No improvement the second time around

Tarmack

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Feb 27, 2004
34
0
Just called VOOM and scheduled a de-install for next Wednesday.

I originally subscribed on November 7th, 2003, and de-installed on Feb 3rd, 2004.

Got most of my money back...never got the 50 bucks back that I paid to Sears for the initial sign-up...even though I spoke to 4 different CSR's...all of whom said they would get the refund through.

When the $0 Down Lease program came on the scene...I resubscribed under that program and was installed on March 3rd, 2004. The installer brought a brand new box with him...he had just picked up a shipment of 10 new VOOM boxes that day from the distribution center in Fort Pierce, FL. The box was so new that we couldn't "activate" the box on that date.....it took another 24 hours for a "hit" to be sent to the box to enable watching any channel.

For the first 2 days the box seemed to work pretty well....I was able to watch the HDNews channel on 100....for about 15 minutes...and that was enough of that.

I then surfed Cinema10 and found that 9 of the movies playing....were playing also in December and I had seen all of them....but I zero'd on "Thelma and Louise"....hadn't seen that one before on my TV....although I had rented it on CD.....YEARS ago.

As the week wore on the box began to lock up....requiring resets, reboots by unplugging and factory resets.....

Yesterday...every channel showed severe pixalation problems....and all of the reboot stuff was done again. My Sat Signal power remained at 60 with a Sat Quality of 52....

This morning I had planned to call VOOM and ask for another new box....but after 45 minutes of being on hold....and or being dropped off the line requiring a re-dial........I simply thought....Screw this...I have given this company enough of my time and money....and they haven't improved one bit over the 5 month time period that I have tried to utilize their service.

During the past 10 days I really only watched one movie, one 15 minute segment of HDNews on 100......and nothing else.

Good luck to you all that plan to stick it out....this was just no bargain in any manner to me.
 
Sorry to see you leave. I agree with your frustrations as the behavior of these boxes is not easy to put up with. Some of us, unfortunately or fortunately, have the patient to let VOOM work these bugs/problems because there is very little HD that others offer. Good luck and hope you can continue monitoring VOOM as I think it will get better with time (hopefully). Thanks for the write up. We like to hear also from those that leave and do not feel satisfied with VOOM.

Thanks.
 
Mel,

I have enjoyed your posts on Yahoo. Being a "techie", I am willing to work with Voom on getting things resolved. My main gripe is their inability to understand that they are sending many "loosers" out to install this equipment and that makes them look bad.
They definately have issues with the receiver. It looks to me like they are attempting to buy time by scheduling "service-calls" to the ones that complain the most. What we most likely need is stable software for the Motorola box. Perhaps they outsourced development of this to some company in Inda and we are waiting for exchange rate updates....
 
Yup, it is a crying shame that this company has had to go through such terrible start up problems. However, most of those problems fall directly on their own doorstep....from selecting Sears as their launch sales.....to the present day of having to use a $0 down program to get any new customers.

I have had HD TV for almost 4 years now....so it is not a novelty to me anymore...I don't need to see HD every minute of the day.....UNLESS it is some darn good interesting programming or a movie. I simply could not find that on VOOM...the Cinema10's are simply a waste of bandwidth to this viewers opinion...and the other "exclusive's" hold nothing of interest to me. I subscribed to the Cinemax and Starz plus packs....never watched even one of their movies during this last 10 day subscription. Either the movies were not of my liking...or they were on in the wee hours of the night...or morning.

TIVO rules here for movie watching....and I have 10 movies stored on TIVO to yet watch for this week...all of them Drama...all of them R rated...all of them in Dolby Surround 5.1. I just bought my 8th HD TV set last week...a new Samsung 43" DLP and until I get the pre-ordered Hughes HD250 HD recorder in the middle of April...I can get by with SD views on that TV....and watch what I want to watch, when I want to watch.

I already have the full package of HD on DirecTV.....and due to my interests and viewing choices...I only lack the Cinemax and Starz of VOOM...I already have HDNet, HBO, and Showtime along with Discovery. I will not need the West feeds of either with the arriving HD TIVO recorder.

I was being charged 84 dollars a month by VOOM for my two plus packs, the exclusives and the lease rental....just took delivery of a new Samsung DVD player with DVI output.....and Blockbuster can rent me over 20 new films every month......Just Released films....for what VOOM was costing me.

And, like with TIVO...I can Pause.....I can rerun....I can schedule my own watching times and not be a slave to what is current playing.

And...my grandson with his bike....just loves to return the DVD's for 25 cents. Grin.




Gr8Reb8 said:
Mel,

I have enjoyed your posts on Yahoo. Being a "techie", I am willing to work with Voom on getting things resolved. My main gripe is their inability to understand that they are sending many "loosers" out to install this equipment and that makes them look bad.
They definately have issues with the receiver. It looks to me like they are attempting to buy time by scheduling "service-calls" to the ones that complain the most. What we most likely need is stable software for the Motorola box. Perhaps they outsourced development of this to some company in Inda and we are waiting for exchange rate updates....
 
My main gripe is their inability to understand that they are sending many "loosers" out to install this equipment and that makes them look bad.
The "losers" are the same people that install Dish Network and DirecTV. Unfortunately, with VOOM being new, most of these installers don't have experience with the service.

I was being charged 84 dollars a month by VOOM for my two plus packs, the exclusives and the lease rental....just took delivery of a new Samsung DVD player with DVI output
You can get all 4 plus packs for about $90 with rental, fyi.
 
Ken F said:
The "losers" are the same people that install Dish Network and DirecTV. Unfortunately, with VOOM being new, most of these installers don't have experience with the service.
I installed my own DirecTV dish and receiver back in 1995. When I moved in 97, I moved the dish and receiver myself. I later installed a new triple LNB dish so I could receive locals and prepare for HD. I installed the multiswitch myself. I installed my DirecTivo myself. Later I installed a new DirecTV HD receiver myself. I had one receiver die after two years. I purchased a new one and had it activated. The Directivo died after 3 months (lightning). Sony fixed it and altough I had to call DirecTV because serial numbers had changed, I never once called DirecTV because of any install or equipment issue. The last time I purchased a receiver (the HD receiver) was about 6 months ago. I was still allowed to connect it myself.
I agree that it is the same croud that install for D*, E* and V*. I prefer to do it myself if at all possible.
 
<<<You can get all 4 plus packs for about $90 with rental, fyi.

Yup, if you go Va va Voom.

But I already had HBO and Showtime...in NON pixelation mode and in dependable and watchable mode with no lockups....on DirecTV.

Never had a lockup....had some rain fades...over almost 10 years.

Staying with the one that brung me.







Ken F said:
The "losers" are the same people that install Dish Network and DirecTV. Unfortunately, with VOOM being new, most of these installers don't have experience with the service.

You can get all 4 plus packs for about $90 with rental, fyi.
 
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