Verizon FiOS TV → FIOS Install Disaster

I had FIOS TV, Internet, and phone installed about a month ago. Very happy with picture, internet speed, etc. I have a small theater room with a ceiling mounted front projector that I don't use too often. Last Thursday I went to use the room to to play a blu-ray and no picture, no sound. No picture, no sound on any component, except the FIOS TV box which works fine....looking at the components the Verizon installer ripped out all the wires from a component cable switching AV receiver....12 component video cables (3cables x4 connections)all disconnected, and he connected the projector directly to the FIOS box...!No reason to do so as the Brighthouse box was hooked up the same way and I had already disconnected it, so all he had to do was hook up the wires...

So I started this Verizon tech support odyssey...Long story short, 16 phone calls in 6 days, 4 no shows by Verizon, they finally showed up yesterday at 3pm (after coming at 9am when no one was home...we had a 3pm appt) looked at the box for 30 seconds, said everything was fine and left (i wasn't home, my wife was) didn't fix anything. Called last night, after a half hour on the phone was promised some one would call me tomorrow to set an appointment to fix it. Someone just showed up at the house at 1pm when no one was home...called them again and was told this time that it wasn't their responsibility to fix and everyone else including 2 supervisors I spoke to promising a resolution was mistaken....

Any advice for someone I can contact to get this rectified...and the reason I want this fixed by Verizon and don't just do it myself...the room was built as the AV components were installed...the wires go through a wall and the way the components fit in a cabinet recessed into a wall make it *close* to impossible to get to....you have to use a mirror and a flashlight to see anything and I don't think I should have to spend 5 hours of my time on a Sunday fixing what Verizon ruined...especially when there was no reason for them to do so...

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

I understand he should not have done this, and I would be ticked off too, but wouldn't it just be easier to reconnect the cables yourself?

I guess after all the time I spent on the phone and the missed appointments, but it really will take hours...I did it once before, using the mirror is a pain because it's all backwards, can't pull the components out far enough because the wires are too short...

Just don't think I should have to...

Ahh, gotcha. And, I agree, you shouldn't have to, just figured it might save you some grief....

I'm still in shock you'd leave a company that has over 180 HD channels... maybe it's karma?

Brighthouse could only give me a consistent 3mbps on a 20mbps line....no problem with the HD channels

And you'd prefer a guy who knows nothing about your system come and look at the backward lettering and figure out what is what?

Again, you're right...I'm sure if they actually kept one of the appointments when I was there, I'd have to do most of it anyway...

Very disappointing....

Poor design. You always want slack on the wires so you can pull the component out without fishing. Now I know why you don't want to do it. Never mind that the VZ installer probably didn't have clear instructions on the custom setup.

I'm not slinging mud anywhere, just saying that you may get a FiOS installer who's top notch on A/V systems, and then you can also get a guy who's good at wiring an ONT and hooking up a STB, and that's the extent of his experience.

If it was my complicated setup, I'd work very hard to be there during install. Well, actually, I do that during *every* install at my house. Besides, I like talking to the techs. They're nice people.

And again, I appreciate what you're saying...unfortunately I work 6 days a week, only off on Sunday and they don't do installations on Sunday, nor do they do it after 6 pm which is when I get home.

This was NOT a complicated install...connecting the only cables that are lying within an empty shelf to a different brand of digital box is idiot proof (almost...) there is plenty of slack within all the component racks EXCEPT the AV tuner that is also a switcher...it should never have been needed to gain access to this...my "poor design" is really not at fault...it only became an issue when somene went completely off the reservation hooking it up..

I guess I still fail to understand why Verizon seems utterly disinterested in making this right...forgetting the poor design of my AV system, over the next 2 years I will pay somewhere around $4500 for the privilege of having Verizon...shouldn't it warrant some legitimate effort on their part to satisfy me?

Verizon techs have no training on these type of systems. It's not always as "idiot proof" as you think it is for some. The biggest mistake you made was not leaving the existing cable box there. This would have made it easy as he could have seen what you had connected. You're most likely not going to get a tech out there and you would be better off doing it yourself since you know what it is supposed to be. You're just going to continue frustrating yourself if you don't.

To the OP: have you considered adding short jumpers to each cable to make re-installation easier?

I dont think you will get any installer who knows the set up as well as you. May be less aggravation to just fix it.

Hmm...my installer actually unhooked everything from my Time Warner setup and re-hooked it up exactly as it was-- including hooking up my eSata drive to the DVR over a year before it would even work!!!

I can see both sides of the coin, so it's a toss-up who gets to spend the time connecting things back up. Don't call in VZ, though. They'd want to punch holes in the wall to pull the wires out.

Adding short jumpers to the component cables might work, but again I'm reworking what already worked fine due to Verizon....

In any event, I really hoped someone could give me a phone # or email to contact someone that could help...while I agree in the end I could fix it myself, would you repair your transmission after a shop screwed it up and you paid for it, even if you had the knowledge to do so or would you expect the company to stand behind it?

