DirecTV Installation Problems

[Bmwolf21]

So the wife & I decided to switch to DirecTV, called last week to get everything ordered, and they came out on Monday to get everything installed. We take care of what we need to with the apartment complex, and the guy comes out, sets up the dish and the two receivers, and calls to activate the service.

 

Problem #1 - the DVR box in the living room isn't displaying and yideo, except for that stupid DirecTV user guide channel. He calls tech support, they try a couple things, nothing works - so he figures he can just swap it out for another in his truck and send the bad one back. DirecTV says sure, but then the tech will have to pay for the new box(~$350.) Apparently once the box is activated, if it needs to be replaced, it has to come from DirecTV. So they send one out via FedEx overnight, which we get on Wednesday. Good thing I hadn't cancelled the cable yet.

 

Problem #2 - wife takes the $100 deposit check, copies of the renter's insurance and the lease addendum to the apartment office, where the property manager gives her attitude about making sure he doesn't drill any holes when he puts it up, it has to be on a tripod, and that he is supposed to come to the office before he does the installation to get his instructions from them. Uh-oh. He's already attached the dish to the railing on our balcony by - yep, you guessed it - drilling holes. So we call DirecTV to see about getting it switched to a tripod, and after five calls and countless transfers, we get someone scheduled for today and DirecTV says they'll waive the $50 re-installation fee, but the contractor may charge us for tripod (~$65 or more) , even though DirecTV says a tripod is part of the free professional installation if the apartment complex requires it.

 

So the guy is on his way, and I know this is going to be a problem. I think I am going to pay with a credit card and then let Visa fight on my behalf.

 

The customer service rep at DirecTV did mention that they have had a lot of problems with contractors charging for services that are supposed to be free, or doing a bad job/something wrong so they can get called back for a re-install. She also said that basically there was nothing DirecTV could do about it, but if they do charge us, DirecTV will try to make things right with some sort of credit on the first billing cycle after our promotional period ends.

 

I was just wondering if anyone else had any DirecTV installation horror stories, or maybe some advice from a similar problem?

[Done]

They do charge you for service calls, but once you are up and running, it is usually a smooth ride.

 

I had mine put into the wall of my apartment at first. Everyone was cool with that, until a condo group bought the complex and it had to come out. I am not a handyman by any means, but I was able to unbolt the dish, buy a $20 tripod at Radio shack, get a $10 piece of pipe cut at the local depot, and fit the dish on the pipe. I used sticky putty at the feet of the tripod to grip the balcony.

 

The setup made it through a few hurricanes since it was protected by the balcony. I just pulled the pipe out for the direct hit, but I was running once I had power. People with cable went months before they were up. You'll see some of that in Buffalo now.

 

Good luck

[BetweenThePipes00]

I think it is all a matter of luck ... I had it installed last month, also in an apartment, and we has ZERO problems ... I say it is luck because it is all about whether or not you get a good contractor to install it.

I actually got a husband and wife team ... he did the dish and she set up the receivers ... we also could not attach the dish to the building in any way, but instead of the tripod he told me to get a big bucket from Home Depot and have it ready when he got there. In his van he had Quickcrete and a pole and he achored the pole in the concrete and attached the dish to that. i was skeptical at first when he descibed it, but the pole is just long enough for the dish to stick up out of the bucket ... it's like 3 feet tall total, and with that bucket full of concrete, it is going NOWHERE. He also put marks on side of the bucket at the bottom and on the patio so if it did get nudged off line, I could line it back up myself. Now, I was lucky the back of my apartment faces the right way and there are no big trees so it didn't have to be a tall pole, but he said even if the pole was 6 feet tall, he has never had a problem with that much concrete in the bucket.

Again, this guy was probably not typical ... other guys might expect you to do the concrete and pole yourself and they just attach the dish ... like I said, I got lucky.

[nfreeman]

I've had DirecTV for 9 years. There certainly have been hassles from time to time -- it's never easy when they have to come out for the installation. I can only point out that (i) it's definitely less awful than dealing with the cable company, (ii) if you care about the bills, it's the only way to get their games if you don't live in WNY and (iii) once everything is up and running, though, it's been smooth.

[TM8-PL16]

I think BTP is right... I've never had it at an apt complex... but at two different houses and both times things went smoothly (once they got there) and got things running no problem. The first time was before direcTV had guys with their logo on the vans and shirts and the guy was great... the second time was last year and the guy did have the logo van and shirt and was good. The only problem I ever had with anything relating to DirecTv was with the "movers" thing that they make sound SO easy.... that was actually a pain and I almost missed the first week of football last year. but as far as actual install, signal or anything like that it's been great!!

 

The only way I'd go back to cable is if they get the NFL sunday Ticket and it's cheaper than DirecTv... the cost of straight channels is nuts with cable. Friends with cable that don't get the NHL or NFL are paying more than me per month, I'll never go back.

[BuffalOhio]

The only problem I ever had with anything relating to DirecTv was with the "movers" thing that they make sound SO easy.... that was actually a pain and I almost missed the first week of football last year.

 

ALWAYS move after hockey season and before football season. Make it a rule!

 

I have had it for 5 consecutive years in two different houses now. Installation is a pain in the ass, but once it's working, it's great. I lose the signal maybe 3 times a year, and that's in a torrential downpour.

 

I've been having problems with my OTA HD feeds lately, so I thought I would take them up on the free 5 LNB dish offer. I called on October 4th, and had installation set for this Saturday. I called yesterday, just to check on things, and found that they were sending me a 3 LNB dish, which is what I already have. Porsche (no bull - that was her name), cancelled the original order and set me up with a deal to get the 5 LNB dish for free through a mover's connection (even though I'm not moving). Anyway, we got cut off right near the end, so I called back to make sure everything is good to go, and then I find that since I have the HD receiver with TIVO, the 5 LNB dish won't work with my unit.

 

Cancelled the entire order, and I'll stick with what I have. I hate the new DirecTV Plus DVR interface as compare to the Tivo interface. I realize that someday I will have to switch over, but I'm going to use my $1000.00 HD Tivo for as long as I can!

 

I get DirecTV because I can't get Sunday Ticket on cable, and cable sucks anyway! I don't want to be forced to watch Redskins and Ravens games. G Dammit, I want my Bills games, even if they do suck!

[Bmwolf21]

Update:

 

So the guys came out today, took the dish off the railing and attached it to the railing support bars. All in all it went pretty smoothly, and they recommended that if I have another problem with the apartment complex, the bucket/pole setup BTP mentioned would do the trick. Like you thought, they won't do the bucket & quikcrete setup for free, but they will help us mount & align the dish once the pole & bucket are ready to go.

 

Thanks to everyone for your advice.