Actualy, with the exception of one member I think recently we were more bashing MTS, Telus and Shaw Secure but nobody forces us to use it.:)
Shaw's customer service is great. Shaw phone, internet and SD t.v. is good. I think we are more concerned with their focus on phone while ignoring their hardware to bring us improved television services, specificaly HD.

I hear you! :-)

I am returning to Shaw and getting the Premiere bundle with phone service.

When I was with Shaw, I had excellent customer service. If it was terrible, I wouldn't be going back.

My question is this: If Shaw is SO TERRIBLE, then why do ANY of you subscribe to their services?

Greg does the Premiere bundle include high speed. thanks

does the Premiere bundle include high speed. thanksIt's on the Shaw Site (http://www.shaw.ca/cmsShawCA/Templates/Localized.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fen-ca%2fProductsServices%2fBundlesAndPricing%2fBundlePricing%2e htm&NRNODEGUID=%7bE728D061-316F-46CB-846F-E0BB7870B32E%7d&NRCACHEHINT=Guest)

So my 6412 apparently has bum audio ouputs (RCA). Should I expect a swapped out box, or will I have to fight? (sorry if this is in an inappropriate forum)

I've been a shaw customer for over 10 years. I've been with them ultimately because there weren't any other choices for a very long time. I did the homework and their services are still cheaper for me than switching to telus and satellite.
Over time, I think their service to customers has gotten progressively worse rather than better. I dread calling because of the usual long wait times and the difficulty getting answers from CSR's.
I felt compelled to write about the latest happening because this time the CSR was not just unknowledgeable, but rude.
I'm moving on June 2nd so I phoned Shaw to let them know and to set up an appt for the tech to hook me up at the new place. No problem.
Later that day, I decided to purchase an HD PVR. Now, I'd just like to mention here that I had to pay $800 for the thing while new customers to Shaw get almost $300 off of that in incentives. I feel rather cheated that us old loyal customers are left out of good deals...but that complaint is for another time.
I got the box home, hooked it all up and called the 888 number given to have it activated. I waited about 10 mins or so on hold. Not too bad.
When the fellow came on, I told him I needed the box activation. He looked at my account and promptly told me he couldn't do it. Of course I asked why and he said that I have a work order (the move) on the account so he can't make any changes to it. I explained that I wasn't moving for two months so why can't I have the box until then?
He said,
"if you would listen, I explained that this work order prevents me from making changes to your account".
I said,
"I'm not moving for two months, I just paid $800 for this thing and I'd like you to make it work please. I could have gone with satellite but I chose you and I can see no reason why I shouldn't be able to change my services at any time regardless of when I move."
He told me then that he'd tried to change it but the system wouldn't let him...that I should have waited till after my move to get the box!
At that point I asked to speak to his supervisor. He actually told me that he didn't have one!
I was getting testy by then and I told him to "put someone on that was higher than him."
After about five minutes another gentleman came on the phone. I explained the situation to him and he explained once again that when there is a work order on an account, the system doesn't allow for changes.
"Fine", I said, "I'm no longer moving, cancel the work order and hook up the box".
The man said "the previous CSR had tried to tell you to do that but you told him not to".:eek:
I was completely flabbergasted! That CSR had said over and over again that there was nothing he could do. Never once did he suggest canceling one order to do another.
What the heck do I care what he does to the computer to get it to work as long as the end result is the same? At that point I figured the previous guy was either too lazy or he didn't know how to do it. Either way, he'd been rude and he'd lied to his supervisor.
I told him I didn't care WHAT their internal process was or how he got to the end result but he was to activate my unit and schedule my move appt.
About 15 more minutes on the line and the gentleman said I was good to go. I told him the box read "0" and he said it was fine and hung up.
Of course all was not fine. That zero indicated the box was locked because I tried for another 30 mins to get it to do something without success.
Again, I phoned Shaw. I told the fellow on the other end what the box was doing and he said that it's reset hadn't 'taken' and that he'd do it again. He also asked me if the previous fellow had stayed on the line when he'd reset it. I of course told him no and explained that they probably didn't like me too much and why.
This CSR waited until the box read "dl" which means it was downloading firmware and it would be fine shortly. He then let me go. After another 20 mins, the box finally reset itself and I was off and running.
As I said before, this isn't the first time I've encountered difficulty with the CSR's. Previous incidents seem to have come from lack of technical knowledge more than anything, but this time, there was simply no excuse for his rudeness.
In relaying the conversation to my husband, his jaw dropped and he wondered how I'd kept calm.