Verizon's overseas customer service that's barely understandable, conflicting stories, missed appointments, and overall lack of concern are, to me at least, unacceptable.

Verizon's FiOS customer service is in the U.S. Not sure who you've been talking to.

Not a chance...last 5 phone calls were *definitely* not native english speakers...seriously, last one was barely understandable....

I've never called in and gotten a non-native English speaker.

Anyway, to answer your question, search the forum for executive relations or something liken at and you'll find a number to call.

Please, I'm not trying to get you more upset than you already are, but I would be extremely suprised I if VZ would do anything to correct your problem, even if you threaten to terminate service. You could try the president's hotline at 212-321-8700,but, as I said, I think that will only serve to get you more angry.

I understand the installer messed up but calling them back to just prove a point I don't agree with. Hooking up some cables vs repairing a car transmission are two entirely different types of effort.

I had DirecTV installed many years ago and the installer left me with high 60's signal strength that resulted in a lot searching for sat messages during rain storms. After calling DirecTV to resolve it I just caved and did it myself to get a better signal. It was not worth the risk of getting another lazy / poor installer. I did it myself and got a low 90's signal.

I have had two FIOS install experiences and both installers were old school copper guys who had no idea about DVR questions, component video or Internet stuff. I ended up assisting with both installs to make it right the first time. They are not well trained so unless they have a personal interest in this stuff you most likely won't be happy.

My suggestion is to fix the problem yourself because most likely they won't be able to hook it up correctly and you will get more aggravated than it's worth.

.

Thanks for your contribution. I apologize for being "crazy" regarding FIOS bumbling my install, mishandling 16 phone calls, missing 4 appointments, and finally abdicating their responsibility entirely...

At least I have you to amuse me...

The worst is when people think they are helping by removing the old stbs.You should have just let the installer remove the old box this way he would know what the outs of the stb go to on your system, a simple box swap, instead he's left to try to figure out how it was set up, and probably gave up.I see it as your mistake not his.

you're definetely right to be upset, and right to want to have verizon fix it, but at a certain point, you have to start weighing the cost of all this. 16 calls I Am guess close to 10 hours on the phone, and 4 missed appointments, meaning 4 whole DAYS of wasted time.

at a certain point, my time is more valuable than waiting on the phone and waiting around the house and the wear and tear on my sanity.

I would have just fixed it after a few calls and 2 missed appointments, let alone 16 and 4. but ymmv. it just depends on the individual. but look at it that way, how much is your time worth, and how much time would it take you to fix that yourself. But I would still be upset about it.

Your fault for:

a) removing the Brighthouse box thus making the FiOS installer's job more difficult. He probably ended up being frustrated trying to figure out your setup.

b) for not being there. you ordered it, you should have been present. You could have answered any questions the installer may have had. or at the very least you could have left a post-it note indicating the wires to be connected to the FiOS set-top.

Verizon's fault:
a) Installer disconnecting your A/V equipment. My guess is that he couldn't figure out that to get a picture he needed to turn on your receiver and switch to the proper input on the receiver, thus he looked for the component cable going direct to the projector. If he was so frustrated in trying to figure out your setup, then its also possible he disconnected them out of spite for what he felt was making his job more difficult. If that's the case, the installer doesn't deserve the job.

One thing that strikes me as odd though is that if it really is that difficult to reconnect the wires, then wouldn't it have been a chore to disconnect them. Why would the installer have bothered to disconnect them?

Easiest way in my opinion is if these are all Green Blue Red component cables, then you don't actually need to do the whole mirror flashlight thing. You only need to locate the 1st component input, and connect component 1, from there you should be able to simply "feel" the connections in the back as they are typically lined up in rows or columns. Simply align the green blue red in your hand. Either way 4 sets of component cables shouldn't take more than 1 hour to complete even in a setup as complicated as you claim it to be.

The installer pulling out some cables qualifies this as a "disaster?" Really? Sounds like it was your fault for having such a goofy and apparently half-assed setup (short cables) and not giving the guy any guidance or input on how your system is configured. The fact that you've called them sixteen freaking times to fix a problem that you largely created is little more than a testament to how much free time you have, rather than a testament to their ineptitude.

Plug the damn cables back in and move on. What happens if you do get somebody out there to plug in your cables for you? You're going to have to coach them on which set of which cables plugs into what. Doesn't that sound like fun? Doesn't it sound like it would make more sense to just do it yourself and spare everybody the misery?

I usually disconnect the old box when I am having a new install. The HDMI wire is right there as well as the coax and all the installer has to do is plug in the new box and connect the box to HDMI and coax. I don't see how removing the box is that confusing.

Ouch! Your first topic on DSLReports, and you're getting slammed.

Come on people, where's the love?

Welcome to DSLR.

I appreciate the responses...some more than others
Tried the contact email in other threads for Mark Reddick...bounces back, looks like that account is closed.