DirectTV and new equipment

[&CDFiXER%]

Ok, I finally have to upgrade my DirectTV equipment (had the dish itself since 94!). Their installers come. They will not mount a dish where mine is at now. I ask why and they say the soffit is not strong enough for the new dish. I inform them that that is not a regular soffit, it it a 2X6 with extra bracing to the rafters and the dish mount itself has 3 1/2" lags into the end of a rafter and 1/2" bolts with washers into the 2X6. They tell me it does not matter, they are not allowed to mount equipment there. I inform them that this dish has been in place and has not budged in over ten years. Does not matter they say.

 

They want to mount the new dish on a small pole in the front yard. I ask them if they realize the dish would then point through the large trees on the edge of our yard. They said no problem. I reminded them that at this time of the year no, but come spring trees around here get green stuff in them that absorbs the frequencies used by north american satellite broadcasters and that is why the current dish is where it is at. Plus, who wants a crappy looking pole with a dish 4' off the ground in their front yard?

 

In short, I tel them installing the dish in the front yard is not going to happen. So they leave.

 

Now DirectTV is taking away my networks because I have 'locals' available and they have to use those. I remind them of the equipment debacle. They say there is nothing they can do. I offer to install the equipment myself, as I have done for myself and 3-4 other people over the years. They say they do not allow this. I offer to buy the equipment and doit myself. Same answer, they do not allow that either.

 

Well after being a customer since @ 1994, apparently I will be leaving DirectTV. Can't wait to start using the antenna again. I get 3 channels, all of which come in barely with really crappy framerates. The icing on the cake,one of them is a religous channel only....

 

Unreal. Anyone know if this is typical DirectTV now or could I talk to a local installer and work something out that way?

[superchargedss]

Buy dish off eBay. Install yourself, no?

[Chiefmorton]

_{Man thats crazy, what happened to customer service? I can't understand why they wouldn't mount it where your original dish has been it's obvious that it been working. I know Direct Tv and Dish Network is like Fords and Chevys everyone has their favorites. We've had dish for years and always had great customer service and when I upgraded dishes a few years ago they asked me where I wanted, if I wanted it in the same place or a different location. I thought it was nice of them to ask.}

[00Silverado4x4]

Yup they're a pain in the rump. When I first moved to a rental house here in Georgia I had the same problem. The house already had a dish but was mounted on the facia (whatever it's called). Only on this house it really was the thin stuff. You can tell it's been there for a few years. When DirectTV showed up the first thing they asked is who installed it. I told them I assume that DirectTV did. Well they told me same thing, must be moved or don't get service. I didn't care, wasn't my house but fortunately they wanted to mount it to the roof so it wasn't going to be such an eye sore when done.

Hope you can make an arrangment that doesn't cause you anymore grief or lawn ornaments.

[superchargedss]

Man... I've never had install issues like y'all. That's just crazy...

[&CDFiXER%]

Yep, I mentioned the roof. Apparently they will also have rules about metal roofing.

 

Probably go the eBay route for the dish and let them 'install' the receiver.

 

Whats next, they gonna have a problem with my non-HD TV?!?!?

 

This has gotta be the worst time-to-dollars-spent ratio of anything I own. I watch maybe 2-3 hours per week (usually a movie on the weekend). Only wanting to keep it for football.

[TimmyG]

The way i understand it is that they are indpendent installers, maybe ask for a diffrent tech to come out

[Roofer]

Yep, it's all subbed out to a guy willing to climb a ladder.

 

If you only watch a few hours a week, why not just get Netflix?

[Wolfmanjohn]

This sounds very unusual. I've been DTV since '96; have done all my own installs and activations, even under the current policy of non-equipment ownership. Got my waivers for distant nets in '99, and still have them (in HD) despite two moves during that period. In short, I've had no problems with DTV; just great service. If I were in your situation, I'd install my own dish (slimlines do have a terrible wind load factor), order the receivers/DVRs from DTV (online), install and activate them myself, and kick back and enjoy. In other words, keep them out of the picture so you can enjoy your own picture.

[&CDFiXER%]

This sounds very unusual. I've been DTV since '96; have done all my own installs and activations, even under the current policy of non-equipment ownership. Got my waivers for distant nets in '99, and still have them (in HD) despite two moves during that period. In short, I've had no problems with DTV; just great service. If I were in your situation, I'd install my own dish (slimlines do have a terrible wind load factor), order the receivers/DVRs from DTV (online), install and activate them myself, and kick back and enjoy. In other words, keep them out of the picture so you can enjoy your own picture.

 

 

Yeppers, got the wavers for ABC, CBS, and PBS waaaay back when. NBC 'local' would never write one because they said I was in range of their xmtr. Amazing. 120+ miles to their xmtr. Riiight, whatever. In short, no NBC since the early 90's.

 

I would be happy to install the equipment but they will not send it to me. I offered to purchase it outright, sign a waiver, etc. The people I spoke with just acted like tough sh**.

 

I really can not fault their service up until this point. I amthinking of calling today or tomorrow, maybe I will get another person who is interested in actual customer service. I bet if they sent some local techs (who I would probably know) instead of some contractor from the next state over, I could get something worked out.

 

As far as Netflix, yes we have that and Hulu+ but those do not get the football games she watches.

 

LMAO at the 'lawn ornamenst' comment above! Made my afternoon!

 

Thanks eveyone for the input, suggestions, etc!

[Wolfmanjohn]

If you can't get the equipment you want even after playing DTV CSR roulette, try solidsignal.com. I've had good luck with them. You still will not "own" the receivers/DVRs, though.

 

Pole mounting sucks; even a slight breeze will set up a vibration that will kill a signal real fast. Additional bracing will be required, making the dish installation, among other things, even more unattractive. Don't ask me how I know......

[&CDFiXER%]

That is what I thought as well. I see more and more installations pole mounted though, at least here in central IL.

[Wolfmanjohn]

In your search for equipment, have you looked at the new HR34 DVR? Pretty slick features and capabilities; makes me wonder if it's time for me to upgrade (1-HR21, 2-HR22s, 1-HR23).

[old-chevy-dude]

got the same B.S. from them on my mothers house several years ago, went to Best Buy and bought the equipment myself and installed it myself..

 

In our case the home is rather large and required an amp to be able to provide signal to the 4 tv's my mother wanted connected, Direct TV doesn't allow for the use of coax house amps.. They wanted to install 2 dishes one on each side of the house to feed 2 tv's each, however the city has regulations about that, and about the visibility of the dishes from the front (curb) side of the home.

 

In addition they wanted to punch the cable through the outside walls to the inside of the home then run the cable around the walls of the interior instead of wall phishing the cable for a clean install.

 

I bought the equipment, dish, amps, coax, etc. and wall phished the cable myself, only issue I had was aiming the sat dish correctly to lock in the signal, so I called for tech support and the guy came out, aimed it using their equipment and it was a done deal, and has been working without issue since 2003.

[BlackZ71Silverado]

Strange..........When I finished building my garage, DirecTv came out and installed a dish free of charge. I have had their service at home for years and never had any trouble. They even upgraded all of my reveicers to the HD dvr ones when they came to do the garage dish.