[Susido]

My 2 year StarChoice experience is coming to an end and it didn't have to be this way. It started with my moving to a new home and notifying SC a couple of weeks in advance. The installer did not show up the day he was supposed to. He did not phone either my home or cell numbers. He apparently did, however, untruthfully tell SC he phoned and showed up to do the install. I agreed to another installation date which was a further 2 week wait. By this time I've already moved to the new house which has no dish and no service.

In the meantime I discovered the Shaw Satwinback deal (trade in any 2 satellite receivers for a HDPVR and standard digital box). A deal too good to resist. I called SC to cancel almost 2 weeks ago. I spent 1 1/2 hours (mostly on hold) and talked to 2 people who assured me my service would be cancelled but due to a "technical gitch" someone would call me back the next morning to finialize it. No one called back and I foolishly thought my service had been cancelled (I have no way of checking). Today I discovered that there's no record of my cancellation request and I get to pay for another 30 days service starting today. That's unacceptable service.

Since I'm paying for another month of service I won't be able to use, I wanted them to go ahead and install a dish at my new location so I can at least have the satisfaction of knowing SC had to do an install for a customer who is cancelling their service. Sadly, they refused to do that. Hmm, not sure about how they can get away with that.

I still have 2 high def. SC receivers and I was considering signing up next spring when their "home away from home" service would actually do me some good. After this experience those receivers are up for sale and StarChoice is a mostly unpleasant memory.

 

[TECHNOKID]

Well, sorry to hear this story. You simply have to move on, get a reliable provider which will give you service you deserve! Try get something through e-mail versus phone calls, afterall these people are suppose to provide technology services therefore, there is no reason for them not to deal with you by e-mail instead of by phone. Make sure you do not sign contract with any provider, just live month by month until they do not provide you adequate service, this has served me well for years, they get told what I need/request, they abide by what I want or I simply get them to pull the plug and find a provider that is worthy of my business... Yet, I never had to pull the plug on anyone. Simply put your SC gear on sale on the FS DHC forum and go on to find a reliable provider!!

Good luck!
René

 

[Gogie]

Make sure you don't have any outstanding balances with *C if/when you sell your receivers. I don't think *C will authorize a receiver if there's an outstanding balance owing on it.

 

[a1g77luvvy]

mine was installed 2 weeks late do to the installer running out of digital boxes but he called & emailed a few times to assure me that i was next to get it installed so i can`t complain.

 

[starchoice]

Something doesn't make sense here. If you are at a new residence and they never installed your dish, how can they charge you for service? This is not Bell. They will cancel you on the spot if you want!

 

[stampeder]

I would not have cancelled the StarChoice service when you had not yet received any satisfaction from them. You might have gotten things straightened out, probably including some freebies.

Shaw has had its own customer relations problems, you hopefully understand.

 

[Susido]

What's a bit more strange about this is when I called to cancel (the 2nd time) I was transferred to a guy whose primarily job duty evidently was to try to talk you into staying without actually offering anything. It would have been easier for both of us if he could actually speak acceptable English but I digress. I can tell you he went and on and on about how he would do anything to keep me as a customer (but no actual offers). When I finally convinced him I really wanted to cancel for the time being and perhaps try again in the spring, he put me on hold for 20 minutes and then told I get to pay for another 30 days of (non) service.

I explained politely how this didn't seem fair to me on the grounds that I tried to cancel 2 weeks previously and that Star Choice had never even installed a dish yet at my new address. Then this customer service rep became distinctly less friendly, something about "the system" being programmed to charge 30 days service from cancel date and there's nothing he can do about it. And he just flatly refused my request to have a dish installed. Essentially told me I should email an on-line complaint to somebody who cares. Nice service eh?

Shaw can't be this bad can they?

 

[jbracing24]

Essentially told me I should email an on-line complaint to somebody who cares.

That is a good suggestion. I would go to the website and link to "Ask Jim and Team". Explain your story as you have here but offer to stay with them if they could give you a credit for missed service and arrange for a prompt dish install.
You have made some assumptions along the way, ie. the installer lying about showing up at the new home, expecting free work to be done when you are canceling. *C will deal with you fairly. Don't assume that the grass is greener elsewhere, cause it usually isn't.

