Is Voom Even Listening About Lousy Installs?
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one must realize most ppl don't have a clue about OTA antennas. I personally haven't dealt with TV broadcast antennas since i was a little tyke. But fortunately I became an Amateur Radio enthusiast and since have designed and built antennas for my cell bag phone (awhile ago) and designed and built numerous 2 mtr antennas up to 16' boom lenght. The average person doesn't know squat about how to aim or tune an antenna and this is the main problem with Voom, unfortunately. Everybody wants "plug and play" "after all we are the (microwave generation) - if it doesn't work right now it doesn't work at all" but this rarely happens. I have cancelled my voom sub ( before my installation) because I can't get my installers ph# ( the main office is over 200 miles away - in Portland, OR) and there is no word from upper eschelons at Voom as to their intentions for the future. I would and will sign up again if I had any info to the positive but alas VOOM is silent. I drive through quite a few new residential areas in south east washington state and i see a lot of antennas, quite a few pointed 180 deg from the transmitter towers, but they the must have gotten a signal from somewhere LMAO. IT is disappointing, but for Voom to make it the average consumer needs to be more informed (educated) as to the physical properties and capabilities of communications techniques and the installers need to be MUCH more educated. This is not a "plug and play" or a "one size fits all" technology and Voom was either misinformed by some very good scoundrels or they were just plain uneducated in transmitted signal properties. I dearly hope that Voom makes it or is bought by a company that is decent and informed because I still plan to purchase programming from Voom or what's left of it just not until things settle down a bit.
One other reason I cancelled
My original appointment was set for sometime after 2:30 Jan, 4th 2005 in South East Washington it is dark at 4 ish even being able to hook up partially to the existing cable wiring it was still going to be a 2+ day install and that would be too costly, maybe a weekend install would be would have worked. OR a self install I have the coordinates for the sat and I could have got it set up I just needed the equip. Not bitching because I know if they allowed self-installs troubleshooting could be a nightmare, but.. All I need is the equipment and a long boring SD weekend and Voom would be up and running. LOL
Ya all have a GREAT and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!
My original appointment was set for sometime after 2:30 Jan, 4th 2005 in South East Washington it is dark at 4 ish even being able to hook up partially to the existing cable wiring it was still going to be a 2+ day install and that would be too costly, maybe a weekend install would be would have worked. OR a self install I have the coordinates for the sat and I could have got it set up I just needed the equip. Not bitching because I know if they allowed self-installs troubleshooting could be a nightmare, but.. All I need is the equipment and a long boring SD weekend and Voom would be up and running. LOL
Ya all have a GREAT and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!
I couldnt pull in the newest chs that they added so I scheduled for a tech visit after VOOM couldnt do anything for me over the phone. They installer called me up on Wed and said that they wouldnt be making it. They then said they could come at around 3pm New Years EVE. They came at 730pm ...late, but they came and gave me a new receiver. I was a little upset about them not coming on Wed but then when Friday came and they didnt show up at 3pm. I really didnt think they were going to come at all. Being New Years Eve and all...I wrote it off as another bad experience with Installs. But along came 7pm and a call saying that they were on their way.
Hi "owvernon",
Post your concerns about installation over on VOOM/Yahoo to "Wilt"'s attention. He is VOOM's VP of engineering and sends problems he sees on there to headquarters.
I hope you haven't been dealing with Direct Broadcasting Satellite Center out of Portland! They are (or were back late in 2003 and early 2004) clueless. We ended up litterly baning them from ever coming on our property again after they screwed up for the last time with us. I'm surprised someone in Spokane isn't coordinating VOOM installs in your area.
Where do you live in "south east washington state"? Inquiring minds want to know. I really like the open and drier and sunnier countyside over there. Yea, I know it can get a "tad" cold over there but...
I'm watching HDTV under increasingly cloudy Seattle skies, Gill
Post your concerns about installation over on VOOM/Yahoo to "Wilt"'s attention. He is VOOM's VP of engineering and sends problems he sees on there to headquarters.
I hope you haven't been dealing with Direct Broadcasting Satellite Center out of Portland! They are (or were back late in 2003 and early 2004) clueless. We ended up litterly baning them from ever coming on our property again after they screwed up for the last time with us. I'm surprised someone in Spokane isn't coordinating VOOM installs in your area.
Where do you live in "south east washington state"? Inquiring minds want to know. I really like the open and drier and sunnier countyside over there. Yea, I know it can get a "tad" cold over there but...
