Just spent 5 weeks, and as near as I can calculate, 15 hours trying to get "upgraded" to HDTV after two years of standard service.
I am shocked. I did not know anything about this. My house has only 2 lines- no more can be run- I need an SWM switch to allow HDTV, but they won't "allow it"??
I am at the end of my two year contract- Dish TV runs off of 2 lines (and said they can install tomorrow)....I waited 3 weeks for Direct and spent 15 hours on the phone and with 4 different techs (that insist on using my home phone to call thier office ((over 2 hours one night))).
Anyway, Direct TV have very bad customer service! I am calling the BBB and local investigative news just on principle, and will be calling Direct to pick up there crap after my new service is installed. Management there should be fired.
Sep 22, 2008 Rating
Direct TV Installation service is the worst! by: Joe McMullen
GOOD LUCK!
I just tried for a second time since moving into my house to get Direct TV installed. Last July I had 3 missed appointments before a guy finally showed up that didn't want to put the dish in the back of the house.
Fast forward a year, and I really miss the Sunday Ticket, so I try again. First appointment: Installer shows up on time, but tells me I should go with the new SWM system as my house is already wired.
He calls the dispatcher to get it worked out for an install 2 days later. After 45 minutes on the phone, he finally gets it done.
Second appointment: Installer shows up on time. I ask him if he is going to install the SWM system. He says yes. He mounts the dish, runs the line. I come out to see two feeds. I ask if this is the SWM system, and he plays dumb (or more likely, he wasn't playing).
He can only hook-up my HD DVR with one line. I ask why, and what about the second HD-DVR I ordered....again, he plays dumb.
So he disappears to call his supervisor. Comes back, begs me to finish the installation, and that his supervisor will send someone out the next day to finish the SWM systems. I agree.
He sets up the DVR. When he finished, he gave me papers to sign with the YES box already checked for all the questions about whether I am satisfied.
I write in some notes, but I am optimistic that they will finish the install with the SWM, how hard can it be right?
WRONG!! It is impossible. After two hours on the phone today with Direct TV, I am canceling service all together after 1 day. I was told that I did not qualify for SWM, and there was no way to change that.
They would rather lose me as a customer than give me the SWM install, which I was told would be the standard starting in October.
So, I canceled my service. This is crazy! Now I have a dish on my roof, they they got me to install by being dishonest, and they won't remove it.
STAY WAY FROM DIRECT TV.
The SWM system is impossible to get. STAY AWAY!!!
DIrect TV has a great picture, great programming, but it is not worth the hassle of the install. They outsource their installations and do not care when it goes wrong.
I was a loyal customer for years, but then I moved and it took 7 or 8 install appointments to get it done correctly, then I moved again, and now I am at a loss.
Customer service....yeah right. They can not seem to get their act together over installation. They lost a loyal customer over a $140 SWM switch.