Later that day, I decided to purchase an HD PVR. Now, I'd just like to mention here that I had to pay $800 for the thing while new customers to Shaw get almost $300 off of that in incentives. I feel rather cheated that us old loyal customers are left out of good deals...but that complaint is for another time.

Take it back to Shaw and ask for your money back. Then go to SoundSuround in Calgary and buy the 6412. They sell it for $648 and Shaw still offers the same warranty even if you buy it from a retailer.

That's quite the ordeal you experienced! I do wonder if the CSR not wanting to cancel the move order was maybe influenced by other factors.

Shaw and their sister company use an account management system called CBS, which is without a doubt an archaic piece of garbage. It can only perform one pending task at a time so, as in your case, you book a work order 2 months in advance, your account is LITERALLY locked until that work order is completed. No additions, changes, nothing (though they did manage to allow price increases....). However, you can, of course, cancel the order to perform another task, re-entering the original order afterwards.

Here's the rub -- what if you have the CSR cancel the move, add your box and then try to re-enter the move. Uh oh, the date you required now shows having no installer slots available! Big problem and you miss your move date.

What should have happened (and did for me when I called to set up my move the other day -- 6 weeks in advance) is the CSR should have told you to call back 2-3 weeks prior to your move to leave your account open, or ask specifically if you plan to change the account in the meantime. Infact I do recall it is Shaw/Starchoices' policy NOT to book work orders more than 3 weeks in advance as a rule.

Of course, this isn't your fault at all and does not excuse rudeness at all. There's never a excuse for that. Simply offering a perspective from the other side of the fence.

When I emailed Shaw regarding cancelling a Digital channel about a month before I wanted it to be cancelled with the specific date. Shaw said, "We do not have a tracking system that allows us track changes that far in advance. Please resubmit your e-mail closer to April 6th."

I'm playing the advocate here and it's hard to interpret from one (your first post on these forums?) post...

If only life were a PVR...;)

What if everyone looked for solutions right away? That would have shortened the time frame...

Customer: I'd like you to activate my PVR please
CSR: Hmm looks like you have a move planned - that locks out the ability to activate
Customer: What if you take the move off, then activate it?
CSR: That will work but if we do, you'll have to call back after it's up and running and reschedule your move date.
Customer - Deal...
CSR: One sec - there - you should see "dl" on your PVR...

Unfortunately life aint' a PVR - and the post looks like the customer and CSR were talking on different wavelengths but both sides weren't communicating. I'm also betting the CSR must have had something else on his/her mind (maybe a previous customer who was challenging?) and this prevented the CSR from trying to communicate an idea.

I have always had great customer service with Shaw.

Today I had an instance where I dont think the girl on the cust. serv. counter was well informed.

I was told if I purchased a 6412 PVR unit there are 9 HD channels and I asked what if I dont like the quality on standard definition to which she said SD would look better on a HDTV because the TV is better and if not they could sell me special cables to help with the reception for $200 but the unit is non returnable.

First, I'm not spending $200 on Monster cables that will not improve things, second I am not thrilled that the unit is non returnable and finally, I am lead to believe thru these forums that analog SD looks worse on HD projection than direct view.

