My non install experience today!

[hublar]

My install was scheduled to be between 8 and 12 today. No one showed. No one called. I called the salesman that sold me the system and he said he would get back up with me in less than 15 minutes. An hour and a half later with no one calling me back; I called the directv national number and they were no help. A few minutes of me calling the national number I get a call from my salesman. Says he doesn't know what's going on and gives me the number for their scheduling people. I call their scheduling people and they act shocked that no one has called or shows up so they start calling the dispatcher. Long story short the tech that is supposed to install my system can't be reached and they have no idea what's going on. I'm scheduled for another install in the morning at 8. We'll see what happens. Considering just canceling the whole thing.

Hub

 

[Poke]

Yeah just sound like a communication issue.. Someone drop the ball but sounds like their going try to get that addressed. Let us know how it goes tomorrow..

 

[charper1]

Remember they contract out. Sounds like someone up and quit or didn't want to work after a holiday weekend. Happens in every business all the time. They should offer you a discount and find you another, more prideful worker while firing the original person. BUT you are not yet their customer; so they need to earn your business past all the up front freebies.

 

[ryotgz]

Give them another chance. If they do it again tomorrow, raise hell.

 

[swzine]

My install was the worst I've ever seen from anyone. It took over 2 weeks from order date, ordering directly from directv.com. It was scheduled for Monday. About 4 or 5 days before it I got a call from someone saying they were trying to push things up. He insisted it was Sunday and I told him about 5 times it's Monday. He finally acknowledged that and said they'd push up to Friday and gave me an exact window of time. Friday morning I get an automated message to confirm my Monday appointment. I hit the reschedule button. It then only gave me more options later, and not the friday option they told me they'd be coming for. So I pressed the button to talk to someone, waited 10 minutes on hold and then just hung up. They showed up Monday. LOL. The tech was alright so I lied and said he called me 30 minutes before the scheduled time. That was a stretch. He called me at the very end of the scheduled time and got there a few minutes later. 30 minutes before the window of time is 30 minutes before the beginning of the window in my opinion. The tech was otehrwise a good guy, and even traced a few lines I wanted to hook antennas up to, so I let it slide. 2 weeks for an install is nuts. I understand why they were trying to push things up but they botched it big time. Once again I observe how DirecTV is as bad or worst than Comcast in every experience I've had. But like Comcast their service is decent so we tolerate.

 

[tvropro]

Sometimes you get a good quick install sometimes you don't. It all depends on who they send out. I got screwed years back by dish network I did a pre pay for a special I got from a c band provider. They never showed up. I canceled the whole thing and fought with dishnet for 2 months to get my money back. When I ordered direct a couple weeks back they said my install was for the next day. I was apprehensive since I got screwed by dish years ago. The installer from Direct showed up 1.5 into the 4 hr window and was great. So it all depends who you get and how the cards fall into place.

 

[hublar]

We'll see how it goes in the morning. At least I was productive this morning. While waiting I cleaned out the garage.

Hub

 

[Jimbo]

My install was the worst I've ever seen from anyone. It took over 2 weeks from order date, ordering directly from directv.com. It was scheduled for Monday. About 4 or 5 days before it I got a call from someone saying they were trying to push things up. He insisted it was Sunday and I told him about 5 times it's Monday. He finally acknowledged that and said they'd push up to Friday and gave me an exact window of time. Friday morning I get an automated message to confirm my Monday appointment. I hit the reschedule button. It then only gave me more options later, and not the friday option they told me they'd be coming for. So I pressed the button to talk to someone, waited 10 minutes on hold and then just hung up. They showed up Monday. LOL. The tech was alright so I lied and said he called me 30 minutes before the scheduled time. That was a stretch. He called me at the very end of the scheduled time and got there a few minutes later. 30 minutes before the window of time is 30 minutes before the beginning of the window in my opinion. The tech was otehrwise a good guy, and even traced a few lines I wanted to hook antennas up to, so I let it slide. 2 weeks for an install is nuts. I understand why they were trying to push things up but they botched it big time. Once again I observe how DirecTV is as bad or worst than Comcast in every experience I've had. But like Comcast their service is decent so we tolerate.

He called you at the end of the time window ?
That happens all the time, if I have an AM install and my second one is an AM as well, I cannot very well call my second person at 8 AM and give him an accurate time when I haven't yet gotten into the first job yet.

We call every sub ahead of time, sometimes 20 minutes, sometime 5 minutes, sometimes I'm right around the corner , other times I'm across town.

Btw, if we have a 8-12 install , that doesn't mean it has to be DONE before 12, just that we are THERE before 12.

 

[hublar]

No one called me.

No one called me at all. I had to call my salesman to find out anything. I didn't call my salesman until about an hour after the window closed. The salesman then said he would call me back in less than 15 minutes. That 15 minutes turned into an hour and a half.

