Halsted Communications ... ridiculous.

Here is our adventure trying to get HD-TV and a DVR Box (that we already paid for through DirecTV) from Halsted Communications from Ballston Spa, NY.

The tech for DirecTV (a contractor hired by them, not an actual direcTV rep, if you know what I mean) came out last Friday to install a HD dish, a DVR box and a regular DirecTV Box.. We told him we already had a dish on the roof, just go up there and make it work and do whatever you need to do. He comes down off the roof and tells us that he cannot install a HD dish because it's bigger and heavier than the real dish, and requires actually cutting a 3" hole in the roof. Because the roof is wood, it would expand and contract and leak. We told him don't do it, much to our dismay. He sets up the dish, runs wires, and places two regular boxes in our house. He then hands us a yellow slip of paper and leaves. We go upstairs to the loft where the HD tv is and it won't work. We call DirecTV and they get it to work; the guy never activated it. OK, whatever. We figure we'll call later on about possible HD solutions.

This morning, the Wild Blue (satellite internet) techs came, from a different contractor company. They also do DirecTV so we tell them about what the DirecTV guy said. They say he was totally wrong - it can be mounted, and is in fact mounted precisely the same way as the old dishes - just on the side of the house. We then call direcTV while they install the internet dish. When we tell DirecTV the story, they freak out because the tech told DirecTV that he installed a HD dish, one HD DVR boxe and a regular box in our house. In conclusion: the tech stole the dish, installed a standard dish on our house and stole the HD receiver. Scott goes outside for a sec and finds the OLD dish thrown in a snowbank on the side of the house. What. DirecTV is sending new techs on wednesday and made a bunch of notes in our file about this BS. We demand to never see that same tech again, and they're going to find out what the hell happened to our stuff. Scott loges complaints with all the companies.

The contractor company calls us and tells us that they are sorry that their tech was a jerk and will send some new folks out on Wednesday to do an installation. They also tell us, however, that their tech was right and it may be a problem to do an installation on our wood roof. We told them another contractor AND direcTV said that is bullshit, because it is possible to install a dish on a tripod or pole on places not even near the roof because some people don't even get service on their roofs. They said they will come out and "see what they can do" and that DirecTV would "tell us anything" and are "just telling [us] what we want to hear." Uh, right.

The crappy contractor set up another appointment for today, after 4pm, to install the HD dish and the DVR box. My fiance, Scott, gets home around 330, and notices he has a voicemail from the company. They left a message at 2pm and asked where he was. He calls them and said they had scheduled installation for after 4pm for the HD and DVR. They THEN said he had no appointment that day, he didn't order the DVR and HD stuff and it wasn't in the work order. He calls DirecTV who confirms the 4pm installation for DVR and HD. Um, right.

He then has a three way conversation with DirecTV and the Contractor and they fight it out. Scott calls them out on the companies lies and shenanigans. DirecTV tells the contractors to stop lying to us about the installation. They get the contractor off the line and DirecTV says they are certain that the contractor did steal the DVR box. They then credit us our first bill in its entirety, give us free HD and our extra channel package for a full year and take $10 off the monthly bill for a full year. They then tell us that when the contractors come to install the dish a team of specialists at DirecTV will call us and have us supervise the installation, and speak to the tech if the tech gives us any grief about being unable to install the services we need.

Today (Saturday), the techs are scheduled to come between 1:00pm-4:00pm to install the HD dish and the DVR box. They get here and state that they cannot install the new equipment because the work order is incorrect. They need to be authorized by corporate. My fiance calls Corporate who tell them that the work order is what we wanted and that they must do what the order says. They refuse to do it. Scott calls the contractor and they refuse to authorize the work until they hear from DirecTV directly. Scott calls direcTV and they try to call Halsted but Halsted doesn't pick up. Scott continues calling back and forth and eventually gets on the phone with Terry Halsted himself, who is still refusing to authorize the work and doesn't believe anything DirecTV says. By 4:00pm, the techs curse out my fiance and drive off. We notice, however, that they have pulled over about a quarter mile down the road (two techs came in separate DirecTV vans) and are just sitting there. I took a picture just for posterity.

So the techs who are sorta here must have gotten word that the supervising tech was on his way. They came back and said "Y'know, you could've avoided all of this by rescheduling." Scott then goes into how he's out of the house from 7am until 11pm because he's a teacher and a grad student. The guy tells him "Well, that's the life you chose."

Now they're back in saying that they're going to install it and put it on a pole. Now wait.. does that mean the equipment is on the truck?? Hm. Hmm..

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I have had some very bad experiences with Halstead Communications -- When I called to complain Stephanie actually scolded me! I have been trying for 24 hours to get a call back from management about a rude installer who lied to my mother! I really think Directv should be aware about how bad Halsted is.

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Im sory you all had such a bad experience with this Contractor. Yesterday, July 14th 2010, I had an appointment set up by Direct TV (have been a customer for 4 yrs or so), so they say they have to upgrade my reciever for Hd or I will loose Local channels, OK, The Tech was about an hour Late, but It was a Hot Day, and he said I was his last call, He was A young man, He was polite, professional, engaged in conversation with me, explained everything to me, removed some wires I did not want on my house. I was very impressed, so I had a good experience with Halsted. I wish I knew his name, so I could tell his employer!

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Hi Everyone, I'm also having problems with Halsted Communications. I've been a Direct TV subscriber since 2003, excellent payment history. Back in October I requested a upgrade to High Definition from Direct TV. They directed me to Halsted Communications for the installation of the HD dish and HD receiver. First appointment available was Dec 1, 2008 (6 weeks wait). A couple of days before Dec 1, we got a call telling us that they would be here Dec 1. Well Dec 1 is here and no Halsted Communications. Called Halsted, told me that they tried to contact us to tell us that our appointment had to be changed due to their service tech. had an accident. No one tried to contact us, we have a working answering machine that picks up on the 3rd ring. Guess what after waiting 6 weeks, the next available appointment is Jan 15, 2009 (another 6 week wait). I requested to speak to a supervisor or manager and was cutoff 3 times. I am on the verge of switching to Dish Network because of the poor quality of service provided by Halsted Communications. The last person I spoke to was supposed to contact the tech manager and have him call me. It has been several hours and that hasn't happened.

At this point in time, I'm ready to recommend to everyone to avoid Direct TV like the Plague if Halsted Communications provides their service/installations.

David A. Letterman

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I am sorry you had all these problems but not all of us techs from halsted communications are idiots, you have some flaws in your story no.1 3" hole no.2 it's kirk not terry, and 3 directv are liars and are like car dealers and want to make a sale.END OF STORY