Wow! and they say Dishnet installers are bad! YIKES!

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iceshark

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
May 10, 2004
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Pacific Northwest
Okay, I have been a customer of Dishnet for 10 years or so. I have had multiple upgrades and service calls and never had a no show or issue. I am aware that I might the expection not the rule. But now I have decieded to give up on waiting for the NFL and got Direct tv. Now the horror story begins!

I bought my system thru Costco. Costco sells at a Kiosk in the stores. The day I went the Kiosk was unmanned (the kiosks in Wash are run by a third party cell phone company backed by all Costco customer service and warretys) I picked up the phone there and ordered the special for 69.00 NFL ticket and ordered one free DVR and paid on phone for 99.00 HD receiver. The install was setup for today Sunday 8-5-07. Now the horror!

1. On Thursday I called Directv at approx 5pm PDT to inquire about switching to a HDdvr and paying differance of 199.00 The csr was extremely nice and while helping me kind of hesitated and said, Mr. XXXXX I am sorry it looks like your installation was cancelled! WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ask why. He says, It appears you have a balance owed from 1997 for $35.00

I say, yes I had dtv back in 1997 and closed account and went to dish. I said I did not have a balance owed. He researches and says it was for not returning equiptment in a warrenty exchange. I say I owned my box back then and did not ever have a problem with it. He sends me to the collection dept and they were extremelly rude. They would not get a supervisor and refused to budge on waiving a mistake by them. She said I had to dispute it by mail. I just gave in a paid it. I was mad but a beaten man. My wife said just cancel and stay with dish. I had gone this far and really want to see my hometown football team more then a couple times a year.

So they transfer me back to installations and luckily they still had my work order open and were able to get me the install on same day I had.

2. I come home on Friday and went to me email. It had a welcome email from DTV. I thought thats cool! So I signed up for the DTV webpage and clicked on YOUR INSTALLATION" What do I see but INSTALLATION CANCELLED! So I get on phone and after hour on hold they say it was a system error and I am back on for Sunday installation. I was assured there would be no other issue.


3. That lasted a day! Yesterday I am working in the yard and my cell rings. I dont know the number so I let it go to voice mail. I then called my voicemail. Its a either very tired CSR or drunk CSR (she sounded very out of it) She procedes to let me know they are out of HD recievers and will have to reschedule for next week.

I AM FLAMING MAD at this point and call her right back. I polietly told her that that was unacceptable as I was assured install was to me made on time by excalation team but a day ago. She tries to tell me the truck broke down and they wont have recievers for a week.

I say, Funny but I was just at Costco where I bought my system thru and they have stacks of HD recievers. I tell her I will go buy a HD reciever and they better show up to install it along with the DVR from them. She says, Well umm Ok we can do that but you need to call DTV and let them know so you get a refund on the reciver you paid for on the phone that we were scheduled to put in. I again asked will you be here tomorrow. She said yes.

My next call was to DTV excalations dept. A very nice supervisor told me that since I bought reciever from phone thru Cosco (DIRECTV) that she could not refund in and I would have to deal with Costco for refund. She said also that if I go buy reciever the installer will only install the DVR and I would have to hook up the HD receiver. I say but I am buying it from where I bought system from.So on one hand your telling me Costco is resposible for refund
but buying the reciver in Costco can not be installed without another work order. She says she will call installer and puts me on hold.

She comes back and says the installation company (Iron works ?) has agreed to install both recievers so I am good to go there. She says she will give me a 99.00 programming credit for my trouble as she cant figure out who could give me a refund on the receiver they are out of that I am having to buy at costco. She assured me they would be out Sunday as scheduled. She even reads the notes she has made on account. I am feeling much better as she was very nice. However I am concerned about the reciever.


I then go to Costco and meet with the manager and the kiosk operator and tell them my story. They are very concerned and the Kiosk operator under direction from Costco calls Direct and asks for my refund. The CSR from DTV says I got a $99.00 credit so I can not have a refund. We tell her to cancel the credit and refund me. She says she cant reverse the credit as it was done by Direct direct and she is a third party. The Costco Manager is getting even more mad then me. He orders her to refund me. She refused.

So I bought the HD receiver, funny as it was only $84.95 and cheaper then on the phone or online. The Costco manager assured me he would have his contacts make this a big deal with them on Monday. We shall see.

So know I am into it for another paid reciever and still an excited about SUndays install.


Now to Sunday TODAY!

My install is set for 12-5pm. It hits 12 and my cell rings. I answer and its IRON installs. The dispatcher is calling to confirm my installation for MONDAY!!!! I very politely say, my install is today and has been gauranteed by the manager of DTV escalations dept. He says they cant install as they dont have the HD reciever. DUHHHH!!!! I say, Well dont you have your notes. He says he had not looked at them. DOUBLE DUHHHHH! I say I bought HD reciever and its here waiting for the install TODAY! He says his installers are already scheduled out. I say I was scheduled before the others and I will call DTV manager NOW! He says dont do that he will call right back.

