Beef w/ satellite TV installer

jmc · Nov 13, 2007

Hello,

I would like to ask your opinions before I complain to the satellite TV office about a botched attempt in setting up my dish.

Installer #1 comes, somehow determines the direction of the satellite and says there are some trees interferring with the signal. I get out the chainsaw and cut down 4 smallish but nice trees about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Installer #1 then says a tree behind the first group is still blocking the signal. Its a 24 inch diameter poplar tree. We agree to reschedule the installation after I cut the big one down.

This was a good excuse to buy a bigger saw that I wanted anyway. There was no good place to drop the tree so it went down in some smaller trees, taking down several of them, and more importantly, making it impossible to get the tractor next to the tree or drag the tree out where I could cut it up. It took about 8 hours to clean up all the mess, even with the grapple since mostly it was wading into the mess, cutting it up into 8 ft. lengths, and dragging limbs out to a path where I could grapple them.

I reschedule, Installer #2 finds the direction of the satellite, and it's 20 to 30 degrees south from the path I had just cleared. Signal is strong with no tree interference. All that work and wasted trees for nothing! Installer #1 is in over his head.

So the questions are, do I have a claim against the sat. TV company since I was willing to sacrifce those trees anyway, and if so, how do you put a fair value on it?

John

SnowRidge · Nov 13, 2007

Do you have a small claims court there? Price the trees and the time for a crew to transplant them. It will be very high, but get a quote if you can. Beware you might have agreed to binding arbitration with the sat company. Check everything you signed.

If you can get them to pay I will be surprised, but I will salute you with an adult beverage if you do.

MrJimi · Nov 13, 2007

I think someone is going to ask you who cut the trees ?
Jim

randy41 · Nov 13, 2007

I don't think you have a case against the installer but I'm sorry this happened to you.
Installing satellite dishes is very easy to do and I think you should at least inform the people who sent this guy out that he's incompetent and what the cost to you was. But as Jimi said, you were the one to cut the trees.

MikePA · Nov 13, 2007

I would definitely let the satellite company know what happened, how much you think you're out of pocket and tell them you want reimbursed. At a minimum, they might give you some credit for a few months on your bill.

Bird · Nov 14, 2007

I agree with MikePA. By being polite and courteous, but letting them know you feel that they owe you, you might get some credit on your bill, but I'd be surprised if you can get any more than that.

curly · Nov 14, 2007

Well, you got some firewood for next year if nothing else.

SnowRidge · Nov 14, 2007

It's worth noting that azimuth/elevation calculators are freely available on the web for the DBS sats. All you have to do is plug in your zip code to find out where and how high your dish will have to point.

DirecTV provides one at Dish Pointer. That first installer must have been a real idiot to mess up as badly as he did.

This incident is a perfect example of why I installed our DirecTV system myself.

Soundguy · Nov 14, 2007

I'm with Mike and Bird.

Be polite.. and let them know the 1st installer made a boo-boo that cost yuo lotsa hours of work, and lots of standing timber.

here's what yuo are up against. Most likely the installer is a sub-contractor.. these guys come and go.

If you did file a smal claims suit.. You might have to name him and the company. All depends on how ya feel. If you can get TV elsewhere, and just want to prove a point.. you probably have a good chance at getting some sort of judgement ( whether the install can pay the judgement???? ).. In any case.. if you don't mind not getting all your money back.. but want to do it to prove a point.. go for it. Yes.. you cut the trees.. but it was on the advice of the 'agent' of the company. i really think a judge is goint to find the other 2 parties at least slightly at fault.

Add up on paper what this cost you in real tangible money.. saw, fuel, hours, and repalcement cost of the trees. Perhaps get a quote on what that would have cost from a local tree service. See if the tv co will give you some portion of that as free service. i figure if you can get them to throw you 'half' of what you are 'out' as free service.. or premium upgrades for a few months.. you will be ahead of the game.. vs a lawsuit.. again.. unless you want to make a point.. Good luck on either..

Do post back!

Soundguy

DANOCHEESE · Nov 14, 2007

As sounguy said these guys are subs. Dish has cut the rate so bad that you won't get to many good guys doing the installs anymore.

Call dish and explain what happened make sure you get a case #. Dish will refer it back to the contractor who has insurnace. Tell them you cut the trees per the instructuons of the installer. Don't argue, just request that they meet with you at your hosue to explain why.

I have paid for a few stupid things my guys have doen in the past. Drilled a hole into a water heater, stuck some silicon on the leak. He works at Taco bell now.