experience with tv installer

2012paddy2012

View(s) appreciated. I asked a TV installer for a quote for a job. The job was to run a cable from sat dish, which already had an octo fitted and connect it to a humax stb in the sitting room. In the attic the previous different installer had connected all the TVs (4) through a series of components, sending signal to the four TVs. (This is an important aspect to note). There was never a problem of ANY sort with this set up. However there was an old sky pace box plugged into the mix in the attic which fed two upstairs TVs.
I basically wanted the sky box taken out and replaced with a distribution system that would work as this set up had for years, if this could be done. I felt that having this box plugged in was using electricity needlessly. The job was looked at, and priced (expensive) and I was told it was no problem and it could be done. Based on this assurance I agreed to go ahead.

That was nearly six months ago. The work was second to none, neat and the installer very courteous and competent. The owner who you deal with is a different matter. This is a long story; I will cut it short, being fair to both parties. The evening that the job was completed, the saorview in the sitting room went "NO SIGNAL" and after a while I changed the set top box (stb) to another saorview box , I had upstairs and reinstalled it from new installation menu. It worked. .fine ...I put the stb that had showed the no signal fault in the sitting room, back upstairs and it worked no problem. That evening I contacted the owner and I told him the problem had occurred. The original view taken by him was that the box was the fault and not the job, completed a couple of hours earlier. This continued on and off and intermittingly without warning for the last six months. On the majority of occasions I went up and down the stairs swopping set top boxes, I eventually formed the view that it was not the box. The problem was confined to the sitting room saorview feed from attic only

. In fairness after continually, I mean continually trying to get this guy back he did send his installer back 5 times(over 6 months)  However it was a case he says of trying to find the issue causing the problem. This involved just changing the new cable, switching around to see if it's a cable fault. Then changing one set of combiners with another. That is reasonable. I have all the texts and emails documented as I was about to go the small claims court to try resolve the matter. The reason for my frustration is because the matter was occurring infrequently , Murphy's Law  the odd time i sat down to watched it , it went NO SIGNAL , I had to leave the room and watch the program in another room. I kept owner abreast of these issues continually.

No one likes bothering someone continually, but this is typical of the response....ah sure we will be over next week and sure..if not maybe the following week!!Bad as that is on two different occasions I was told a note  was taken of my call and they would be over , weeks and weeks pass , I contact him ....reply...ah sure i forgot to mention it to the installer or similar...Imagine after paying a professional to carry out a job, paid him full and up front ..This is what you get, when he leaves you with a fault he caused during his installation...again the point is ...Never a problem or issue before he came near the place. What comes across to me with this couldn't care less attitude is...I got your money now "feck" off. The final straw yesterday was after weeks of trying to coax him back again ( I had decided before the installer called yesterday, and the continual unsuccessful attempts to solve the issue , i wasn't go to contact them again life is just too short) I was sick of trying and trying to get him back...his lax attitude, coupled with inability to solve the problem.  I asked the owner, would he not come and view the work his installer did? No not a hope.

It's a sort of double act talk to one and the other comes to do the job...it's a... he didn't tell me i didn't tell him sort of set up. Yesterday I got the shock of my life, installer swopped aerial and put a new filter in..Ran a new cable.. This in the hope that this might or might not sort the problem. He gives me a bill for another 80 quid on top of the original fee, for this work hoping that it might resolve the issue...this is the issue that never existed prior to him carrying out the work in the first place!! I think he has a cheek.

If I was a service person and carried out work for someone and it didn't fulfil a basic criteria i.e. that it works properly...I would be embarrassed and repair immediately , I don't think continually fobbing off and  forcing the customer to try and cajole me to call back would be satisfactory or indeed good working practice. Bottom line is the job was completed with a fault, it's not my problem I am not a TV installer , therefore I employed an installer and expect the job as quoted be completed as agreed.   Appreciate views.....P

obezyana

At the risk of sounding like a pr!ck your post is too hard to read if you break it up into paragraphs it will be easier on the eyes and id reckon you will get some good helpful replies from those in the know here.

Thurston?

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

I asked a TV installer for a quote for a job. The job was to run a cable from sat dish, which already had an octo fitted and connect it to a humax stb in the sitting room. In the attic the previous different installer had connected all the TVs (4) through a series of components, sending signal to the four TVs. (This is an important aspect to note). There was never a problem of ANY sort with this set up. However there was an old sky pace box plugged into the mix in the attic which fed two upstairs TVs. I basically wanted the sky box taken out and replaced with a distribution system that would work as this set up had ...

