Halstead Communications/DirectTV Installation

I have been a loyal DirectTV customer for almost five years. I recently purchased an HDTV and on December 22, 2006 ordered DirectTV HDVR service and received an installation date of January 27, 2007. My credit card was promptly charged on December 23. On January 27, a technician from Halstead Communications came to my house and informed me he did not have a ladder long enough to reach my roof (which is three stories up). In the years I have lived in my house, none of the various roofers, chimney sweeps, and two previous DirectTV installers who have had to go up to my roof ever had a problem with going up to my roof or warned me that my roof was particularly hard to access.

After about 45 minutes on the phone with DirectTV and a most unhelpful supervisor at Halstead I was told that the next installation date was April 21. The technician told me that I could re-schedule for the April 21 date, receive the order number and he would come back the next day with the ladder if I paid him $150. I had, and have, no interest in paying Halstead "under the table" for a service DirectTV claims is free for existing customers. I lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau against DirectTV and received an e-mail to the effect that DirectTV had "fixed" the scheduling problem.

Hope springs eternal and so I re-scheduled for Thursday, February 15, 2007 and told the installation department to make a note that the technician would need to bring a 40-foot ladder. I received a $50 rebate from DirectTV for my troubles. On February 15, a technician and his helper from Halstead Communications and promptly decided their ladder was not long enough and it was too dangerous to go up to my roof. I called the installation department at DirectTV who asked to speak to the technician and told him he needed to do the installation -- especially since I had taken the day off for the installation. The technician complained about not wanting to go up on the roof, ran back to his van with his helper, talked to someone on his cell phone for 15 minutes and then sped off. DirectTV assured me that Halstead would send someone back out. Halstead did not and informed me that the next installation date would be March 21. After more complaints to DirectTV I wrested a tentative agreement from them to find my own installer and they would give me $100 toward the installation. In addition, the customer service representative at DirectTV suggested that because I had complained to DirectTV about Halstead Communication's behavior the technicians would be likely to damage the equipment.

Strangely at about 6:30 pm on February 15, a very apologetic Candida from Halstead Communications called me to beg for another chance to install the system I had originally ordered on December 22. She promised someone would come on Friday, February 16. Since I had not engaged another installer, I agreed to give Halstead one more chance -- and decided to take another day off. On February 16, a tech and his helper came out to my house and promptly told me that my roof was too high for them -- even though they had a 40 foot ladder. They dismissed the fact that a DirectTV dish was already perched on my roof by telling me that Halstead does not provide adequate equipment. Before fleeing, the tech informed me that I would get a call to re-schedule. When the call came, I said I wanted nothing more to do with Halstead Communications. Halstead's response was to say sorry and express surprise that I did not want to immediately re-schedule -- I have no interest in giving Halstead another opportunity to waste another vacation day for me.

I am now exploring having FIOS TV installed and ditching DirectTV and Halstead Communications for good...

Caveat emptor!!

_____

Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

Comment On This

HALSTEAD COMMUNICATIONS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST.

I HAD DIRECT TV IN THE TOBYHANNA, PA AREA AND I WANTED THE SAME SERVICE AT ANOTHER RESIDENCE IN THE SAME TOWNSHIP. ON 8/7/09 I CONTACTED DIRECT TV FOR SERVICE. THE DATE GIVEN FOR INSTALLATION WAS 8/10/09. THE INSTALLATION WAS TO DONE BY HALSTEAD COMMUNICATIONS. THE TECH CAME OUT ON TUESDAY AND STATED THAT TWO OF THE THREE SATELLITES WERE AVAILABLE AND THAT EVERYTHING BUT LOCAL CHANNELS WAS AVAILABE. AT THIS POINT THE I STATED THAT WOULD BE FINE. THE TECH STATED THAT HIS COMPANY'S POLICY REQUIRES THAT SUPERVISOR COMES OUT TO SURVEY ON COMFIRM THE FINDINGS. THE SUPERVISOR DID NOT COME UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY EVEINING. THE SUPERVISOR STATED THAT A TECH WILL COME OUT ON 8/12/09. A NEW TECH CAME AND AFTER A HALF A HOUR LATER STATED THAT THEY NEEDED A 40 FT LADDER TO GET ON THE ROOF TO INSTALL THE DISH. THE TECH NEVER CAME BACK. LATER THAT EVENING DIRECT TV WAS CONTACTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND ASURED ME THAT HALSTEAD COMMUNICATIONS WILL COME BACK ON 8/14/09 TO INSTALL THE SERVICE. DIRECT TV ALSO STATED THAT WILL GIVE $50 CREDIT TOWARDS MF ACCOUNT AND GIVE ME 3 FREE MONTHS OF STARZ WITH MY PACKAGE. LITTLE COMFORT IF YOU STILL HAVE NO SERVICE INSTALLED. IT IS NOW 8/14/09 12:30 IN THE AFTERNOON AND STILL NO CALL FROM HALSTEAD COMMUNICATIONS AND NO TECH IN SIGHT.

