Beware of:

 

Beware of installers who:

 

•  Offer very low prices over the phone.  Chances are the price will go up once they start the job.

.•  Tell you your 15-20 year old antenna used for analogue TV will work perfectly with your new digital 

   TV.  It won’t!!

•  Ask for a deposit upfront.   Once you hand over the cash, chances are you won’t see them again!

•  Aren’t licensed and are often not qualified or able to do the job properly as they will leave you with

   more problems than you started with!

•  Thrust a review sheet in your face as soon as they complete the job placing you in a very   

   incomfortable and intimidating position.  They will use the great reviews that you may give under   

   duress.

•  Come out to give you a quote without even looking closely at your antenna or measuring your TV

    signal.

 

In my life as a professional antenna and satellite TV installer I come across  a lot of people who have being taken advantage of and stories about very unprofessional and unscrupulous people.  I have summed up some of these examples below:

 

I came across a client only a week ago who was asked to pay a deposit of $ 1000 prior to the work being started.  The installer completed 20% of the work and then just disappeared.  The client repeatedly tried to ring the installer but never saw the person again.   This installer advertises in the Sun newspaper in the same section as I do!

 

Clients often complain about quotes provided over the phone which suddenly increase significantly when the antenna installer arrives or is half way through the job or even worse after the job has been completed! They deliberately under quote on the phone to secure the job, and then increase the price at a time when they believe their client is unable to change installers -  very nasty! e installers often advertise with:  lowest prices or antennas from $$$...  They use very misleading advertisements by warning people that they don’t need a new antennas just TLC.  They then charge significant amounts of money without actually replacing or fixing anything and the result is that the job has to be redone!   These installers often don’t have a digital TV antenna installation license!  

 

Clients often get installers who give quotes without even checking to see what the problem is.  They don’t bother to check the roof to see the condition of the antenna or booster or exterior cabling and certainly don’t check your roof cavity to see possible cables or power supplies.  Even worse is if they don’t measure your signal on your existing TV points to get some kind of idea what your existing signal is like.   How can they give you a realistic price for the job if they have no idea what the problem is??

 

One client had an installer come out to check his bad reception. The antenna was old and rusty and open to the weather.  Despite this the antenna installer suggested he install a booster in the roof cavity which only improved the reception marginally until the next rainfall! 

 

The installer used the wrong equipment and then charged the client for equipment he didn’t even install.

 

When I was called out I started by measuring the clients signal which was terrible despite having paid a considerable amount of money to the previous antenna installer. I suggested he install a new antenna and also relocate the antenna where the signal was much stronger. This did not cost the client  any more then what the first installer charged and with a result that can justify the cost!