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It all seems so easy. You go to the mall and emerge with a highly-discounted DirecTV or PrimeStar satellite kit under your arm. It only costs a few hundred dollars and you get great reception. Cool. There�s only one cloud: Chances are you signed a binding multi-year agreement that basically commits you to pay off the rest of the cost of the satellite gear and installation. (That few hundred you paid in the store is just a deposit). If you cancel the service, you still have to continuing paying for the equipment. It�s all in the contract � and it�s a lot better to read it now than later.
Rafael of Staten Island, NY May 3, 2008
I'm a subscriber of DirectTv for the past 8 years. I've never been late with my payment. I have the highest package they offer and pay I think too much. My compliant is about there technical service which I also pay for. Since January of 2008, I've been requesting certain repairs for my service. At the start the techs would show up and not repair the problem. Weeks would go by contacting the company to please repair the problem. After 7 different techs, and replacement of equipment, it was fixed.
Now, I'm having problems with some equipment again. I contacted them on Thursday the 24th of April, they told me We will have a representative contact you within 2 hours to schedule an appointment. 6 calls later I've yet to receive an appointment for the repairs. Well, I called to see what I needed to do to cancel my service and they're telling me that I have to pay 400.00 plus this months service. I looking for someone to mediate & justly correct this situation so that I may move on with my life. Thank you.
Stress,frustrated, anger, high blood pressure, high blood sugar,etc. Fred of Holly Hill, FL April 30, 2008
After receiving a second notice from Collecttech Sysems, a debt collection agency being used by Direct TV I informed them that I was in dispute with Direct TV and to stop contacting me about this debt. They told me they will still contact me to collect the debt.
The other part is that Direct TV should have never contacted them as Direct TV helped themselves to my money in my checking account without my authorization or knowledge so how did I miss a payment? Why didn't Direct TV just cut off the service. I believe I'm being harassed by Collecttech Systems and I believe they owe me 1,000 dollars for violating the Fair Credit Debit Act as I informed them in writing that I was in dispute with DirectTv and to stop contacting me which they have failed to listen one time thus far-to date.
Inconvenience, stress, annoyance which can affect my medical condition of seizures. Mark of Mount Victory, OH April 30, 2008
Direct TV: Deceptive and misleading marketing practices We were deliberately deceived and not told all the truth about the real cost of Direct TV's service after their special 69.00 four month promotion. We were never told the outrageous high cost of these satellite services after the four-month promotion. For instance, NFL Direct Ticket by itself was going to cost 259.00 to continue. Similar high costs were also associated with continuing all Direct TV's services after the special 69.00 promotion. Even the basic Direct TV package with no extras was costing us more.
On Thursday April 24, 2008 Direct TV went into my checking account without my knowledge, permission, authorization, or notification and removed 223.66 from my account for early cancellation fees. Our cancellation was justified, put simply, Direct TV's 200.00 early cancellation fees are unjust and gained through deceptive and misleading marketing. Thank you for your help, I would like to prevent other from such deceptive and predatory marketing.
Poor service & product after the 4-month promo. Direct TV into my account without my knowledge, permission, authorization, or notification and removed 223.66 from my account for early cancellation fees. Dan of Cooper City, FL April 29, 2008
Called to cancel service and was told that because we had a new receiver put in back in Feb 08, this automatically signed us up for a 2 year contract which would cost 420.00 to get out of. My complaint: The new receiver was put in by a service tech after he failed to fix a poor reception issue with the old one. Its not like we WANTED a new box.. we HAD to accept it in order to get a clear picture. Explained all this to Directv on the phone and in an email, but they didnt budge.
420.00 to get out of a 2 year committment we didnt know was in place, and for which we would not have agreed to had we had a (reasonable) choice. Jack of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA April 29, 2008
I live in a 396 unit apartment complex that formerly provided cable TV but a few years ago the entire complex was converted to Directv. This is my only choice of TV reception. The complex provides very basic limited local service and I pay aproximately 53.00 per month for a second converter box and access to other non local satellite channels but NOT any premium channels such as HBO, Showtime etc. I just received a letter informing me that effective May 11, 2008 all subscribers will now be charged 24.00 quartely or 80.00 annually for a Protection Plan.
