I was bored (and wanted to know)

[sundrop]

D* has been advertising on local channels that they now include "locals"
I have been a D* sub for about 2 months, and had locals activated. As of now we get two local channels, three if you include PBS

The phone call. The rep used this "locals" as an upsale to convince me that D* is the better choice. I let her babble on and on. Till she wanted to set up an install. I then started pegging the locals questions....Accordingly we get every local channel in HD and they would be available immediately after launch.

I then started explaining how we only get three channels, and that it would behove of them to tell future customers the truth in there "locals" upsale.

She told me, that her system does not have the ability to determine if the market is a full local launch or not, it only asks to upsale using "locals"

So they new customer gets the install, signs off on the install and 2 year agreement. This is when they find out they were lied too :rant:

 

[armchair]

The Directv home page shows the local channels that are available in HD. Just go to TV Packages tab and a pop-up will ask for zip code. Once there, scroll to bottom of package of interest to see "Free HD Channels". Select Locals filter and... there you go!

 

[harshness]

Local into local (LIL) have been included with DIRECTV (where available) for a few years now.

 

[raoul5788]

D* has been advertising on local channels that they now include "locals"
I have been a D* sub for about 2 months, and had locals activated. As of now we get two local channels, three if you include PBS

The phone call. The rep used this "locals" as an upsale to convince me that D* is the better choice. I let her babble on and on. Till she wanted to set up an install. I then started pegging the locals questions....Accordingly we get every local channel in HD and they would be available immediately after launch.

I then started explaining how we only get three channels, and that it would behove of them to tell future customers the truth in there "locals" upsale.

She told me, that her system does not have the ability to determine if the market is a full local launch or not, it only asks to upsale using "locals"

So they new customer gets the install, signs off on the install and 2 year agreement. This is when they find out they were lied too :rant:

That's not lying. FUD alert!

 

[Mr Tony]

Local into local (LIL) have been included with DIRECTV (where available) for a few years now.

no I think the OP's issue is that they dont get the full market of locals due to a dispute...so a new customer who calls in to get D* and they say "yeah we got locals" and then they only get some

Like Dish Network and Salisbury, MD where they get one local and thats 100 miles away (and a distant)

 

[sundrop]

no I think the OP's issue is that they dont get the full market of locals due to a dispute...so a new customer who calls in to get D* and they say "yeah we got locals" and then they only get some

Like Dish Network and Salisbury, MD where they get one local and thats 100 miles away (and a distant)

This is exactly it. It is not affecting me...Im already a paying customer.
I am simply saying. The reps tell everyone locals are available, but they dont tell them how many

Was not aware of Salibury...that is just down right wrong.

 

[bamaweather]

They should definitely be more upfront about it over the phone.

Of course, now that the locals have launched, anyone who does their homework online will see the local channels that are available.

 

[raoul5788]

They should definitely be more upfront about it over the phone.

Of course, now that the locals have launched, anyone who does their homework online will see the local channels that are available.

They should be more upfront, but unfortunately, they don't always have the right information to be upfront with.

 

[harshness]

Of course, now that the locals have launched, anyone who does their homework online will see the local channels that are available.

Caveat emptor is getting a little too much of a workout these days.

 

[raoul5788]

Caveat emptor is getting a little too much of a workout these days.

I agree (!) but never the less, there is so much information out there that the consumer shouldn't ever claim that he isn't, or can't be, well informed.

 

[harshness]

I agree (!) but never the less, there is so much information out there that the consumer shouldn't ever claim that he isn't, or can't be, well informed.

Don't believe everything you see on the Internet...

How is the potential subscriber to know who is telling the truth and who isn't?

 

[cfb]

They should be more upfront, but unfortunately, they don't always have the right information to be upfront with.

And yet directv does have this information, as already evidenced by one of the posts on the first page having a link to directv's web site where you can put in a zip code and it'll tell you. It should be SOP for the customer service rep to look that up and confirm the locals with the prospective customer.

Sure, if you know what to look for and where to look for it, you as a customer can certainly vet out what you will and wont get. I dont have any idea why the average joe sixpack calling up directv to get service would even think to ask "am I actually going to get all of the local channels I would get with an antenna?". I think most people know what their locals are and wouldnt think to ask if they'd get all of those with dish or directv.

Theres a lot of presumption around how much a normal tv watching customer should know about. Most dont know a darn thing about the technology or the rafts of legal disputes and hogwash around what can and cant be broadcast. And they shouldnt have to!

I understand this is primarily an issue only in certain markets, some of them small. But the onus is on the entity selling the service to make sure the customer gets all the right information to make an informed decision. Not give them less than what a normal person would reasonably expect and then respond with "well, ha ha...nothing you can do about it for two years unless you want to pay a big fee!".

 

[sundrop]

Well an update on my "issue"
Out of the few local channels we get, We have a problem with KSN16.
I emailed the local channel and the reply back was the same signal is sent to both E* and D* so if D* is having a problem it is on there end. (locals for E* work fine, my parents sub)

I call D* and was transferred to a Tech. He said the only issue logged in the system is "audio" I explained that it worked fine (the audio) He wanted to charge me to roll out a truck. I again explained every channel works fine...I get 98% on the TP where the local is broadcasted. Still he wants a truck.

I get transferred. I think Customer retention or something? I explain the problem. She asked me if I was going to move and told her probably in the next few months. She promptly helped me move and now I get every channel.

*The reps that go out of there way to help, are probably the one's being fired. While the reps wanting to treat every customer as crap are probably safe with there job security

 

[Mr Tony]

I get transferred. I think Customer retention or something? I explain the problem. She asked me if I was going to move and told her probably in the next few months. She promptly helped me move and now I get every channel.

what do you mean here? Move as in "Move" (to a mythical location to get different town locals)?

 

[sundrop]

what do you mean here? Move as in "Move" (to a mythical location to get different town locals)?

Yes and No. I move to Springfield MO about every 3 months and live there, for on average of a month or two (depending on business). What she did was "mythically" moved me to where I will actually be staying. IE real address

Joplin and Springfield are about 50 miles apart

 

[Mr Tony]

oh ok....hey that works