Recently we received a notice in the mail. Switch to Shaw Digital and get a FREE HDPVR. This sounds great! We were already a Shaw customer for Internet and Phone, and thought we might make the switch from Star Choice.

Well, Star Choice is now owned by Shaw, and has changed names to Shaw Direct. As a result Shaw will not extend the offer to us. They say they are only offering it to people switching from other competing companies. I can understand that, but its quite annoying – simply because the direct mail they sent us didn’t say anything about that.

My wife called Star Choice (now Shaw Direct) to try and get the deal from them, saying “Shaw Digital is offering this deal, so if you cant match it, then we will switch to Bell”. After more than an hour on the phone with 6 different employees, the best Shaw Direct could offer was an HD PVR for $499… interesting, considering that they are offering that anyways!!!

We have been using Star Choice for nearly 5 years now, and until this recent event, have had great customer service. It seems that only when they made the switch to Shaw Direct that their service has gone significantly down hill. It is funny really – in this tough economy companies should be doing whatever they can to keep their customers, instead they are letting us walk away. They are willing to watch a loyal customer of 5 years spend their money elsewhere. Does that make any sense? I don’t think so.

If Shaw Digital can afford to give away a FREE HDPVR for a new customer, you would think that Shaw Direct could afford to give away a FREE HDPVR to retain a customer – after all, it’s really the same thing.

So after all these years with StarChoice, we will say goodbye, all because your parent company made us an offer that they are not willing to stand behind.