Self Installation - how would you vote?

Sean Mota

SatelliteGuys Master
Original poster
Supporting Founder
Sep 8, 2003
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New York City
VOOM has addressed a lot of policies such as the Lease Program. Yet, we are going to our six months and yet no self-installation policy.
 
I voted for the first two options. I'd like to see purchasers be able to choose between having the free installation done by a contractor, or doing it themselves.

Picking up additional boxes and doing a self-installation seems like it should be allowed, and the current $199 fee is too much.
 
Of course they should! Yes to all except #3
Just take a look at some of the install horror stories, techs without ladders, yesterday there was another post the "installer" had no signal meter and showed up in a car with his wife and kids!!!! Not to mention License SBCA........
Many of VoOms customers know more about the system than the best installer, its a mistake to make them wait for some "slap" to show up! Of course we hear mostly about the bad installs, there are thousands of very happy customers, but I think customers should be able to install their VoOM system if preferred!
 
Sounds about as bad as the guy they sent out to my house. The first words out of his mouth after he got there 2.5 hours late were "I hope you don't expect to actually get your locals." I couldn't believe that. Then he didn't have a signal map for my area to tell him where the towers were (Had to get him one off antennaweb), then he didn't have a compass to figure out where he was pointing the antenna in the first place.

I ended up with my antenna pointing the wrong direction and a signal strength of 20. I was furious when he left, I'm in the middle of farmland within 15 miles of the towers. There's no excuse for not having those locals.

Now, I'm going away on vacation for two weeks, and when I get back I have to call VOOM to get them to send a guy out to fix it. I talked to them today, and they said they'd have no problem getting someone out there who could do it right. At least the CSR's I've talked to at 1-800-GET-VOOM have been very nice and knowlegable.
 
I would not worry too much about it they will get it right in the end, VoOM is going above and beyond the call of duty to keep customers and maintaining the quality, no compass is beyond a joke, its an insult, its like a chef without a knife! Good Luck!
 
From the view of sat service corporations such as Voom, they are going to have a higher install success rate working with installers than allowing the end consumer install it. Many of us here have past experience with installs and can pull it off, but many folks who may think thec, can't. I can just imagine some of the nightmare calls Voom would get trying to help joe blow through his incompetence. I realize that some of the installers may be no better - but in general I think that the installers are much more qualified and have installed many more systems than you or I.

So - they have to choose between paying installers, or allowing end consumers to install and therefore have to hand hold many of them over the phone. With installers, at least they only have to deal with one person if there are problematic installers (Joe Harkins). With self-installers they have to deal with each one on an individual basis. Lastly, Voom may face more lawsuits with self installers - if joe blow electrocutes himself or falls off the roof he may sue Voom even if he may lose. Professional installers are bonded and insured. So - it's a trade between cost and risk - risk of lawsuit, risk of losing a customer because they can't install properly, etc. Tough decision.

Maybe we would have fewer problems with professional installers if they provided them with more up-to-date information.
 
I installed the whole thing myself,when the installer showed up he called voom while I connected the receiver. I have a signal of 97. He said it was the sweetest install he ever done. Gone in 35 minutes.
I don't see a problem with customers adding additional receivers,if they are inclined to do so.
 
Now that I have had voom for 2 months I would get another reciver for the upstairs if they would let me put it in myself , the wife wants to have voom upstairs she loves Monster HD but I am not paying $199 for it. They need to change this (soon) should we start some kind of ( Petition ) and then have someone give or send it to Wilt over at Yahoo ? Just a suggestion
 
As long as Voom is offering the lease option I don't see them allowing anyone, licensed or not, to do a self-install. They can't control whether or not their box is installed correctly. Not that they actually can now though.
 
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