Dumping Voom...

[Eric_C]

I've had it.

I'm tired of the crappy customer service, the rain fade, the screwed up appointment that left me sitting at home minus a vacation day.

No answers on when channels will be added and they are missing some of the big ones.

My big dish was escalated and never heard a word back, emailed wilt, got an initial response and nothing after that.

Voom can't charge my credit card right, thats the only good thing about this, they screwed it up and billing hasn't been able to charge us for 4 months, which is fine because thats about what they owe me for taking a day off of work for nothing.

I don't care for DTV or Dish, but at least it will be better than this and we can watch the shows we want to watch.

I'll bet this is going to be a reoccuring theme. Voom is doomed, the lunatics run the asylum and the one or two people who may know what they are doing are locked in padded rooms. The CSR's are useless, someone should tell them to press that red button until their blue in the face.

Its pretty bad when a customer cancels something they are not even paying for.

 

[vurbano]

Do we really need 2 threads whining about the same thing?

 

[Gr8Reb8]

I'm expecting more threads on this.....

 

[vinnyv07]

Sorry Eric C about your bad experience. And no we dont need two threads about this.

 

[SONALIS]

Why are there so many cry Baby's out there. Suck it up.
It's called growing pains!

 

[Ominous1]

I've not had a problem with voom....

 

[Slick]

If they raise our rates and dont add channels here pretty soon, I might be going as well. I just got my basic cable hooked back up because I am tired of waiting for these new channels that are supposed to happen..

I am starting to see a lot of reruns now that I have had Voom for awhile and they need some programing work. I am not jumping ship yet but they need to get the ball rolling here.. I really want to see what is going to change when they put up the next Satellite and when this new PVR/DVR is coming out.. Cya Slick

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

Are these more HD channels you want added? Or just SD channels?

Voom has more than enough SD.

 

[Seawaves]

Why are there so many cry Baby's out there. Suck it up.
It's called growing pains!

Wrong-growing pains are free, we are paying for this pain and have every right to bitch when Voom screws up-again!

 

[slacker9876]

LMAO, glad to see I made the right decision! Cancelling Voom was the best thing I have done for my HDTV ... and yes I was getting it for free too!

You would think as pissed off as EVERYONE is about the PQ, they would quit adding channels until they get the problems fixed.

I am sure I'll be back someday, but it appears that by the time they fix these issues D* may have caught up ... D* has an HD DVR (it sucks too but they have one) and they are adding HD O&O for NBC, ABC and FOX in September, that kicks butt and they say (I am a skeptic) there are some great new others coming ... Bravo doesn't count in my book, they have like what 3 shows a week in the loop?

I guess we'll just see what we see.

 

[SONALIS]

To me i have the best of the HDTV world VOOM , DTV and Digital
Cable. They all complement each other!
Let the best man win!

 

[slacker9876]

To me i have the best of the HDTV world VOOM , DTV and Digital
Cable. They all complement each other!
Let the best man win!

I would like to go this route but 200/mo for TV? Hard time justifying it to the wife ... you do have the best though I'll give you that! I said about 3 months ago this is the only way to have the best of both worlds.

 

[Bruce]

I am sure I'll be back someday, but it appears that by the time they fix these issues D* may have caught up ... D* has an HD DVR (it sucks too but they have one) and they are adding HD O&O for NBC, ABC and FOX in September, that kicks butt and they say (I am a skeptic) there are some great new others coming ... Bravo doesn't count in my book, they have like what 3 shows a week in the loop?

I guess we'll just see what we see.

I have said this at AVS also,who cares if D* adds any Distant HD networks,most people will not be able to get them,I live in a CBS O&O Market(Detroit area) and I still could not get it thru E* because I am Grade B for Toledo,Ohio which turns down any waivers no matter what.

 

[Eric_C]

No we don't need two threads, only one thread exists here, the other exists in the Yahoo group.

Whining? Nearly 100 dollars per month is whining? I'll forward you over the bill, you pay it, I'll be fine.

Problems, I've been mostly problem free. I have rain fade which wasn't even the end of the world, it was the BS they put me through to get a dish, which I still have not gotten.

