Help! Dish won't install for me!

[nimbusthegreat]

So the long and the short of it is this. I live on the 8th floor of a building in downtown Dallas TX. My building has Grande Communications as it's provider and they repackage Dish and resell it to us (at a higher price, I might add). I have finally had it with those jokers and want to sign up for Dish directly, myself. My apartment management is ok with this and told me all I needed to do was provide proof of liability insurance to them and it would be ok.

So I called Dishstore and ordered my services and tried to schedule my install. The agent told me that the account at my address was still active and I had to disconnect that before I could order from them. I was planning on having them overlap a few days since I didn't want to be without tv until the Dish guy came to install for me. So I call Grande and cancel my service and they come by and pick up my boxes. I call back to Dish and at that point I'm told I have to have written permission from my complex PLUS written permission from Grande before they will install. I then spent the next two hours on the phone with Grande trying to get them to send me permission and they wouldn't. They actually told me that I would have to drive to my local office (which is about 40 miles away) in order to obtain that permission. My apartment complex says that is not the case, that Grande does not have an exclusive contract and I can get any service I please (from satellite since Grande owns the cable in the building).

So I called Dish back today and got the same run around. They need permission from Grande and won't install without it. Grande still won't fax anything to me and here I sit with no television.

Also, Dish told me they would not install anywhere over the 2nd floor even if it was indoors. I would like to have it installed on the side of my building (again, I have permission) but if we had to I'd be ok with installing it in my apartment, facing out the window. Do any of you guys know any good installers in downtown Dallas, TX?

Thanks!

Brian

 

[dnstech08852]

your best bet is to find a local retailer and setup thru them, they'll get it in

 

[boba]

You need to consider D* it looks like DISH might have an exclusive agreement with Grande. You need Grande's permission for DISH to activate any other receivers in Grande's exclusive territory. They may not have an exclusive with the apartment complex but it looks like they do with DISH.

 

[Jimmerinwi]

Your on the 8th floor? You say, "I would like it installed on the side of the building". How is an installer supposed to install a dish on the side of your building when your on the 8th floor?? Do you have a balcony they could put a balcony mount on? Good luck getting someone to put it on the side of the building 8 floors up! If it was me, I'm sorry, but I'm not hanging out 8 stories up risking my life so you can watch TV. Good Luck.

 

[pabeader]

i bet he's thinking of, on the building, above the balcony. so as not to obstruct use of the balcony.

 

[dnstech08852]

ive serviced dishs mounted on sides on buildings right out side the window on the 22nd floor in nyc, like i said, a retailer is your best bet

 

[gadgetguru63]

Sure, have it installed on the side of the building 8 stories up. Have a problem and no DNS tech will touch that install for fear of getting fired (or dead trying to help a customer out). If it can be placed on a balcony, great. You didn't mention if your balcony faces south.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Im not sure who you talked to in my office, but I see several issues here already...

#1 Your not going to get DISH Network to install above the 3rd floor of an apartment, so that would pretty much rule out any free offer from the Dishstore.

#2 Since you have an existing account right now, we may have to observe the 90 day rule before you can sign up again under a promotion.

#3 Grande might have the address listed as an MDU property, which would prevent any other retailer from coming in and offering service. If thats the case, good luck from getting Grande to sign off on it.

If you where willing to buy your equipment outright, there might be a way you could just activate it under no promotion.

Do you know if the satellite lines are still active to your apartment from the central Dish installed in your building?

 

[nimbusthegreat]

Your on the 8th floor? You say, "I would like it installed on the side of the building". How is an installer supposed to install a dish on the side of your building when your on the 8th floor?? Do you have a balcony they could put a balcony mount on? Good luck getting someone to put it on the side of the building 8 floors up! If it was me, I'm sorry, but I'm not hanging out 8 stories up risking my life so you can watch TV. Good Luck.

no balcony but wanted to install it just outside my window into the window ledge. also had considered having it installed inside my apartment facing out the window. i guess it's a good thing i wasn't asking you to install it.

and for the record there are plenty of dishes installed on the side of my building at all sorts of heights. i'm about to take a walk outside to see if any of them are dish or if they are direct tv.

