Frustrated with WB Customer Support~Excede

[calvinlives]

Hi calvinlives I have noticed you complaining quite a bit so decided to chime in and let you know to go ahead and push to get upgraded.

If I've learned anything from all of this is that I'm not going to jump on the Exede bandwagon until and unless they get a host of issues corrected. The fact that they are operational without a usage meter being in place tells volumes. Who knows what that will mean down the road when they finally get a grip on bandwidth? There will be no two-year commitment from me until and unless they do. As I look back, their inept customer service department may have saved me a lot of grief by botching not once, but twice my initial attempts at signing on.

[calvinlives]

Existing WB "power users" prefer Wildblue, but existing WB users who prefer extra speed, choose Exede.

Otherwise, if Exede offered larger data-plans at Wildblue prices, then the herd would stampede over to ViaSat-1.

I would think that's their marketing strategy in a nut shell. All three satellites need to be utilized; is there something wrong with investors wanting a return on services provided? Btw, if you think Hughes will allow their users to jump-ship on their existing satellite to their new bird when it is operational, think again; they too will have incentives to remain on existing bird. No satellite provider can have a "ghost satellite."


In regards to Netflix, satellite providers are limited in bandwidth; ground based ISPs have much cheaper infrastructure costs, which have mostly been paid for by previous telephone customers. Hence, satellite providers can never be compared to ground based ISPs when you consider startup cost differential.

The herd! Is that how loyal WB customers are now viewed? Just a heard of malcontents? Unbelievable! Keep in mind that WB has hyped this for months to EXISTING CUSTOMERS that speed and bandwidth was going to be dramatically increased with no mention that in fact the latter was going to be cut and the price increased. I don't know what they call that in your part of the country, but I know what they call it in mine.

[Shane]

Calvinlives, we all can understand your discontent and your reservations. Please be patient and watch to see if the system becomes to your liking. I for one look at all sides, the happy customer, the discontented customer and those who are middle of the road because every single view, including yours, is important. It is called feedback. One thing that I have to say though is I do not understand how you can criticize a system you do not have. Have you actually used the new system or are you going with "the herd" of people who hate it? Please enlighten us how you came to your point of view.

[doodyboy2]

I agree Shane. I was just as pessimistic as calvinlives from reading post of those having problems until I decided the ones with problems were much in the minority. I finally decided that with the basic plan being the same price I would rather take my chances with the dap and enjoy the faster speeds. I did consider canceling my service and signing up with Dish to get the extra 2.5GB dap but had heard much more complaints about dish csr than wildblue's csr. I also am hoping wildblue will at least increase the dap from 7.5 tp 10GB as I cannot see how they can allow dish to give their customers a better service. (Listen up WB Steve) In the meantime I am certainly enjoying watching a youtube video without any buffering throughout the video. If what wm4bama mentioned about the possibility of the compression making for lower usage proves to be true then we will have a fantastic upgrade.

[calvinlives]

Calvinlives, we all can understand your discontent and your reservations. Please be patient and watch to see if the system becomes to your liking. I for one look at all sides, the happy customer, the discontented customer and those who are middle of the road because every single view, including yours, is important. It is called feedback. One thing that I have to say though is I do not understand how you can criticize a system you do not have. Have you actually used the new system or are you going with "the herd" of people who hate it? Please enlighten us how you came to your point of view.

I don't HATE it! I tried twice through an Exede phone number (given to me by my local dealer) to sign-up. I spent an hour on the phone with them, agreed to a price, have an authorized local installer who will install it as soon as he gets the ticket to do so. Each time they claimed "technical difficulties" and couldn't complete the process. Did they follow-up with a call to let me know they could proceed? Of course not.

That, coupled with what others have said regarding service and bandwidth allowances--and the fact that there is no operational usage meter in place--I have no intention of making a "blind leap of faith" into the arms of the not so customer oriented ViaSat. With that history, would you?

[calvinlives]

I agree Shane. I was just as pessimistic as calvinlives from reading post of those having problems until I decided the ones with problems were much in the minority. I finally decided that with the basic plan being the same price I would rather take my chances with the dap and enjoy the faster speeds. I did consider canceling my service and signing up with Dish to get the extra 2.5GB dap but had heard much more complaints about dish csr than wildblue's csr. I also am hoping wildblue will at least increase the dap from 7.5 tp 10GB as I cannot see how they can allow dish to give their customers a better service. (Listen up WB Steve) In the meantime I am certainly enjoying watching a youtube video without any buffering throughout the video. If what wm4bama mentioned about the possibility of the compression making for lower usage proves to be true then we will have a fantastic upgrade.

Doodyboy2, if speed is the only real thing you're concerned about, so be it. I'm attracted by that too, but that's not the end all be all for me. I noticed that even now you'er not thrilled by the fact that you can get a better deal through Dish Network than through WB. When you think of it, for a loyal customer to be treated that way by the very people who own the satellite is absurd!! That's a slap in the face of every loyal WB customer out there.

[Shane]

I don't HATE it! I tried twice through an Exede phone number (given to me by my local dealer) to sign-up. I spent an hour on the phone with them, agreed to a price, have an authorized local installer who will install it as soon as he gets the ticket to do so. Each time they claimed "technical difficulties" and couldn't complete the process. Did they follow-up with a call to let me know they could proceed? Of course not.

That, coupled with what others have said regarding service and bandwidth allowances--and the fact that there is no operational usage meter in place--I have no intention of making a "blind leap of faith" into the arms of the not so customer oriented ViaSat. With that history, would you?

Then your local dealer is at fault and not Wildblue/Exede. You need to follow up with them OR change local dealers.

[calvinlives]

"If what wm4bama mentioned about the possibility of the compression making for lower usage proves to be true then we will have a fantastic upgrade."


If that is true, why would ViaSat/WB not make that clear in their advertising? They have nothing to lose by doing so. Unless of course they don't want too many old WB customers to sign-on yet? Otherwise it makes no sense.

[calvinlives]

Then your local dealer is at fault and not Wildblue/Exede. You need to follow up with them OR change local dealers.

How is he wrong? And why is it that you say nothing about what two customer service reps from Exede failed to do and the fact that they never called back? What could the local dealer do that he hasn't done? I've had him for years and his work has been flawless. He installs Dish Network, Direct TV and both Hughes Net and Wildblue/ViaSat systems. He's no novice.

[Birdman333]

You shouldn't have to "follow up" on anything. One call to make the order should suffice. Any other calls should be initiated by WB/Excede or the installer. You shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get service!