New D* subscriber - CSR/Retentions "scammed" my installation!! Now what does one do?

[scratchee_1]

I am looking to get back into D*, ok. So I called and got a CSR and asked what kind of specials that had. Told them I was a SUB 3-4 years ago blah blah. Told CSR I was interested in HD and DVR. She couldn't give me any deals so she transfered me to retentions. I talked to a guy (I have his name if anyone knows him so I could strangle him) told him what I wanted HD, DVR multi room setup blah blah. I asked for a 3 room setup with DVR. He couldn't do that. So I asked about a 2 room setup. Well, for a 2 room setup he could give me 1 rec. and 1 DVR. Only "problem" was they would have to do it in 2 different installs. First install would be the regular rec, so I was "back" with D*, then I could "upgrade" to DVR since I would then be a SUB. Retention guy told me to just hook up reg. rec. to your living room TV, then on the 2nd install, they will move that rec. to other room and install the DVR on main living room TV. All equipment and install was supposed to be free according to the Retention guy.

First install was a piece of cake. Installer changed out old dish. Installed new LNB and hooked up new rec. Did not have to run a line or anything because of old wiring etc. Dude was done in 10min including calling D* to setup account. That was Wed.

Today (Friday), the second installer came to hook up the DVR. Installer walks in, tell him that the reg. rec. goes in the kids room on other side of the house and the DVR goes on the big screen in the living room. He procedes to tell me that it will be $75 to drop a line in the kids room and $75 to run second line to the DVR!!! WHAT THE F? $150 bones!!! D* never told me ANYTHING about paying for installation!! Retention guy said it was part of the deal!! So I get some people from D* on the phone. First CSR. Then Retentions. Then Retention Manager. The RM tells me that dropping a line is a "custom install"!?!? How is that custom? Doesn't every new SUB need a lined dropped? She then procedes to tell me that if I want I could have the installer drill a hole thru my exterior wall and install it that way?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! What is wrong with these people? I live in a house to keep things out...not to drills holes all over the exterior to allow things in? (exageration I know)...I was furious!! She then told me that "you really don't need 2 lines to the DVR". My installer was laughing at her. Why would I not want the DVR to perform as intended without the second line? If that is the case I would just keep my VCR.

Anyways I asked to speek to the RM's boss. She told me someone would contact me in 24hrs. I am seriously thinking about calling it quits and going back to ----hold your breath------CHARTER or maybe switch over to DISH. They just had an add on radio for a free HD/DVR rec and free installation.

I am open to suggestions if this big-wig ever calls me...I am so pissed!! My keyboard is taking a pounding as I type this. Suggestions please!!! Anyone?!?!

Oh yea, did I mention I missed a half day at work waiting for the installer to show up between 1pm and 5pm. He showed up 15min before 5, but wasn't late. I was also nice enough to move the hugh ET center surrounding my big screen and the furniture in the kids room so he could install faster!

Please...someone give me some good news!?!?!?! Anyone...

 

[wobbie]

Not good news here, a wallfish is "custom" work according to Direct and it will get even worse here in the Midwest when they get the new HSP, these guys are paying less and the installers will charge for everything. In my oppinion, go with Dish, free instal including wallfishes. The installer may be pissed, but if he is working fore an RSP he HAS to do it. Try contacting a local retailer first, I would guess they would appreciate your business and you should get ALOT better service. Where are you located???

 

[scratchee_1]

I am located in FtWorth TX.

How can a fish be custom? Why in the hell would they offer 3/4/5 room installs for free. Not many homes have cable in every room!! Not unless they are brand new. My installer said he has this same problem on almost every multi room install. D* doesn't inform customers about the wallfish. What is more frustrating, is there product requires 2 lines (DVR). To do what its supposed to you need 2 lines!! They don't even cover that!?!?

Still no call back from the big-wig.

 

[scratchee_1]

hmmm....almost 70 views and no suggestions. Guess I am screwed. Might have to fish the walls myself...not terribly hard, just think D* should be doing it is all.

 

[lee espinoza]

sorry, good luck on doing it your self.

 

[SAGITARIANINSTALLER]

Problem- D Tv did not inform you, they use bait sales, FREE AND you bought it,
you did not hear, cost for activation, cost of custom work, Brick, Triple Brick, poles,
and fishing thru wall. That all comes out of subs own pay, own materials, except dish.
Even wire, ends, etc, come out of subs pay. The sub should tell you right away what you have to pay for.. Many people blame the subs, just for being there, and think they are part of the scam. The subs only get paid for work done, and get fined if they don't get there ontime, get to next job on time, bearing any problems the DTV don't care, if a subs get paid, they rather see a sub fines and keep all the money and laugh at the subs, thinking they are hokeys, can't get job anyplace and too dumb to unionize. and complain about Dealers wanting to keep even their custome money, and hold it for many weeks, and then charge handling and allsorts of fees. The subs are getting really upset.

 

[SAGITARIANINSTALLER]

scratchee

hey installers are not suppose to move all the stuff on customers stands, etc.
if they break, the customers sue, file for reimbursement, and let me tell your some of those homes a person can hardly move in and find a place to put those curios. People are 90 percent nice. and understand.
But put youself in the installer place, drive many miles, is to be fine if not ontime, can't get to phone to call, if work does not complete perfectly,
if can't climb down roof, to make calls, if phone is not available they want installer to call from nearest gas station,, can be fined, They 90 percent of time are told everything is free,, and they even want the installer to program all the remotes, for DVD, TVIO, VCR, TV in many rooms, and with remotes and tV that have many different menus, some so old, no menu to change,
or remotes with letters not visable, and try to keep the guy there for hours,
making the guy loose his schedule, and then the Dealers rank him out and complain why can't you get out quick, enough, and the Dealers never ans
there phones, and DTV don't answer and the installer always get the blame.

