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Looks like the normal shaft job

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mbarnes

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Oct 3, 2004
178
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Free & Sovereign Republic of Texas
My wife falls for the flashy ads for DirecTV. She calls them directly and orders some kind of package thats supposed to be special rates and no DVR charge for two years. She orders one DVR and one standard receiver. We already had DishNetwork that was a DIY installation when I moved here. Since I was planning on doing some FTA stuff, I left strict instructions that none of the existing dish, wiring, etc. was to be touched.

I get home and see a DirecTV dish on my mount with one tiny LNB on it. All other recent DirecTV installs I have seen have an elliptical dish with multiple LNBs. The installer used all my wiring, except he put in a new grounding block and tied it down neater than I had.

Then he brought in two standard receivers. My wife said she ordered a package with a DVR, he says she'll have to call customer service to straighten it out. He told her he had to use my existing wiring. If he ran any wire, he would have to charge extra.

When my wife finally got customer service on the phone, they tell her she is not eligible for the special package because she was an existing customer! Yeah, for about 30 minutes! After much arguing and getting bounced around, somebody finally told her they would get her a DVR. The only time the installer could come back was SUNDAY!

While they did send a letter acknowledging her order (for two standard receivers), she has yet to get anything in writing that tell her what all the charges will be.

If anyone has any tips for dispute resolution with these boneheads, I'd appreciate it.

Is this the normal way DirecTV does business? I sure feel sorry for their customers.
 
I guess it would have been better had you been home, seeing you wanted things done YOUR way, instead of leaving it up to your wife to explain what YOU wanted.

Did you leave DISH for D* ?
Or are you having both services ?

Using existing cabling is common for all sat services, D* and DISH, whenever practical.

Not sure what your referring to about the dish with little lnb's on it ...

Had they not had the correct rec's I would have told them to come back when they had the equipment you ordered, at that point NONE of the work would have been done, because D* has to complete a work order, nothing partial, or they won't start, at least thats what I've been told by several installers.

Jimbo
 
Its pretty clear that he got a single lnb dish for one sat, as for the instructions if he wrote them down then thats pretty clear but up to his wife to make sure the installer saw it. Im not sure why the installer would have said he had to charge to run wires though its most likely an atempt to get money out of a woman. The OP's wife should have rescheduled the install and as for the flashy sales add thats common practice for reseller partners to do crap like that of bait and switch.
 
Yep, like the people that bitch about how the country is run but have never voted. Should have taken the time & pride in your home and such and done and helped her do the deal & the install as a TEAM. Now your here to gripe about your wife and DirecTV. As ESPN says "MAN UP!"
 

I agree. My only question would be since this is an SD installation, and the OP is in Texas, would his install require a single LNB dish or a multiple LNB dish?
 
Get the retention line on the department. You have only 24 hours before they can wack you with the cancelation fee. If nothing else, cancel you account and call back yourself and reorder. Sales people and directv are not (always) the same thing. Sounds like you got screwed by a third party sales person. The installer should have ran the line free of charge. If you want something done, make sure you are there to do it.
 
iwc5893 said:
I agree. My only question would be since this is an SD installation, and the OP is in Texas, would his install require a single LNB dish or a multiple LNB dish?
Click to expand...

I don't know if they are placing anything other than the 5 LNB dishes anymore, due to the impending change to Mpeg 4 format, which cannot be seen from the 101, 110 and 119

Jimbo
 
Jimbo said:
I don't know if they are placing anything other than the 5 LNB dishes anymore, due to the impending change to Mpeg 4 format, which cannot be seen from the 101, 110 and 119

Jimbo
Click to expand...
YES SD still gets 18" single LNB installs, you must order HD to get a Slimline. Any in wall wiring is still extra cost which is why I am guessing existing wiring was used. As far as no DVR the customer shouldn't have accepted the installation.
 
Jimbo said:
I don't know if they are placing anything other than the 5 LNB dishes anymore, due to the impending change to Mpeg 4 format, which cannot be seen from the 101, 110 and 119

Jimbo
Click to expand...
Neighbor got her single lnbf dish two weeks prior to my getting the 5lnbf dish.
 
dishrich said:
All recent SD orders here net you only 2 18" dishes. (we're in a 72.5 market)
Click to expand...

IF your getting info from the 72 sat, that would explain that as that sat is mainly for locals, there are alot of single LNBs out there being used for locals. Those are for locals that are not already on one of the newer sats.

I forgot about them, but for the main programming , they are all going to the 5 LNB set up.

Jimbo
 
SD customers here still get 18 inch round dishes with dual lnb's for single satellite position at 101W.

Some markets get the Phase III, if they have their locals at 119W.
 
Mike500 said:
SD customers here still get 18 inch round dishes with dual lnb's for single satellite position at 101W.

Some markets get the Phase III, if they have their locals at 119W.
Click to expand...

And your in the continental USA ?

I was under the impression that they did away with them in order to push the new format.
Seems kind dumb to place a single for something other than locals, then go back out and place a 5 lnb later when the sub decides to go to HD or D* pulls the plug on the mpeg2, odf course this will be a while yet and D* will have thier hands full when that happens ....again...

Jimbo
 

Any current DirecTv ODU can receive either Mpeg2 or Mpeg4 transmissions. Mpeg2 vs Mpeg4 is simply the compression used.

Don't confuse that with Ku vs Ka bands used for transmission.

The basic 18" odu will be around for quite some time to come.
 
Maybe they are doing the 5lnbf in some area's but not all or they started this new phase in late feb of this year, my neighbor had her system installed in mid jan 08 and its a single lnbf dish and the guy who installed her also installed me 4 weeks later.
 

No, reread what I posted - they do NOT install 5LNB dishes for EVEN the main prog for SD only subs.
They STILL install ONLY 18" dishes for 101, PLUS a 2nd 18" for locals. (that's why I said 2 18" dishes ... )
Again, they ONLY install 5LNB dishes here IF you get HD - period!
 

Well thats NOT what they SAID and were DOING earlies last year, it was stated that EVERYONE would be going to the new 5 LNB dishes.

IF you go back far enough, you may find the hundreds of posts about this type of thing ....

I don't have time to track it down, but they have been doing this for at least 2 years now because I have had a 5 LNB set up for at least 2 years now.
I understand that it is mainly for the HD users, but it was also reported that all would be going that way.

I may be mistaken but,
Can you get mpeg4 programming with a single LNB set up ?

Are the addl LNB's not different from the KA LNB's, if not, why did they change ....

Shortly they will change all programming over to mpeg4, your saying that the old single LNB will handle this ?

Jimbo
 
In this area the 3LNB is the SD norm because our locals are on 119. My father got one last fall.

5LNBs are only for HD here.

As far as MPEG4 is concerned, it is likely that one day D* will go to MPEG4 from the older satellite positions as well as the new ones. They surely won't abandon the old slots when everything becomes MPEG4.
 
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