Switched to Dish on 7/4 already want to go back. Info needed pls

[Ronnie-]

I

And are you an installer how did you know the install should only taken 1 hr? do u know that just installing some of dish's recievers can take a hr just to d/l, activate, and program?

Yeah, many installs take much longer than an hour. The time frame complaint does not seem valid to me in MOST cases, but then again, we do not know exactly what the OP was having done

 

[MikeinBaja]

Get a statement from your AC guy who did the repair. Installers/subs are required to carry general liability insurance for the damage that they cause to your property.

Drop a note to the firm who your installer workes for (with copy to DN corporate) advising you are filing a claim for the damage caused to your home. Include the AC guy's statement and a copy of the bill.

If they don't respond - file in small claims court. Small filing fee which you get back from them as part of the judgement if you win.

No excuse at all for a crap install like that - don't care what day it is.

 

[SteveTJ]

I completely agree that the installer should have had the day off but it's his employer (or Dish) who feels it is necessary to work 7 days a week. That said, the installer should do the same quality work he/she would do any other day of the week.

I agree, its not right to do a hack job just because its a holiday. But do you really expect someone to do their best work when they are just rushing to get done so hopefully they can spend a few hours with friends and family at the end of the day? Like I said, there's nothing wrong with working holidays to help restore customers who are having problems, or are without service. But it is wrong to expect a full install that could probably take over half a day in some cases. The way things are going in this country, holidays will probably soon disappear because they are not productive days with people at work.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

I was doing installs for Direct via another HSP last christmas, and thanksgiving, but after moving and switching HSPs My contracting office refused all jobs on the 4th. Im not sure whether inhouse worked or not though.

 

[Tirade]

Couple of updates...

The install company sent a manager out today and he took pictures of the AC wiring dmg and agreed that it was probably caused by the tech. Im supposed to fax over the AC bill on Friday when the claims person is back in the office.

They also sent out another installer to check the signal/issue and it turns out that the first installer didnt replace the coax connectors with hi-frequency (3mghz vs 1mghz) ones (blue vs clear inside the connector). He said that he noticed my signal was flucuating rapidly and its probable that during rain it was having issues when the signal went into the higher frequencies (dont ask me just repeating what was said). After swapping them out the signal did indeed stabilize.

On a side note, the install date was picked by them. They told me the first available install date was July 4th and since it was a day I had off I said "ok". The installer told me he liked working holidays because he gets paid by the job and can get more jobs done during holidays. he said Christmas time was his busiest season and he usually worked 18 hours a day during Christmas.

I was indeed home when the install was being done but when he finished we went over to the neighbors for a 4th cookout/party and returned home that evening to find the house hot and the AC not working. The AC guy who fixed it said the wire had been ripped out of the return and it was likely that it had been stepped on or tripped over by the installer.

The reason I say the install should have been short is because I pre-wired the house when it was being built. I had 3 runs of RG6 to every room for DirecTV (1 for ota, 1 for tivo, 1 for live) so it was a matter of mounting the dish and hooking up the cables (they all terminated in a panel in the garage so access was easy). The catch was that he needed to ground directly to the house ground so he had to run some wires from the dish location to ground (hence why he had to make a trip to the attic). After trying for an hour to get everything to work he couldnt figure out why there was no signal and he discovered that he had not hooked the cables to the grounding block he had installed.

The installer himself was fantastic in that he was professional and seemed competent. I dont assume he intentionally ripped out the wire or that he even knew that it happened. He explained everything and took the time to make the install look good. Thus far the install company is trying to make things right, all I can do is report back what happens in a few days.

 

[JonUrban]

the first installer didnt replace the coax connectors with hi-frequency (3mghz vs 1mghz)

Can someone fill me in on this detail? I am totally unaware of a different type of coax connector. I mean, what does a connector have to do with frequency? Isn't it just a way to get the cable connected to the device. The center conductor still connects directly to the device, no matter what type of connector is used. The shield is really the only thing that comes in contact with the connector.....

