Dang Pizza Pushers Again!

[Dishman Dan]

At Sam's Club around Christmas time I was approached by DirecTv people and again tonight! I made it safely pass their kiosk and then out from behind a stack of TVs in the middle of the aisle two salespeople jumped out!

"Let me ask you a quick question! Do you have cable or satellite?", asked the guy.

My wife was with me this time and she told me to have my fun and meet up with her later.

I spoke proudly to the DirecTv guy, " A 10 foot C band dish!"

His reply," Uhhh, what?"

"You know, one of those huge dishes that is 10 feet in diameter and also known as a BUD or a Big Ugly Dish to some!", I explained with my arms wide open.

He made a small pizza size circle with his hands and asked,"Do you even have a satellite dish?"

"Yes I do!" And I told him that I was not interested and I was tired of the high prices and poor reception of his service.

"Can you get anything on that thing?" asked the dude.

"Yes! There is a lot of free stuff and you can still subscribe to some channels.

He asked if I was Canadian and I said no but I can receive some Canadian channels! I even explained the places that provide the subscriptions and told him to check out the Satellite Guys website.

All he kept saying is that all this is "totally illegal!!!"

I did my shopping and when I left they were still talking about me all dazed and confused about what I had just told them! I was really nice to them and I did not say anything technical to them. It is sad that they do not understand anything about satellite TV outside of what their boss tells them. My cable guy (For internet) is more interested than them!

 

[pro96]

At Sam's Club around Christmas time I was approached by DirecTv people and again tonight! I made it safely pass their kiosk and then out from behind a stack of TVs in the middle of the aisle two salespeople jumped out!

"Let me ask you a quick question! Do you have cable or satellite?", asked the guy.

My wife was with me this time and she told me to have my fun and meet up with her later.

I spoke proudly to the DirecTv guy, " A 10 foot C band dish!"

His reply," Uhhh, what?"

"You know, one of those huge dishes that is 10 feet in diameter and also known as a BUD or a Big Ugly Dish to some!", I explained with my arms wide open.

He made a small pizza size circle with his hands and asked,"Do you even have a satellite dish?"

"Yes I do!" And I told him that I was not interested and I was tired of the high prices and poor reception of his service.

"Can you get anything on that thing?" asked the dude.

"Yes! There is a lot of free stuff and you can still subscribe to some channels.

He asked if I was Canadian and I said no but I can receive some Canadian channels! I even explained the places that provide the subscriptions and told him to check out the Satellite Guys website.

All he kept saying is that all this is "totally illegal!!!"

I did my shopping and when I left they were still talking about me all dazed and confused about what I had just told them! I was really nice to them and I did not say anything technical to them. It is sad that they do not understand anything about satellite TV outside of what their boss tells them. My cable guy (For internet) is more interested than them!

Funny story. Want to hear another funny one? Local Salvation Army store had a 4DTV receiver model 922 and asked how long they've had it in stock and he said its been shipped from store to store and no one wants this and I quote " POS crappy outdated big dish satellite unit" I laughed and walked away.

BTW: The price was $45 and has been marked down numeous times.


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[FaT Air]

To quote G and M: "'droid". I'm happy to be one part of the few that swim against the tide. All the while, they think they are educated, while quite the opposite is true.

 

[Dishman Dan]

I come to a few neat and scary observations.

The DirecTv sales people all seem to be on the same page and think that any other service or freebee is illegal. Their bosses must be proud.

About half of the Dish Network people I bumped into a few years ago would tell you about the pirating and how to do it and then tell me that C band and true FTA is illegal. The Dish Network sales people seem to be outnumbered by the DirecTV pushers and have been hiding for the most part in my area. Dish is a very strong advertiser on all medias.

I know of a few people that sub to and pay for religous programming on DirecTv but I have never seen a GloryStar system nearby. I even mentioned Glory Star to a few ministers/preachers and they never heard of it!

When it comes to the QAM channels on cable I would say about 75% of the cable guys I talked to would tell you about it but the rest would say it is illegal to receive. But most cable guys are interested in what is up in the air FTA.

