cut down a tree. Second one says no way. This doesn't do much for customer service. How does one find the "best installer" in the area who gets it right the first time and or can go through all the options. Neither of these two was at all interested in going on the roof. Too tall, too risky. Is there a database of premium installers?

FYI I already have Mediacom cable. Very few HD channels. I am seeking MLB Network and more of my beloved Cubs. I subscribe to MLB TV on the internet, but they black out the Cubs because I am in their blackout zone 350 miles from Chicago. Mediacom does not offer Comcast Sports so I can't see the games I am supposed to be seeing outside of the blackout.
 
gpetrowich said:
Location is Southern Illinois 62903. The lot is heavily wooded, so it does not surprise me.

My frustration is more that one installer says it will work and has me cut down a tree. Second one says no way. This doesn't do much for customer service. How does one find the "best installer" in the area who gets it right the first time and or can go through all the options. Neither of these two was at all interested in going on the roof. Too tall, too risky. Is there a database of premium installers?

FYI I already have Mediacom cable. Very few HD channels. I am seeking MLB Network and more of my beloved Cubs. I subscribe to MLB TV on the internet, but they black out the Cubs because I am in their blackout zone 350 miles from Chicago. Mediacom does not offer Comcast Sports so I can't see the games I am supposed to be seeing outside of the blackout.
Click to expand...


When I signed on with DirecTV in June of last year, before committing to them, I went to www.dishpointer.com and got all the info I needed as to where the DirecTV birds are in the sky. Once I had the info below, I took my $10 compass out into my back yard and found perfect line of sight in one spot. When the installer came two weeks later, I took him to that spot and told him to set the DISH up. Perfect reception from day one.

Your LocationSatellite DataDish Setup DataLatitude: 34.0586°
Longitude: -84.3857°
Name: DirecTV SL3 (99W, 101W, 103W)​
Distance: 37306km
Motor Latitude: 34.1°
Declination Angle: 5.5°
Dish Elevation: °
Elevation: 46.6°
Azimuth (true): 208.0°
Azimuth (magn.): 212.6°
LNB Skew [?]: 22.9°
arrow-l.png
arrow-r.png


Dish Skew [?]: 67.1°
 
gpetrowich said:
Neither of these two was at all interested in going on the roof. Too tall, too risky.
Click to expand...

There's the problem.....

What kind of roof is it ?

How many stories is your house ?

Have you ever been up on the roof ?

Someone must have been able to be on the roof to put the shingles on or whatever roofing material you have.
 
yorktown said:
Someone must have been able to be on the roof to put the shingles on or whatever roofing material you have.
Click to expand...
Liability insurance dictates some surprisingly strict limitations. In many cases, two installers are required for tall buildings (one to help handle the ladder). The installers may be embarrassed to explain the real reasons they can't complete the installation.

As raoul5788 points out, the OP will probably have to contact a local contractor (the yellow pages is a great place to start) and get a more diligent site inspection.

Delta Electronics in Cypress seems to be one of the closer installers.
 
I never say never contact local retailer . Ask how long they have been in bussnes and check up on bbb . If they say it can be done but require custom or a ka/ku tripod on the roof make sure to pay them after you see signals above 80 on 99 and 103 b4 you pay any moneys. Many good custom installers will include 1 free service call (parts extra). Inform them of your trees but leave out the dtv tech problems .

I have done may jobs when dish and dtv sead hell no. Last one customer setteld on uvers because dtv sent 2 techs 1 "superviser" all had los issues . After fixing the av system I showed him I culd do it with a $200 tripod. And he switched now he has hd tv on all 11 tv's vs the 2 with uvers
 
Thanks all. The roof is steep (greater than 45 deg and two stories). An antenna guy put up an antenna with a climbing rope and tied off, so it can be done. Not sure about the weight and wind load of a big dish up on the peak of the roof?

Guess I'll try a local installer from the phone book and get another opinion (presuming they don't make me go through the whole sign up thing first only to fail again). Can the local guys give all the same free equipment deals or do they charge for the equipment/setup?
 
Have you considered a pole mount? That might be the best way to go.
 
gpetrowich said:
Thanks all. The roof is steep (greater than 45 deg and two stories). An antenna guy put up an antenna with a climbing rope and tied off, so it can be done. Not sure about the weight and wind load of a big dish up on the peak of the roof?

Guess I'll try a local installer from the phone book and get another opinion (presuming they don't make me go through the whole sign up thing first only to fail again). Can the local guys give all the same free equipment deals or do they charge for the equipment/setup?
Click to expand...

They can give you all the same goods $100 visa card with autopay free hddvr upgrade. but if it requires somthing special like a custom tripod . just make sure to ask those key questions in previous post.

If you ant guy culd get to the roof mabe he has expanded to do satellite also.

As far as giving out all your info once more you might have to but make sure to cansel the order with direct first b4 you continue. You will need to give your CC# but you dont have to give your SS# if your credit file is at the same addres that your living at.

wish you lived in CA.
 
yorktown said:
You must have missed the part where the OP said they live in a heavy wooded area and 2 different installers came out and said they can't do the install.
Click to expand...

I didn't miss it at all. Since a pole mount hadn't been mentioned, I wanted to be sure the op was aware of all of his options. Not all installers are thorough enough to consider it. I hope that make sense to you.
 
The tree thing is always a problem that Directv works hard to stay away from. So customers and sometimes clueless techs get to do their best. I have heard at tech meetings to make sure to leave three years tree growth in addition to a widening and shrinking required window in the line of sight.
I have been the second tech to arrive at tree dark, forest floor cabins, only to be told I was just as bad as the last guy! Very early on....as Primestar was leaving the scene, I remember big signs that reminded techs never to recommend that customers cut or prune trees.

It is just a frustration!

Joe
 
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