Worst installation ever! Thanks TWC!

[sp44again]

First the guy shows up late. Then he gives me the crappy SA HD box instead of the Pioneer. Then he leaves and he left the filter on the cable so I still don't get any channels! So today I swap boxes and the lady says that it should be specially ordered and you should call first. Where is this documented? Luckily she had
one box left. I don't know how this company is still running.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by sp44again
I don't know how this company is still running.

I bet being a monopoly helps.......

Starving

[sp44again]

A monopoly of crap.

[Gregg Lengling]

Nice thing about Directv...I did my own install and it's perfect...better than hiring someone to do it...they never do it the way you want...they do it the way that is easiest for them to make money.

[sp44again]

Or how about the guy was just an idiot.

[jlegge]

The DirecTV Installer?

*looks at Gregg*

HAHA! J/K    

[mhz40]

Originally posted by sp44again
First the guy shows up late. Then he gives me the crappy SA HD box instead of the Pioneer. Then he leaves and he left the filter on the cable so I still don't get any channels! So today I swap boxes and the lady says that it should be specially ordered and you should call first. Where is this documented? Luckily she had
one box left. I don't know how this company is still running.

I feel your frustation, but on the other hand, where is it documented that all installations will exclusively use Pioneer set tops?

[borghe]

agreed. you would certainly have a right to complain if they showed up with just a plain digital box instead of an HD one, but ranting and berating them because they didn't come out with teh HD box you would have preferred seems a little arrogant.

Not saying you don't have a right to be generally upset based on your post, but the box thing just seems a little over the top.

[sp44again]

OK, what's more important all knowing borghe, that he gave me the crap box or the fact he didn't take the filter off for me to get anything!

[Tom Snyder]

Make a deal with you guys.

If you will promise to turn down the heat a little, I'll promise not to close this thread.

[Kenshin]

Hi,

Define crap box? I'm just curious. I have to agree with Mhz40, there isn't anything anywhere that says that TWC has to give you a specific box. However, having been through this before, I know that if you were to simply ask the person when you called in to order it, you could have asked to make a note to bring one.

On the discussion on the quality of installation, how did you figure this out? If it were me, I would have simply turned on the TV before the guy left. Common sense, if a guy comes to install my water heater, you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to have him test it before the guy leaves, not when I want to take a hot shower.

Basically though, whether you go to cable or to satellite, both have their positives and negatives. For every schlep that messes up an installation in cable, there is one for satellite. Does it suck that you got a bad install? Sure. Should you have tested the cable before you signed the slip saying everything worked? Sure.

*puts down the 2x4 after beating the dead horse*

P.S. How is the cable working for you now?

[sp44again]

The SA is crap compared to the Pioneer. I've had both. Telling a customer service rep to make sure the installer brings a Pioneer is impossible for them to do. They contract people out to do some of their calls. This guy was a contract guy. I don't think he knew they had another kind of box. As far as being documented I don't care if it is or isn't they should stick to one box so they don't have people stopping in to swap boxes like other people have done on the board. The TVguide came up when the guy was here and I forgot that it comes up all the time. You are right, I should of changed the channel. What was I thinking that someone could do their job. Cable is working great for me except that I cannot get the guide to come up on the screen. Any ideas?

[mhz40]

Originally posted by sp44again
The SA is crap compared to the Pioneer. I've had both. Telling a customer service rep to make sure the installer brings a Pioneer is impossible for them to do. They contract people out to do some of their calls. This guy was a contract guy. I don't think he knew they had another kind of box. As far as being documented I don't care if it is or isn't they should stick to one box so they don't have people stopping in to swap boxes like other people have done on the board. The TVguide came up when the guy was here and I forgot that it comes up all the time. You are right, I should of changed the channel. What was I thinking that someone could do their job. Cable is working great for me except that I cannot get the guide to come up on the screen. Any ideas?

Crap Box:
As with everything else, technology on the set tops keeps evolving---which is always a good thing.  Sticking to one set top would not be a good business plan.  It would have required massive capital to buy the set tops and a ton more $ to warhouse them until they were all deployed.  (You don't go grocery shopping once a year do you?

As long as customers desire more features and as long as the cable industry as a whole wants to offer features not available on direct satellite (Video On Demand, DVR etc...), there will always be the 'next best thing' around the corner.  Additionally, Pioneer & SA are competing against eachother for business, so that alone will breed development.  Some set tops are not even available any more, so sticking to one type is not an option---especially in the long run.

Guide:
If I'm not mistaken, the guide is a 'service' just like HBO.  On most packages it's included, but if you have the bare bones package, you may not get the Interactive Guide included.

Install:
Hope all is fixed with your situation now... only weeks away from the Fall HDTV season and most likely Discovery HD!!  
I hope Fox gets their antenna project completed too---for your OTA guys...

MHz

[sp44again]

Wow, what a suprise! Somebody at TWC must of seen my post about carrying two boxes. I had to swap a 3510 today cause my HD channels weren't coming up unless I unplugged the box each time I watched. So the lady says at the counter says that she heard they will only carry the Pioneer box shortly. What a brilliant idea! She said she will be glad because she is sick of people swapping boxes(SA3100HD vs 3510HD) all the time.