Post your VOOM Activation Stories here

[DWS44]

I called the WOW-HDTV#, sat on hold 5 or 6 minutes, and got one of the lucky ones I guess...the guy was all business, but didn't question or hesitate adding the Voom channels or scheduling the install for the new dish for 61.5. Told me of the $100 and required a credit card to pay upfront. No biggie. Offered an install on Wednesday morning, but since I couldn't take that off he agreed to a Thursday afternoon appointment. Only hiccup was that MY cell phone cutoff o it helps to keep them charged up, ya know! lol) right after I gave the credit card info. I called back to confirm, almost no wait time this time, and the guy was friendly and confirmed that the install was in the system, and setup for Thursday afternoon. :up

 

[Electron]

VOOM Activation

Hello all...I must have made 10 calls to E to try to activate VOOM. Cut off 3 times, had difficulty understanding the CSR, trying to explain that I already had a dish at 61.5 and all they needed to do was add VOOM ot my account. Finally, I reached someone who said to try watching in 5 to 10 minutes. An hour later still no Voom. 3 more calls with being told I was not calling from the phone # for my account and to call the special VOOM number before I finally reached someone who told me the problem was that I prepaid for a year for E with the HD Pack. They had to remove the HD Pack and add VOOM to it and put both of these on auto pay. Then I was able to watch VOOM. The total time was over 2 hours. Not very customer friendly.
E is a far cry from the friendly business like VOOM service that I received this last year and already miss.

 

[gpflepsen]

Me: Hello, I'd like to activate the VOOM HD channels.

Dish: Let me do some research on your account.

Dish: Sir you are not eligible for these channels.

Me: That's not right. Please transfer me to another CSR.

Dish: Hold on, let me look into something ...(hold)... Well, it looks like I can enable them. We need to check some things. Tune to...

Me: I can't tune to anything, both my tuners are recording. My guide shows the channels in RED.

Dish: Oh, you already have a second dish?

Me: Right, I just want the programming activated.

Dish: Ok, I just activated them, they will be $5 per month.

Me: Wow, they just went to green in the guide, they must be on.

(It was literally that fast)

Dish: Thank you for using Dish Network blah blah blah....

Now, either the 921 is having some issues with the channels, or it is just another 921 thang. Some of the EPG for V*HD is wrong, and sometimes I can't tune to them by using "Channel up/down".

 

[James Long]

First day EPGs are often strange. Congrats to all who got the right rep today.

Voom On!

JL

 

[jrjcd]

First call-Saturday 4/29/05-Call back tomorrow-computers not set up yet to take orders for VoOm channels-won't be a problem on 5/1/05

Second call-Sunday 5/1/05-CSR informs me that ONLY existing VoOm customers qualify for the VoOm channels-I flip a gasket and ask to talk to a supervisor(no cursing or yelling tho)...on hold for about two minutes and then disconnected..

Third call-Without yelling or swearing, I proceed to rip the unsuspecting new CSR a new one, after calling back immediately from getting hung up on-I inform the CSR in no uncertain terms that I have been an E* customer since 1999, that at one time I sold the product, that I carry everything, and that the reason I hadn't fired up my VoOm receiver was that they were shutting down it seemed every other month!!!!As a good and loyal customer I demanded to get the programming I wanted and I wouldn't take no for an answer....
When I finally took a breath, the CSR very kindly fired up the VoOm programming and got it activated. This was all done on my cell phone whilst out to dinner with the wife and the service was going by the time I got home...

That's MY story and I'm sticking to it...

 

[jrjcd]

for ANYONE who wants the VoOm programming and don't want to pay for the dish, just fire up the exisitng Dish HD cvhannels and DEMAND that you want the CBSHD channel. for somereason, their basic HD channels are all on 110 with the exception of the CBS channel and because of this , they are required to provide the second dish for free...it helps if you have any locals on 61.5 also-in the Dallas area, all the local are on 110 EXCEPT for one niche UHF channel and because of this, I got the second dish...lol...it's almost like dealing with the thinking you get from government agencies....hahahaha

 

[rjruby]

Three minute phone call. Asked for the upgrade. Flipped the switch. I'm vooming.

Ditto for me.

 

[mindstein]

We would like to here how it went when you tried ordering the VOOM Channels on Dish Network.

No discussion please (at least not yet) just tell us how your call went. Include as muich details as possible.

They wanted my Social security number.

 

[rangersjay99]

Called Sunday morning, about 8 am EST. On hold a minute or so (after recordeing said there would be an 8 minute wait). CSR was able to activate and tell me what my new bill would be. Channels were on before I hung up. Total time about 4 minutes.

 

[kevingilmore]

First time i called I was told i could not get the channels it was for existing customers
only.

Second time i called i was activated in about 2 minutes.

However the recent activity on my account shows me that they charged me $6
for the voom channels, not $5. They also switched my HD from yearly to monthly.

 

[bdemz]

Here's my drama...

Call 1

Asked to sign up for VOOM channels.
CSR : "VOOM channels not offered at this time"
Me : "I know of others who signed up"
CSR : "Hold" (3 min.)
CSR : "I checked and we are not installing at this time"
Me : (Hangup)

Call 2

Asked to sign up for VOOM channels.
CSR : "You have to call this special number....."
Me : "Will this allow me to add the channels?"
CSR : "No, it will give you information on when we will be offering more HD"
Me : (Hangup)

Call 3

Asked to sign up for VOOM channels.
CSR : "Please Hold" (2 min.)
CSR : "You need a dish at 61.5"
Me : "I already have it"
CSR : "Please Hold (3 min.)
CSR : "You need a gold access card to get these channels"
Me : "I have it"
CSR : "Please hold (2 min.)
CSR : "It will cost $5.00 more per month"
Me : "I know"
CSR : "Please hold" (5 min.)
Me : (Hangup)

Call 4

Asked to sign up for VOOM channels.
CSR : "Looks like you already have it"
Me : (I check and the red channels are now not read and I can VOOM)

Phewwwww.................