CONFUSED!

THANKS

 

[Ronnie-]

I agree, its not right to do a hack job just because its a holiday. But do you really expect someone to do their best work when they are just rushing to get done so hopefully they can spend a few hours with friends and family at the end of the day? Like I said, there's nothing wrong with working holidays to help restore customers who are having problems, or are without service. But it is wrong to expect a full install that could probably take over half a day in some cases. The way things are going in this country, holidays will probably soon disappear because they are not productive days with people at work.

Yes, I do expect to get their best work when I am paying the company they work for, no matter what day it is. If they can not provide that, then they should not be there, or I should go elsewhere.
Granted, I know this does not happen in many cases.. People (workers) are lazy in alot of cases, but it should not change what we expect or should get, and it does not excuse a shoddy install. He (the OP) is, or will be, paying for it. The day it is done SHOULD not matter. He deserves the same quality on any day.

 

[rich88]

Can someone fill me in on this detail? I am totally unaware of a different type of coax connector. I mean, what does a connector have to do with frequency? Isn't it just a way to get the cable connected to the device. The center conductor still connects directly to the device, no matter what type of connector is used. The shield is really the only thing that comes in contact with the connector.....

CONFUSED!

THANKS

He meant the "barrels" (the piece that the connectors are screwed onto). The line running from the receiver all the way back to the dish should have the "blue" barrels in it. The wall plate (if applicable) should have a blue barrel in it. The ground block should have blue barrels.

For Dish Network, the TV2 line doesn't require a blue barrel.

 

[Ronnie-]

Glad to hear that they are working with you (the OP).

Sounds like the installer did not intentionally do a bad install, and there may have been other factors involved.
Hope it all gets worked out:up

 

[am7crew]

so your leaving a company because the installer messed up something? I can understand but keep in mind these guys are mainly 3rd party contractors. It could have happened with anything being installed in your house.

 

[Tirade]

so your leaving a company because the installer messed up something? I can understand but keep in mind these guys are mainly 3rd party contractors. It could have happened with anything being installed in your house.

The issue wasnt the install, it was the quality of service (both customer and signal).

To answer someone elses question, yes Ive had HD for the last few years and no with DirecTV I never got rain fade even during really bad storms.

The issue is that my signal was dropping during light showers and Dish blew me off as this being something that happens rather than that something might be wrong. The other issue is that during the install my AC unit was damaged and Dish seemed uninterested in rectifying the issue and did not call me back the day they said they would so I had to once again start making phone calls.

The saving grace here is the installation contractor who is trying to make things right. While they might not be Dish, they represent Dish so this is a Dish issue. As the customer, I didnt get to pick who did my install so it is not and should not be my responsibility to contact a 3rd party when I have a problem (whether its via an install or the service). Dish takes my money so Dish needs to handle the problem.

When we built our house we did everything through the builder. If there was an issue the builder handled it. He didnt blow us off and he didnt tell us it wasnt his problem, call the plumber, electrician, etc. he was taking a cut of the money to manage the project so it was his job to make sure things went smoothly. I expect the same from Dish.

 

[vash1090]

I'm with Shaggy, I had to work on the 4th too. Unfortunately, what I tell people is, "It's all about who installed it." Hate to say it, but some people just don't get as much training or catch on as fast. Depending on which receivers you got, all but the most basic receivers take at least 20 min to download, possibly another 10-20 for activation, and attics aren't any fun either. You got stuck in a bad spot, but just try to stay calm and it should be worked out quicker.

 

[dishcomm]

Picture this... its July 4th, you live in AL, its 95 degrees outside and youre getting Dish installed.

Big Problems:

1. While he stomped around in my attic and was climbing over my air return back and forth he apparently stepped on the wires going from the control box to the return and yanked them out of the return. This was only discovered 4 hours later when coming home from a cookout the house was 91 inside and the air didnt work. I had to call an air guy to come out for a holiday emergency after hours service call.

