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DirecTV - Installation Mixups

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Michael of Toms River NJ writes (10/13/02):
On July 9, 2002 we purchased a new home. DirecTV offered a movers program that they will come and connect, at a small fee. So the Satellite company came and put a dish on the roof, and drilled into the bedroom for a second receiver. The installers who came the first time (Bluegrass Satellite), drilled right into my closet door, causing damage. Then to contact Directv for them to put you on eternal hold, switched over and over to different people was unbearable. To finally get someone for them to tell you to take pictures, get three estimates from licensed contractors for the same. No contractor wants to come to a home just to see a hole in a closet door. So I called Directv back several times, they finally sent a supervisor who came and saw the damage, and unfortunately he said we have to do the same!

Now, almost two months have passed. Every time it rained a little we lost reception to the Directv, so again, I call Directv to be switched around all over, I have several employee's names and employee numbers, to get them to send someone out to fix the problem, they tried to charge us $70.00 just to send someone to fix the problem, even though they have a 90 day warranty for the same, which is in writting! So they finally a week later send another contractor to fix the satellite dish, this man came to my home very irritated as soon as he came to the door. So I showed him where the dish was, and he then took his ladder and slammed it onto my home, damaging the gutter. He then went on the roof and pulled the dish right out from where it was originally installed. He left the holes where he ripped out the dish and made more holes to put the dish on a different angle, then to come down from the roof and say, "sorry I can't get reception, this should of never been installed in the first place".

So he left us on a Friday Sept. 6th with no reception at ALL! I called Directv several times over the weekend, no one could give me a straight answer, once again to be put on hold, transferred to several different people. Then spoke to a direcTV sales person whom then told me that the company that came to my home (Advanced Technology) that Directv owed his company over $60,000.00 and that was why he came with an attitude to my home. I explained to the rep. this has nothing to do with my situation, that is between your company and his. I spoke to a supervisor at directv, and they told me someone would come out on Sept. 12th was the earliest, between 1-4pm. I took the day off work, to wait it was 3:00 I called just to make sure that someone was coming, and the person at Directv told me no one was coming. They didn't even give me a courtesy call to tell me the same!

I was very upset by this time. So, I called Comcast digital cable and they came the very next day to install my cable tv.

Rachel of Montebello CA (9/22/01):
In January of this year I ordered service from DirecTV. After several weeks I called to find out the order had never been placed even though I had an order confirmation number. I placed the order again. I received 2 receivers and the satellite dish which were installed by Mountain Satellite, (someone they contract with) but, I called within a few days as the receivers I have are defective.

After numerous phone calls and a visit from a tech who confirmed that the receivers were both defective, I called DirecTV and explained that I'd received a bill and would not pay since I had no service. It has now been almost 9 months since that and they have continued to bill me and, have now turned the account over to a collection agency (Allied Interstate West, Inc., P.O. Box 581427, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1427 (877)350-9743 & (480)610-3000).

I have received two letters from Allied and called both times -- both calls were unpleasant and I received no help. The first letter came from a Tony Brown, Acct. Rep. But when I called I spoke w/an Adam Carity and he informed me they would still try to collect.

I then sent letters to the local BBB, State Attorney General, DirecTV, Channel 2, Los Angeles Consumer Affairs Dept., and to Allied Interstate West explaining the inaccuracy and how I've tried to get this to stop. I received a second letter from Allied and when I called for Jennifer Lord whose name appears on the letter was "helped" by Jo. She said Jennifer was in a meeting and when I explained the situation she asked if I'd sent the letters certified. When she found out I hadn't, she said they could not be held liable.

I mentioned how the others had all received, and acknowledged, my letters and she interrupted in a very rude manner and would not let me speak so I hung up on her. I called back and spoke w/Julie. I asked to be put in touch w/a manager and she refused when I would not give her my name and number. At this point I am totally at a loss as to what I can do (short of hiring an attorney which I cannot afford).

Although I have not paid anything (fortunately I had put the charges on my credit card and have since contacted them) I have to deal with these collection agency letters and the ignorant mentality of people I try to deal with when explaining the situation. They will not listen nor can they be reasoned with. When I see these letters coming in it gives me a headache and I dread opening them.

Rachel should send a certified, return-receipt-requested letter to DirecTV and to the collection agency, explaining the situation. She should enclose copies of any relevant documentation. Be sure to keep copies of the letter, the documentation and the postal receipt.

Jody of Woodland CA (6/10/01):
In early December of 2000, I looked Primestar up on the Internet, because my husband had mentioned that he would like to try satellite instead of cable. I ordered two satellite dishes (1 for our living room TV and 1 for our daughter's bedroom), and also ordered the RC-Pronto remote control, Model #TS1000 (this remote alone cost $299). I was instructed to telephone a number and "set up the service as American Satellite only provided equipment".

When I called the number, I discovered that I had reached Direct TV. After going through a tremendous amount of conversation and information giving (certainly not receiving), I was told that I had to place my order through my telephone company, PacBell. I called PacBell and they said to call back when my dishes arrived. I told them they were due in just a couple of days. They actually did not arrive for two weeks, but PacBell would not make an appointment until the dishes were received.

The appointment was made and when the PacBell technician arrived, he told my husband that we did not need the American Satellite dishes, as PacBell furnished them for us, and installed them as well. He did indeed install them and our Direct TV account was activated.

It was also an incredible joke, as trying to even get anything on the screen, let alone something one wanted, was nearly impossible. Our VCR would not record PBS channels any longer (and we were assured by both PacBell and Direct TV and American Satellite there was no problem in being able to do that), so my husband could not watch his Saturday morning woodworking/cooking/etc. shows, despite hours on the phone with Direct TV, PacBell, and the VCR's manufacturer.

Soon after that, I received a hand-addressed photocopy of a letter from American Satellite telling me they were going to bill my credit card an additional $500 because we had not activated our Direct TV account. I wrote back, telling them we most surely did, but did not use their dishes. I had not returned the dishes because I do believe I purchased them. I told my credit card company not to honor American Satellite's charge should they attempt this.

On March 1st, I cancelled our account with Direct TV (I thought) and went back to our local cable company. The VCR records perfectly. I do not have a clue as to why American Satellite believes it can sell products to consumers who desire a service from a separate entity, and then charge the consumer if they don't use the product purchased, whether or not they use the separate entity's service or not. If this is okay, it should not be okay. Direct TV is still charging us a monthly premium, even though it has turned our account over to a collection agency, and never credited a payment of $156.

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