Self install set top box....Major issues

[chrisjones]

... Has anyone else taken up this ever so fabtastic offer from VM? hmm hint of sarcasm there maybe!?

So the box arrives, yay! I open it up to find some instructions.. hmm not too difficult I think. So off I go to find where my cable connection comes into my house... bugger! VM only send out 1.5m of cable and it wont reach my TV, no matter I think, Ill just call up the handy VM helpline.

Call 1.
Tuesday evening around 9:30pm

'No problem sir, someone will call you in the morning to arrange some cable to be sent out'.

Weds passes.... no call.

Call 2.
This morning around ... ooooh 20 mins ago.

First guy.
Hi sir, ah yes thats a sales issue, let me put you through to them.

Second guy
Hi there how can I help - let me get your details...

Jump back to first guy.
Err hello sir....

Me
How did I end up back with you?

First Guy.
Dunno Mate ... (yeah he actually called me 'mate') Let me put you through to the right person.

15 mins later...

Third guy,
Hi - so you want to book an install?

Me - No, I just need some longer cable.

Oh ok sir one min...... 'Welcome to telewest, this number has now changed..

Total wasted time 18mins
:mad:

And heres me thinking that this would all be easy peasy

---------- Post added at 11:51 ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 ----------

.. your not gonna believe this.

I just called retentions to ask them to collect the tv box - I was told that I HAD called yesterday evening at 6:30pm to cancel the set-top box.. thats odd, I remember being at work yesterday evening. When I put this to the chap on the line he all but accused me of lying. When I asked to speak to someone regarding the un-autherised cancellation he said 'Its pointless as only the account holder can cancel services'..

Wow I had to bite my lip seriously hard to avoid loosing it with him!

So I guess my next question is, who do I call to find out whos been fiddling with our acc?

---------- Post added at 12:43 ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 ----------

Sorry, posted in wrong forum.. my bad!

[dilli-theclaw]

Moved to installation for you :)

[chrisjones]

Moved to installation for you :)

Turns out they sent me the wrong 'card' too, so even if they had sent me the cable it wouldnt have worked anyway!

Cack or what!?

[jungleguy]

yes but at least you saved yourself £30 on the instal charge.

[BenMcr]

Ah yes quickstart. The completely smooth running self install service ;)

With such non-issues as 'my computer is at the other end of the house but I didn't tell you that, but it is your fault anyway' to 'I've never had any TV or broadband service so dont have the connection points, which you know, but decided to send me a pointless self install pack anyway'

Little tip ;)

Anyone with ANY Quickstart issues should call 0800 953 9500. This is the Activation Line, the delivery query line, the 'I'm missing bits' line. Everything after the initial order to the point where it actually works

Oh and just to make it clear, that is ONLY the Quickstart line. They don't deal with normal faults, billing, customer relations, credit services or house moves, before anyone thinks that they do, ok? :D

[chrisjones]

yes but at least you saved yourself £30 on the instal charge.

And promptly spent it on the muppets supposedly on the other end of the phone to help me.

And before anyone gets all up in arms, that wasnt a blanket term, just the 5 or so people I spoke to today, three of which were blatently on training as I could hear someone else feeding them the answers.:rolleyes:

[VMInstaller]

In my opinion Q/starts dont work we still have to go to them 9 out of 10 because most people dont no what they are doing. The amount of times we go into houses and there is nothing wrong with the signal its just been connected up wrong and they have the phone in the BT socket its unbelivable

[y=mx+c]

The biggest issue with self installs is that they assume the customer is able to grasp the basic understanding of connecting a new piece of equipment to there hardware. Tossing aside the fact that most STB’s issued have the wrong area default frequency etc. and the levels may be all to pot if at all connected at the cab. Someone has forget that the Americans were spoon fed cable but in the UK were still naive. At least money is being saved somewhere.

[BenMcr]

Especially when loads of people still refer to cable as a 'channel'