Hub

 

[Jimbo]

No one called me at all. I had to call my salesman to find out anything. I didn't call my salesman until about an hour after the window closed. The salesman then said he would call me back in less than 15 minutes. That 15 minutes turned into an hour and a half.

Hub

Seeing you didn't go thru the normal process of ordering thru D*, I'm not sure who's to blame .... Did D* get the order ? How do you know ?

EVERYTIME I've needed someone out here, they have ALWAYS called ahead of time, very professional.

 

[hublar]

I ordered thru a salesman in our local Sam's club. The order shows on D*'s sight, but it still doesn't show an install date even now. I should have ordered directly from D*. There's one other thing bugging me now. The salesman said it would be a minimum $150 custom install fee for Whole home DVR, but now I am studying on D*'s sight and I find should be a free install for new customers. See this page DIRECTV: Whole-Home DVR service.

Hub

 

[tvropro]

I ordered thru a salesman in our local Sam's club. The order shows on D*'s sight, but it still doesn't show an install date even now. I should have ordered directly from D*. There's one other thing bugging me now. The salesman said it would be a minimum $150 custom install fee for Whole home DVR, but now I am studying on D*'s sight and I find should be a free install for new customers. See this page DIRECTV: Whole-Home DVR service.

Hub

I called DirecTV direct on the phone when I ordered.

 

[tigerfan33]

Since you are in Alabama Direct will probably used Brewsters to install. They screwed up my install 3 times before they got it right. They are awful!!

When I ordered this time I asked who I was scheduled with and they told me Brewsters and cancelled right there and went local. Got it installed this past weekend without any problems.

 

[larry55]

i live in dothan al had no problems the guy was very good ,did a great job and explain he how to use the equipments.he was from montgomery.well please .

 

[Jimbo]

I ordered thru a salesman in our local Sam's club. The order shows on D*'s sight, but it still doesn't show an install date even now. I should have ordered directly from D*. There's one other thing bugging me now. The salesman said it would be a minimum $150 custom install fee for Whole home DVR, but now I am studying on D*'s sight and I find should be a free install for new customers. See this page DIRECTV: Whole-Home DVR service.

Hub

Well, at least you know that D* got the order.
Doesn't give you a due date ?

I would call D* directly and inquire.
I wonder if your local guy forgot to call and set you up ?
Then he called when you called him ?
You should have a DD when your talking to them as well as being listed on line.

 

[TDK1044]

I ordered thru a salesman in our local Sam's club. The order shows on D*'s sight, but it still doesn't show an install date even now. I should have ordered directly from D*. There's one other thing bugging me now. The salesman said it would be a minimum $150 custom install fee for Whole home DVR, but now I am studying on D*'s sight and I find should be a free install for new customers. See this page DIRECTV: Whole-Home DVR service.

Hub

I set up my install with D* on the phone. It was free of charge and flawless. The CSR even told me exacly how to apply for my first year rebates online so that they would appear on my first bill and for the following 11 months. That also worked flawlessly.

 

[hublar]

Halfway Through another appointment window

Still no call or show.

Hub

 

[jaj1701]

When I called DirecTV an hour before my install window wanting to know approx. when in that window they thought they'd show up......she said that she would contact the contractor and I'd get a call within 20 minutes. I did. Maybe you want to do the same.

 

[ryotgz]

I would start calling the same numbers as yesterday to confirm the appt.

 

[treiher]

I had my install scheduled for last Friday, July 2nd, 8am - noon. Same situation as an earlier poster . . . I get a call at 11:45am that day telling me that there is a nationwide shortage of HD receivers, and they would have to reschedule for Wednesday, July 7th. Pretty aggravating considering I took the day off to be home for the install, and they pepper you with emails and phone calls making it clear that a person over 21 most be home at the time of the appointment and to be ready. So here I am again, planning to be home this afternoon so we can give this another try.

We just moved, so we have no service at all at the new house. If they blow me off again, I still have all my Dish Network equipment and it will be a simple matter of calling them and having them install a new dish and switch. We've already gone 5 days with no TV thanks to Directv, so if I have to go a few more, it won't be to stay with them. The other thing I am pondering is if the guy does show up with HR23 or lower receivers, I will send him packing. I know they will not guarantee HR24 and H24 receivers, but I will not switch from Dish to Direct and learn to enjoy those sluggish receivers I have seen first hand at a neighbors house.

Anyway, a few hours to go, we'll see what happens . . .


P.S. If all this goes through as planned, as a long time (10+ years) Dish Network subsriber, I'll go ahead and post my thoughts about the change after I've had some time to get familiar with it. I know a lot of people are thinking about making the change right now. For me, the release of the new receivers made it possible, combined with Dish's HD Dual DVR fees, which are killing me. I have been more than a little anxious about making the switch, as I have been mostly happy with Dish programming and especially their equipment.