2. LUCKILY I have not cancelled DirecTV because it has rained the last 3 days and even with just a sprinkle we are losing some of our stations (ironically the Weather channel is one of them). With 5 years of DTV Ive had rain fade ONCE.


Minor Problems:

1. He refused to use the Directv TV mount I had (although it was much sturdier than the Dish one). 4 new holes in my roof and leaving me to come back later and patch all of the old holes from where he removed the DTV mount. Of course as I mentioned its rained the last 3 days and we now have water in the attic of a 2 year old house.

2. What should have been a 1 hour install took 3 because it took him an hour to realize he had not connected the cables to the dish before he came down (honest mistake I know). Due to removing all of the old DTV stuff though Ive now got to pay DTV for a service call to reinstall everything.


Not only did this happen but I immediately called the install # to which they said the local office was closed and they would email them to call me Monday, but after being transferred 5 times by Dish I was told Id receive a call Monday and I never heard from anyone. Ill be damned if they arent covering the cost of this AC service call.

So despite the fact that Im fired up my wife wants me to calm down and consider keeping Dish. First things first Ive got to deal with this rain fade BS.

I assume I am eastern arc because the test only shows signal on 61.5, 72 and 77. Im not sure why the instaler choose transponder 13 to do his testing but Im sitting at:

61.5 = 82
72 = 58
77 = 58

Its clear as a bell outside right now for these readings. Im not sure if they are good or not because of Dish's cryptic signal meter scale. If I try to check the details it only shows information for 110,119 and 129 which of course are all 0.

Can anyone shed some light here on these signal #'s ? and can anyone offer advice on getting this AC service call reimbursed? Claude is who I went through for the order, it might be worth contacting him to see what he can do. I dunno.

Definately not happy ATM.

You have an Eastern Arc dish installed. the three sats are 61.5, 72.7 and 77 degree slots. You will NOT see 110/119/129.. Your dish is NOT pointed at those birds.
The signals you are receiving are normal. Not optimum, but normal.
The A/C wire.
Think this through. You have a person tromping around your attic. It is 95 dgrees outside. That means that the temp inside the attic is roughly 30 to 40 degrees higher inside the attic. Please be considerate of this fact.
The removal of the old dish was done as a COURTESY. We are NOT responsible for removing ANY old hardware. The use of the existing mount was not possible as DTV uses a larger mast than Dish. The tech did the proper thing by using the proper mast
Now, the tech MAY have stepped on the the wire in question. Good chance that wire was buried in insulation. That is not negligence. If the tech did disconect it , it was an Accident. We all should realize that there is a big differnce between negligence and accidents.
I am in your corner with the less than encouraging experience. But please remeber we installers are not robots nor are we the "hired help". m
Lastly. Unless you are an installer or have been one at one time, you do not know the duration of any satellite install.

 

[chainblu]

As an installer, I think the OP has every right to expect Dish or the installation company to cover the damage to his AC. It's a Damage Claim and it's going to happen when installers go in attics or dig holes or drill through walls. I doubt there's an installer here who hasn't f--ed something up at least once. My claim to fame is when I clipped some phone lines running to a customers outbuilding. I had no idea there was even a phone in the outbuilding until hours later when the customer called my cell phone wanting to know what to do.

Some other thoughts I had: Why are there only 4 new holes in your roof? Where I work, we have to use 6 bolts in the foot plate, then one for each strut. (He did install struts, didn't he?) So if I had been your installer, you would now have 8 new holes in your roof. We are also NOT permitted to remove any existing footplates, so I don't know why he did that.

As for the 1 hour install. It takes me close to an hour to assemble a Dish 1000.4,then mount it to a roof (using struts) properly sealed and running the lines to the ground block. It takes another 20+ minutes to setup-hook up-download and activate a new receiver now-a-days, so the 1 hr install days are pretty much over.

