SHAW Satellite - Heads Up

Just called Shaw because our PVR was acting up. I'm guessing a problem with the hard disc recording or playback.

The Shaw customer service rep said they would dispatch a technician to look at the unit. We said we were in Mexico at the moment.

They then informed us the Canadian CRTC (equivalent to FCC except they're bureaucratic a$$holes) has mandated that satellite providers can no longer provide service outside of Canada. Their "home and away" plan means both home and away are in Canada. They basically hung up on us.

So be careful what you say if you're calling them about a problem. Tell them if it comes up that you're at the Canadian address you provided to them.

SunFan

That's what I was trying to tell someone the other day and better to tell them the box you are referring to is in your Canadian cabin in the boondocks where they couldn't possibly dispatch a technician to. In that case they would tell you to ship the box to them. Sunfan, what would you have been expecting them to do here in Mexico anyhow?

CanuckBob wrote: Sunfan, what would you have been expecting them to do here in Mexico anyhow?

I'm flying to Toronto in ten days time. I thought I could exchange the PVR somewhere there. However.....SOL I guess.

SunFan

Ya, best to lay low at this point and hope they forget about it. When you get to torana just get a new box and hope when you call it in to activate it that you don't get the same person....jaja.

I have my box registered to my cabin address in very northern BC where a Shaw Technician has never stepped nor ever will.....jaja.

Bob. The address I provided is near Tweed, Ontario. Yup, you're right....that's Hillbilly (cottage) country.

The wife blurted out that we were in Mexico before we could tell them how remote we were from their offices.

SunFan

Ahhhhh.....I see you are blaming the wife. That's not going to fly well amigo.....jajajaja.

Well if they haven't cut you off yet they will probably destroy the transcript of that call and continue to collect their $100 + per month from you.

I think those on the stacked accounts with the fake Canadian addresses are on borrowed time down here.

SunFan wrote:Bob. The address I provided is near Tweed, Ontario. Yup, you're right....that's Hillbilly (cottage) country.

The wife blurted out that we were in Mexico before we could tell them how remote we were  from their offices.

SunFan

George, Remember, Happy Wife, Happy Life......         

I can tell you from experience that Shaw never destroys their transcripts.  I agree that the accounts that are illegal, i.e. purchased with a phony address, are living on borrowed time.  Too many people phone Shaw when they shouldn't.  Shaw can't repair a receiver over the phone, all they can do is refresh a receiver over the phone, that's it, otherwise they have to send out a technician or you have to send in your receiver for repair or replacement.

Gentlemen I am not so stupid as to think hardware problems can be solved over the phone. 40 years in IT gave me that.

If you read my comments I said I suspected a hard disc problem and was calling Shaw to a) determine if it was hardware and there was nothing they could do with a reset/refresh or signal adjustment. and b)ask how I could replace/exchange the receiver when I was in Toronto in ten days time.

When the customer service rep offered a service call, not thinking of the new legislation, my wife simply said we're in Mexico now and not at our Canadian address. That's when the shit hit the fan.

Shaw used words like dishonest and illegal to my wife. She responded that when we signed up 2 1/2 years ago we were quite clear we would be using the devices in Canada and Mexico. There was no problem then.

Why knowing we have a Mexican address did Shaw not contact us last year when the rules changed?? We had heard nothing from them and then to be painted as dishonest is over the top.

They are of course happy to continue taking our money each month , just not to have to be bothered by our calls when anything goes wrong. Of course for any of inevitable future calls we would tell them we're happily ensconced in our cozy Ontario cottage.

SunFan

Hope this doesn't ruin it for the rest of us in the future.

Hensley wrote:Hope this doesn't ruin it for the rest of us in the future.

By this do you mean last year's CRTC changes or my phone call to Shaw?

SunFan

The CRTC has already ruined it for the future. It's probably just a matter of time before they force Shaw to actually look at each account for legitimate addresses and residency status.

Relax.. The sats will go away within five years anyway when they replace the last old birds that work here with new ones that won't. For example Shaws latest sat only works to S.F. south. Eventually it will go away depending on how much fuel the two birds we watch have left. Last I heard they still have plenty of fuel but eventually.......

Z

By then streaming everything via the web will be totally mainstream and satellite providers will start to become obsolete anyways. Their only customers will truly be those in the boondocks where there is no internet connections. It will be just like what happened to C band when cable came out.

Yeah like me in the internet boondocks of Upper Chula Vista where the distance from the switching center and Telmex's refusal to install a repeater limit me to max 1.6 mbps down and so little up that my Magijack breaks up and drops calls.

It's like 1985 and dialup all over again!!!!!!!!

SunFan

when i call shaw tech support my vonage phone says i'm in edmonton so calgary tech support talks to me because i'm in alberta.
when and if this box crashes i will merely hook up the other one i have  and call tech to hook it up. our phone # has been on record for many years originally with starchoice. we informed starchoice many moons ago that we would be traveling all over including mexico and they had no problem with that.we got new equipment 8 1/2 years ago when our other got zapped in an electrical storm in millet. that's what we have now and it travels well and can be set up where ever we may be.

That was then and this is now. Shaw no longer allows their programming to be viewed outside of Canada due to recent changes. Everything down here is now illegal ( in the eyes of the CRTC). Just be careful what you tell them from this point forward.

Listen to Bob

Shaw will never set up an account that will receive service outside of Canada. New CRTC legislation since last year.
Conceivably if you tell Shaw you're using their equipment in Mexico they could cancel your account. Although they haven't done that to me....yet!

SunFan

I was amazed that Shaw ever "knowingly" allowed their content to be viewed outside of Canada. I always thought that was a big No No with international agreements. I imagine some of the local "Shaw providers" that have some sort of deal with Shaw with these stacked accounts are going to get cut off first. Those are the most open and blatant examples that Shaw is apparently aware of down here. I certainly would not be paying any "yearly" renewal with any of these providers anymore cause when it goes down will they have the funds to reimburse everyone? Doubtful.

Depend on whether you're the Stackee or the Stackor.

SunFan

Some of the "providers" here have hundreds of accounts. When I inquired with one of them how this could be possible I was told that they had some sort of sweetheart deal with someone at Shaw. These are the ones I am referring too. Even if none of them are stacked they are all illegal now.

am i ever glad our account goes back many years and has been paid direct through our scotia branch in alberta forever.
any new account should be started in canada and equipment purchased there. and it would also be advisable to have a canadian phone# through vonage canada.

Yes to all of that. Let's just hope Shaw isn't forced to reconcile all their accounts with Canadian citizenship and residency. That would mean the end for a few people here.

Time ta study yer Spanish...

I think cable has Spanish Sesame Street....