@claude: i called the phone number for dishstore and was speaking with a guy named augustine with metro 32? i should have been more suspicious when he was more concerned with reading his script to me than actually answering questions for me. i spoke with him for over 30 minutes only to have him tell me in the end that i would have to cancel grande before i could call back to dishstore and get set up. now i'm stuck with no tv because augustine had no clue what was going on.

#1 dish told me no installs above the 2nd floor. and if that rules out any offers from dishstore perhaps your phone agents need to be trained to find these things out before keeping your customer on the phone for a half hour only to send them away to cancel the service they have.

#2 i do not have an existing account with dish. period. i send my money to grande, grande is who comes out when there are problems (so in other words i see grande about once a week), grande is who makes my life a living hell when it comes to tv and internet. i do not have an account with dish personally. period.

#3 i'm not exactly sure what and MDU is but i don't understand how they can have an exclusive contract yet i see dozens of satellite dishes on the side of my building. and i don't know if the lines to my unit are still active. grande took their equipment away so i have no way of knowing.

this whole experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. i'm seriously considering just not having any live tv and just watching everything on the web.

 

[dishcomm]

So the long and the short of it is this. I live on the 8th floor of a building in downtown Dallas TX. My building has Grande Communications as it's provider and they repackage Dish and resell it to us (at a higher price, I might add). I have finally had it with those jokers and want to sign up for Dish directly, myself. My apartment management is ok with this and told me all I needed to do was provide proof of liability insurance to them and it would be ok.

So I called Dishstore and ordered my services and tried to schedule my install. The agent told me that the account at my address was still active and I had to disconnect that before I could order from them. I was planning on having them overlap a few days since I didn't want to be without tv until the Dish guy came to install for me. So I call Grande and cancel my service and they come by and pick up my boxes. I call back to Dish and at that point I'm told I have to have written permission from my complex PLUS written permission from Grande before they will install. I then spent the next two hours on the phone with Grande trying to get them to send me permission and they wouldn't. They actually told me that I would have to drive to my local office (which is about 40 miles away) in order to obtain that permission. My apartment complex says that is not the case, that Grande does not have an exclusive contract and I can get any service I please (from satellite since Grande owns the cable in the building).

So I called Dish back today and got the same run around. They need permission from Grande and won't install without it. Grande still won't fax anything to me and here I sit with no television.

Also, Dish told me they would not install anywhere over the 2nd floor even if it was indoors. I would like to have it installed on the side of my building (again, I have permission) but if we had to I'd be ok with installing it in my apartment, facing out the window. Do any of you guys know any good installers in downtown Dallas, TX?

Thanks!

Brian

LOcal retailer may be able to set you free from your Dish vs apt management quandry.
Provided the work area is free of hazards.
Also, it is MANDATORY for a tenant residing in a rental unit or an owner of a condominium to obtain permission form management or home owners ass'n for a satellite antenna install.

 

[dishcomm]

no balcony but wanted to install it just outside my window into the window ledge. also had considered having it installed inside my apartment facing out the window. i guess it's a good thing i wasn't asking you to install it.

and for the record there are plenty of dishes installed on the side of my building at all sorts of heights. i'm about to take a walk outside to see if any of them are dish or if they are direct tv.

@claude: i called the phone number for dishstore and was speaking with a guy named augustine with metro 32? i should have been more suspicious when he was more concerned with reading his script to me than actually answering questions for me. i spoke with him for over 30 minutes only to have him tell me in the end that i would have to cancel grande before i could call back to dishstore and get set up. now i'm stuck with no tv because augustine had no clue what was going on.

#1 dish told me no installs above the 2nd floor. and if that rules out any offers from dishstore perhaps your phone agents need to be trained to find these things out before keeping your customer on the phone for a half hour only to send them away to cancel the service they have.

