Fun with CSR - added Voom HD pack

[ajohnson]

Had a fun time trying to add the Voom HD package to my subscription. I re-aimed my 148 dish at 129, with the help of a handy sat finder I got off ebay for $5, then did a check switch on my 811. It re-downloaded the guide and presto! new channels (in red) from 9470 to 9482. Next I called Dish. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi, I have two dishes on my roof, and I just re-aimed my dish that was point at 148, to 129. Now I'd like to add the Voom package please"
CSR (with Indian accent): You'd like to add the HD package?
Me: "yes, the Voom one"
CSR:"Sir, I'd like to inform you that you should probably wait to add any HD programming until after February 1st, at which time several promotions will be available with new programming"
Me: "Yes, but it's my understanding that I can get a rebate on a DVR if I wait until April, so I'm not planning on dealing with that until then. Do you know anything about that?"
CSR: "No I haven't heard about anything like that"
Me: "Ok, at any rate I'd like to add the Voom HD pack"
CSR: "Ok sir, the HD package is available for $9.99"
Me: "No that's the regular HD package, and I already have that. I want to add the Voom HD package. It should be about 5 bucks."
CSR: "I am not familiar with that."
Me: <heavy sigh>"Look, what if I gave you a channel number of one of the channels I am talking about"
CSR: "Ok"
Me: "All right, one of the channels is 9481."
CSR: "..Ok that is the Monsters HD channel. You would like to add this channel to your subscription?"
Me: "Yes, but not just this channel. There should be a range of channels from 9470 to 9482. It's part of a package"
CSR: "Please let me check. Is it ok if I put you on hold?"
Me: "certainly"
<1 minute hold>
CSR: "Ok sir, that is part of the Voom <something> package. You would like to add this package?" (He said something after the word "Voom" that I didn't catch. Sounded something like "personal"
Me: "Yes please. How much is it?"
CSR: "It is $5 sir., is it ok if I put you on hold?"
Me: "Sure, go ahead"
<30 second hold>
CSR: "Sir, I have to inform you that these HD channels require a Dish 1000"
Me: "Is it free?"
CSR: "No sir, it is $49 with a commitment, or about $100 without" (I'm fuzzy on the numbers here)
Me: "Hmm, well you see, I don't need a Dish 1000. I pointed my dish at 129 and I'm looking at the channels listed in my guide right now."
CSR: "Can you hold a moment?"
Me: "Sure."
<30 second hold>
CSR: "Sir I'm sorry but you need a Dish 1000 to get these channels. You need the 129 orbital slot"
Me: "I'm telling you I'm looking at them right now. I pointed one of my dishes at 129."
CSR: "Sir you would have to have two dishes on your roof."
Me: "Yes, exactly. I HAVE two dishes on my roof. One dish is pointed at 110/119 and my second one is pointed at 129 with a signal strength of over 75."
CSR: "Sir can you hold a moment?"
Me: "certainly."
<30 second hold>
CSR: "Sir these channels require a dish 1000"
<bang head on wall>
Me:"...Hey, what if I have one"
CSR: "What?"
Me: "What if I got a dish 1000?"
CSR: "Where'd you get it?"
Me: "I didn't. I just know that I can buy them on the Internet, and probably from a local installer too. I bet I could get one within an hour or two."
CSR: "Sir can you hold a moment?"
Me: "of course"
<30 second hold>
CSR : "Ok sir, if you have a dish 1000, I can add these channels to your subscription. Would you like me to do that"
Me: <counts to 10>"Yes please."
CSR: "Ok give me a moment sir"
CSR: "Ok sir, there is also a $5 activation fee, which I've waived for you sir" (actually not sure he said activation, but something like that)
Me: "Thank you"
CSR: "Will there be anything else sir?"
Me: "How long before they are active?"
CSR: "approximatly 20 minutes sir."
Me: "Ok, so in about 20 minutes I should do a check switch or re-boot the reciever and they should be green and active?"
CSR: "Yes sir.
Me: "Great, thank you"
CSR: "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Me: "No, thanks"
CSR: "Thank you for calling dish network..." at this point it said some stuff about going to their website and being able to login and check your statement, pay your bill, etc.

The moral of the story is, if you have two dishes like me, and you re-aim one at 129 for the Voom channels or the new HD channels, tell the CSR you already have a dish 1000. Unless, of course, you want one

It took me longer than 20 minutes to write this I think. The channels are still red after a check switch. I may have to call them back

By the way, for 129, on my 811, I'm getting signal strength 85 for tp10, 75 for 11 and 77 for 12. Is that about right? Seems a bit low to me.

