Why Would an Installer Do This?

[raoul5788]

Hmmm. Was it the same guy as the first time? I ask because now he says they can't get swm equipment, but never installed a second line the first visit. How do they normally install a dvr then? This smells really bad to me. Maybe Stonecold can help you out.

 

[n4uaj]

Well part of the mystery has been solved. For some reason her address showed up on Directv as in a MDU which we now know is like an apartment. Primestar serves those type installations. After talking to Directv today she found out that she should have never been serviced by Primestar to begin with so within the next 2 to 5 business days a sure enuff directv feller is gonna come and do it up right. The problem stemmed from her address ending in a lot # that got translated as "unit #" as if it were an apartment. Still looks to me like the installer would see no one was gonna share that dish. So evidently people in apartments cant have mrv and swm if they share a dish? We hope that since Dtv gotta come back out that the original bunch may find their pay cut a little.

 

[n4uaj]

No not the same guy..instead of a beat up pickup with a ladderrack this was a rusted Yukon..I still dont understand why he didnt install the second line because there was one right beside it that used to go to her cable modem. That is the line he used for the second tuner today.

 

[stonecold]

It depends on the Sysop of the MDU some MDUs do use swim and mrv, but again in a mdu situation we do not order anything directly everything must go through the sysop .

Yeah Lot, Unit, apt, suite all get cramed as one line .

Well lets get some one out there and get it done right. If she not part of the mdu we shold be able to get the right people out with the right gear.

 

[SA Holly Springs GA]

No not the same guy..instead of a beat up pickup with a ladderrack this was a rusted Yukon..I still dont understand why he didnt install the second line because there was one right beside it that used to go to her cable modem. That is the line he used for the second tuner today.

Whats your city, state?

 

[odom1957]

i want to start by saying "everything you all are saying is the very reason why I hate contractors." As an install tech for directv, I do not like having to go behind contractors on NC Rollbacks. the entire install was wrong from the get go. first, MRV will only work on swim. Second, internet connectivity will only work on swim. It is possible to activate an HDDVR with one line on a conventional system. this is done because so many people are taking their HDDVRs from their homes and putting them in their RVs, but dont want to carry a bulky hd dish. nor do they want to run a second line through the window just to get the thing to work. If I were the customer, I would call directv and tell them that if a directv employee doesn't show up to install a swm lnb on the dish and install the internet kit for on demand, then I have a good place to put the dish. This is a problem that us in the southeast division have been working diligently to resolve. our office fired 5 contractor companies this summer alone, and have fired numbers of individuals for doing installs like that. I am sorry for your problems and hope you do not create a false impression of us as a company. I can only say that the world is full of imperfections and Directv is not immune from them.

 

[n4uaj]

Around Charlotte NC "home of rasslin and racin"

Whats your city, state?

 

[n4uaj]

i want to start by saying "everything you all are saying is the very reason why I hate contractors." As an install tech for directv, I do not like having to go behind contractors on NC Rollbacks. the entire install was wrong from the get go. first, MRV will only work on swim. Second, internet connectivity will only work on swim. It is possible to activate an HDDVR with one line on a conventional system. this is done because so many people are taking their HDDVRs from their homes and putting them in their RVs, but dont want to carry a bulky hd dish. nor do they want to run a second line through the window just to get the thing to work. If I were the customer, I would call directv and tell them that if a directv employee doesn't show up to install a swm lnb on the dish and install the internet kit for on demand, then I have a good place to put the dish. This is a problem that us in the southeast division have been working diligently to resolve. our office fired 5 contractor companies this summer alone, and have fired numbers of individuals for doing installs like that. I am sorry for your problems and hope you do not create a false impression of us as a company. I can only say that the world is full of imperfections and Directv is not immune from them.

Yea aint nobody here mad at Directv at all. She says Directv will be over in 2 to 5 business days to correct the problems. She told me today she has had nothing but good experiences talking with the CSRs at Directv they have been very helpful and apologetic. Once they got the MDU thing figured out everything seemed to fall in place. We just didnt know at the time of her ordering exactly what they meant by her being in an MDU area not directly serviced by DTV. I had just thought maybe some kind of crazy territorial rights or something. I have had DTV since 2001 and have had only one bad install experience but it was taken care of in less than 2 days. Just really a couple of bad crimps on the coax.

 

[raoul5788]

Glad to hear you will get it straighten out. Keep us in the loop!

 

[stonecold]

If you need anything I am here. But it sounds like it is under control.

 

[n4uaj]

I appreciate it Stonecold. Your posts give me greater insight lots of times on how things work.

