Bye Bye Voom

lewdog

Member
Original poster
Apr 20, 2004
7
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Well today was V-day. I have waited 10 days for my install date with the high hopes of all HD can offer but also knowing the experiences others have had.

(Installs contracted with Don Lors electronics)

With V-day fast approaching I spent all day in the attic yesterday mounting a 40 Element antenna because I knew the stealth would be too small and wanted to have it all in place so the installer would just have to plug it in. It took me literally all day (on my birthday none the less) but I was able to all the channels except one over 80%. I then drilled into the wall cavity and fished the wall to the basement and feed the cable to where the TV is. I figured I wanted the best connection so I bought the best F-Connectors 12 for 24.00, and terminated the cable. I moved outside mounted a pole that would hit 61.5 with no obstacles, ran that cable to the house and buried it. I went to bed knowing they would be there in the morning.

NOW the BAD NEWS.

Today I got a call from the installer about 8:30 AM ( now I'm thinking ok this is going great, but that is the only part of the day that went good the rest is downhill). He said he was calling to set up my DirecTV and asked if I had the equipment here. I informed him I was getting Voom not DirecTv, he said what, I said Voom, he said What I said Voom. He said that he had never heard of Voom and since I did not have the equipment he could not install it. Well I finally got him to call his office and asked him to call me back. Now its 930 he said that his company had the equipment and they were going to send it to him and he would call me back when he get it and come out. ( i thought this a tad strange since his company is 2 hours away but I went with it) Well that was the last I heard from him. So now its 3PM and I call the office at which time they claim they paged the tech 3 times with no response and tried to set me up for an install tomorrow, ah no Ive already wasted my whole day. She contacted another installer who said he could be out in 1.5 hours and do the install so I agreed to wait. Now its 8PM the other tech calls me to get directions but he is an hour away and its already dark out. So i told him just forget it I called VOOm and cancelled with even though I bought the Va Voom package they did not seem to care.

Well Guys it was nice knowing you this last month but I must bid you a fond farewell and will be signing up for E* HDTV to go with my E* and Charter cable. Thanks for the memories.
 
Huh!?!? I feel for ya when it comes to the aggravation of having an install canceled, but to just totally cancel V* when it seems a concerted effort was made to get it done ASAP despite your original moronic installer is kinda silly to me.

Do reconsider giving it at least one more chance.
 
Well Guys it was nice knowing you this last month but I must bid you a fond farewell and will be signing up for E* HDTV to go with my E* and Charter cable.
Echostar and DirecTV use the same installers from Installs Inc, so you could end up with the very same guy who gave you all that aggravation. This is just how it is with some satellite installs, regardless of provider; either you accept it or you stick with the cable you have.

You don't have to live with the installer. You don't have to invite him to dinner. You only have to put up with his BS once for the install. After that, he is out of your life and you can enjoy whatever service you get. Many here are enjoying VOOM, DirecTV, and Dish, despite less than stellar install experiences. My installer didn't show up three days in a row, yet I'm very glad I stuck with it -- as it gets me far more HDTV than I had with Comcast, and at about $30/mo less too.



So now its 3PM and I call the office at which time they claim they paged the tech 3 times with no response and tried to set me up for an install tomorrow, ah no Ive already wasted my whole day.
Never take off a day from work for any cable or satellite install. And never sit around twiddling your thumbs while waiting for installer. That's a recipe for aggravation, when the installer shows up late (or not at all), as common in the cable and satellite business. Rent a few DVDs, or plan to do some housework. That way, regardless of what happens (or doesn't happen) with the installer, you'll still have had a productive or relaxing day.
 
ok guys, Thanks for the support. Cooler heads have prevailed and I am going to try again today. I contacted the company and we will see what kind of results I get.
 
come right back here after the install, 'cause you might not get your programming right away. expect a couple days of the forum to get it all up and going.
 
occammd said:
come right back here after the install, 'cause you might not get your programming right away. expect a couple days of the forum to get it all up and going.

It can take a few hours in some cases for the guide data to propagate. I just realized my issue was improper dish pointing. Apparently I was picking up only a few transponders (my assumption). I re-aimed the dish this morning and suddenly all of the channels resolve instantly with no pixellation. For me, Voom is an excellent value--It is not overly expensive for the service, and I can get the full value of my HDTV investment.
 
Email Joe Harkins, it will be addressed immediately.

jharkins@installs.com <jharkins@installs.com>


This did wonders for my installation incompetency! Took me a month to get the service installed, but after I emailed Joe, it was done in 24 hours! He's a man of few words that GETS THINGS DONE! Email your story and be descriptive as possible!
 
Install is the worst part, once it's over you'll calm down a bit. My install was a nightmare, cost me 2 days of work leave. I do think VOOM is the best out there now though.
 
Be patient and you won't be dissapointed. LIke DRagonLips suggested contact Joe Harkin (He's The MAN). Keep coming to this forum before and after your installation.
 

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