 

[T2k]

AFAIK they use TP29 to check the signal, so you may want to switch there when you call them... but it certainly doesn't take 20 minutes- it takes seconds to activate your new package.

 

[RandallA]

"By the way, for 129, on my 811, I'm getting signal strength 85 for tp10, 75 for 11 and 77 for 12."

That sounds about right. I pretty much have the same setup you have and my highest TP is around 85-87.

And that was some funny conversation with the CSR, they have no clue. It's really sad.

 

[Dishpointer]

I just received my VIP 211 so I signed up for the HD pack and the Voom channels last Friday. I told the Dish tech that I already had a dish pointed at the 61.5 satellite and wanted to add the channels. He said that since I had a 105 superdish that I would need a DPP44 switch to add the Dish 1000. I told him I already purchased a DPP44 switch and I was watching the Pentagon channel that was located on the 61.5 satellite. I also said, isn't that overkill to add the Dish 1000 when all I needed was a Dish 300 or Dish 500. He kept insisting that I needed a dish pointed at 129 so I told him that you could use either the 61.5 and the 129 satellite locations because the channels were mirrored on both birds. If he insistied 1 more time then I was just going to tell him that I had a D1000. He put me on hold for 10 minutes and came back and said I was correct and that he needed to put me on hold again because he needed to find out how to cancel the installation of the extra dish. He said it automatically shows up when you order these channels. If it wasn't for this then the activation of my receiver and channels would have only taken 10 minutes instead of 30.

 

[vinnyv07]

Usually when they activate a ch or a group of ch's they wait on the phone for you to turn to a ch in that group to see if it is active. I never heard of waiting 20 mins for a ch to show up on your tv.

 

[ajohnson]

I think he just didn't want to talk to me anymore. I had to call them back. This time I went through tech support phone menu selection instead of the "I want to add a channel"/CSR selection. I probably should've done that in the first place.

I spoke with a really sweet gal that knew exactly what was going on. Two actually, as my phone conked out on the first one. She said the Voom package had not been added to my account at all. At first she said I'd have to swing my 148 dish to 61.5, but when I said I'd pointed it at 129, she said "oh yea, that will work". She did have to do an override to stop the system from doing a D1000 install, but she got it all taken care of in less time than the ordeal with the CSR took. The channels lit up instantly.

We then had a discussion about the new HD channels coming out, and I mentioned the rebate on the 622. She had the info on that and said "yes, you need to wait until april 1st if you want to get the $200 rebate". She also said the text said "customers who want to swap out their existing 921/942". I'll wait a bit and see if it really ends up being a "swap" if you want the rebate. Everything I've read here says it will not be. If it is, I may just buy the thing.

At the beginning of all this, my wife gave me the stink eye when I said I was getting more channels. Then I said "hey look, a monster movie channel", and she said "cool!" :devil:

 

[david4455]

