Chapter two in the saga of my attempt to get DirecTV HD. This story should only have had one chapter, and now it's going to have at least three.
Since last I recounted the tale, I finally got in touch with this supervisor-type woman who apologized for the first technician's apparent ineptitude, and told me I could have my pick of any time to have a different installer come out to upgrade my TV to HD. She'd put a credit on my account, too. She even offered a Saturday appointment. "Between 9 and 1," she said.
So, that Saturday rolled around. 1:00 came. No technician. No phone call as to his whereabouts. Nothing.
I call Qwest and get a guy who calls me "ma'am" four times before I stop him and ask, "what the hell? Do I actually sound like a woman to you?" He takes five minutes to tell me yes, the technician is running late.
"How late? And don't you think someone should have called to tell me that?"
He had no answer for that.
2:00 rolls around, and the guy finally shows up. He goes over to the junction box outside my building. It's too high. Do I have a ladder or step stool he can use?
A few thoughts roll through my mind. What kind of install guy doesn't have his own ladder? And what would happen if I were to let him use something of mine and it should break or something and he gets injured? Might not he have some legal recourse against me? But I want the damn thing done already, so here, stand on this and hook up the damn box.
He looks in and says the hardware isn't there to provide the full array of HD channels. I say I specifically asked on the phone whether this package was all HD channels or only some, and was told I'd get all.
Well, I can get all here, but I have to have the hardware. Which, along with a ladder, is also not on the truck.
Again, I'm stupified as to why the TV install guy wouldn't have basic tools of his job with him. While pondering a way to convey my bewilderment, he hits me with:
"I can hook you up, and you'll at least get about 10 channels."
"Well, what 10?" I ask, fast becoming exasperated.
"ESPN..."
"Okay, stop. Forget it. Or wait, what about this? Can you hook up those, leave me the box, and then schedule somebody to come by and put in this hardware in this box outside without me being here?"
"No, cause we'll have to make a change on your HD receiver once we do."
Well, screw this.
He leaves. Again, nothing having been done.
I call on Monday morning, just this side of livid. I have no direct number to reach this supervisor, so I have to call the lower level guy again. He apologizes profusely, and says he'll have the woman higher up get in touch with me again.
Nothing.
Late Monday afternoon, I call him back. She hasn't contacted me, I say. What the hell? He'll talk to her again right away.
Tuesday goes by. Nothing.
Wednesday afternoon, I call him for the third time. What is wrong with you people?
Fifteen minutes after I hung up from that call, the supervisor woman calls me again. From a Blocked ID, so I still don't have her direct phone number.
More meaningless but profuse apologies. More promises of credits on my bill. This time, she'll send the managing technician to me.
"It has nothing to do with the technicians you're sending me. Why don't they actually have any, you know, tools on their trucks?!"
This guy will have the right materials, she assures me.
I've got the exact part names needed from the last guy who came, so I read the list to her... "this guy's going to actually have a [reverse ratcheting teflon-coated nerve refuser]?"
Yes, absolutely. When do I want him to come by? Are Saturdays still most desirable to me?
"No, not if I'm actually going to waste my entire Saturday waiting around for someone who isn't going to show up on time."
"We can have him call you 30 minutes before he arrives."
So that's where it all stands now. I've been told the guy who knows what he's doing and who has the necessary equipment will be here on Saturday. I've been told he'll call me before he arrives, so I can actually still go run my errands (within 30 minutes of my place).
And, of course, I still remain completely without an alternative to instead go with a standard cable provider, as I wanted to do in the first place. Or, in other words, if Qwest and DirecTV screw up (and screw me) yet again, what recourse do I have?
9 comments:
:(
I bet your Rock Band buddy would hook it up for you better than those clowns.
the mole
Me thinks that you should have asked this (see below) question before you bought the place...
"Cable or Satelite?"
Bubba Joe
- Public Utilities Commission
- Tom Martino
- Better Business Bureau
- Federal Communications Commission
Write a simple letter of complaint to Quest and CC all of the above people on the bottom of the letter.
I've found that first one especially gets a double quick response.
Mole -- My "Rock Band buddy" is getting ever creepier. It might be time to unfriend him.
Bubbajoe -- Yeah, I think every time you or someone you know moves to a new place, you learn one or two more things to put on the list of things you should remember to check the next time you or someone you know is looking for a new place. None of us had been bit by this particular trap before. Now we know. :-)
Roland -- It IS tempting. If the slightest little thing goes wrong with this next appointment, I may have to go that route.
I agree with Roland. After my QWest/Sprint long distance fiasco I called the PUC.
After months of fighting them the issue was resolved days after calling in the PUC
On behalf of the good techs out there, sorry. :(
Double posting just to give you what little helpful information I can:
I'm assuming you need the HD dish, a new multiswitch, and at least one new receiver. It's not really all that uncommon for work orders to come wrong and not have dish, switch, or receiver on it, but it's inexcusable to not be able to get those on demand for a customer who's been having as many issues as you have. Personally, if I didn't have any of that, I'd just go back to the warehouse and get it.
Anyway, the changes he mentions on the receiver are something you could have easily done yourself (it's just rerunning the satellite setup, changing from Oval, 3 LNB to 5 LNB Multisat.) Chances are, the guy just didn't want to put the dish up, which is lame.
Aside from the dish, all of this is stuff you can do yourself, if you get access to the appropriate equipment. I assume you already have a multiswitch, you'd just need a hi-def one (which I could send you if you really wanted, free of charge, just tell one of the 'rents). The only caveat is not to use the Flexport inputs on it, other than that, the other ports are interchangeable (well, input to input, output to output, obviously).
And then, you just swap your receiver, and voila. Aside from other weird problems like RG-59 cable, bad barrels, and the like, that's all that needs doing. Assuming you have the dish. Installing the dish is a bigger issue for a DIY'er.
Anyway, you're a bit far away for me to kind of randomly pick up the work order, or I'd be glad to help. :) Either way, if you have some issues with your next technician, call one of my parents, and get my number. I'll talk to him for ya.
BK
Service Technician, DirecTV
The DirecTV HD DVR is a complete piece of junk shat out of Rupert Murdoch's arse. He owns DirecTV and the manufacturer. Convenient.
Heh. DTV's DVR's are, indeed, kind of shittay. They do have a tendency to break down, though the HR21's have been pretty stable. Word to the wise of anyone getting DirecTV: If they show up with grey boxes (meaning the actual receiver is grey), tell them to go away and come back with newer models. You're looking for D12, R16, H21 or HR21 model numbers.
Anything else will be the horridly unstable earlier versions, and most likely be reconditioned to boot.
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