Just having trouble understanding why the last 3 months of hype were not lies!

[philhu]

70 channels by end of March
CES showing SD boxes and a working DVR

HD Channels renamed
New promos and infomercials
Show bumpers all over the place
HD ecember

Sure pulled the wool over our eyes........

I just hope that they refund box prices to the early followers that PAID for the boxes up front.

I remember a company called VideoGuide, sold a box in 1994 that read program guide data and news over the Pager network, kind of cool. When they shut down 2 years into their sales, they were required to buy the boxes back at full list because the box was only good for their services, so they had, in essence, sold a doorstop as a valid electrical device.

 

[madpoet]

Here's the problem... outside investors forced this showdown and Dolan Sr. had to bow to their demands. I'm not in the conspiracy theory camp. I think they were honestly trying. But when that board meeting was called, it was over. I agree that purchasers are owed at least a partial refund. I'm just not sure how we can get it.

 

[TheTimm]

Just my opinion, but I don't think people who purchased the box are entitled to even a partial refund. You gambled, and lost. The reason I leased instead of buying was because it would take something like four years before it paid off. Judging from the common "Voom? What's Voom?", response I'd get from 95% of the folks I talked to, I figured there was a pretty decent chance they wouldn't be in business that long, so I'd be better off leasing. If Voom is still on and poppin' four years from now, should the leasers ("leasers"?) get free boxes? I'm sayin' no. Ya make a choice, ya live with it. Win some, lose some.

 

[jnardone]

Early subscribers HAD to buy the box to get the service and VOOM never had an official policy of allowing the switch to leasing when leasing later became available. You had to have read about switching on this web site and then call VOOM and hope you got a CSR who new how to make the change. Cablevision certainly has an obligation to either keep the purchased boxes working throught their warranty period (two years for most early subscribers) or to refund their money.

 

[philhu]

Just my opinion, but I don't think people who purchased the box are entitled to even a partial refund. You gambled, and lost. The reason I leased instead of buying was because it would take something like four years before it paid off. Judging from the common "Voom? What's Voom?", response I'd get from 95% of the folks I talked to, I figured there was a pretty decent chance they wouldn't be in business that long, so I'd be better off leasing. If Voom is still on and poppin' four years from now, should the leasers ("leasers"?) get free boxes? I'm sayin' no. Ya make a choice, ya live with it. Win some, lose some.

The videoguide precedant is NOT ignorable. It is legal precedant from 1994 and must be obeyed or they can be sued.

They sold equipment that is supposed to work for the forseeable future. At LEAST during the warranty period. You call and say 'My box stopped working' Whether it is due to voom stopping service or the box breaking, it is no longer useable and thereful should be handled either as a refund under warranty or replacement with something that does work.

 

[TheTimm]

Early subscribers HAD to buy the box to get the service and VOOM never had an official policy of allowing the switch to leasing when leasing later became available. You had to have read about switching on this web site and then call VOOM and hope you got a CSR who new how to make the change. Cablevision certainly has an obligation to either keep the purchased boxes working throught their warranty period (two years for most early subscribers) or to refund their money.

Oh. Didn't know about the early requirements. Doesn't change my opinion. They still had the option of not buying the box and not getting the service. Don't think the warranty problem impresses me much either. I feel for them, but the fact is they bought equipment from a company that has apparently gone belly up. Crap happens.

 

[TheTimm]

The videoguide precedant is NOT ignorable. It is legal precedant from 1994 and must be obeyed or they can be sued.

They sold equipment that is supposed to work for the forseeable future. At LEAST during the warranty period. You call and say 'My box stopped working' Whether it is due to voom stopping service or the box breaking, it is no longer useable and thereful should be handled either as a refund under warranty or replacement with something that does work.

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and ignore the "precedant" anyway, notwithstanding the word "not" being in capital letters. So sue 'em.

 

[BobMurdoch]

All of the underlings at CES (along with Dolan) fully believed that they were ushing a sevice that would survive. None were being cagey to think that they would sell a couple of hundred new subscribers (sad that that was all that added it after CES) under false pretenses.

This was fully a case of Dad (or is it the son) taking away the kids Credit Card who couldn't make the payments anymore.

 

[madpoet]

"I feel for them, but the fact is they bought equipment from a company that has apparently gone belly up. Crap happens."

And that is where you are mistaken. Voom did not go belly up, they did not declare bankruptcy, their parent entity decided to sell off the assets. They are still obligated to us and are not protected by bankruptcy court.

 

[joemama]

I'm having trouble understanding why there are so many of you that think Voom should continue losing money to keep few people watching TV.

 

[jame_g]

Don't get me wrong, I would certainly be upset if I had purchased my equipment as well. But it seems to me there are several other precendents that would be applicable here as well.

