I know I'm going to get crushed $$ wise on the early termination of the 18 month commitment, but my wife hates E, and I am not crazy about various aspects of their equipment. I'm going to call DirecTV and find out what I can get as a former customer. I was with them for eight years before last August. Any ideas what I can expect as far as deals on equipment or programming? I did receive a flyer in the mail last month wanting me back. It contained the usual free HBO and things like that. I know their is a new lease program and new DVR. I will be looking to get back the HD package. Thanks guys for any input on this issue.
Going back to D from E, after only six months.......
- Thread starter taclearo@earthlink.net
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Directv retention department is probably the only ones that can answer your question. Each returning customer is an individual case. Congratulations on the switch the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.
"my wife hates E, and I am not crazy about various aspects of their equipment" - what are issues (real) what heated the "hate" ?
HR20 will give her more headache then 622, IMHO.
HR20 will give her more headache then 622, IMHO.
I doubt that but my hr20's has been rock solid since day one, which is alot more than i could say when i had the 942
Congrats on the switch welcome back to the good guys!
My wife and I both dislike E* as well. E* is run more like a small-town cable company than a nationwide satellite system with millions of subscribers. It is more expensive to upgrade equipment with E*, from what I can determine--and it is hard to determine what the costs will actually be.
We can also be pretty sure all our channels will be there on a day-to-day basis with D*. No real complaints with our four DVRs, one HD, and one HD receiver.
I know some people like E* better and that's fine, that's why both companies stay in business.
We can also be pretty sure all our channels will be there on a day-to-day basis with D*. No real complaints with our four DVRs, one HD, and one HD receiver.
I know some people like E* better and that's fine, that's why both companies stay in business.
How I wish I could change with you. After four years with E* I went with D* about two week age. My experience:
1. D* Installers that do not know how to install D* equipment. ie Slimline antenna.
2. Customer Service very poor. Large call centers could care less about the customer...get them off the line.
3. Equipment seems more difficult to operate than E*'s equipment. This may just be a learning curve for me. Seemed like the E* remote was more intuitive than D*.
4. Had known the experiences I was going to have D* two weeks ago, I never would have changed from E*.
5. After almost two weeks, finally got an installer that knew how to read and he was able to get me a good signal.
Just marking my time for my contract with D* to end. Have placed the day in my PDA so I don't forget. I would take a heck of a lot more than 6 months of free HBO for me to stay with D*.
1. D* Installers that do not know how to install D* equipment. ie Slimline antenna.
2. Customer Service very poor. Large call centers could care less about the customer...get them off the line.
3. Equipment seems more difficult to operate than E*'s equipment. This may just be a learning curve for me. Seemed like the E* remote was more intuitive than D*.
4. Had known the experiences I was going to have D* two weeks ago, I never would have changed from E*.
5. After almost two weeks, finally got an installer that knew how to read and he was able to get me a good signal.
Just marking my time for my contract with D* to end. Have placed the day in my PDA so I don't forget. I would take a heck of a lot more than 6 months of free HBO for me to stay with D*.
FAIR? Make some fair assessments on the actual DirecTV service not continued bashing based on your INSTALLER.
I'm a past "D" customer and switched back to "E" several years ago! I made the right choose! My VIP 622 work so much better than "D" equipment. Cost was an issue as well. Much cheaper with "E" than with "D", plus I have more equipment.
For instance last night I called to cancel my locals as I get them via antenna. However, my guide does not give any description of programming any longer...simply states "Digital Service." Also, I cannot record anything from a digital channel and watch anything else on a digital channel. Little things like that and often times when I scroll up the channels, it will skip a channel and I will have to go back to it in order to tune into it. I don't hate E, I guess it's just familiarity and what I feel is the more established and stronger company. The lady in retnetion today offered me $20 off my bill for six months and a $99 installation and four months of HD for free. If anyone has any ideas as to how to minimize what I feel will be a large early terminationfee from E, I am all ears. As always, I appreciate everyone's input regarding my question.
Yes, you can record digital OTA channels on the ViP622, even if you don't pay for LiL and get the guide. Simply set a manual timer. It works fine. That's what I do to record DH & ER. I don't get LiLs because I get good reception and many more channels OTA than any satellite company will provide.
My reply to Charper1
Charper1
As a customer I should not have to worry about whom D* uses to install their equipment, it just should work! I should not be hollering down an empty hole when I call their CSR with a problem. It may not hurt them to follow up with a customer if their repair people cannot be trusted to correct customer problems.