Had a fun time trying to add the Voom HD package to my subscription. I re-aimed my 148 dish at 129, with the help of a handy sat finder I got off ebay for $5, then did a check switch on my 811. It re-downloaded the guide and presto! new channels (in red) from 9470 to 9482. Next I called Dish. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi, I have two dishes on my roof, and I just re-aimed my dish that was point at 148, to 129. Now I'd like to add the Voom package please"
CSR (with Indian accent): You'd like to add the HD package?
Me: "yes, the Voom one"
CSR:"Sir, I'd like to inform you that you should probably wait to add any HD programming until after February 1st, at which time several promotions will be available with new programming"
Me: "Yes, but it's my understanding that I can get a rebate on a DVR if I wait until April, so I'm not planning on dealing with that until then. Do you know anything about that?"
CSR: "No I haven't heard about anything like that"
Me: "Ok, at any rate I'd like to add the Voom HD pack"
CSR: "Ok sir, the HD package is available for $9.99"
Me: "No that's the regular HD package, and I already have that. I want to add the Voom HD package. It should be about 5 bucks."
CSR: "I am not familiar with that."
Me: <heavy sigh>"Look, what if I gave you a channel number of one of the channels I am talking about"
CSR: "Ok"
Me: "All right, one of the channels is 9481."
CSR: "..Ok that is the Monsters HD channel. You would like to add this channel to your subscription?"
Me: "Yes, but not just this channel. There should be a range of channels from 9470 to 9482. It's part of a package"
CSR: "Please let me check. Is it ok if I put you on hold?"
Me: "certainly"
<1 minute hold>
CSR: "Ok sir, that is part of the Voom <something> package. You would like to add this package?" (He said something after the word "Voom" that I didn't catch. Sounded something like "personal"
Me: "Yes please. How much is it?"
CSR: "It is $5 sir., is it ok if I put you on hold?"
Me: "Sure, go ahead"
<30 second hold>
CSR: "Sir, I have to inform you that these HD channels require a Dish 1000"
Me: "Is it free?"
CSR: "No sir, it is $49 with a commitment, or about $100 without" (I'm fuzzy on the numbers here)
Me: "Hmm, well you see, I don't need a Dish 1000. I pointed my dish at 129 and I'm looking at the channels listed in my guide right now."
CSR: "Can you hold a moment?"
Me: "Sure."
<30 second hold>
CSR: "Sir I'm sorry but you need a Dish 1000 to get these channels. You need the 129 orbital slot"
Me: "I'm telling you I'm looking at them right now. I pointed one of my dishes at 129."
CSR: "Sir you would have to have two dishes on your roof."
Me: "Yes, exactly. I HAVE two dishes on my roof. One dish is pointed at 110/119 and my second one is pointed at 129 with a signal strength of over 75."
CSR: "Sir can you hold a moment?"
Me: "certainly."
<30 second hold>
CSR: "Sir these channels require a dish 1000"
<bang head on wall>
Me:"...Hey, what if I have one"
CSR: "What?"
Me: "What if I got a dish 1000?"
CSR: "Where'd you get it?"
Me: "I didn't. I just know that I can buy them on the Internet, and probably from a local installer too. I bet I could get one within an hour or two."
CSR: "Sir can you hold a moment?"
Me: "of course"
<30 second hold>
CSR : "Ok sir, if you have a dish 1000, I can add these channels to your subscription. Would you like me to do that"
Me: <counts to 10>"Yes please."
CSR: "Ok give me a moment sir"
CSR: "Ok sir, there is also a $5 activation fee, which I've waived for you sir" (actually not sure he said activation, but something like that)
Me: "Thank you"
CSR: "Will there be anything else sir?"
Me: "How long before they are active?"
CSR: "approximatly 20 minutes sir."
Me: "Ok, so in about 20 minutes I should do a check switch or re-boot the reciever and they should be green and active?"
CSR: "Yes sir.
Me: "Great, thank you"
CSR: "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Me: "No, thanks"
CSR: "Thank you for calling dish network..." at this point it said some stuff about going to their website and being able to login and check your statement, pay your bill, etc.

The moral of the story is, if you have two dishes like me, and you re-aim one at 129 for the Voom channels or the new HD channels, tell the CSR you already have a dish 1000. Unless, of course, you want one

It took me longer than 20 minutes to write this I think. The channels are still red after a check switch. I may have to call them back

By the way, for 129, on my 811, I'm getting signal strength 85 for tp10, 75 for 11 and 77 for 12. Is that about right? Seems a bit low to me.

After the second...."let me put you on hold"..... I always ask to speak to a supervisor.

 

[downriver]

What is your azimuth and elevation when you peaked the 129? What is the elevation? Which dish and LNB are you using? Thanks!

 

[Chrisc490]

And that was some funny conversation with the CSR, they have no clue. It's really sad.

In fairness most of them are 18-19 and depend on trainers who are about 21-22 and vastly under educated and unmotivated for their information. Or they just look at what pops up on their screen and when it says.. "DISH 1000 required," they read off the screen and get confused when you dispute it.... This is america... the result of "academic recentering"

 

[volkodav]

Yesterday, I had a bad 625 at a job, so I called tech support. After doing the usual trouble shooting they sent me to "advanced tech support." While I was waiting for the receiver to boot, I asked the CSR a few questions. First, how long she's been with the company....only a few months. I asked what kind of system she has at home.....none. And if they're ready for 622s, she said they just had a training.

The best goes out to the CSR I had to deal with the day before New Years....
A friend asked me to help him install 61.5 for Russian programming. Got it done in 20 minutes. Called the CSR to activate the programming, and got someone with an Indian accent. They said I need a dish 148 (even though this sat. does not work in Minnesota due to low elevation). I told them 61.5 works for Russian programming here. After arguing for half an hour and 3 appts later, I hung up on the person. Called the 2nd time and was told the same thing, and hung up on that person. The 3rd time is the charm, I got an American. My 1st question was what sat does Russian programming come out of. She said 61.5, I told her to activate and it still took another 20 minutes. It kept over-riding that it needed 148.

 

[ajohnson]

Azimuth was around 200, elevation about 49. There's a program out there called "Satellite Finder" that I added 129 to so I could get those values based on my zip code. I say "about", because I used a dish 500, so it has to be offset to the left or right a bit depending on which lnb you use. I basically started there and tweaked it until my meter gave the highest reading.