Frustration

[Will94]

I setup my dish for Bell (ExpressVu) back in late June. There was a limb in the way which took forever to get cut down. Apparently the tree removal business is booming because of our drought and no one wants to do something as small as remove a limb. I finally got it cut down.

I spoke with my broker on Tuesday, July 28. I need a new smart card for my receiver. Here's the kicker. Bell is charging me as a customer beginning that date (7/28), but until I receive my new card, I can't watch any programming. I get a total of two channels.

My broker had told me that she would email me as soon as she received the card and give me a tracking number, so I would know when it would reach me. I haven't heard from her, so I emailed her yesterday morning... more than 24 hours ago. I haven't had a reply to that email, so I am a third of the way into my first month's billing and can't watch anything. The one good thing is that she subscribed me to their minimal package and is going to upgrade me once I have installed the new card.


As an American trying to watch Canadian satellite, I don't have any right to b1tch, but it's still frustrating.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

New cards were shipped out, starting in the middle of 2008 to existing customers and all new receivers from June 2008 had the newer cards already installed, so unless your broker shipped you, or you had your own old equipment you should not be having to wait.

Generally takes 5 to 7 working days to get the cards in canada.

 

[Will94]

I canceled my service in April 2008. I have re-activated the same receiver but can't use it until I get the new card.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

You canceled just before the new cards were shipped.

 

[Will94]

Well, I heard from my broker that my card is on its way. No tracking info though. Two weeks to the day into my billing.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

I guess that is the risk of going through a Broker. Just FYI, you are not missing much.....lol

 

[bayguy]

I need a new smart card for my receiver. Here's the kicker. Bell is charging me as a customer beginning that date (7/28), but until I receive my new card, I can't watch any programming. I get a total of two channels.

As an American trying to watch Canadian satellite, I don't have any right to b1tch, but it's still frustrating.

Yeah sometimes we get the short end of the stick but its better than hot having CDN TV IMO. We didn't have half of the BEV xpdrs for a couple of years becuz of satellite problems. Then when they did the card swap they sent one to the wrong city then I don't know what happened next but it took three tries to get one to our broker so we didn't have any channels for a couple of weeks. But youll be happy when you get everything set up! :up

 

[Will94]

Almost! I got my new smartcard today. I put it in the receiver and got a toll free number to call. I'm not going to call them from the US, but the instruction letter that came with the card said that I could activate it at their website. I went there, but didn't have an account. In order to activate without an account, they wanted the last four digits of my phone number (along with the last four on the new card). I've emailed my broker.


Anything good the CBC tomorrow night?!?

 

[TimeHorse]

Quit your whining, eh? I've been paying for Star Choice since 2006 and on average am only able to receive it 1 month in 2, generally due to bad receivers but nothing since June now because of possibly defective LNB (which has some condensation in it) and / or a now poorly aligned dish or worst case yet, the neighbor's tree is very healthy!

But seriously, good luck there; I miss my CBC and especially my HD.Net Canada with it's only HD and uncut Torchwood in North America.

 

[Will94]

I got an email this morning that my broker has activated my service. I thought briefly about taking the afternoon off, but my housekeeper is coming today. Five hours to Canadian TV!!


It seems like from the reports on this board that StarChoice/Shaw has a lot of equipment issues. Good luck with getting yours fixed.

 

[TimeHorse]

I got an email this morning that my broker has activated my service. I thought briefly about taking the afternoon off, but my housekeeper is coming today. Five hours to Canadian TV!!


It seems like from the reports on this board that StarChoice/Shaw has a lot of equipment issues. Good luck with getting yours fixed.

Congratulations! Glad to see more CBC in the U.S. Now if I could only get BBC One and BBC HD from Astra 2D and New Zealand Prime from Optus D1 I'd be set! Shame the world isn't flat, eh?

Now, with the receivers, if you get 2 or more, you're covered under a lifetime warranty in addition to the 1 year you get at purchase. How that would work in the south is that you'd have to either directly or indirectly make an official call to Shaw Direct so that they can "trouble shoot" the system to prove there's a fault and then you'll get an RMA. You get the new equipment and send back your defective kit. Now, calling Shaw Direct from the U.S. is dangerous, as others have said, so you hopefully can arrange with your broker to handle the direct interface with Shaw Direct and you just pay shipping to and from Canada (or take it with you on your next trip to TO). Hopefully you'll not have to deal with this, but it's good to know in case you do!

As for my kit, new LNB and a SuperBuddy 29 are on the way so there should be NO mistakes when I align the dish this time: it's either gonna work or I'm going to have to begin resent the neighbor's tree.

Enjoy!

 

[QCK]

Now, calling Shaw Direct from the U.S. is dangerous, as others have said, so you hopefully can arrange with your broker to handle the direct interface with Shaw Direct and you just pay shipping to and from Canada (or take it with you on your next trip to TO). Hopefully you'll not have to deal with this, but it's good to know in case you do!

If you have the HAFH package there should be no issues calling from the US to Shaw Direct. I have called numerous times without any issues. If you have Bell TV and call from the US that now is a different story.

 

[Will94]

FINALLY got service yesterday and my six theme packs added this morning. Even though my receiver isn't HD, I am loving it!!

 

[Mr Tony]

. Now, calling Shaw Direct from the U.S. is dangerous,

never had an issue calling them from Minneapolis. I dont even do the HAFH setup. They have my Ontario address