Aerial Cowboys- TVSAS

[ben2136 10]

We live at the top of Crookes and have been having intermittent problems with interference on FreeView, especially when it's windy. Sometimes on retuning the TV, we would also receive Look North for the North East rather than Leeds area.

 

After many months of irritation at the signal breaking up just at the wrong moment, I decided to get a professional in to resolve the problem.

 

Using Yell.com, I found a company called TVSAS- a company apparently based in Tapton Mount (Local company must know the likely problem in Crookes).

 

I rang them up and was told over the phone that the job was likely to cost £45 +VAT (£51). Sounded reasonable to me and I booked them to turn up later that day.

 

On arrival, the repair man seemed friendly enough and listened to me whilst I told him what I thought was the problem. I suggested that the aerial which was installed in On Digital's (now FreeView) infancy might not have been angled towards the correct transmitter since not all were transmitting at the time.

 

He was very quick to tell me that it was a reception problem. He quickly got out his meter and started looking at values. I did tell him that the TV's signal detector showed good to excellent signal reception but he told me that they were useless (I wasn't going to disagree with this)

 

After about 5 minutes of using the meter, he told me that I needed a signal booster. I asked him about why many years ago when I had a signal problem, the engineer installed a device called a RF choke (which actually reduces the signal strength). He started to speak in a very low and firm voice and told me that he had never heard of a RF choke and a signal booster was definitely required.

 

He installed the booster box- actually 2 separate boxes which I thought was odd and retuned the TV.

 

All channels seemed to be doing well but then came the crunch-

 

Total cost was £45 call out and an additional £80 for the booster plus VAT (£143)

 

I could not see how the equipment supplied was worth anything like that amount. To be fair he did say that I could try a booster from Argos or Dixons but they were rubbish.

 

I told him I was not willing to pay this so he played the nice guy and got on to his phone- a 10% discount was immediately given

 

When he realised he was losing the sale, he started becoming very loud and quite intimidating. I kept telling him that even after discount the price was too much. Eventually he relented but not without trying to push the expensive signal booster.

 

Having checked on aerial installation websites, it appears that he was trying to sell me a mast head unit and power supply which might have been the correct piece of equipment but the mast head unit should have been fitted just beneath the aerial rather than next to the TV. Prices from other suppliers suggest that £25 would be the usual price.

 

Overall my experience was poor- the installer seemed to lack knowledge, behaved aggressively and the service and product offered were expensive.

 

I can only recommend to stay away from TVSAS!!

 

 

Ben

[M.Alllen 10]

We live at the top of Crookes and have been having intermittent problems with interference on FreeView, especially when it's windy. Sometimes on retuning the TV, we would also receive Look North for the North East rather than Leeds area.

 

After many months of irritation at the signal breaking up just at the wrong moment, I decided to get a professional in to resolve the problem.

 

Using Yell.com, I found a company called TVSAS- a company apparently based in Tapton Mount (Local company must know the likely problem in Crookes).

 

I rang them up and was told over the phone that the job was likely to cost £45 +VAT (£51). Sounded reasonable to me and I booked them to turn up later that day.

 

On arrival, the repair man seemed friendly enough and listened to me whilst I told him what I thought was the problem. I suggested that the aerial which was installed in On Digital's (now FreeView) infancy might not have been angled towards the correct transmitter since not all were transmitting at the time.

 

He was very quick to tell me that it was a reception problem. He quickly got out his meter and started looking at values. I did tell him that the TV's signal detector showed good to excellent signal reception but he told me that they were useless (I wasn't going to disagree with this)

 

After about 5 minutes of using the meter, he told me that I needed a signal booster. I asked him about why many years ago when I had a signal problem, the engineer installed a device called a RF choke (which actually reduces the signal strength). He started to speak in a very low and firm voice and told me that he had never heard of a RF choke and a signal booster was definitely required.

 

He installed the booster box- actually 2 separate boxes which I thought was odd and retuned the TV.

 

All channels seemed to be doing well but then came the crunch-

 

Total cost was £45 call out and an additional £80 for the booster plus VAT (£143)

 

I could not see how the equipment supplied was worth anything like that amount. To be fair he did say that I could try a booster from Argos or Dixons but they were rubbish.

 

I told him I was not willing to pay this so he played the nice guy and got on to his phone- a 10% discount was immediately given

 

When he realised he was losing the sale, he started becoming very loud and quite intimidating. I kept telling him that even after discount the price was too much. Eventually he relented but not without trying to push the expensive signal booster.

 

Having checked on aerial installation websites, it appears that he was trying to sell me a mast head unit and power supply which might have been the correct piece of equipment but the mast head unit should have been fitted just beneath the aerial rather than next to the TV. Prices from other suppliers suggest that £25 would be the usual price.

 

Overall my experience was poor- the installer seemed to lack knowledge, behaved aggressively and the service and product offered were expensive.

 

I can only recommend to stay away from TVSAS!!

 

 

Ben

 

They done approx 2-3000 properties in sheffield alone . You must have had a bad caller .