Voom, Installs Inc. & Digital Entertainment Plus

uboatcmdr

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jan 4, 2005
297
0
Alabama
Here's the story (much like others posted here). I scheduled an installation (on Voom's website) for today 12-5pm. I got three emails from Installs Inc. of the last couple of weeks confirming the install. This morning the local installation office called me looking for their installer (twice). I let them know he was not scheduled to be here until afternoon. A short time later I got another call saying they wanted to re-schedule because they could not locate the installer and had no other equipment or installers to send out. I quickly let them know that there was no way possible I could or would re-schedule, it had to be today or never.
Just to let you know, I am a SBCA certified installer w/Directv. I like my DTV and have no plans to cancel my DTV account, I just didn't want to pay the $$$ for their HD receiver only to get 5-10 channels, so I figured I'd give Voom a shot, as predicted, they blew it. I pre-wired for the entire Voom installation, bolted a new mast to the house for the dish, all that needed to be done was mount the dish on the mast, align it, put the receiver inplace and make the call to activate, a simple 30 minute job tops.
After talking with the local bozos, I called Voom told them about it, they suggested I call Installs Inc. Now there is a top notch outfit, they can't figure out how to operate the telephone system much less manage a satellite installation company. I asked them if they could find another installer locally who could come today or even this evening and do the install, they said no that the company with the MIA installer had "my equipment" (what a load of BS I know that is). I informed them that I was an installer, my reasons for wanting to install Voom and asked if they could send me the equipment, their answer was, "no".
I called Voom again and told them to cancel. What a bunch of unorganized clueless clowns.
I work for one of the highest rated (in quality & customer satisfaction) HSP's (Home Service Providers) in the business and if our offices (locals or main) was run as poorly as these companies I'd be an Missing In Action as well (most likely I'd be out looking for a better company to work for).
With such crappy customer service & installtion departments Voom is destin to fail.
Oh well, I guess I'll just re-route the cables to my DTV system and put in another Tivo until DTV's HDTV stuff goes down in price and they add some more channels.
 
This also happened to me when I first signed up. My installer from Dig Ent Plus had been gone about an hour when a girl from Dig Connections(?) called to schedule my Voom Install. Overall I think its a poor communication system between voom , installs,inc., and the local Sub-contractors.

Btw, I live in Cullman, AL
 
Howaraj1013 said:
This also happened to me when I first signed up. My installer from Dig Ent Plus had been gone about an hour when a girl from Dig Connections(?) called to schedule my Voom Install. Overall I think its a poor communication system between voom , installs,inc., and the local Sub-contractors.

Btw, I live in Cullman, AL

Well I can assure you that Voom is going nowhere in this industry until they either fix their installation problems or atleast openly address the issue.
I really would have liked to have had the install done, I'm just not willing to give up another day of work (I average about $30 an hour as a DTV installer) to wait around for an unreliable installation company to either send someone to do the work or call again to reschedule.
The point that really chaps my rectum, is that I already did 98% of the work for these bozos and they can't even get their feces together enough to show up. What a waste.
 
Another Example:

I've had no signal since Thurs 12/30/04.
I called VOOM tech support Fri 12/31.
They said tech would be out on Mon 1/3/05 AM.
They never called or cancelled or showed.
I called back last night (45 min call), system was down.

I received email from installs ,inc today. Called DigEntPlus this afternoon to find out that their earliest slot is Fri 1/7 12 - 5pm.

No Voom now for at least a week. It could be more???
 
Howaraj1013 said:
Another Example:

I've had no signal since Thurs 12/30/04.
I called VOOM tech support Fri 12/31.
They said tech would be out on Mon 1/3/05 AM.
They never called or cancelled or showed.
I called back last night (45 min call), system was down.

I received email from installs ,inc today. Called DigEntPlus this afternoon to find out that their earliest slot is Fri 1/7 12 - 5pm.

No Voom now for at least a week. It could be more???

From what I understand, this pattern of no-shows / no-calls seems to be the norm for Voom, Installs Inc & Digital Entertainment Plus. I had been cruising this forum prior to placing my order and had the uncomfortable feeling that Voom was going to let me down, which of course they did.
It's really a shame that a company with such a large HDTV lineup can't get their act together. It's as if they put together the channel lineup and everything else was an minor afterthought (especial the customer's satisfaction).
 
Well I used to work for Installs Inc and let me tell you they hire anyone, no matter what. I am now in business for myself. If there is anyone in the Tampa bay area wanting Voom but not the hassles of dealing with Installs Inc send me an email to hqcommunications@tampabay.rr.com and I will set you up with Voom with out all the headaches. I strive for customer satisfaction. For all others out there I would suggest looking for a local Voom dealer. I am sure you would get better service!
 
Howaraj1013 said:
Another Example:

I've had no signal since Thurs 12/30/04.
I called VOOM tech support Fri 12/31.
They said tech would be out on Mon 1/3/05 AM.
They never called or cancelled or showed.
I called back last night (45 min call), system was down.

I received email from installs ,inc today. Called DigEntPlus this afternoon to find out that their earliest slot is Fri 1/7 12 - 5pm.

No Voom now for at least a week. It could be more???

Do you have access to your dish? Mine was working great till one day--no signal--so I looked up at my dish and it had blown off course. I got up there, realigned and tightened down all of the finger tight bolts the installer left and all is well. I knew it would take over a week for Voom to get someone here to fix it so I didnt even call them.
 