Overall I have been happy with shaw, but I guess I will have to view analog sd on a 6412 with HD projection before I decide to buy a 6412 from shaw since its kind of a buyer beware $700 purchase.

Buy the unit from Future shop if you want to "TEST" the SD reception. 30 day return policy should suffice.

consider me ticked off royally ...

I am moving to a brand new house on a brand new street (from Vancouver to a suburb) .. first one to finish building on that street too. I have contacted shaw to move my Internet to the new location. That was 8 days ago. No response back. I have called them 4 times, each time talking to a rep who promised to call me back. No one ever did.
Just called now, 2 days before moving in, and the rep says that the new address is not in the system. She is trying to check with their "address verification group". Um right. I am also going to Shaw for TV service and have bought an HD box. I am beginning to wonder whether this was a mistake ...

PS. it is possible that the brand new street could be an issue, but I assume that these jacka**es are smart enough to call me about it. Telus called and said "we dont have that address in our database", I told them it was a new street ... they have since confirmed that I am good to go for phone service.

Come on Shaw, you are really really testing my patience. If it werent for the fact that my employer pays for the internet stuff, I would seriously consider dumping them for DSL.

We had a 6208 (?) PVR box for about a year and half. It was working fine until around the last software upgrade a couple of months ago. Then every now and again it would mess up a recording (number of minutes recorded would jump around, wouldn't play, couldn't be deleted, etc). So we called Shaw and they sent someone out. He arrived on time and gave us a replacement unit while upgrading a few of our cable outlets.

One week later the same thing happened... annoying because there are some great near season-ending shows we were recording and we lost a good one. We called again and the CSR seemed to know less than the first one, but they sent the guy out again and notified a manager that it was a repeat call. So he came equipped with a brand new box (the dual tuner one) and we couldn't be more pleased!!

Thanks Shaw Victoria!

Purchased a DCT 2500 from Ebay - arrived today and when I called to have it activated the csr asked if the previous owner had released it to me. He hadn't so I emailed him and explained, he called shaw and then when I called back the csr was very helpful and activated it with no problem. Works perfectly. I had read about others having problems activating their receivers, so I was pleasantly surprised and am very happy.

hi for the past two days on my phone i have had nothing but dropped calls and bad voice qualty on shaw digital phone. and even the tech on the other end of the phone thought i was using a cell phone. so today they come. they discouver that the person that installed it did the wiring backwards. the tech fixed it. and tested it and it worked. i even talked on it for 7 hours today and every thing is perfect. and aswell as that the tech gave me a new remote for tv and a spliter for two tvs on one channel. so everything now is perfect. thankyou shaw.

it was not really a spliter it was just an extra outlet.

I've been with shaw for years i cannot say i had alot of problems some small ppv glitches but thats it. what i want shaw to do is offer people with hd boxes (pvr or no pvr) a complete digital service. what i mean is to replace the analog with digital. i can live with the analog if theres is more hd channels i cant watch conan cause the analog looks like ass and i cant go to the hd channels cause thunder bay is missing nbc and abc hd. so i say if we dont get much more hd channels convert the analog. and if they raise the price some more im out and buying expressvu

Another thumbs up to Shaw service.

1. Had the Shaw Digital phone installed last night - I mentioned to the tech that I was not happy with the reception I was getting on 2 TV's - so he spent about 30 mins. troubleshooting - installed an amp on the line - now the picture is crystal clear on both TVs. (Phone seems clear so far too).

Very proud to say I am now a "Telus Free" house!!

2. Have ordered Shaw for the Internet at several clients' (IT) homes and businesses in the last 3 months and I must say all installs have went great. Also, the connections have been very fast and reliable.

Sometimes I complain about service and Shaw HD channel selection but I will give them their due - they have done a fantastic job with me in relation to customer service.

Note: this is with Shaw in Calgary

I have always recieved great customer service from Shaw. I will be getting thier phone service later this summer and than I can finally say good buy MTS. Who have no customer service at all .