And 110% of the geneal public think that C band is totally dead and anything FTA and ITC (C band, Ku band, QAM, etc) is totally illegal!!! I even met some people who believe that OTA is illegal too!!!

Talk about swimming against the tide!!!...

 

[Dee_Ann]

All he kept saying is that all this is "totally illegal!!!"

I've had my neighbors tell me that same thing, with absolute, total conviction. One guy really gave me a hard time about it, he was 1000% certain I was stealing satellite because I had "funny lookin dishes and too d*mn many of em!"
Idiot.. I'm so glad he moved.. There was another one too but he leaves me alone after I flipped him the bird a few times. He thinks I'm a kook. GOOD.......

In my early days when I was first getting started in FTA, I drove around to a few so called "Satellite Stores" thinking they might sell FTA tuners, parts, LNB's, dishes, etc.. HA!!
All I got from them was the same thing, "That's illegal! You're stealing! THIEF!" and other stupid accusations.
Especially from the pizza dealers, they were adamant about it, I thought they were going to lock me in their stores and call the cops on me!
Total zealots, fanatics and robots for the greater machine.. BTW, all those places I went to before, are out of business now.
I guess they were just independent installers that rented old dumpy buildings thinking they were on the way up to fame and fortune. HA!!!

I was thinking about painting a great big eyeball on a large dish and aiming it right at his house.

 

[radio]

Have not had the neighbors that Dee spoke of, (at a radio station dishes are common) and haven't had anyone call it "illegal" or been lied-to by a kiosk salesman. However, good friends of mine, legal dish subscribers had their "local" man call them selling a "warranty" on the "cards for dish and direct" that he said supposedly fail! I've never heard of a card failing, only being upgraded. Unfortunately, they paid this guy by credit card, before I verified with the DIRT team that it had NO affiliation with them.

(Referencing the kiosk salesman on FTA) Too many people selling products UN-educated to the fact that maybe, just maybe you CAN'T fool some of the public. I have hopes that my friends can reverse the fee on their credit card for this "service" by a local retailer since it is obviously a fast-talking sales job!

Want pizza? Deal directly with Pizza companies, not their "delivery people"....And, yes, my friends will now come to me and/or this forum before ANY changes or problems are discussed with any 3rd party about their system. DIRT helped me verify my facts for them last night.

 

[photoman76]

I like FTA and Pizza.
I subscribed to Dish Network long ago because of the lack of HD channels on FTA or 4dtv subscription.
I am very satisfied with Dish Network.
The DVR alone is worth it. I don't know how I survived before without it.
That said, I would never give up my C band and Ku dishes.
The first generation feeds are simply the best. But most channels are not available on FTA.

 

[danristheman]

When I talked to Directv Customer support it was the other way around they said I need to work for them. You know more about satellite tech then we do and we work here.

Dan Rose

 

[TimLones111]

I like FTA and Pizza.
I subscribed to Dish Network long ago because of the lack of HD channels on FTA or 4dtv subscription.
I am very satisfied with Dish Network.
The DVR alone is worth it. I don't know how I survived before without it.
That said, I would never give up my C band and Ku dishes.
The first generation feeds are simply the best. But most channels are not available on FTA.

The other day I explained FTA on my Facebook Page after friends asked about it, even as far as posting screenshots of the Openbox I acquired recently. People seem interested, even when I tell them that for Ku band especially it does not replace Cable/Pizza dishes. At first I was hesitant to be that public about it, but the way I figure it I'ts legal and I know it is. Nothing to be ashamed of..Would probably have gotten somewhat more likes/comments about it except that Davy Jones' death had just come over the wire as I was posting the screenshots and sort of took over Facebook for several hours.

I have gone outside to adjust my Dish a lot lately..Don't talk to the neighbors that much (wife does more than I do)..I sometimes wonder what they think but have never been asked about it by any of them at all..