I'm watching HDTV under increasingly cloudy Seattle skies, Gill
SeattleVoomer1
Yes Driect Broadcasting (out of Portland) coordinates the installs for the Tri-Cities area although they say they have Local installers. I do not know who does the actual installations. My main reason for cancelling was to wait and see what Voom does in the next couple months. I don't want to end up taking a couple days off work to get setup and then Voom ends up going down the tubes shortly thereafter.
Yes Driect Broadcasting (out of Portland) coordinates the installs for the Tri-Cities area although they say they have Local installers. I do not know who does the actual installations. My main reason for cancelling was to wait and see what Voom does in the next couple months. I don't want to end up taking a couple days off work to get setup and then Voom ends up going down the tubes shortly thereafter.
"owevernon",
Maybe you could schedule for a weekend install? And if they're a no show then you don't lose any time from work. Certainly, the current "deal" seems cheap enough and VOOM needs the numbers to justify their current expenses.
Where do you live in the Tri-Cities area? Spent a couple of days there last spring after driving up the Gorge and came away impressed with the area. Too expensive to continue living in Seattle when I retire in a couple of years.
Watching HDTV under clear cold Seattle skies, Gill
Maybe you could schedule for a weekend install? And if they're a no show then you don't lose any time from work. Certainly, the current "deal" seems cheap enough and VOOM needs the numbers to justify their current expenses.
Where do you live in the Tri-Cities area? Spent a couple of days there last spring after driving up the Gorge and came away impressed with the area. Too expensive to continue living in Seattle when I retire in a couple of years.
Watching HDTV under clear cold Seattle skies, Gill
DBS out of Portland BITES HARD! they never show up for installs or do them right! Yet my nieghbor creditcard was stolen and when he got a new one, forgot to call Voom with correct number. After being just 37 days technicly late. A bozo from DBS pounds on his door like a collections agent and demands entry to his house to pull receiver. His wife scared to death calls husband on cell. Husband pissed off tells guy to go away as he is not allowing entry to home. The guy almost tries to bum rush his way into home. Well a few minutes later the lady hears a bang on side of house. She looks and this bozo is putting ladder on side of house. She calls police,and goes out side and tells him to get off her property. In the meen time another nieghbor comes outside to her help and tells the guy he will physicly remove him if he does not get off property. Right then police show up and he tries to get there help to let him remove dish. Police tell him he has to have a court order to do this otherwise they will arrest him. He reaches over and cuts coax as he puts away ladder. He tells lady he will be back with court order. Husband calls and complains to Voom Never even gets a call back. He then cancels voom and goes to Directv. It has been 5 months and Voom stuff is still there. He is about to toss receiever in garbage. I suspect DBS really wanted to get the big double fly swatter channel master that was free upgraded on his roof. He said he will keep that and let them go scr#w themselves!
Yea DBS< another great Voom partner in the great northwest!
Yea DBS< another great Voom partner in the great northwest!
iceshark
kinda make ya wonder how places like that stay in business doesn't it.
seattlevoomer1
I might try that (weekend install) I have a couple months before the deal ends to see what Voom does. I wish Voom would throw us a bone to chew on and give us an idea of what direction they are taking with this. Also I live in West Richland.
kinda make ya wonder how places like that stay in business doesn't it.
seattlevoomer1
I might try that (weekend install) I have a couple months before the deal ends to see what Voom does. I wish Voom would throw us a bone to chew on and give us an idea of what direction they are taking with this. Also I live in West Richland.
I used Cascade Satellite and they were excellent. I think they run the business out of their house but they were very professional, returned my calls, installed on Saturday and were only 30 minutes off their scheduled time and the installer personally called to tell me he was running a bit late.
"iceshark",
That's one heck of a story. Unfortunately, not a bit surprising! As I posted I called DBS, Installs, Inc. and VOOM and told them never would we let them on our property again. Luckily, for us they didn't cut the coax.
Watching HDTV under clear blue but cold Seattle skies, Gill
That's one heck of a story. Unfortunately, not a bit surprising! As I posted I called DBS, Installs, Inc. and VOOM and told them never would we let them on our property again. Luckily, for us they didn't cut the coax.
Watching HDTV under clear blue but cold Seattle skies, Gill
Installers?
Today is the 4th time the installer has not showed up. Voom needs to look at who is installing their product. The first time my installer called he said I would only get a total of 15 channels with Voom. The install company's guys must be smoking crack or be working for the other Sat companys. The customer service guys I get on their support chat have been nice enough (don't bother calling them unless you have alot of time to be on hold) but they can only sch another appointment. Their seems to be soom kind of disconnect between Voom and the people who install their equipment. I tried getting them to send the equipment to me and let me install it. They said no even though I have installed many DirecTV systems in the past. If voom did not have so much HD channels I would have told them to go screw themselves. How can a company that complains they don't have enough customers do nothing about this problem. They have a far greater product than anyone else and seem to be so blind.