1. Warranty Law. US warranty law has limited requirements. After a year, most of those have expired. (much less in most cases) But if an explicit longer term is specified it must usually be honored. Examples:
a. Many cars, which cost much more, don't give more than a 1 year warranty. Some do, but not all.
b. Tires, which are in the same general price range, may have longer warranty, but they specify a proration. Usually based on length of ownership or amount of wear. So take your purchase price and prorate it based on how many months you have left in the 24 month window.

2. Contract law. I doubt the Rainbow DBS contract gives many rights to the purchasers in their contract. Contracts usually trump any precedent as long as you have received something of value in return, ie your program package regardless of whether or not the value you received was equivalent to the value that someone else received. They undoubtably specify some limitation of liability in the contract.

3. Unfair market practices or fradualent advertising. Voom wasn't big enough to be unfair in the market. Fraudulent, given that Dolan was forced into this by the outside board members, and other court judgments and shareholder responsibilities that guided their decisions, very unlikely.

Although I'm no legal expert, it seems like Rainbow DBS probably has several recourses in their defense to limit their liability. I don't know what basis was used in the 1994 ruling to decide that customers were due a full refund after 2 years of service, but under our current administration which cares more about big business that the little people, I doubt you could count on a federal court to uphold a Clinton-era ruling.

 

[rvsixer]

Examples:
a. Many cars, which cost much more, don't give more than a 1 year warranty. Some do, but not all.

Please name one brand sold new in the US that has only a one-year warranty. Bumper to bumper warranties are usually 3-5 years, going out to 10 years on certain component groups.

Rob.

 

[TheTimm]

"I feel for them, but the fact is they bought equipment from a company that has apparently gone belly up. Crap happens."

And that is where you are mistaken. Voom did not go belly up, they did not declare bankruptcy, their parent entity decided to sell off the assets. They are still obligated to us and are not protected by bankruptcy court.

You say tomato, I say whatever, dude. Good luck gettin' any money back.
I wish ya the best of luck, but I think you're dreamin'. Shoulda gone with the lease.

 

[Dog6869]

VOOM has been promising to have a DVR since JUNE 2004… I have been a subscriber since March 2004 I have been leasing my boxs….. I always thought they were holding out for the GOVT Flags and they were going to be A-Holes and make sure the FLAGS were in the DVR before they released it… The original Promise to us VOOMERS was that the DVR was going to have a FIREWIRE but that was BS being blown up our skirts.. I am getting very tired of all their LIES I think I may have to go back to cable.. With TWC at least they have all of Mr. Cubans HD programming

 

[The Stone Man]

I was an early purchaser also, and never switched to the lease. I thought maybe, just maybe....charter membership might be worth something someday. Whoops. However, the early purchasers got free programming, and then Voom sent a $300 refund to those who had paid $749, so we pretty much broke even.

It would really be nice if there was another refund, but I'd say that is a severe longshot. If Voom gets turned off, then it's over. I can't imagine that any argument would ever hold up in court, if you pushed it that far. A lawsuit would be a waste of more money. Better to eat the STB and move on. Just my opinion.

 

[Dog6869]

VOOM Lies

Oh. Didn't know about the early requirements. Doesn't change my opinion. They still had the option of not buying the box and not getting the service. Don't think the warranty problem impresses me much either. I feel for them, but the fact is they bought equipment from a company that has apparently gone belly up. Crap happens.

VOOM has been promising to have a DVR since JUNE 2004… I have been a subscriber since March 2004 I have been leasing my boxs….. I always thought they were holding out for the GOVT Flags and they were going to be A-Holes and make sure the FLAGS were in the DVR before they released it… The original Promise to us VOOMERS was that the DVR was going to have a FIREWIRE but that was BS being blown up our skirts.. I am getting very tired of all their LIES I think I may have to go back to cable.. With TWC at least they have all of Mr. Cubans HD programming

 

[dziko]

It is time to move on, Cablevision has.

 

[DarrellP]

How would you feel if you'd purchased a Tucker or a Delorean automobile? How many of you demand a refund if your Lottery ticket is not a winner?

 

[Bruce]

How would you feel if you'd purchased a Tucker or a Delorean automobile? How many of you demand a refund if your Lottery ticket is not a winner?

Except both of those are worth some money on the collectors market if the person owning them took good care of them ( and a few of those are still running), the Voom STB will not, to the landfill it will go.

 

[tvrobert]

How many of you owned a betamax vcr? Are you still using it? The quality was much better than VHS, yet the Beta format died before it took off.

I think we'll see a good, if not better version of voom before too long. We'll just have to settle until then.