From what I recall of some of your previous threads, the upstairs & downstairs were originally fed from separate outputs of a masthead amplifier PSU, so simply removing the Sky box shouldn't have had any bearing on the sitting room situation. Is the new satellite feed carried on its own cable from dish to sitting room or, does it share a cable with the Saorview feed?

Did the installer offer any explanation as to what the problem was?

muffler

obezyana wrote: »

At the risk of sounding like a pr!ck your post is too hard to read if you break it up into paragraphs it will be easier on the eyes and id reckon you will get some good helpful replies from those in the know here.

Agreed. I couldnt be arsed reading that.

It aint that difficult to make a few paragraphs while typing and only last night you were capable of doing it

ISAA

agree 100%, my eyes are sore trying to read that long drawn out story.

2012paddy2012

Thurston? wrote: »

From what I recall of some of your previous threads, the upstairs & downstairs were originally fed from separate outputs of a masthead amplifier PSU, so simply removing the Sky box shouldn't have had any bearing on the sitting room situation. Is the new satellite feed carried on its own cable from dish to sitting room or, does it share a cable with the Saorview feed?

Did the installer offer any explanation as to what the problem was?

ya your correct. everything worked fine after except for the saorview.
A single new cable was put in originally for the 2 nd feed for the humax in sitting room. problems started immediately although intermittingly. He changed the cables around using the new cable for the saorview. Nothing changed. Yesterday he replaced areial and put a 4g filter on. he also brought the amplifier into the attic to boost the signal to tvs ..he said it was pulling in every kind of signal outside!and may have been the issue having said that there was never any issue until this guy changed things..

2012paddy2012

obezyana wrote: »

At the risk of sounding like a pr!ck your post is too hard to read if you break it up into paragraphs it will be easier on the eyes and id reckon you will get some good helpful replies from those in the know here.

there you go. As I said its a long story in the post. I want to be fair and honest to both sides. Prefer to give full not partial account of my experience.Thks for reply.

2012paddy2012

ISAA wrote: »

agree 100%, my eyes are sore trying to read that long drawn out story.

fair point.

2012paddy2012

muffler wrote: »

Agreed. I couldnt be arsed reading that.

It aint that difficult to make a few paragraphs while typing and only last night you were capable of doing it

hope your not stalking me !! no obligation to read it , of course.

Thurston?

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Yesterday he replaced areial and put a 4g filter on. he also brought the amplifier into the attic to boost the signal to tvs ..he said it was pulling in every kind of signal outside!and may have been the issue having said that there was never any issue until this guy changed things..

Did you notice if he had a meter to test the signal? Moving the amplifier could only have an effect if it's a (usually older) type with poor or nonexistant screening, that would be prone to direct interference pickup. I wonder are there even 4G services operational in your area.

2012paddy2012

Thurston? wrote: »

Did you notice if he had a meter to test the signal? Moving the amplifier could only have an effect if it's a (usually older) type with poor or nonexistant screening, that would be prone to direct interference pickup. I wonder are there even 4G services operational in your area.

YA he had meter. The aerial that was there is only 3 years old. He tells me it could be a router next door or similar that...may be the issue. I still think bottom line is he was changing this and that as a process of eliminating causes with me footing the bill...at the same time there was absolutely no issue whatsoever before he did the job he quoted me for.my problem is there was no problem before I got him in ...why have I to pay him to diagnose a problem that only occurred after he did what he did. I am trying to get a view from that point of view.

ISAA

people ask did he have a meter ?

my question is,
did he know how to use it ?
what type of meter ?
you need a professional meter to see the issue and resolve it.
and plenty of experience ?
where is your location ?

Thurston?

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

He tells me it could be a router next door or similar that...may be the issue ... my problem is there was no problem before I got him in ...why have I to pay him to diagnose a problem that only occurred after he did what he did. I am trying to get a view from that point of view.

Wifi frequencies aren't anywhere near those of Saorview.

I don't know exactly 'what he did' but going on your previous descriptions of your setup, simply running a new satellite feed & removing the Sky box from the attic shouldn't have affected Saorview in the sitting room.

Does the Saorview aerial cable in the sitting room have a HDMI cable running near it by any chance?

2012paddy2012

ISAA wrote: »

people ask did he have a meter ?

my question is,
did he know how to use it ?
what type of meter ?
you need a professional meter to see the issue and resolve it.
and plenty of experience ?
where is your location ?

they are a vey reputable company , that's why I went for them. They would be as professional as any other installers sky agents etc ..as well. My issue really is , they took a sky box out of the attic where signals are sent from. An error occurred that day after they finished the job. They took forever to come back. there was never an issue there before , my contention is , that the job undertaken as quoted for was defective , im expected to cover the cost of THEIR efforts to remedy the fault. there was NO fault there before.
should an error occur again (so far so good) I would be responsible for the next stage of fault finding ..if replacing parts is involved.