 

[Susido]

From what little I've read I don't think Telus TV is anywhere near the stage of competing with cable or satellite service as far as HD or PVR equipment is concerned. Besides I can't get anything better than ADSL 1.5 service where I live so I can't see how Telus could also provide me with a TV alternative.

I've become convinced that, unless you live in a rural area where cable isn't available, then your local cable provider is almost certainly your best bet. At the very least, the PVR I got from Shaw (for free) is a distinct improvement over what Star Choice offers for a huge price. I won't ever be going back to SC now but I'd like to see what the "Ask Jim and Team" might say about my situation.
Thanks for your feedback.

 

[RiderfaninMan]

From what little I've read I don't think Telus TV is anywhere near the stage of competing with cable or satellite service as far as HD or PVR equipment is concerned. Besides I can't get anything better than ADSL 1.5 service where I live so I can't see how Telus could also provide me with a TV alternative.

I've become convinced that, unless you live in a rural area where cable isn't available, then your local cable provider is almost certainly your best bet. At the very least, the PVR I got from Shaw (for free) is a distinct improvement over what Star Choice offers for a huge price. I won't ever be going back to SC now but I'd like to see what the "Ask Jim and Team" might say about my situation.
Thanks for your feedback.

Something isn't right man, if you cancell today you only pay for today. That's it. In fact you could go on vacation till spring if you wanted to and not have to pay for that time. Either you never asked to be canceled, or you got one dumb csr twice.

 

[starchoice]

I didn't want to be so blunt but that's it in a nutshell.

 

[mickk]

ahh yes go to shaw and sense there the same company that owns star choice you might be dealing with the same customer service people that are with star choice

 

[Susido]

Please confirm for me: in the terms of service is there or isn't there a 30 day "cancellation period" that goes into effect on the day you call in to cancel your Star Choice subscription?

Because this is precisely what I was told by the retention rep I spoke to. If it is untrue, then I am definitely going to be getting the attention of someone higher up in that organization.

 

[CanuckBlue]

There IS a 30 day cancellation period after you call.

 

[DidiDude]

*choice blows. but i hate bell, so what else is their?.....FTA

 

[cprich2007]

Maybe telus tv if you are in Alberta or mts tv if you live in Winnipeg.

 

[AngeLys]

There is indeed a 30 days notice needed to cancel the service.

9. Termination and Default. By Customer. You may terminate any part or all of our Services for any reason at any time by
providing us with no less than thirty (30) days advance notice by notifying our Customer Call
Centre. You will be responsible for all of the Services charges until the thirty (30) days notice
period has lapsed or until the Services has been canceled or disconnected, whichever is later.
You will still be responsible for payment of all outstanding amounts accrued up to the date of
termination.​

But to ask to install dish just so you can cancel after is indeed something people won't tend to accept, as the dish is 100$ worth, and install is 150$ worth, so you're basically requesting them to pay you to close your account.

Trick is simple. Make them believe you changed your mind. Asked for the move program. They will do it happilly. You can even ask for a different installer. Then give it a try, and if you don't like it, call back to cancel. At least you'll pay for 30 days when you have service.

Two little FYIs... Everyone in the department you spoke with speaks english and french. If they have an accent, it doesn't mean that they can't speak english.
And the 30 days notice shows behind your bill, too.

 

[TheRipper]

.. The installer did not show up the day he was supposed to. He did not phone either my home or cell numbers. He apparently did, however, untruthfully tell SC he phoned and showed up to do the install. I agreed to another installation date which was a further 2 week wait. ... That's unacceptable service.

... .

Funy that .. I had exactly the same crap last year ..

BUT *C came thru for me. After threatening to take my business somewhere else an installer came the next day, replaced my faulty LNB, replaced my older dish and resited it, ran 2 new cables down to the basement, and fitted my 530 alongside my older legacy unit .. all free of charge.

I guess they were having good day with me.