This sounds like a total scam to me and another way of fleecing the consumer. These people have nickle and dimed me so much I dropped the premium channels in the past and if I didn't have grandkids I'd drop the whole thing. The interesting thing is when I called this company to complain I was told that I could choose not to accept the protection plan (of course there is no mention of this in the letter) but I will be billed a very high rate (70.00 p/hr) for service and have to pay the cost of all equipment replacement should any equipment fail. I could pay the protection plan rate for years(I'm sure they will bump it up again even higher) and never need to utilize this Protection Plan (sounds like the mafia)or wait until something goes wrong and pay through the nose for something I've had all along for free.
My complaint is that the letter does not stipulate an option and should something go wrong with the equipment we already pay too much for what we get and they should fix/repalce it for free. That would be customer service. I'm hearing that soon I may have another TV option through Verizon and if that is the case it's adios to Consolidated(not so)SmartSystems. Just want to go on record in case you get additional complaints. Thank you.
Right now if I have a problem they fix it for free. I don't recall ever having a problem that required fixing but in the future if I don't pay this annual fee I will have to foot the bill for such repairs on their equipmeent and this is a economic disadvantage/hardship. Doug of Cincinnati, OH April 28, 2008
Heres my DirecTV nightmare I signed up in February 2008 through DirecTech, an MDU (Multi-Dwelling Unit) installer/reseller for DirecTV. Since we live in a condominium complex, we needed to go through the MDU people. DirecTV and Cincinnati Bell work together to combat the cable companies, and offered me an extra 6/month off my DirecTV bill, provided youre a Cincinnati Bell customer too. So, when I received my first DirecTV bill, I called Cincinnati Bell and gave them my DirecTV account number.
The first problem was that I was not receiving the free HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Encore, and Showtime I was promised for the first 3 months of service. I didnt notice it at first, since we dont watch many movies, but I had to call to have that turned on when I noticed it. Within the first week or so, I noticed the picture flickering on most channels, especially during commercials. This flickering was occurring when the picture changes (when you watch TV, the picture is always changing). Sometimes, it was white/opaque vertical lines, and other times these lines would resemble the image that was just on the TV screen. In either case, it would just be visible for a fraction of a second. Nonetheless, it was enough to be annoying.
So, I called DirecTech and had a technician come out. He installed some boosters on the lines. That did not work. Same problem. I was watching Family Guy the night before and it was REALLY flickering during that show, so I threw a tape in the VCR so I could show the technician the next day. I played it for him and he acknowledged there was a problem, but he said, I really dont see much of a problem? As far as I was concerned, it was blatantly obvious, but he just shrugged it off as nothing he was really interested in. Right around this time, I realized I still had not seen my 6 credit for being a Cincinnati Bell customer. I just received my third bill from DirecTV, but no 6 Cincinnati Bell discount. Hmmm. Back on the phone!
I did a 3-way call with DirecTV and Cincinnati Bell. They both reported that it takes up to 3 billing cycles for the discount to show up. Ridiculous! Back to the flickering problem Frustrated, I took one of my receivers to a friends house and hooked it up to their DirecTV dish and television. The flickering problem happened there, too! I wanted to rule out my televisions, coaxial cable lines in our condominium building, the MDU dishes, and even electrical interference in our electrical lines (including power strips and surge protectors). Consider all that stuff ruled out! I even left the receivers on all the time to see if that might make a difference. Nope, flickering still happened!