He calls back and says his installer will squeeze me in today. WOW! DONT DO ME ANY FAVORS!

I say, I already have my rg-6 drops and the install will only take as long as it takes to peak dish and screw on connectors. I dont need a tutorial. He says his installer will be very happy to hear that!

So there you have it. What a nightmare!

Lets see how it goes when he shows up.

These guys dont expect tips do they!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???
 
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Don't be mad at the guy who actually comes to do your install. Not a bit of this has anything to do with him. I know you're frustrated, but he doesn't work for Directv, he doesn't handle scheduling, and he won't know anything about this mess until he gets to your house and hears your frustration. Please don't take it out on him.
 
You should have just stayed with Dish rather than pay those SOBs 35 bucks that they didnt have coming to them. Oh you owe me 50. Pay up.
 
This sounds more like problems with Directv than the installers. Can't be sure whether Directv paperwork given to the installer had an install date for Sunday or Monday.

You might go into your install giving the installer(s) the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes. I am hoping they show up and it goes well for you!

We have had (and are keeping) DishNetwork here at our house for years but I had to go for the Sunday Ticket deal and am having Directv HR-20 installed just for myself. I have an install scheduled for late this month, by my choosing. I am hoping the install and total Directv experience goes well for myself as well.

Will be interested to here how your install goes.

Since I will be getting Directv I have been trying to read many of the DishNetwork plus Directv posts. Hard to keep up with both of them.

Edit: There was only the original post when I started this reply. Several were added while I was typing my post.
 
Do a search for Ironwood, possibly the worst HSP that Directv uses. I will guess seeing they aren't installing a HD receiver they won't have a Slimline dish for your install. I will further bet it will take 3-4 attempts before you ever get installed with Ironwood.
 
Well, I have both systems and had a very pleasant install back a few monts ago. The tech was very good and the install looks as good as if I did it myself. The only problem was he cut the cables to my Dish system to hook his Direct up! He thought I was getting rid of Dish and used the easy way. I told him no I was only getting Direct for the MLBEI and wouldn't watch Direct for anything else. he hooked everything back up and it worked just fine. I think I'll just keep my Dish and downgrade my Direct when the season is over.
 
You should have just stayed with Dish rather than pay those SOBs 35 bucks that they didnt have coming to them. Oh you owe me 50. Pay up.


Once again Vurbano has chosen to be very helpful.

Soon the "nightmare" will be over and come September you will be one happy son of a b.... watching your team on Sunday Ticket!! Hey V, how was he gonna do that with E*?
 
Sounds like one hand don't know what the other hand is doing!

I'm inclined to agree with Claude. Too many 3rd parties involved here (Costco, HSP, as well as D* CSR). No wonder signals are getting crossed. More than likely the HSP just assumed nobody would go out of their way to get a receiver from someone else other than one of their techs bringing it out. IMO, they screwed up by calling you on the day of the install versus the night before. If they thought they weren't going to route someone your way, at least have the common courtesy to let you know the day prior. Makes life on a Sunday much easier on your part if you knew ahead of time that they weren't going to show.
 
Installer saves the day! Glad I took your advice and took a wait see with installer. He did an excellent job! He is there longest tenure installer with 7 years exp. He ran cables with extreme care and did the cleanest install I have seen since I installed C-band stuff 20 years ago! He cleaned all of the mess and even took off old Comcast and Dish cables and staples from my home and threw away. He hooked up the new Cal-amp made slimline 5 lnb dish and ran lines to 2 extra rooms for free where I may add recievers. I even told him I was bummed as I ran my OTA of a diplexer with my dish and he ran an extra line for the OTA and got it going as well for no charge. I gave him a $30.00 tip and he tried to refuse it. I told him if he did not take it I would be offended.

Now to the quality vs my Dish 622. I find the Discovery channel and other true HD channels are much cleaner then with my 622. Off air is comprable to my 622. I think the SD looks better as well with my new Direct box.

THe only thing I so far dont care for is the menu and guide system for the DTV DVR vs my Dish 508 or 622. The Direct box is slow compared to them and the guide is awful boring compared to Dish guides. No combined channel logo with channel number. Little show information on each line. Plus can you set the DVR to record all show like with Dish? I dont see that option. Example. With my 508 and 622 I can set it to record Survior each week at set time. This reciever seems like it only does a one time shot.

I checked my account now that it is activated and it shows I have Nascar and NFL HD for zero charge. So I guess the CSR was right that it came with new promotion for 69.95 NFL ticket per month for big package.

The only other gripe I have is I went to upgrade page online and it says to upgrade to the Hr-20 HD dvr I must pay 299.00 plus install. Not the BEST deal $199.00 free install like I was told. I will be calling shortly.

So far so good!
 
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