 

[Tron]

Sam's DirecTV pushers at it again, huh? They leave me alone there now. I always go to the same Sam's, and they know me. When I walk past one, we just exchange smiles, and I think about all the money I save every month by not having a contract with them ...

 

[FTAer0024]

oh that's funny.. made me chuckle after I imagined it

I was thinking about painting a great big eyeball on a large dish and aiming it right at his house.

 

[Mr Tony]

oh well my response is the same as the last time
But I guess some people must feel real good about themselves when they talk like that to people when most either havent heard about free to air or they think its stealing because for a few years the two were synonymous with each other

Those people there are told to do one thing.....sell a product they probably have had very little training on. I've seen them at the Sams Club and Wal-Mart. I politelly say "I already have it" and move along. I guess I'm there to do a task (usually get an item) and I try to avoid people while doing that. At the grocery store and wal-mart they both have banks in there and try to get you to sign up. I just say "already have an account" and keep moving.

They're just happy they have a job

When Directv came to my house a couple weeks ago to upgrade me to the HR34 (the 5 tuner bad ass machine) the guy saw my 2 FTA dishes and asked about them. I told him some of the channels I got and he was kinda interested. He asked if I installed those4 and I said "yup" and he said that I should come work for them because they're hiring. But my fear of heights kinda kills that.

 

[harshness]

Local Salvation Army store had a 4DTV receiver model 922 and asked how long they've had it in stock and he said its been shipped from store to store and no one wants this and I quote " POS crappy outdated big dish satellite unit" I laughed and walked away.

The marketplace has spoken.

 

[Dishman Dan]

Funny story. Want to hear another funny one? Local Salvation Army store had a 4DTV receiver model 922 and asked how long they've had it in stock and he said its been shipped from store to store and no one wants this and I quote " POS crappy outdated big dish satellite unit" I laughed and walked away.

BTW: The price was $45 and has been marked down numeous times.


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I am up against the tide here on this one but I might be interested in that unit if they would ship it!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am willing to bet that most of these people who are in stores selling like this do not have any kind of satellite service at their home.

Its their job to go and make sales, not their job to know the history of satellite.

 

[Dishman Dan]

I just say "already have an account" and keep moving.

I could try that but then I would be lying! :lie:

If there is a cute girl working I have to stop and chat!

 

[toucan-man]

If there is a cute girl working I have to stop and chat!

"The moment we stop looking is the moment we're dead."
- Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman

 

[Phottoman]

I think I have told this story before, but it may be worth repeating.

I live in a very rural community, on our street there are only 8 houses, and between my sister and I, (she lives next door to me) we own 5 and rent out three of them. The rest are older retired people. These are 2 1/2 acre lots. Got the picture?

When I first moved here I was putting up my dishes, started with one KU band motor driven, and one stationary KU. As time wore on I increased that slowly by dish hunting, and now there are several dishes though not as large a collection as DeeAnn has posted, three C Band, two motor driven KU and two stationary KU dishes, 7 dishes total, plus two more 2 meter KU band dishes tied down so the wind doesn't take them, works in progress.

I was out in the yard one day tweaking the latest C Band dish when I got into a conversation with the neighbor that lives on the opposite side of me from my sister, and after a few minutes he asked what all those dish things were for. I casually mentioned that they help me keep in contact with the Mother Ship.

I saw his shoulders droop, his head sank into his shoulders, and he muttered something about "having to go mow the grass," as he quickly backed away.

Oh, we don't HAVE any grass here in Golden Valley, too hot and too dry, and the water bill would be a killer.

Photto

 

[Tron]

I wonder what it is specifically about satellite dishes that causes people to think that you are A) Spying on them, B) Involved in some way with the government, C) Involved in some way with space aliens, or D) Stealing programming...

I blame most of the paranoia on science fiction ...

EDIT: I forgot to mention, E) All of the above.

 

[Corrado]

One of my favorite movie scenes is in "Spy Hard".

On the island with the mad scientist, there is a compound surrounded by satellite dishes pointed in all directions.