2012paddy2012

Thurston? wrote: »

Wifi frequencies aren't anywhere near those of Saorview.

I don't know exactly 'what he did' but going on your previous descriptions of your setup, simply running a new satellite feed & removing the Sky box from the attic shouldn't have affected Saorview in the sitting room.

Does the Saorview aerial cable in the sitting room have a HDMI cable running near it by any chance?

re this. no hmdi. I will have when I get new tv next week...

steveon

Sounds like a bad installer to me who doesn't appreciate his customers or know the meaning of proper customer service, if a customer of mine rang me claiming there was a problem occurring after I had done some work for them I would be around within one working day at most unless it was an extremely busy time but I would prioritize him and give a timescale as when to expect me back. Word of mouth is very important to me and many other installers who take pride in our work.

Removing a sky box certainty should not have caused any issues, I wonder can you take pictures or note the numbers of the type of amp in the attic, I wonder was it originally receiving power from the sky box?? such as a global f140 amp.

Secondly if you had no issue with your saorview prior to him calling them you shouldn't have now...and I cannot understand how you were expected to pay again for a newer aerial which hasn't resolved your issue, wifi has no affect on Saorview it is as already been pointed out on a completely different frequency band nowhere near the uhf frequencys.

obezyana

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

there you go. As I said its a long story in the post. I want to be fair and honest to both sides. Prefer to give full not partial account of my experience.Thks for reply.

Thanks sorry for being the one to point it out i didnt want to come across as being an ass by mentioning it.

domel

drop me your number can have look at this system and give you a solution if you still need it - no charge (I work in Wicklow/Dublin/ part of kildare/meath)

2012paddy2012

domel wrote: »

drop me your number can have look at this system and give you a solution if you still need it - no charge (I work in Wicklow/Dublin/ part of kildare/meath)

wow that's very decent of you.....will go on line after work and get back to you..thats very decent...

2012paddy2012

steveon wrote: »

Sounds like a bad installer to me who doesn't appreciate his customers or know the meaning of proper customer service, if a customer of mine rang me claiming there was a problem occurring after I had done some work for them I would be around within one working day at most unless it was an extremely busy time but I would prioritize him and give a timescale as when to expect me back. Word of mouth is very important to me and many other installers who take pride in our work.

Removing a sky box certainty should not have caused any issues, I wonder can you take pictures or note the numbers of the type of amp in the attic, I wonder was it originally receiving power from the sky box?? such as a global f140 amp.

Secondly if you had no issue with your saorview prior to him calling them you shouldn't have now...and I cannot understand how you were expected to pay again for a newer aerial which hasn't resolved your issue, wifi has no affect on Saorview it is as already been pointed out on a completely different frequency band nowhere near the uhf frequencys.

well you know , I was very honest with my original post as in everything in life the majority of people are honest and decent ..that's why I explained in the long thread. I have told it as it was....what you say , is exactly what I think I would do if I were in business to. As regards the original set up , I think the shy box was being used just for the RF out connection , because when I plugged out the box picture loss occurred upstairs , however I am not any way familiar with tv installation....I had thought putting a joiner or distribution unit there was a fairly basic job , to do. I don't know what caused the issue , it hasn't happened since , tho only two days since his last call. Not to be repeating myself , I expected the job to be done properly in the first place , with no need for call backs. it was an awful nuisance trying to get him back...then with the disruption visits cause...thks for reply.

Thurston?

I wouldn't have any faith in an installer whose 1st resort was to start talking about 4G & routers, & moving amplifiers inside to protect them from interference. Seems pretty clueless, so who knows what he actually did in your attic. Whether he's aware of his own incompetence or not is another matter. Might think he's doing a great job ...

steveon

This is why I asked could u take photos of whats in your attic as we mite be able to shed some light on the prob

2012paddy2012

steveon wrote: »

This is why I asked could u take photos of whats in your attic as we mite be able to shed some light on the prob

Thks a lot. It seems sorted now so far. My issue was why should I pay him to troubleshoot an issue he caused. I have finished with it now.

A word to the warning........be careful who you choose to install tv channels/equipment for you. 😀

steveon

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Thks a lot. It seems sorted now so far. My issue was why should I pay him to troubleshoot an issue he caused. I have finished with it now.

A word to the warning........be careful who you choose to install tv channels/equipment for you. 😀

Glad to hear your sorted.