Its the utter idiot you speak to on the phone, nearly EVERY SINGLE time you call. I was lied to, by 3 people in a row that there was no larger dish, even though they are at my house, to install a larger dish that a CSR setup 3 weeks ahead of time! Its the unreturned phone calls, its the wasted time to get some action when I know the problem and resolution.

It has not much to do with the service.

Voom defines a good business run poorly. The amazing thing is, they are not even a large company, someone should be able to be in control and no one is.

I believe in not only supporting a good product, but a good business, and if they continue to operate this way, they get what they deserve. Its an idea lost on the American public and the reason customer service has gone in the sh*tter.

We buy premium products and expect customer service to go with that product. If you buy a $10.00 shirt and it lasts 2 months, fine, you buy a $50.00 shirt and the same thing happens, someone is going to hear about it and it better be resolved or I'm taking my money elsewhere.

Voom I believe is beyond saving, even at the exspense of losing customers they have not really cracked down and fixed this. Things move faster, you don't have time to dick around.

They wasted too much of my time and us and our money is going elsewhere, believe me, if someone at Voom read this, they certaintly would not call it whining, they'd start seeing the end of the road unless they figuire this out quick.

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

To me i have the best of the HDTV world VOOM , DTV and Digital
Cable. They all complement each other!
Let the best man win!

I applaud this guy!

Somebody asked for "a la carte channel offerings" in a previous thread. In a way,"a la carte" is available right now. If somebody wants everything, they do what you are doing. More power to you. If somebody wants DTV's offerings only, they go there. If they want DTV and VOOM, they get both. Etc.

The best way for "a la carte" to work is for each provider to stay unique, so a subscriber does not have to pay 3 times for CNN (for example) from 3 different providers (if a customer decides to go for 3 providers).

Let's "celebrate diversity" in TV programming providers and *stop* asking VOOM to carry every SD channel that is known to humankind and is already available from another provider.

VOOM cannot become everything to everybody.

 

[Eric_C]

1080,

We watched Sci Fi and USA quite a bit....your idea is perfect, trust me, I was going to drop to the basic Voom and get basic cable...except the Backwater Cable Outfit, Millenium Digital doesn't offer Sci Fi, and their "high speed" 768kbps internet service is 79.99 per month.

The wonders of living in the country, but within OTA range of Detroit

 

[slacker9876]

I have said this at AVS also,who cares if D* adds any Distant HD networks,most people will not be able to get them,I live in a CBS O&O Market(Detroit area) and I still could not get it thru E* because I am Grade B for Toledo,Ohio which turns down any waivers no matter what.

That just make you unlucky! I don't live in an NBC O&O area either ... yet my affiliate gave me the waiver already. Faxed it to my office ...

The only thing that stinks is this makes it worse for getting more NEW HD programming.

 

[Slick]

Voom needs to get a few more channels like SCI-FI and HGTV those are standard channels where I from but Voom cant seem to manage it for some reason..I will take those channels in SD or HD.. As the cable guys say on the blue collar comedy tour "GETER DONE" Cya Slick

 

[Dvlos]

Problems, I've been mostly problem free. I have rain fade which wasn't even the end of the world, it was the BS they put me through to get a dish, which I still have not gotten.

Here in South Florida rain and lightning capital of the world the dishes get knocked off all the time D* and E* it doesn't matter you will NOT get perfect signal during a good rainstorm. In any case Voom IS going to Elliptical dishes soon that are a much bigger size and should help with rain fade problems.

Believe me I understand what you are going through since I am going through the EXACT same problems I need a OTA antenna upgrade and I to have rain fade issues. Voom CSRs are extremely nice and put the call up and have my stuff upgraded no problem. I think there is a major gap between Installs Inc and the Joe-Mama installer they usually send out.

This last time I talked to Voom I just asked for Installs Inc number because on the Work Order it says:

"CUstomer needs upgraded OTA antenna (Lists possible MODELS) Customer has had multiple visits no one seems to take to the time to fix the problem. PLease check for possibility of upgraded dish as well" I've had the CSRs on the phone read me BACK the work order I've opened up a week and a half ago.

When I call Installs Inc, THEY read me back the same exact work order, but when the Joe Mama guy calls me to schedule a time I get "Well my work order says "Signal Problem with Satellite"..