VegasVoomer said:
Do you have access to your dish? Mine was working great till one day--no signal--so I looked up at my dish and it had blown off course. I got up there, realigned and tightened down all of the finger tight bolts the installer left and all is well. I knew it would take over a week for Voom to get someone here to fix it so I didnt even call them.

I'm gonna check tomorrow. I usually have 95 or 96 ss. All the way down to zero?? I don't think we've had any high winds recently, but it's worth a shot.

Did you have to manually realign your dish(VegasVoomer)?
 
Well I had a little accident yesterday while doing an install, my ladder & I parted company and I broke my left ankle when I hit the ground. I actually managed to hobble around and finish the install before going to the doctor. Seeing how I will be stuck in the house for a few weeks I decided to give Voom another shot at installing a single receiver. If you read the original post you'll remember that everything is full wired and all they have to do is mount the dish, align it, put the receiver in place and activate it. Install is scheduled for the 19th 8-12am, I'll report back with any changes and the results I get.
 
uboatcmdr said:
Well I had a little accident yesterday while doing an install, my ladder & I parted company and I broke my left ankle when I hit the ground. I actually managed to hobble around and finish the install before going to the doctor. Seeing how I will be stuck in the house for a few weeks I decided to give Voom another shot at installing a single receiver. If you read the original post you'll remember that everything is full wired and all they have to do is mount the dish, align it, put the receiver in place and activate it. Install is scheduled for the 19th 8-12am, I'll report back with any changes and the results I get.


OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Yepp, that's a bad thing. Lucky your still alive. I go up about 20 feet to reach mine and have nothing but concrete directly below me. I had an escape plan though. I thought to myself if I start to fall, try to make a leap for the pool. But it's behind me so I'd probably hit the edge instead of the water. Anyway, I did have to manually realign the dish. I turned the volume on the tv up on the installation/dish align menu and moved the dish around till I could hear the steady tone and locked it down on a 98 signal. Been fine since. I kinda feel guilty and at the same time lucky that I have no problems whatsoever with Voom. No lock-ups, no more lost signal and all but one local and great picture quality on all channels. Gonna retry my caller ID tonight.
 
Sean Mota said:
uboatcmdr,

that is a scary feeling... get better...

Falling off a ladder is no fun I can assure you that, hurts like H*ll too. I'm going to the specialist this morning to get the ankle examined further. I've seen the x-rays the first doctor took and there is a bone chip floating around in the joint, the specialist will determine if it has to come out or not and how long I'll be laid up. I'm just glad I work for a company that has workman's comp and offers additional disability insurance (which I opt'ed to take). Most install companies hire you as an independant contractor and give you no benefits.
 
Howaraj1013 said:
Another Example:

I've had no signal since Thurs 12/30/04.
I called VOOM tech support Fri 12/31.
They said tech would be out on Mon 1/3/05 AM.
They never called or cancelled or showed.
I called back last night (45 min call), system was down.

I received email from installs ,inc today. Called DigEntPlus this afternoon to find out that their earliest slot is Fri 1/7 12 - 5pm.

No Voom now for at least a week. It could be more???

UPDATE
The Tech and I found a bad diplexer (burned). And he replaced my receiver.
 
ram1220 said:
I hope you get better soon. I broke my right ankle 5 years ago and it still gives me trouble.

Well the official word from the specialist is that the ankle isn't broken, but it is sprained bad enough to require I wear a cast (a hard type, not the removable soft type) for atleast three weeks. After the cast comes off he still says I cannot climb ladders for another three weeks, which means I am out of the game for about six weeks total. Thank God for workman's comp & my disability insurance.
 
Howaraj1013 said:
UPDATE
The Tech and I found a bad diplexer (burned). And he replaced my receiver.

If the DigEntPlus installer actually makes it out here for the install appointment next Wed, he will find that I have the system pre-wired with two wires so he will not have any reason to use diplexers.
The company I work for has the policy that whenever a tech does a DTV HD install or upgrade with OTA antenna, they must run an extra wire for the OTA antenna. Eventhough the OTA antennas we use come with diplexers and the instruction say they can be used, we found out very early (on the first couple of installs) that they just caused problems.
If I were you, I would run a second wire from the antenna to the receiver (if possible) and throw the diplexers away.
 
Well here is the update. I got a call this morning from Installs Inc. saying the installer would be here this morning around 11 (I didn't question why he was coming today instead of Wed morning as scheduled through Voom website, I was just thankful it could be done earlier).
It is now 1:15 and the installer hasn't shown up. His office (In2Tv, not DigEntPlus who was originally assigned the job a couple of weeks ago) called and said the installer was having some problems and was running terribly late (hmmm, sounds familiar). The caller said the installer had lost a couple of reveivers off his truck while driving down the road (is this the kind of bozo Voom want's representing them in the field?) and had to go back to try and find them. I told her that was fine, I would be here all day and to let the installer know my installation shouldn't take much time at all as everything is fully pre-wired. She then said, "you know that Voom does not guarantee the off-air to work." I told her that there should be no problem getting a signal if the antenna were any account. I got a feeling they are either planning to try and jack me out of some cash for an upgraded antenna or they are just too incompentent to do the job correctly. Guess I'll find out which it is when and if the guy shows up.
 
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