#2 i do not have an existing account with dish. period. i send my money to grande, grande is who comes out when there are problems (so in other words i see grande about once a week), grande is who makes my life a living hell when it comes to tv and internet. i do not have an account with dish personally. period.

#3 i'm not exactly sure what and MDU is but i don't understand how they can have an exclusive contract yet i see dozens of satellite dishes on the side of my building. and i don't know if the lines to my unit are still active. grande took their equipment away so i have no way of knowing.

this whole experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. i'm seriously considering just not having any live tv and just watching everything on the web.

As a former tech I can tell you there are certain parameters that decide whther or not an install can be hazardous. That is a judgement call. I would evaluate your situation and make that call.
I can tell you this: an 8th floor install with nothing to hang onto except the grace of God is a hazard I would not put myself through. Especially on a rental property. Most likely if there were safety issues, I would have walked. If not, then let's get you some tv. It's that simple..
BTW, how many floors in your building?
MDU...Multiple Dwelling Unit....another name for an apartment/condo/co-op structure.

 

[nimbusthegreat]

there are 10 stories in my building. as for hanging on, that's what i'm trying to say. there will be no scaling of the building. i have a window that will open up, install the dish on the window ledge, run the cable inside, close the window. and the other thing i have considered is installing the dish inside my apartment and pointing out the window. one question i have about that solution is will the dish shoot through a window shade if the shade is closed.

 

[dishcomm]

there are 10 stories in my building. as for hanging on, that's what i'm trying to say. there will be no scaling of the building. i have a window that will open up, install the dish on the window ledge, run the cable inside, close the window. and the other thing i have considered is installing the dish inside my apartment and pointing out the window. one question i have about that solution is will the dish shoot through a window shade if the shade is closed.

sounds simple enough to me.
Now, the dish should be installed outside the building, not shooting through a window. I have heard of satellite antennas installed and receiveing enough signal through glass. However, if the windows are tinted or "Low E" glass, or double or triple paned, reception will be severly compromised.
To answer your question about window shades, the answer is no. Satellite signals will not pass through window shades.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Grande probably has your account setup as a Private Cable Operator, meaning they have the property locked out in DISH Networks system which would prevent anyone from activating a regular type account at that address.

I think I have a work around for your situation, send me a PM.

 

[Jimmerinwi]

sounds simple enough to me.
Now, the dish should be installed outside the building, not shooting through a window. I have heard of satellite antennas installed and receiveing enough signal through glass. However, if the windows are tinted or "Low E" glass, or double or triple paned, reception will be severly compromised.
To answer your question about window shades, the answer is no. Satellite signals will not pass through window shades.

Had a fellow installer do an install at a condo. Dish couldn't be mounted on the building as usual, so the cust asked if he could put it in the garage and he would open the door when he wanted to watch tv. He put the dish in the garage and when he closed the door, it was still getting enough signal to work. Sounds wierd I know, but this tech has 6 years under his belt and really knows what he is doing, so I have no reason to doubt his word. Probably wouldn't pass QAS, but what the hell, custy aked for it!

 

[dishcomm]

Had a fellow installer do an install at a condo. Dish couldn't be mounted on the building as usual, so the cust asked if he could put it in the garage and he would open the door when he wanted to watch tv. He put the dish in the garage and when he closed the door, it was still getting enough signal to work. Sounds wierd I know, but this tech has 6 years under his belt and really knows what he is doing, so I have no reason to doubt his word. Probably wouldn't pass QAS, but what the hell, custy aked for it!

Oh yeah. An install can be done where the signal will not be available all the time.
The bottom line for in-house and contractor techs is adhering to the specs.
QAS do not care if the custy signed off on an unusual job. To them it's a fail and that's that.

 

[TimberWolf]

You could try giving a modified address to dish when building your account.
For example:

123 main st apt 801 becomes 123A east main building #1 apt 801