Today is the 4th time the installer has not showed up. Voom needs to look at who is installing their product. The first time my installer called he said I would only get a total of 15 channels with Voom. The install company's guys must be smoking crack or be working for the other Sat companys. The customer service guys I get on their support chat have been nice enough (don't bother calling them unless you have alot of time to be on hold) but they can only sch another appointment. Their seems to be soom kind of disconnect between Voom and the people who install their equipment. I tried getting them to send the equipment to me and let me install it. They said no even though I have installed many DirecTV systems in the past. If voom did not have so much HD channels I would have told them to go screw themselves. How can a company that complains they don't have enough customers do nothing about this problem. They have a far greater product than anyone else and seem to be so blind.
Well, 2 more weeks have gone by. VOOM STILL IS IGNORING THIS THREAD!
Do you blame them? As long as these installers are RAPING this company for tons of $$$ and leaving a bad name for themselves, VOOM is DOOMED!!!!
They need to fix this NOW! This installer problem is the worst.
I see some have posted good installs, etc, but NONE SHOULD BE BAD! Very few are even needed and I wonder how much VOOM is paying an installer to repeak a dish or change an LNB?
Do you blame them? As long as these installers are RAPING this company for tons of $$$ and leaving a bad name for themselves, VOOM is DOOMED!!!!
They need to fix this NOW! This installer problem is the worst.
I see some have posted good installs, etc, but NONE SHOULD BE BAD! Very few are even needed and I wonder how much VOOM is paying an installer to repeak a dish or change an LNB?
According to my fourth installer, VOOM pays $27 for a service call (SE Va). Considering that it's a half-hour drive each way to my house for him, they aren't getting rich.philhu said:
The first 3 installers knew nothing about anything. The fourth one at least knew how to install a dish. He said that you have to connect BOTH LNB's. Who knew? Anyway, after he reinstalled my dish, I have had zero satellite problems.
None of them knew anything about OTA antennas, but the fourth one was willing to learn and work. He spent nearly 3 hours on a completely new antenna installation (I tipped him $40).
All 4 were primarily DirecTV installers, and all 4 tried constantly to get me to drop VOOM and go to DirecTV. Apparently, they get a commission for selling DirecTV, but only $27 for a VOOM service call.
VOOM would save themselves plenty of headaches (and thus $$$) by hiring their own independent installers who are VOOM trained and proficient at their jobs. Cut-out the middleman (Installs Inc.) and they could pay them better too!
Common problems with Shoddy Installs:
1. STBs "freeze" due to installer running only a single RG-6 from multiswitch to LNB.
2. STBs not downloaded with latest firmware (7.26) and completing OTA Scan.
3. OTA antennas improperly installed
4. Incorrect use of diplexers and multiswitches with the Winegard powered antenna.
5. Reusing existing RG-59 and faulty coax
6. Bad batches or receivers (quality control), but I get the feeling items #1 through #5 are the root cause of most failures.
Just my opinion.
Common problems with Shoddy Installs:
1. STBs "freeze" due to installer running only a single RG-6 from multiswitch to LNB.
2. STBs not downloaded with latest firmware (7.26) and completing OTA Scan.
3. OTA antennas improperly installed
4. Incorrect use of diplexers and multiswitches with the Winegard powered antenna.
5. Reusing existing RG-59 and faulty coax
6. Bad batches or receivers (quality control), but I get the feeling items #1 through #5 are the root cause of most failures.
Just my opinion.
Everyone has their own opinion of voom, and hey they are entitled to that. Trust me voom know about their installers problems and they are for an unknown amount of time in a sort of agreement with installs inc.. Now on vooms side all we have to go by is the customers, which have no problem expressing how they feel to us and that is expected. But i can tell you this we have setup a way of tracking the "bad seeds" and this is underway,although you have to give it time. Really i believe in voom, i believe that it could be a large competitor in the industry with the proper adjustments. Although without enough material to throw in their faces and say "heres the problem" they will not just react on some instances of problems. In my point of view really we have enough data to roll up and beat them with it but they want more. Their demands on installs inc. and customer service representatives is rediculous, and so until they start listening to the problems they will continue on the same track.
riffjim4069 said:
Any tech that install for Installs Inc. does go though a voom train class that comes from Voom. alot what is happen is the company that work for install are only sending there top guys to be trained and then they go back and tell the other tech how to do the voom installs cause they are working for that company they don't think everyone needs to be trained.