I did try to leave D* the other evening and all they wanted to do was tell me about being locked into a committment with them that they would hold me to it. I am glad to see your comment about having 30 days to get out. I will persue this avenue.
I am bashing the "service" as well as the installer, with signal levels in the 30's and 40's the picture was crap, ugly, piss poor, for the most part didn't work. My only saving grace was my over the air antenna.
I'm sorry that I'm not saying all kinds of wonder things about D* that you would like to hear. But IMHO D* sucks.
Now please go back to your "bourbon testing " and quit pimping for D*!!
Charper1
As a customer I should not have to worry about whom D* uses to install their equipment, it just should work! I should not be hollering down an empty hole when I call their CSR with a problem. It may not hurt them to follow up with a customer if their repair people cannot be trusted to correct customer problems.
I did try to leave D* the other evening and all they wanted to do was tell me about being locked into a committment with them that they would hold me to it. I am glad to see your comment about having 30 days to get out. I will persue this avenue.
I am bashing the "service" as well as the installer, with signal levels in the 30's and 40's the picture was crap, ugly, piss poor, for the most part didn't work. My only saving grace was my over the air antenna.
I'm sorry that I'm not saying all kinds of wonder things about D* that you would like to hear. But IMHO D* sucks.
Now please go back to your "bourbon testing " and quit pimping for D*!!
yawn! Thanks for the personal attack; unacceptable reply but typical. BUT I am sure if you bought a TV from Best Buy and their delivery and setup crew failed to deliver it or knew how to set it up you would be calling Sony to complain; not 100% the same, but similar enough.
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I just calls them the way I see them. Now, Bubba let this man have his thread back .
No i would actually be calling Best Buy to get the tv out of my house, followed by a letter to sony as to why i dont want the tv ,
Charper I absolutely disagree with you charper in respect to who is at fault here. Directv is ultimately responsible for the bad installers They hired. Bad contractors are the responsibility of the company that hired them. If you hire a general contractor to build a house and the plumber screws up. The General contractor is responsible. This works exactly the same as directv contracting out to bad installers.
Except that is all local to local, and the general contractor your hire is on the actual job site each day to keep direct contact with th goings on of the subs as well as you being able to watch and check. DirecTV and Dish, by business model can't and don't have that type of control over their contractors nor subcontractors.
Also, after your home is built and you move in, that general contractor disappears they provide no other continued service; with DirecTV and Dish they are your actual service.
Also, after your home is built and you move in, that general contractor disappears they provide no other continued service; with DirecTV and Dish they are your actual service.
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I got news for you there are good and bad installers for both D* & E*. I have seen a D* install that was so poorly run, it was around door casings when it could have easily been hidden. It was such a poor job two of us re-wired everything, the day after the installer left. On my new house the installer was great, even worked with me doing wall drops and wall plates, for the connections. He got a nice tip when he finished.
I have family that has E* and their first install was an abortion, wires all over the place when they could have been routed better, cuts to the center conductor of the coaxial cable and connectors that were not crimped properly and falling off. All this created a signal with interference. They complained to E* and they sent a supervisior over from the installation sub comtractor. He agreed it could have been done better. They sent a new guy out the next day and he did a nice job re-wiring. When he was finished all of the interference was gone from the signal and the picture was clean.
The only problem they have with the E* picture is bad pixelation, everytime the screen goes to black. The E* tech told them it is normal for a satellite signal to have it, but I don't have it on any of my D* receivers. I have also seen other E* installs when it doesn't exist.
So what this boils down to is installer issue is nothing more than the pride and quality of the work of the individual installer, not the company he works for.
I have family that has E* and their first install was an abortion, wires all over the place when they could have been routed better, cuts to the center conductor of the coaxial cable and connectors that were not crimped properly and falling off. All this created a signal with interference. They complained to E* and they sent a supervisior over from the installation sub comtractor. He agreed it could have been done better. They sent a new guy out the next day and he did a nice job re-wiring. When he was finished all of the interference was gone from the signal and the picture was clean.
The only problem they have with the E* picture is bad pixelation, everytime the screen goes to black. The E* tech told them it is normal for a satellite signal to have it, but I don't have it on any of my D* receivers. I have also seen other E* installs when it doesn't exist.
So what this boils down to is installer issue is nothing more than the pride and quality of the work of the individual installer, not the company he works for.
I am not sure how someone can sit there and say that it isn't D*'s fault when they send an installer to a house and he fails to properly install something that he is supposed to.