 

[SA Holly Springs GA]

I appreciate it Stonecold. Your posts give me greater insight lots of times on how things work.

Any updates yet? I'll be in NC this morning and I might get a minute if you need a hand.

 

[n4uaj]

Well she did run into some issues with a CSR on whether or not she is still in an MDU area. Her neighborhood consists of mostly double wide manufactured housing and that particular CSR told her that was the same as an apartment or condo situation. She is a single mom with a nursing job so this week with her hours she hasnt had time to get back and argue some more..The issue she actually called them back about that day was the fact that the "HD for life" was not showing on her statement..This is a strange runaround here..DTV says that the promo has to be done at activation even though she specifically ordered it on the original order..The contractor that did the activation supposedly has nothing to do with any promotions of that kind. So I told her just to try and get the 24 month deal like I got as an existing customer but she was told she couldnt qualify for that since she is a new customer. I dont think the 10 bucks a month will be a dealbreaker but still it seems like if she ordered it then it shouldnt matter who activated the system especially since they activated it wrong to begin with. She is off this weekend so I can imagine her spending some time on the phone trying to straighten the mess out. I told her we could probably get the MRV done with unsupported ethernet if this doesnt work out but with her it is the principle of the thing that if MRV as ordered was not available then why wasnt that made clear to her from the beginning.

 

[SA Holly Springs GA]

Well she did run into some issues with a CSR on whether or not she is still in an MDU area. Her neighborhood consists of mostly double wide manufactured housing and that particular CSR told her that was the same as an apartment or condo situation. She is a single mom with a nursing job so this week with her hours she hasnt had time to get back and argue some more..The issue she actually called them back about that day was the fact that the "HD for life" was not showing on her statement..This is a strange runaround here..DTV says that the promo has to be done at activation even though she specifically ordered it on the original order..The contractor that did the activation supposedly has nothing to do with any promotions of that kind. So I told her just to try and get the 24 month deal like I got as an existing customer but she was told she couldnt qualify for that since she is a new customer. I dont think the 10 bucks a month will be a dealbreaker but still it seems like if she ordered it then it shouldnt matter who activated the system especially since they activated it wrong to begin with. She is off this weekend so I can imagine her spending some time on the phone trying to straighten the mess out. I told her we could probably get the MRV done with unsupported ethernet if this doesnt work out but with her it is the principle of the thing that if MRV as ordered was not available then why wasnt that made clear to her from the beginning.

Ya it definitely doesn't matter who installs cause the promos are D* promos. If it was the $100 referral or service call price then the contractor can make it what he wants but no one can mess with programming pricing except D.

The free HD for life. Did she sign up for auto bill pay?

 

[n4uaj]

That seems to be the catch..she was told you have to sign up for autopay at activation NOT when placing original order...she had every intention of doing autopay mainly to get this promo. I dont believe she was told this when making the original order..she assumed that she was ready for autopay when she ordered it. She says she sees the referral credit on her statement although I havent seen it on mine yet.

 

[n4uaj]

Well she got nowhere with the HD for Life since the contractor didnt mention it at activation. Good news is they are supposedly coming back soon to install SWM and MRV soon. For whatever reason there was a breakdown in communication from the original order to the work order the installer had.

 

[raoul5788]

Did she sign up for auto pay? That's the qualifier.

 

[n4uaj]

At the time of the original order she didnt. She was told to do it at activation...contractor said he could not do that all he does is activate the boxes..Sooo since it wasnt done at activation she cant get it. And she cant get the same existing customer 24 month deal I got because she is a "new" customer..I guess it is a catch22 type situation. I told her at least she got all her other promos and the referral seems to have kicked in since I got an email about that over the weekend.

 

[raoul5788]

At the time of the original order she didnt. She was told to do it at activation...contractor said he could not do that all he does is activate the boxes..Sooo since it wasnt done at activation she cant get it. And she cant get the same existing customer 24 month deal I got because she is a "new" customer..I guess it is a catch22 type situation. I told her at least she got all her other promos and the referral seems to have kicked in since I got an email about that over the weekend.

There is a link on the Directv website to email the office of the president with issues like this. I would try that.

 

[Liquidforce88]

Ok I might know what is going on.

There is a company that takes care of alot of these manufactured housing developments. They setup a tower that does broadband and phones for the whole complex, and then install Directv for video services. They only install non SWM equipment, when I looked at working for them.

So that is probably why she is considered an MDU. Also why she is getting such crap installers. I sniffed them out pretty quick that it was dealing with a bunch of idiots. Plus they pay for crap, so all they can get to work for them is the hacks.

I hope things work out for you.