 

[scratchee_1]

SAGITARIANINSTALLER....

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE INSTALLER!!! Those points were just additions to the "main problem" which is D* not living up to what they said they would do...install my system for free!!

Both installers were extremly professional and explained everything to me perfectly. I told the second installer sorry for coming out and wasting his time. I refused to pay $150 for work that was promised before I agreed to to sign up with D* and he understood.

I am upset with D*...not the installers. Installer is the middle man. He was actually on my side. He told the Retention Manager that this stuff happens all the time and he was sick of it!! D* promise free installs and not holding up to there end of the deal!!

 

[SAGITARIANINSTALLER]

scrachee

your cool, thanks

 

[ShadowEKU]

I hate to tell you but Fishes are almost always custom work... even with dish... the guy wanted to charge a friend of mine 100 per turn of the tape... he called dish and spoke to like 4 CSR's who all said the fish was custom. they will drill through the floor for free . On the upside is if you do the fish yourself and are at least adequate with it your install will be 100% better than the D* installers because its your house and you want to protect your investment so you will be extra careful.

 

[boba]

SAGITARIANINSTALLER....

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE INSTALLER!!! Those points were just additions to the "main problem" which is D* not living up to what they said they would do...install my system for free!!

Both installers were extremly professional and explained everything to me perfectly. I told the second installer sorry for coming out and wasting his time. I refused to pay $150 for work that was promised before I agreed to to sign up with D* and he understood.

I am upset with D*...not the installers. Installer is the middle man. He was actually on my side. He told the Retention Manager that this stuff happens all the time and he was sick of it!! D* promise free installs and not holding up to there end of the deal!!

Did you think to question what is covered under a basic free install? If you search you can find what is included in a free install, your problem is you ASSumed what you wanted done was free. Directv didn't misslead you, you misslead yourself.

 

[Neutron]

The installer my mom and stepdad had when they switched to Directv last month charged then $75 for wall fishing all their RG-6 since they did have RG-59 from before.

Then again their living room, which has their DTivo, needed another line run anyway, and had to be run from their attic.

 

[chewy]

my installer fished my wall for HD DVR install and didn't charge me a penny. Very clean job too

 

[deezoneezo]

Why does everyone assume that EVERYTHING is free. If you have ANY other trade person come out to your house they will bid all work needed. The installer "bids" a job by accepting work that must be done to constitute a complete, basic install. If you choose not to settle for a basic install or your home requires custom work why should the one person not making a killing off this deal eat the extra money? The customer get tons of free equipment and much better tv than cable, D* makes money, the retailer makes money and the independent satellite installer picks up all the left over scraps. Give the guy a break!

 

[charper1]

My neighbor got his 4 free room (NFL ST promo) installed right before the NFL season at my urging and he understood fully from the initial call that the free install had length limits as well as NO WALL FISH. If you talk VERY nice to the installer and don't get greedy, you can get some extras, but the limits of the FREE install are spelled out very well and even more so if you ask.

 

[mikedz4]

I guess I got lucky. The installer did 2 wall fishes for me free. He even drilled through double brick twice for free. In the process he broke two drill bits and his batteries had to be recharged twice. He was very nice and made sure everything was working before he left. I told him he could go because I was on hold with directv for 45 minutes trying to get my system setup. He even called back after he finished his last job of the day to make sure everything was working.

 

[charper1]

What a great installer. Kudos to him.

 

[scratchee_1]

deezonezo...

I don't think anyone here is upset with the installer! I am sorry if in my initial post it sounded as if I blamed the installer. I was upset with D* not the installer. As far as "ASSuming" what an install entails....if D* tells me in the install is free it damn well better be. Retention Manager went thru all the steps, setup up etc. I know what he told me and what I was supposed to get. Free install!! Bottom line is if D* is selling or offering to install DVR's they need to at least cover the second line. DVR needs 2 lines to work properly!! D* rep had the nerve to tell me to drill a hole in exterior and run the second line. How retarded. Also D* rep needs to make aware that it could be extra charges for install. You can say what you want. "you were just hearing what you want" "blah blah blah"...the rep I talked to didn't tell me any of this!!

Regardless....me being the handy man that I am. I went ahead today and dropped my lines myself. It took me all of about 45 min. to drop 2 lines. 1 for DVR and 1 in another room setup. I guess I need to get in the biz...$150 for an hours worth of work is ok money. This whole think still stinks. I feel sorry for the others out there who get the same treatment I did (yes, they do...I have rec. around 10 PM about the same thing that happened to others) ...D* should be ashamed of themselves!!!

Out

 

[teknophyle]

hmmm....almost 70 views and no suggestions. Guess I am screwed. Might have to fish the walls myself...not terribly hard, just think D* should be doing it is all.

I lived in Asheville, NC and CHARTER for a cable company! THEY SUCK! They are even worse than COMCAST and COMCAST is terrible. So I would go with DISH NETWORK. However I prefer DirecTv.

One question though? Is everything up and running? if so maybe you can get retention to pay for the 2nd install.

 

[dodge]

wall fish/ subs/

I am a Directv Installer , I am a sub
I was told when hired here are the rules

Wall fishes are extra
all cables will penetrate thru an exterior wall( i prefer ranches with basements)
coax, ground blocks , ends ground rods and all extras are the cost of installer

general pay
2 room $75
3 room $95
4 room $ 115

no extra pay for tivo( dual coax), hdtv oval dish or 72.5 dish
why do you think so many people have problems with subs and installs , it is because directv does not want to pay them enough. On top of all that sometimes you will get 1 install a day and have to drive 50 miles one way so that $75 just barely covers travel time and fuel for the truck and they still have to do the job when they get there.