Hope these channels are worth it

 

[Derwin0]

Called up the 800-333-DISH number, selected new programming, and ask for the Voom programming. The CS Referred to them as the "Rainbow Channels", verified my setup (I already have 61.5 due to split locals), and hooked me right up. While I was at it, I had CBS-HD added (not in an O&O market, but have a waiver on file).

 

[srd1]

2nd attempt

Called back after being told would need to pay $100 for the second dish even though 2 dishes are required for locals. Same story second rep, explained again that they have to provide dish 2 free due to locals. Rep insisted that if we want Voom there is a $100 activation fee fo new hardware. Asked what hardware was required, CSR said a second dish. Asked if the second dish is free to receive the locals, told yes but it costs $100 if we want to receive Voom . Went around again, same story. Told CSR to forget Voom, just sign me up as a new customer, $19.99 for 180 pack for 3 months, 6 months free HD, 942 two room install, 2 dishes for all locals. Will wait until install and then activate Voom (now that I have dish 2 free because of my locals ). From what I've read my locals come out of Greenville, SC which I believe has the second Dish at 61.5 so we should be good to go for Voom. I hope this works out well, they sure weren't service oriented on the phone and the CSR even said "you're just trying to get something for nothing" to which I replied, "you're just trying to charge me for something that by law you are required to provide to me for free" (like I want to have 2 dishes on my roof )

 

[DucTape]

Got mine turned on yesterday morning, it took 4 minutes or so and my 921 was the first to see them. Voomin here

 

[TBarclay]

Took me 3 tries to get activated. First 2 went to the 800-333-DISH number, was told both times the channels were only for new customers. Told them that was wrong, that I knew current customers who gotten the channels, still wouldn't activate me. Third time, called the other number, was first told again the new channels were only for new customers, when I protested I was put on hold. Had to verify the second dish, put on hold again. Finally, I had to agree to monthly billing for the HD Pack (I had paid for a year in advance). All-in-all, took about 20 minutes but got the channels activated and I'm enjoying them!

 

[David Dietzel]

I've had Dish for nearly five years for SD programming and Voom since November.

Called main Dish number Sunday evening as current Dish sub and placed on hold 20 minutes then cut off.

Tried again an hour later. Placed on hold 15 minutes and then cut off.

Called the regular Dish number again and said I was a Dish sub with Voom and needed to get upgraded to HD receiver and HD pack and Voom pack. Placed on hold 10 minutes. Then told to call WOW number. Called WOW. Told to call back main number. Called back main number and told only HD-DVR offer was 921 at $549 with no option to get a 942, either leased or purchased. Asked about 811. Put on hold 10 minutes. Told I would need to replace my 501 SD-DVR with 811. Said I wanted to keep 501 for SD recoding and asked if installation was feasible to somehow have both 811 and 501 going and just switch back and forth as needed as my TV has 7 inputs. Told no way to do that and must trash 501 for 811 or buy 921 -- again, no option to even buy a 942. Asked to speak with technical support regarding 811 and 501 co-installation. Told, OK, placed on hold 40 minutes and cut off.

Needless to say, I never even got a chance to talk about an extra Dish or programming costs.

WTF is this anyway????

Will talk to local sat people in person Wednesday (my day off) about my situation: I have two TVs, one SD and one HD. Have old SD reciever on SD TV, which is fine. Have SD-DVR 501 currently on HDTV. I just want to get an 811 to watch HD content from Dish (including Voom channels) and still have my 501 SD-DVR to record non-HD stuff.

Is this too freaking much to ask?????

Geesus, the Voom customer service was insanely outstanding compared to Dish.

God help us all.

 

[smitzinok]

SBC and Dish and VOOM

Called SBC at 8am
The CSR knew exactly what I was talking about when I requested the VOOM package. I need an additional dish for 61.5, It was taking a long time to setup the installation. After 20 min she was able to setup the install for tomorrow. The I was told that it would cost $188.00 for the install. I said it should be 100.00 and for her to check on it.
After about 15 minutes she said her system could not set up the VOOM with the $100 install and for me to call back tomorrow. They should have their system updated for the package by then.
I'll try again tomorrow and let you know.

 

[mwgiii]

I called Saturday night. Was on hold for about 5 minutes. They said call back on Sunday.

I called the 800-333-DISH number Sunday morning about 8:30. I was on hold about 2 minutes. I told the CSR that I wanted to add the VOOM channels, CSR said I needed a dish for 61.5, I told her I already had one. She put me on hold for about 2 minutes and came back and said I was on.

I hung up went to my 921 and BOOM, I had VOOM.

I really like Rave and HD News. I haven't had time to look at the other channels yet.

 

[nanaberry]

No voom yet for me, after 8 calls CSR said it would cost $299 because they have to change my dp34 to a dp44 to get 61.5. She said if i'd wait they will probably run some more deals later. Missin My Voom......

 

[John Kotches]

I called Sunday morning about 10:00am CDT. On hold for about 6 minutes.

I spoke to the CSR, who knew what I was asking for, checked what receivers I had, told her I had a 6000 and 811 with a dish pointed at 61.5. She informed my the bill would go up $5/month and what the new total would be and that the channels would be activated within 30 minutes.

Less than 5 minutes later the channels were visible and watchable on my 811 with software 287.

So for me, the experience was positive.

Cheers,