A Qwest Doomed to Failure

So, as of this afternoon, I have television again. But oh.... what a long and sad story it is. (Hopefully interesting too, since I'm about to tell it.)

It begins about a month ago. I'd been eyeing a TiVo HD for some time. Knowing that I had a TV that was already HD capable, I figured on this plan: I'll buy the new TiVo with a couple weeks to go before the move. I'll need to call the cable company to bring out the Cable Cards required for it to decode the HD channels, but I'll have them do that at the new place -- one trip out, hook up new cable, install the Cards, easy!

So I actually bought the TiVo HD. And about two days later, I discovered something awful. There actually wasn't cable in the condo complex I was moving into!! They'd contracted with Qwest somehow, so only DirecTV is available here. Which the new TiVo HDs are completely incompatible with.

I had a few people offer to possibly buy that unusable TiVo off me, but fortunately, it wasn't too much of a hassle to get TiVo to refund my subscription and get the store to take the actual device back.

So now it seemed I'd need a DirecTV box. But hey... I still kinda wanted HD, so sign me up for that! An HD receiver with a built-in DirecTV brand DVR. And the rep I spoke to said, "sure, we can do that." He couldn't be helpful enough to schedule the installation of it on Monday when a guy was already here from Qwest putting in my DSL. No, that would be too convenient. But at least he did something.

I was contemplating having to take another day (or part day) off work to be here for the TV guy, but my mother kindly offered to come over and wait around for me. Aw.... thanks, Mom!

Well, I get a call from her today. The guy is here, and he is telling her HD is not available in my complex.

"No," I say, "the guy on the phone specifically checked and said it is."

"The installer says it's only in certain buildings."

"What? No one said anything about that."

(A few moments of grousing....) "Alright, fine," I say, "have him put a regular old DVR in, then."

"He doesn't have that with him on the truck."

"He's the TV guy? He must have all sorts of things on the truck!"

"Yeah, I thought so too," says Mom. "But no, only a couple basic boxes and the few things he's supposed to install."

(More grumbling....)

A short while later, I'm on the phone with the same rep I spoke to days ago. "You said there was HD."

"There is."

"The installer said there's not."

"I'm quite sure there is."

"Well, he took off and didn't even leave the box behind. And now I don't even have the DVR I wanted. AND, if this really can be fixed like you say, now I have to arrange for the third time for someone to be at my house to install what you should have done right the last two times."

(Long pause.)

"I'm going to forward you on up to this other person who will get in touch with you and work this out for you," he says.

This fabled other person never called me back. You can bet I'll be calling for another round of complaining tomorrow. Though sadly, I'm not expecting it will do any good. And sadder still, whether it does or not, what other option do I have? I'm only in this stupid situation precisely because I have no other choice. If I could have just stayed with the cable company and happily kept using my spiffy new TiVo HD, I would have.

So, one black mark against what has otherwise shaped up to be a fantastic new place to live. Of course, it's hitting me square in the television, so while this wouldn't bother most people much, it's been extra annoying to me...