Some thoughts and missives from recent experiences/tales........

I was recently in the Farnham branch of a smallish chain electrical retailer
where a customer was asking about the Pace Freeview box to use in Farnham.
The shop assistant asked him if he could get a good CH5 picture. He replied
that although he could receive CH5 the picture was not very good because he
used the Basingstoke transmitter (Hannington) but his CH5 picture came from
the London transmitter but bounced off there first!?
The assistant then told him that he should be okay and sold him the box.

I refrained from butting in and pointing out that Hannington provides no
digital signal in the Farnham area and the very least he would need was a
complete aerial change to receive Crystal Palace or Guildford, and knowing
Farnham he may still get nothing.

Another gem was relayed to me by a friend who walked into Comet in
Farnborough (another marginal DTTV area) and not knowing much about Freeview
(except that we have a box which works very well) asked about one. He was
told by the sales assistant that it was fine all around here and bought it.
When he got home and discovered that he could receive nothing he phoned me.
He lives behind a hill and only Hannington provides any useable signal in
his area, I explained the situation and he set off for a refund (which he
received without question.)

Are the electrical retailers actually using the postcode predictors, or are
they more happy to refund, and then presumably re-package the Freeview box?
This cannot be cost effective with regard to staff time, processing refunds
etc.

Another colleague bought a box for his daughter who lives in Portsmouth. I
had explained to him about Rowridge needing a wideband aerial and he decided
that as she mainly wanted it for CH5 and BBC3/4 he would go ahead. The lady
in question lives in a flat with a communal aerial system. Sure enough all
the MUX's worked except the ITV MUX. She phoned the Housing Association to
ask about the aerial, and they told her to go out and buy a booster! After
some pressure from her father they told her to speak to the aerial
contractor who is contracted to upgrade all their systems to accommodate
digital. He was very helpful and informed her that in early March her system
would be fitted with a wideband aerial and "made digital ready." Surely she
cannot be the only person in their properties who wants Freeview and has
asked that question! Another classic case of mis-information.

I predict some fun in early January when the refund season starts!