Failure

I'm trying to be positive here, but the first four days living in my new abode have not gone smoothly. Packing and unpacking and organizing was the easy part. Each day I've faced one failure after another and I'm beginning to think I may be cursed or something. 

It started on Saturday with the installation of DirecTV. I've had DirecTV for years and I love it. I got a great deal with upgrades and an internet bundle because of the move and I was feeling a tiny bit smug with not having to use the dreaded Charter Communications. The installer was coming between 8 and noon Saturday morning. I called DirecTV at 11:50 am because I hadn't heard anything. Seems the installer was lost. 

When he arrived, I showed him the deck where the dish would have to sit because of the restrictions of the apartment management company. He was quick to point out that I had a western exposure and not a "clear view of the southern sky." He wasn't going to be able to install it and I was now without television service. 

At least I wouldn't have to pay a cancellation fee to DirecTV because there was no way they could get service. On Sunday, DirecTV called to tell me that they have to send a technician out to my place to verify that they couldn't put a dish up before they would cancel my contract. "They'll call you to schedule a time." Seriously? I am not waiting for someone to show up when you just have to look at my deck from the outside and you can see the problem. I still haven't heard from the technician and DirecTV still hasn't confirmed the cancellation of my account. 

And now I'm feeling bad for telling the people at Charter to take a hike; I would have to grovel now to get cable service. 

The second part of my DirecTV bundle was Qwest Internet service and that would start on Monday. I called Qwest on Monday because I hadn't received my information and they told me that UPS was delivering my modem that day. Strange, I told them that I didn't need a modem since I already had one. The service was to be switched on Monday at 5 p.m., but I wouldn't get the modem until Tuesday afternoon (I had to reschedule the UPS delivery). 

There are seven combination phone/cable jacks in the condo; two in each room and one in the kitchen.  I followed the installation directions step-by-step, but it wasn't working. I called Qwest customer service and they were no help. They didn't know which jack was the one that was activated; I would have to check all of them. Customer service asked me what time it was - I said 5:50 p.m. "Oh, maybe the service isn't on yet. If you wait an hour or so, then try again." Their records said that my service was to be turned on at 5 pm on Tuesday not Monday. And it didn't say which time zone for that 5 pm. 

I checked all the jacks and then waited two hours and tried them all again. No luck. I called Qwest Customer Service a second time. They said that since I don't have regular phone service (who does anymore?), they couldn't tell me what the issue was. They would be happy to send a technician out and check the outside lines to see what the issue is. If they couldn't determine the issue on the outside, they would need to come in and check the inside wiring for "a nominal fee of $85." 

I laughed out loud and repeated what she said back to her - "a nominal fee of $85!? Forget it! Cancel my order. I'll ship you back the modem tomorrow." Oh, no, I would have to call a different number in the morning to cancel the order. UGH!!

I'll also have to call the Charter Communications guy and find out if they would add Internet service to my cable TV order.  Grovel, grovel...

Oh, DirecTV, why are you such a mess??

There's nothing quite as painful as switching providers. I had DirecTV for years until Comcast got me to switch with a classic "bait & switch" that was supposed to more affordable. Ha! In the end, I was paying more for Comcast than I ever did for DirecTV. So, I decided to switch back.

I got a direct mail offer from DirecTV that would give me a great package called "The DVR Plus" package. I signed up and got a date for the installation. It was supposed to be pretty simple: just bring in a new DVR and cables and be done with it. I already had the dish, so no need for a new one. They would be coming to my place on February 13th between noon and 4 pm. 

At 3:45 on Saturday, I called customer service to inquire why no one had called or shown up. I was informed that they had stopped by, but no one was home. Granted my condo is a bit off the beaten path, but I was home the entire time. I was ticked off, but they told me that they could do it two days later.

The installer showed up at 3 p.m. Monday and he informs me that he needs to replace the satellite dish because mine didn't work with the HD system. I felt bad for the guy because he had to crawl up to the top of my deck and pick through all the ice on top of the dish. He finished with the dish and then set up the receiver. When he called DirecTV to finish the set-up of the receiver, they informed him he had put in the wrong receiver - I had ordered the non-HDTV DVR receiver. He didn't have that type of receiver with him and the work order that DirecTV had given him wasn't correct and he had installed exactly what they told him to install. I can verify that.

He told me that I would need to straighten it out with DirecTV and that he needed to leave - never mind that he had handed me his cell phone to talk to the customer service agent. I could just call them back on my own phone... Thanks. He had left the old dish on my deck, so when he started to leave, I asked him if he was taking it. "No" that wasn't his responsibility and I would have to dispose of it. (Never mind that I hadn't even needed to have it replaced because I hadn't ordered HD! The old one would have been fine.)

I had to call customer service back. I was pretty pumped up and not in a good mood. I talked with the poor customer service rep that was unfortunate enough to pick up my call. I asked if they could just send me the correct DVR receiver and I could just switch it out. "No, a technician would have to come out to install it." Did I like the HD and would I want the HD DVR? Sure, that would great. "It's only a one time charge of $199." Um, no, on second thought..I don't think so. 

Okay, so I have to have a technician come out. How soon? The earliest date available was a week away (Feb 23rd). Seriously? Don't you have evening installation hours? I do work for a living and my office and home are NO WHERE near each other. No, sorry. 

I asked to talk to his supervisor. He put me on hold for about a minute and then when he comes back on line, he tells me that it would be a couple of minutes for me to talk to his supervisor because he was already on a call. (Hmmm) "But good news," when he had logged off and then back on, installation dates sooner than next Tuesday opened up. Lots of openings Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday of this week. 

So, I'm set to work from home tomorrow morning, so the installer can come out to switch out the receiver. 

I wanted it done ASAP because there is no way I want to live without a DVR. You don't realize how much you rely on it when you don't have it anymore. I can't pause or rewind live TV and excuse me, the Olympics are happening for the next two weeks! I need instant replay and the ability to record something if I can't be at home to watch it live. 

So, DirecTV -FAIL on customer service. 

And what the heck am I going to do with that old satellite dish on my deck??