Whether it is a local extension or group or whatever, it is D* responsibility to get or sign a group that can do their job which is proper installations.
I have had installers come out twice and both times they did very good jobs so I am happy. But if they had come out and failed to successful install what they were supposed to do, I would be mad at the company whom I am paying money to install it...whether it is a local/national branch
Whether it is a local extension or group or whatever, it is D* responsibility to get or sign a group that can do their job which is proper installations.
I have had installers come out twice and both times they did very good jobs so I am happy. But if they had come out and failed to successful install what they were supposed to do, I would be mad at the company whom I am paying money to install it...whether it is a local/national branch
One thing not mentioned: DirecTV and Echostar's Dish Network subcontract because of the local thing -- and cheaper labor. That's the American way now -- reduced operating costs, and a roll of the dice as to whether there will still be quality within the transition from supplier to customer.
I am one who has had trouble with the 5 LNB with DirecTV, with one HD (H 20) and intermittent picture interruptions in non-weather conditions. It's not a problem right now, despite the ice storm in southeast Michigan (Detroit DMA).
I get the problems on Detroit locals in HD. And intermittent interruptions in picture come up in the late-200s and some of the 300s and even 500s on SD. I've noticed this late nights, and I wind up speculating.
There are folks here, with similar system/viewing setup, who have said, "I haven't experienced any problems." (And I've been with DirecTV since March 1998; I upgraded in February 2006 from a single LNB to a 5 LNB because of HDTV and a total restructure in my cable-type ways of subscribing. Long story, sorry.)
Not every case is the same.
Am I wanting to dump on DirecTV? No; but my feelings of being disappointed is directed at DirecTV, because they're responsible for their own product (right?). I am not ready to drop DirecTV because I've compared what Comcast and WOW! have to offer in programming, prices, and how I figure they operate -- I see cable companies best now for the high-speed Internet they deliver -- and my programming preference is in sticking with DirecTV. (Dish Network is unacceptable to me -- the programming negotiations of contracts, and the occasional losses of popular fare, be it Lifetime, OLN/Vs., and, lately, Court TV, is shoddy gamemanship for which I do not want to support.)
I am one who has had trouble with the 5 LNB with DirecTV, with one HD (H 20) and intermittent picture interruptions in non-weather conditions. It's not a problem right now, despite the ice storm in southeast Michigan (Detroit DMA).
I get the problems on Detroit locals in HD. And intermittent interruptions in picture come up in the late-200s and some of the 300s and even 500s on SD. I've noticed this late nights, and I wind up speculating.
There are folks here, with similar system/viewing setup, who have said, "I haven't experienced any problems." (And I've been with DirecTV since March 1998; I upgraded in February 2006 from a single LNB to a 5 LNB because of HDTV and a total restructure in my cable-type ways of subscribing. Long story, sorry.)
Not every case is the same.
Am I wanting to dump on DirecTV? No; but my feelings of being disappointed is directed at DirecTV, because they're responsible for their own product (right?). I am not ready to drop DirecTV because I've compared what Comcast and WOW! have to offer in programming, prices, and how I figure they operate -- I see cable companies best now for the high-speed Internet they deliver -- and my programming preference is in sticking with DirecTV. (Dish Network is unacceptable to me -- the programming negotiations of contracts, and the occasional losses of popular fare, be it Lifetime, OLN/Vs., and, lately, Court TV, is shoddy gamemanship for which I do not want to support.)
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paulman-My wife and I both dislike E* as well. E* is run more like a small-town cable company than a nationwide satellite system with millions of subscribers. It is more expensive to upgrade equipment with E*, from what I can determine--and it is hard to determine what the costs will actually be.
paulman- I could not agree with more !!! After two years with E* and being a D* customer for 5 years prior to that the switch back was great. I have been a much happier camper ever since. However it is still ones preference, I will choose D* over E* every time but some will no doubt feel differently and that’s fine. I would also like to add that both D* and E* have some very good employees but at the same time they have there share of dim-wits as well. You just hope if and when you need service of any kind you get someone in the know to assist you.
paulman- I could not agree with more !!! After two years with E* and being a D* customer for 5 years prior to that the switch back was great. I have been a much happier camper ever since. However it is still ones preference, I will choose D* over E* every time but some will no doubt feel differently and that’s fine. I would also like to add that both D* and E* have some very good employees but at the same time they have there share of dim-wits as well. You just hope if and when you need service of any kind you get someone in the know to assist you.
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