No Grandfathered Status In 2005- for me!

[Indy]

OK guys. Got the official answer here in the form of my Jan bill online at My Voom. The grandfathered pricing of $79 for the VaVaVoom package is no longer there. It is now $89 per month and the STB rental is still at $9.50. GOOD BY VOOM! This is not worth the money. I had posted this in my thread of Voom email support!! But this is newsworthy enough that it deserves it's own thread.

 

[K4LK]

Sorry that 40 channels of HD (with more to come) and a bunch of SD favorites including music choice is not worth $89 per month to you. It sure is to me. There is no other game in town.

 

[Kentstater72]

I thought that the STB was going to $5/mo?
Well again I will evaluate my options come Jan 6th.
Although it is beginning to look as though the only way to get value (multiple $5/mo stb's, maybe the DVR) is to quit and then re-up when the DVR is available.
How long do you have to be disconnected to voom before you can sign up as a new customer?

 

[Davey Roa]

I will pay it. They will be offering new channels in March.

 

[andrzej]

OK guys. Got the official answer here in the form of my Jan bill online at My Voom. The grandfathered pricing of $79 for the VaVaVoom package is no longer there. It is now $89 per month and the STB rental is still at $9.50. GOOD BY VOOM! This is not worth the money. I had posted this in my thread of Voom email support!! But this is newsworthy enough that it deserves it's own thread.

I'm not sure that you're correct. On my January bill VaVaVomm package disappeared and instead I pay $39.90 for Voom and 4 x $10 for Cinemax PlusPack, HBO PlusPack, SHOWTIME UNLIMITED PlusPack, and STARZ! PlusPack. The total for programming is still $79.90.

 

[Indy]

I called today and found out why my bill went up. A couple of weeks ago I ordered the extra STB on the $1 deal with the 6 month commitment. The CSR told me that I was Grandfatherded in so not a problem. Then I was hearing other info here on the forum and follow up calls to Voom. So I cancelled the request and was assured all went back to where I was since no trucks rolled.No harm, no foul. Now today the CSR who was very sympathetic with my delema told me the real truth.

She said in the Voom computer system ANY downgrade or equipment change triggers a default to prevailing rates. There is nothing she can do to undo the request for the STB showing on my account even though it was cancelled 1 day after I placed it.

The $9.50 STB rental charge is the real deal for the existing customers and will not go to $5 in Jan. according to her.

To make a long story short I cancelled today and bought a Dish 921 for $470 from a supplier here and re-upped with Dish for the time being. Iwill be recording HD tonight but will not have the selection that I had with Voom.

The cancellation really does not hurt me because I F***** myself earlier by making the change then un doing it. The new $1 deal is through march and maybe something will come about for me to Voom once again. The $14.50 per month increase in one month was a bit sharp. ( $10 programming increase and the not to be offered STB discount of $4.50 for a total of $14.50)

I will misss Rave and the concerts but that is the way it goes. Dish for a while and wait and see.

 

[riffjim4069]

I thought that the STB was going to $5/mo?
Well again I will evaluate my options come Jan 6th.
Although it is beginning to look as though the only way to get value (multiple $5/mo stb's, maybe the DVR) is to quit and then re-up when the DVR is available.
How long do you have to be disconnected to voom before you can sign up as a new customer?

You will have to quit once to get the affordable mutiple receiver deal and then again to get the DVR deal or face $199 installation charge. See my post: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=256905&postcount=9

Ok, for the new customer deal....is the $5 STB rental good for the life of the contract, for 6 months, or just through March? Will STB prices then go back to the base rate of $9.50 (first) and $14.50 (subsequent receivers)?

 

[riffjim4069]

For those who signed up under the New Customer Offer and assume you will be paying a $5 STB rental. From what I see, the offer is cleverly vague and it appears VOOM can raise your rental fees to the Base Offer rate of $9.50 for first receiver and $14.50 for each additional receiver after March 1st. Let’s say you sign up for new service on 1 January and order VA VA VOOM and 3 receivers:

Your bill for the first 2 months of the contract is $89.90 + $5 + $5 +$5 = $104.90 and whatever applicable taxes.

Your bill for the last 4 months of the contract may very well be $89.90 + $9.50 + $14.50 + 14.50 = $128.40

The difference is $23.50 per month with 3 receivers
Four receivers $33.00
Five receivers $42.50

Your only recourse would be to cancel service and pay the $250 early termination fee. Like I said, the terms & conditions of this offer and vague so don’t be surprise if you’re paying more for your service starting 1 March.

 

[Indy]

Just finished getting alll my Dish equipment back in place along with my new 921 PVR and happy for now! Change is good, keeps you from getting board.

 

[jnardone]

I will pay it. They will be offering new channels in March.

They will be offering "Capacity for new channels" in March. Unfortunately, that is not something you can watch.

 

[compson]

I used to be a Dish customer. I didn't have a PVR, but it would take a lot more than $10 a month to make me go back (like a loaded gun pointed at my head). Hope you enjoy all that HD.

 

[andrzej]

They will be offering "Capacity for new channels" in March. Unfortunately, that is not something you can watch.

Even if it is only the capacity, it's still better than what D* or E* can offer in March.

 

[Lucky]

They will be offering "Capacity for new channels" in March. Unfortunately, that is not something you can watch.

Yeah, if they ever give existing customers the elliptical dishes to get these new channels.

 

[rudolpht]

Just finished getting alll my Dish equipment back in place along with my new 921 PVR and happy for now! Change is good, keeps you from getting board.

