Installation policy question

[MakahaSkipper]

Sorry for the long story but I've been a D* subscriber for 5 years. One SD DVR and 2 SD receivers. Finally decided to upgrade to HD, swap out all SD equip for 2 HD DVRs and 1 HD receiver.

Installer came out with all equipment and a SWM dish. Nice bonus. But, he refused to do the install because I live on a boat in a marina. Said it was DirectTV company policy not to install in a marina and he could get fired.
That didn't seem to be a problem with the installer that did the initial install 5 years ago but I guess things have changed.

I kept the conversation friendly, told him I understood and didn't want to get him in trouble. He apologized and offered to survey the install; the mount was sturdy enough for the heavier dish, the new RG6Q I ran in the boat was good. Easy install and nothing preventing it but company policy. He mentioned that if I got an independent installer, they sometimes don't always follow D* policy.

The problem is now that he's refused and I imagine my account is flagged as such, how do I go about re-ordering and asking for an independent installer?

 

[stonecold]

Problem is you cant, generally the system does not allow an agentto choose who you get, basically it randomly assigns workers based on load . When i get into the office today I see if thee is a way around it.

 

[MakahaSkipper]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

A while back I was trying to find a way to ensure I could get an SWM dish since D* wasn't giving them to existing subscribers. I met an independent at the mall who said he would guarantee me an SWM, all the receivers I needed and didn't have a problem with the marina/boat install. (the disk is actually on the marina wall) But the only way he could do that was for me to cancel my "corporate" account and reopen one in my wife's name with him, which he admitted was not legal.

 

[harshness]

Is the structure in question founded on piers or floats?

If it is afloat, it is typically very difficult to insure proper aiming and aiming is much more critical with the Ka slots.

 

[MakahaSkipper]

It's on piers. Very solid, covered slips as opposed to individual pilings.

 

[DirectDishNet]

wait, Unless the policy changed, I don't see a problem here. I did many installs for Dish/Direct at Lake Pleasant marina in the Phoenix, Az Area. Mounted the dish right on a post thats attached to the customers slip. There was never any movement at all.
The only thing I can see Direct wanting to do is have the receiver plugged into a phone line and ground the dish & cable. That was never an issue in the past as all I did was have the CSR notate the account.
MakahaSkipper, The best thing I could recommend is go into your local Directv retailer and explain what's going on. They will most likely have contractors that will do the job for ya.

 

[MakahaSkipper]

I think that's where I got myself in trouble. I called Directv "directly" for the upgrade and they dispatched a "company" installer.
The last time I talked to a local retailer, they said I had to cancel my account and reopen one in a different name with them.

By the way, the current dish is grounded to the water pipes on the dock, although I'll probably move the ground to the fire sprinkler pipe. The receivers are connected to a land line phone as well. Same line I use for DSL.

 

[stonecold]

I could not find anything against it ... On boat installs kvh has there own dtv install team and retailers , but for a standard dish which is mounted to a the marina I could not find anythign against it. Now since I am in billing sup and not a installer it there might be a different policy database but I could not find anything against wht your trying to do.

 

[MakahaSkipper]

I wonder if its a local policy. I was going to call D* today and cancel the upgrade and get my money back but I'll ask them if it violates any company policy first.

 

[DirectDishNet]

I wonder if its a local policy. I was going to call D* today and cancel the upgrade and get my money back but I'll ask them if it violates any company policy first.

You know what, I'm not telling you this but.......
I have been installing for Dish/Directv for over 12 years now. Worked for retailers and worked for the companies them selfs. I have witnessed over the years techs not wanting to do the job for many reasons and come up with excuses why they can not do the job due to the time of day, not getting paid enough for the job, Too many jobs in one day and so on.
Not saying that this is what happened in your case tho.

What time of day was it?

 

[Joe Diamond]

The "policy" is that the Home Service Provider makes extra cash by back charging installers. IF you call Directv for any reason for the next century after the installation they will hit the installer's check for $100.00.

So the installer made up the policy. Why take a chance? He was probably overbooked...and the same HSP will try to ding his money for being late to another appointment.

Cancel the installation plan and reopen it with the local retailer you found. Expect to pay him for the upgrade. Nothing you plan is in the standard installation. He should be able to quote a price in advance however.

These things should not be this hard!

Joe

 

[MakahaSkipper]

Didn't think about the installer just not wanting to do the job. Originally scheduled for Friday after Thanksgiving, someone calls and says they can't make it and could we reschedule for Sunday. Installer shows up Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend at 4pm, getting a bit dark by now, and says he can't do it. Hell, even I was thinking about turkey and gravy at this point.

So it's back to the mall for me. Thanks for the advice.

 

[yorktown]

Is the structure in question founded on piers or floats?

If it is afloat, it is typically very difficult to insure proper aiming and aiming is much more critical with the Ka slots.

They'd never mount a dish on a boat for and HD installation or an SD installation. If the dish moves 1-2 degrees in any direction you can go from signals in the 90s to 0.

 

[MakahaSkipper]

Understand that. That's why the dish is on one of the boathouse pilings. Solid 90's all the time. Downside is I have to disconnect when I leave the dock and go OTA.
There are self aiming domes in the $2-3K range but the can only lock on one satellite at a time.

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

sounds like a QC fail -not grounded and service call waiting to bite the tech in the ass -customer dismantling the system
I would have downed it too.

 

[DirectDishNet]

MakahaSkipper, Where are you located? I got contacts that might help.
PS: I would of went ahead and installed your dish for ya.....Who knows, You might of one day taken me out on the boat...

 

[Joe Diamond]

sounds like a QC fail -not grounded and service call waiting to bite the tech in the ass -customer dismantling the system
I would have downed it too.

There is a way,

I connected a bunch of boats at a marina. You mount the dish near the electric meter for the dock and ground it just like a residence. But that is where the fun begins.

After the first year every fitting had to be replaced..........each boat had a ground block that they connected to...all those had to be replaced. Crabs bit cable until it was put into conduit. Boats wrapped coax around their props on a regular basis. The multiswitch suffered the same fate as the ground blocks...Constant maintenance but worked fine now and again.

Joe

 

[MakahaSkipper]

Salt water will do that every time. Sounds like they were in a "hot" marina. We're in fresh water. Each boat is tested for stray current and power is shut off if not properly grounded. My dish was grounded to a water line back to dry land. Ground was good but I heard a couple of docks down had a pipe freeze last winter and they replaced a section with plastic pipe. Not a very good ground. The fire spinklers are dry charged so don't freeze and galvanized pipe all the way to the standpipe, which is grounded. That's where I'm having the ground moved. Six years and no maintenance to the dish, any connectors, the ground block or the multi-switch. All working perfectly, I just wanted to get HD.

 

[wildbill129]

sounds like a QC fail -not grounded and service call waiting to bite the tech in the ass -customer dismantling the system
I would have downed it too.

Cause most customers are too dumb to disconnect a wire from their boat?

Any person that lives on a boat will be very familiar with disconnecting satellite, cable and phone from their vessel.

This sounds like one thing to me...LAZY...

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

Cause most customers are too dumb to disconnect a wire from their boat?

Any person that lives on a boat will be very familiar with disconnecting satellite, cable and phone from their vessel.

This sounds like one thing to me...LAZY...

You'd be amazed at how dumb some customers are, and no not LAZY but sick of getting screwed by bs thats out of my control btw EVERY time he moves the boat he's in violation of directv policy - physical ADDRESS where installed

They need to come up with a way techs could do installs like this where we'd be guaranteed no charge backs.
I hate turning down installs but I hate losing money even more.