As far as rain fade, keep in mind that it's the cloud that rain came from that's causing loss of signal. My personal setup involves 3 dishes (one for each Sat), my signals are in the solid 80's. On more than one occasion I've had total loss of signal before the 1st drop of rain hit my house.

I hope everything works out whether you stick it out with Dish or go back to Direct

 

[Awohar]

This is why attic work IS (and should be) considered custom work. The bid for custom work should include factoring in the occasional claim that may arise from work-related accidents resulting from working in a hazardous area in hazardous temps that often have inadequate lighting. although it doesn't seem to be dish's policy, attic work should cost $60+ an hour.

 

[dishcomm]

Get a statement from your AC guy who did the repair. Installers/subs are required to carry general liability insurance for the damage that they cause to your property.

Drop a note to the firm who your installer workes for (with copy to DN corporate) advising you are filing a claim for the damage caused to your home. Include the AC guy's statement and a copy of the bill.

If they don't respond - file in small claims court. Small filing fee which you get back from them as part of the judgement if you win.

No excuse at all for a crap install like that - don't care what day it is.

The suit is nonsense. The suit must PROVE based on the preponderance of evidence that the tech was NEGLIGENT.
Accidents are NOT negligence.
In this case, the homeowener would have a very difficult time PROVING thetech was negligent because A) the customer was not present and did not witness the accident. The customer did not discover the problem until well after the tech had left. That leaves credibility issues. The judge can look unfavorably upon the plaintiff because he is angry with the job the technician did. That does not help the plaintiff's case.

Bottom line, the courts are not a lottery terminal for the general public.

 

[dishcomm]

This is why attic work IS (and should be) considered custom work. The bid for custom work should include factoring in the occasional claim that may arise from work-related accidents resulting from working in a hazardous area in hazardous temps that often have inadequate lighting. although it doesn't seem to be dish's policy, attic work should cost $60+ an hour.

that and lots of other stuff we do should be paid as custom work.
But that is for another thread.

 

[Koilvr]

You have an Eastern Arc dish installed. the three sats are 61.5, 72.7 and 77 degree slots. You will NOT see 110/119/129.. Your dish is NOT pointed at those birds.
The signals you are receiving are normal. Not optimum, but normal.
The A/C wire.
Think this through. You have a person tromping around your attic. It is 95 dgrees outside. That means that the temp inside the attic is roughly 30 to 40 degrees higher inside the attic. Please be considerate of this fact.
The removal of the old dish was done as a COURTESY. We are NOT responsible for removing ANY old hardware. The use of the existing mount was not possible as DTV uses a larger mast than Dish. The tech did the proper thing by using the proper mast
Now, the tech MAY have stepped on the the wire in question. Good chance that wire was buried in insulation. That is not negligence. If the tech did disconect it , it was an Accident. We all should realize that there is a big differnce between negligence and accidents.
I am in your corner with the less than encouraging experience. But please remeber we installers are not robots nor are we the "hired help". m
Lastly. Unless you are an installer or have been one at one time, you do not know the duration of any satellite install.

Good Job comming late to this party. Just like an installer!

 

[DishSubLA]

Why in the hell would would you make someone come out to do an install on a major holiday such as the 4th of July? Seriously, what has this world come to! Now I can understand having someone come out for a trouble call. After all, if you are paying for service that you aren't getting, it should be repaired as soon as possible. And most trouble calls can be completed in much less time. But making someone come to do a new install on the 4th is just plain disrespectful in my opinion. God forbid anyone get time off to enjoy a holiday anymore. No one ever stops to think that the guy coming to your house might have a family that he should be with instead. You brought this trouble upon yourself.

Some people like working holidays and really need the extra day's wages.

 

[DishSubLA]

The original installer was incompetent, just as he is on any other day of the week, holiday or not. If they had sent someone who knew what he was doing, there would not have been any problems. COMPETENT installers can still do a good job even on the 4th of July and under pressure. Not your fault in the least, OP.