DON'T BOTHER WITH CALLING THEIR 570-487-5251 NUMBER BECAUSE IT TAKES YOU TO AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE ON PROMPTS YOU TO PRESS 0 FOR THE OPERATOR. THIS OLYS SEND THE MESSAGE INTO A REPEATED LOOP.

DIRCT TV WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT MY INSTALL DATE WAS BUMPED TO 8/18/09. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE I AM SWITCHING TO BLURE RIDGE CABLE.

Comment On This

Halstead got me today. Ordered HD upgrade before Thanksgiving, got an install date of 12/30 - although I did get the bill for the equipment. They no-showed 12/30 and then said the next installation date is 1/28. Directv is losing customers.... as they should. Bye!

Comment On This

I wholeheartedly agree that Halstead is impossible. I placed an order for installation service on November 24 and was told the earliest they could come was December 26. December 26 (today) arrived and no installer! When I called DirecTV, I was told their records showed the order was "on hold." They said they'd call the local office to find out what was going on. The local office informed them no installer was available December 26 and they had tried to inform me and reschedule. In fact, no one contacted me and I was at home all day, waiting for the installer or a call. I asked for the local installer's number and was told it was Halstead Communications and given the number. When I called Halstead I was told again that no installer was available and that they'd tried to call. I told them that was untrue and when would they be able to get an installer to my home. I was told the earliest available date was January 22. At that point I exploded, telling them that was unacceptable, that when they cancelled on a subscriber we should get next day service, not next month service. I said if I did not get an installer to my home within a couple of days, I would switch to DISH or cable. The Halstead rep said she'd email her supervisor and ask him/her to contact me immediately. So, we shall see. But I am also informing DirecTV that this is a completely unacceptable level of service and if they can't do better, they can expect to lose most of their subscribers in Vermont.

Comment On This

I have to aggree with this technician. I myself am a Reservist with the National Guard. After returning home from deployment and finding myself out of work, I was desperate for a job. Halstead Communications offered payed training and would take anyone with a clean driver's license. They promised good pay, so I took the job (not wanting to sit on unemployment). After going through their training, and taking the work seriously, I soon found out you have two options: cut corners or get screwed on pay (you get paid by the job). Being a soldier, the first option was out of the question. I worked approx 80 hours a week trying to complete all my assigned jobs, and brought home only minimal wage (not even time and 1/2!!!). Halstead seems to award technicians who do crappy installs, because they would take people like me who actually cared, and would send us out on Repair jobs (which only "paid" 10 dollars supposedly). I quit the job after two months of being sent on countless repair jobs that turned into complete reinstalls because the person prior messed them up so bad. I inturn never got paid for one repair job, even though promised by my supervisor to get the full rate for the install. Bottom line: I've been a faithful direct tv customer for years, but if Halstead communication is coming to do the install, your better off canceling your contract or doing the install yourself.

Comment On This

direc tv just isnt getting the message. i installed over 1000 systems. to sum it up very quickly- The pay at Halsted SUCKS. They hire people that arent qualified because all of us that are qualified found better paying jobs elseware in the industry. It also seems after all the complaints about Halsted that Direc Tv would cancel their contract with them and return to the independant installer with out the use of a middle man who gets a cut of the install fee. There is just NO money in it anymore since the big conteractors came in. By the way I worked for Halsted, It sucked!!!!!