FiOS, TiVo, and CableCards

[MoopMeep]

I get an m-card installed last february. They told me there would be a charge for the truck roll but that never happened. To be honest, when I talked to people in sales they didn't seem to know too much.

The interesting part was when the tech came out. He had an m-card and understood that my tivo needed a single m-card. He calls on his cell phone to get the m-card activated and then had to argue with the tech on the other end t about not needing to install a second card 🙂

[TimSykes]

I am glad that Techman was able to get everything worked out for you. I personally think the only CSR people verizon has that are any good, are also on the forums here.

[dmsleech]

Techman28,

I have talked to quite of Verizon reps today to find out why there is a fee for cablecard installation.  One tech even said that I could install it myself without a charge!  Knowing that wasn't true, I jumped on it said that I would like to do that.  He "attempted' to transfer me back to Billing to set up getting cablecards but was unable to do the phone transfer.  I even mentioned this thread to another rep and she said it wasn't a Verizon website.

Any suggestions of what I should or who I should talk to to get a cablecard installation wihtout the fee?  What I really want to do is swap out a STB for an M card for a new Tivo and also swap out the two S cards in my existing Tivo for an M card. 

Thanks.

[sgip2000]

I just got a cablecard installed this past Friday and there was never any mention of an installation fee and If one does show up on my bill, I will NOT be paying it.

[garyandsue]

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@sgip2000 wrote:

I just got a cablecard installed this past Friday and there was never any mention of an installation fee and If one does show up on my bill, I will NOT be paying it.

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Wish me luck, I'm having 2 cable cards installed in my new TiVo HDs on July 8, 2009. When I scheduled my appointment, the CSR insisted that there was an $79.00 truck roll fee. She even explained that the fee could be split over 3 months to make it easier on the customer.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

Sue

[dmsleech]

D'oh!  The Verizon CSR initially told me that they could ship out the cable cards.  At the end of the phone call, he said, "we've run into a little bit of a snag ...".  I knew imediately what that meant.

So, the technician is coming out Friday to install the cable cards for $79.95.

[TimSykes]

Again there is no charge for a cable card install.

[garyandsue]

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@TimSykes wrote:
Again there is no charge for a cable card install.

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Please explain this...do the CSRs just "say" that there will be a truck roll fee and then it just never shows up on your bill?

I'm not disputing you, I'm actually very curious. I'm having cable cards (hoping for M-cards in So Cal) installed tomorrow and I'd LOVE to know that the truck roll fee the CSR insisted on would just never show up. 

Thanks for your help.

 Sue

[TimSykes]

Well about 6 months ago they stopped charging. I would think because they require a truck roll, when someone can do it themselves. But because its required I think they stopped charging. But very few people get cablecards installed, so a lot of the CSR dont know that the policy has changed. I have had 2 truck rolls to get cable cards installed, and have not been charged for them. I was even told that there is no way for the billing system to even charge for a cable card truck roll.

[jmw1950]

I am sure Verizon didn't end the truck roll charge out of the goodness of their heart.

I suspect it is related to an FCC order that basically prohibited service providers like Verizon from attempting to  block the use of customer owned equipment.

For whatever reason, that information doesn't seem to have been passed on to the Customer Service Representatives.