Now where in the hoo-haa said I had a problem with the signal? So I gotta re-explain everything to the installer who says "Well Voom reimburses me for my expense I have to pay for that out of pocket and then VOom pays me back and I can't afford to do this if it's not approved."

To which I Say IT IS APPROVED YOU DUMBASS JUST CHECK WITH VOOM. SO they do, and walla- it's there.

I think this is a problem with Installs INc allowing any idiot to take a work order as well it's costing them more money than they are saving, not to mention from Installs Inc to Joe Mama tech there is a serious breakdown in communication. You have to demand a authorized technician, and to minimize headache, call the local installer and make SURE they have all their ducks in a row.

Voom has credited me like 4 months of service man, I've yet to pay for 1 month of Voom. 90% of the time they are great on the phone, it's the dumb asses you get sent to you. Last monday I spoke with my local installer, the one bringing out the OTA. He's like "the work order says signal problem".. blah blah.. so I talk tot he guy who thinks he knows everything and he's like it's the COAX its the DISH, its the Receiver and I'm like look buddy listen to me I've had 4 guys out here I've checked all this myself, and they've replaced, the receiver, the LNB, the entire coax, and the OTA antenna for the same kind.. NOTHING.

Then he's like "I have to pay for an antenna out of my own pocket and if the work order doesn't say NEW ANTENNA I wont get paid back for it".. anyhow we agreed he'd be out Wednesday night to do the change. Thursday I call them back and say WHERE WERE YOU?!! His manager "Mike" says "You told us to be their Tuesday and no one was home" I was like "UH NO, I specifically said I WILL NOT BE home on Tuesday and we agreed on Wednesday.

So on Thursday he told me I'd be the first call on Saturday morning. Ok so Saturday at 4pm I still don't have a call back from "James" even though I've called HIM, and I leave.. 7pm I get a call on my cell, it's James "Oh I couldn't find your number I'm so sorry, I have your antenna it's a Radio Shack VU-200, but I still think it's something wrong with your cabling I've been doing this for 15 years and from your location you may even be able to pick up West Palm channels... " so he says he'll be at my house Sunday at 9am.

Sunday at 7pm I canceled told Voom to never ever ever let this company send a person into their customers home. I wanted the 3rd tech who came to my house and actually fixed stuff a guy named Adam from AK COmmunications, he's actually Voom certified and the only helpful guy I've had thus far...

They told me he is overbooked with service calls... what does that tell you? Out of 5 different local companies I have dealt with only 1 is good.

 

[Eric_C]

DVLos,

I called Voom roughly 2 months ago to get a bigger dish. The CSR knew exactly what my problem was and in her words:

"Its rain fade, we need to get you a larger dish"

So, I wait patiently, for 3 weeks. Take a Friday off of work and wait.

The tech shows up, no larger dish and no clue whats going on. He then goes into a nice speech on how there is no larger dish and poors water from an 8oz glass over my dish telling me "Look, its ok".

First off, when Don Lorr came over the first time, he showed me the larger dish he has in his van! I saw it firsthand!

I told the guy this "No sir, no larger dish"...that royally pisses me off...he calls the warehouse and they tell him there is a larger dish but he has to come back to the warehouse, a whopping 15 miles, country miles, meaning 70mph and a 15 minute trip.

He refuses claiming he has to go further west, and east is in the opposite direction. That right there was the most intelligent thing that came out of his mouth the entire day.

I call Voom, they tell me...there is no larger dish! I was livid at this point, so they go get a manager...no larger dish they tell me.

This to me is like a line of idiots telling me the sky is not blue on a clear day. Finally after 25 minutes I am told "Its a case by case basis", well my case is bad and I want it fixed, of course that is after I've been lied to by 3 different people.

They tell me it needs to be escalated, so they do that.

That was 3 weeks ago. Not a single phone call back, no bigger dish and still the problem exists.

I emailed Wilt, got a single response and not another after that.

I could care less about a credit or free service, I don't plan on paying either way since they can reimburse me for my day off via credit, not to mention here in Michigan it rained religiously on Sunday nights, while the Soprano's and The L Word was on, and thats the premium channels I paid for.