VOOM GLOOM (Now you see it, now you don't)

[JoeB]

Since I've had VOOM installed about a month ago I've had nothing but problems. First of all, my installer told me that this was only the third VOOM install he'd done, yet the hotshot acted like he'd done a million with the personality of a con artist. Man, do I wish I'd known about these forums before the installation 'cause he did just about everything I've since read not to let him do. He used the diplexer, gave me little to no instruction, and left saying that it was normal that I was only getting 20 or so channels and that the rest of them will come in when the download is complete. Well, after three weeks, I still get only 20 or so channels and to make matters worse, it's not even consistent as to which 20 or so channels I get (including the local ones which aren't always all there either)! At best, I've been able to get about six movie channels. At worst, about four. Channels 109 and 110 always come in, but getting the others is a craps shoot.

After finding this Internet site and reading a bit I called VOOM who apologized and had Installers Inc send the same guy back to check out the problem. This time the guy didn't even go back on the roof to check his dish/antenna pointing but instead brought a new box and spent his time in the house trying to get the thing to work properly, which he didn't, and then he left saying that they only paid him for one hour per visit! So now, one month later, I'm still left with a system that has channels coming and going as fast as that worthless installer!

Well, I've tried just about everything that I've read on this site, and have been walked through over-the-phone troubleshoot attempts by VOOM a dozen times over. Yet still, I seem to be able to inconsistently get only some of channels. Installer's Inc is sending out a different guy tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Mr. Biggles]

...and had Installers Inc send the same guy back to check out the problem.

You should have refused that. Obviously he doesn't know jack squat about what he is doing.

A competent installer will get you up and running the way you should have been since day one.

 

[Ken F]

Email Joe Harkins at jharkins@installs.com. Tell him exactly what you've said here, and include the original installers name and number if you have it. Installers like that should not be allowed to perform future VOOM installs.

I hope VOOM issued you a credit for the first month of service.

 

[Walter L.]

Joe,
Welcome to this forum. You had come to the right place. As Ken suggested, just cut and paste the text form your 1st post, edit it as appropiated and send it to Joe Harkins. Let us knoiw what happens.

 

[JoeB]

Well, let me tell ya what happened this morning! A different installer called to verify my afternoon appointment. At first, I was glad to receive his call; I figured that the nightmare would soon be over and in just a few hours I'd finally be able to sit down and get in some serious HD viewing. But then he said that if I wanted to have him remove the diplexer and install an additional line like the work order said, I would have to pay him an additional fee. I explained to him that both VOOM and Installers Inc told me that there would be no additional fee and that I could show him this in writing (referring to this website where I see many people have opted to have two lines put in with no problem). He replied by telling me that HE could show me in writing that this was not the case. This really got me hot, so I told him not to bother coming out and that I would call VOOM about this. He then shouted out, "FINE!" and hung up, could you believe it? Anyway, I immediately called VOOM who assured me that they would get to the bottom of it, but since Installers Inc didn't open 'till 9:00 they'd have to call me back. To make a long story shorter, VOOM finds out that this new installer is from the same company as the original installer (Data Link Communications, I think they said) subcontracted by Installers Inc for installations in my area, so I wouldn't doubt he was the first installers brother or something. Needless to say, I am now waiting for Installers Inc to find me an impartial subcontractor (from a different part of the world, I guess)! It seems another inch of dust will collect on my 50" Samsung before this whole episode get resolved.

 

[Mr. Biggles]

Hang in there JoeB. Please, please take KenF's advice and follow-up with an e-mail to Joe Harkins like he suggested if just to speak your peace.

 

[andy6468]

I finally had my Voom installed last Sunday (4/25), after having two canceled appointments. The installer for me was also from Datalink Communications. When talking to the installer, I found out that he is actually an independent (self-employed) contractor. So (at least in my area) Voom subs the install to Installs, Inc., which in turn subs it to Datalink Communications, which in turn subs it to an independent contractor.

My original install date was 4/16 (canceled the night before). Then I was rescheduled for Saturday (4/24) between 8:00-noon. About 10:30 Saturday morning, the installer's wife calls me to say that her husband's truck broke down and he wants to reschedule for the next day. I called Datalink Communications to report this (why the hell is the installer's wife calling me with this, plus this seemed to me to be a load of BS), and they said they were going to get someone else to come out. The guy who came out Sunday gave me the info on installers in my area. He is one of two guys who is contracted to install in my area for Voom (the other guy was the Saturday no-show). He told me the other guy was trying to get out of his install appointments for the weekend because he was going to go out of town. Datalink Communications told him he couldn't cancel on such short notice, so he pulled this "truck broke down" excuse (having his wife call me).

The guy who installed Voom for me was great. He had no problem running the two coax lines. In fact, the coax roll he used had two coax lines bonded together, which he would split from each other at the dish/antenna location and then at the receiver box.

 

[Sean Mota]

Andy6468,

welcome. Good that the installation was a pleasure after two failed attempts. Enjoy VOOM!

 

[andy6468]

Thanks, Sean. Thanks also for this great forum.

Andy