It would take significant torture for me to "go back" or backwards to Dish. Though I'm not happy to get pseudo res on the HDtivo, the 921 represents my last stand on Echostar. Not only was I screwed over regarding the old HD 8VSB, then the promise unfullfilled on firewire, then a guide that's out of the stone age, then .... Me bitter, no. Voom would have to be brain dead to do worse than the 921, though the lack of a DVR comes close. I'm glad they are not introing a half-baked kludge. Money is not the issue for me. I watch voom, HD tape on cable, and use HDTivo as a DVR. I would NOT go backwards to Dish.

 

[Indy]

For those who signed up under the New Customer Offer and assume you will be paying a $5 STB rental. From what I see, the offer is cleverly vague and it appears VOOM can raise your rental fees to the Base Offer rate of $9.50 for first receiver and $14.50 for each additional receiver after March 1st. Let’s say you sign up for new service on 1 January and order VA VA VOOM and 3 receivers:

Your bill for the first 2 months of the contract is $89.90 + $5 + $5 +$5 = $104.90 and whatever applicable taxes.

Your bill for the last 4 months of the contract may very well be $89.90 + $9.50 + $14.50 + 14.50 = $128.40

The difference is $23.50 per month with 3 receivers
Four receivers $33.00
Five receivers $42.50

Your only recourse would be to cancel service and pay the $250 early termination fee. Like I said, the terms & conditions of this offer and vague so don’t be surprise if you’re paying more for your service starting 1 March.

riffjim4069, I have been relaying your find and people want to know where you find this in the contract?

 

[Sean Mota]

I ask again where is it written that you are grandfathered lifetime as the thread title implies. Didn't everyone knew that come January 1st there was going to be a $10 increase? Maybe I should put the thread were this was discussed 6-7 months ago.

 

[riffjim4069]

Two separate issues going on here:

1. Grandfathered - VOOM stated back in July that programming rates were going up $10 for new customers. Existing customer were Grandfathered for the remainder of 2004...of course, the new rates would apply starting 1 Jan ($49/$89). This is nothing new.

2. Regarding the new customer promotion, the offer does not explicitly state the terms & conditions of the $5 STB rental. An explicit offer in one in which the terms are fully revealed or expressed without vagueness, implication, or ambiguity; leaving no question as to meaning or intent. The offer, as stated:

· Valid November 17, 2004 through March 1, 2005 (explicit)
· For new customers only (explicit)
· Not valid in combination with any other offer (explicit)
· $1.00 for installation and activation for up to 3 VOOM Receivers (explicit)
· 6-Month commitment to VOOM Basic Programming at regular rates (explicit)
· $5.00 monthly equipment fee per VOOM Receiver (implicit)
· $250 early termination fee (explicit)
· $49 installation fee for additional VOOM Receivers 4 through 6 (explicit, but should state "for each additional receiver".
· Additional charges apply for all subsequent visits after initial installation (explicit)

All items, with the exception of the $5 rental fee, are explicitly stated. The rental fee, under this offer, is merely implied since it does not state how long the $5 rental fee will be applied. One could reasonably assume there is an implied agreement to pay a $5 rental fee for the life of the contract.

However, if you'll notice...the terms & conditions of this offer are appended to VOOM's base offer, which explicitly state:

- $9.50 per month IRD equipment fee for each IRD
- $5.00 Multi set fee / mo for each secondary IRD beyond the first (IRD's 2-6)

Based on the above information, one could argue the $5 rental fee is no longer in effect after 1 March or after the 6-month commitment period as explicitly stated in the base offer, which is incorporated into the current promotion offer:

1. $5 rental fee for each receiver for the life of the contract?
2. $5 rental fee for each receiver for the 6-month commitment?
3. $5 rental fee only during the promotion period of 17 Nov - 1 March?

Ok, according to a VOOM CSR Supervisor, here is her scoop after giving this matter a little thought:

1. The $5 rental fee is, she believes, meant for the life of the contract.
2. All calls are recorded, so if there is ever a problem you can call back and the message will be replayed.

Ok, I didn't get that 'warm & fuzzy' feeling about item #1 since the Supervisor had to check with her supervisor...and this offer is still unclearly stated on VOOM's website.

I have always made a habit of taking copious notes...however, what if these taped recordings should happen to fall into the bit-bucket? Should we start recording our calls into VOOM just in case they loose the voice recording? What if we forget to ask this questions while on the phone placing our order? Also, why doesn't VOOM just restate the terms & conditions of the offer on their website and clear-up any possible confusion?

 

[Indy]

Try to hold Voom accountable for a promise or statement of fact made over the phone at a latter date. This is after you requested the promise or fact become a part of the written record of your account at the time it was made. Voom will tell you there is no record of any such phone call in your record or any notes of the call.

Hell, for a while there Voom was ignoring the written agreements made with the early adopters on the money back guarantee. Was that ever ironed out? I am not trying to bash Voom here.

All I am doing is realizing you can not take a person or service for it's word and I for one have become very skeptical of Voom's business ethics from past performance. Good Luck!

 

[dnyce]

Yeah, if they ever give existing customers the elliptical dishes to get these new channels.

The true test is if the new people signing up now are getting the new elliptical dishes.

 

[riffjim4069]

All I am doing is realizing you can not take a person or service for it's word and I for one have become very skeptical of Voom's business ethics from past performance. Good Luck!

I'm not trying to bash VOOM, but I need to point out the discrepancies in the promotion offer. Just rewrite a sentence or two, provider better information and training to the CSRs and replace that g-o-d--a-w-f-u-l-l-y--s-l-o-w computer system. Hmmm. I often wondered what ever happened to my old 8088-2 10Mhz Turbo PC?

<EOT>
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