At my wits end, I called DirecTech again to request new receivers. They sent out a technician again and he installed new receivers. It was the same guy as before (the guy I played the Family Guy tape for). Again, completely uninterested in the problem, he just hooked up 2 new receivers, called to get them activated, and left. He didnt even take the old receivers. I asked him as he was on his way out the door if he wanted the old receivers, and he said DirecTV would send a prepaid FedEx box to me if they wanted them back. Unfortunately, the new receivers were doing exactly the same thing. Talk about being disappointed! Since the new receivers were doing the exact same thing, I decided that I couldnt handle this; Im canceling my service. Thats when the real fun started I called DirecTV to cancel the service and spent 45 minutes on the phone with 2 people arguing over breaching the agreement.? I explained to them that I had a signed agreement that says I can return the equipment within 14 days of downgrading or disconnecting my programming in lieu of any charges.
Here is exactly what my signed agreement says: Consequences of Your Failure to Maintain Agreement: If you fail to maintain your programming commitment, you agree that DIRECTV may charge you a prorated fee of up to one hundred fifty U.S. dollars (150) for standard receivers and up to three hundred U.S. dollars (300) for advanced receivers. Within 14 days of downgrading or disconnecting your programming, you have an option to send all of your DIRECTV System equipment (receiver[s] and remote control[s]) to DIRECTV in lieu of this payment. The equipment, including the Access Card inserted into each DIRECTV System Receiver unit, must be returned to DIRECTV in good working order, normal wear and tear excepted. Visit DIRECTV.com or call 1-800-DIRECTV for details. Now, what does that mean? If you ask DirecTV, it means I can cancel my service within 14 days of being installed. If you read it, it means I can cancel my service and I have 14 days to return the equipment without being charged.
Like I said, I spent 45 minutes on the phone arguing over this signed contract. Even though I was holding it in my hand and reading it to them, they denied its existence by saying, we dont have people sign anything; we have verbal agreements.? I said, but I am hold it in my hand, it has YOUR logo on it.? He replied, the installers sometimes put our logo on their paperwork.? Whose fault is this? Well, this was 45 minutes of wasted time; all they would say is if I got billed an early termination fee, I could write a letter to the Billing Disputes Department. I was offered another service call and/or 10/month off for the next 6 months. I didnt want to terminate my service, send the equipment back, abide by the agreement that I signed, and possibly get a bill in the mail for canceling early. So I kept the service on and slept on it.
Next day, I decided that I really did like the channel selection DirecTV offers, so I thought I might try one of my parents old DirecTV receivers, as theirs never presented any problems. Problem is, you need a new access card. So, I called the Access Card Department, explained the whole situation, and that I was attempting to fix a problem DirecTV or DirecTech couldnt fix. He was willing to send me out an access card at no charge, but he needed the receiver ID. I asked him if I could do a 3-way call with my mom and she could just read off the information from the receiver. Unfortunately, she was not home. So, the guy I was talking to said he would document all this (including offering me a free access card), and he would put it in the top notes? so they would see it right away for when I called back with the used receiver information.
Next day, I called mom and asked her to read me the receiver information and mail the receiver to me. I called DirecTV right after that and was told that there was NO WAY I could ever have an access card for no charge. Then I asked why I was told just the day before that I could, she said she didnt know why I was told that but access cards are 20, and that was NOT NEGOTIABLE. Before coughing up 20 to fix DirecTVs mistake, I said that I would take that 10/month off for the next 6 months that I was offered a couple of days ago. Now are you ready for a good laugh? Her response to me was, That was a time-sensitive offer, only good during the conversation with that person at that time.? After this whole thing blows over and is just a memory (more like a nightmare), one thing is for sure: DirecTV has lost a customer FOREVER. George of Ft. Lauderdale, FL April 27, 2008
On November 23, 2007 I purchased a DirecTV D10-200 receiver on eBay. This unit, ID: 0003 2280 3594, was purchased as is and used. I have the receipt for the purchase of this unit in my possession and the transaction information appears on my eBay statement. On January 11, 2008 I decided to activate this unit and in order to do so I purchased an access card for this unit per instruction of the customer service agent at DirecTV so I could then use this device.
On or about the 23rd of January I noticed a lease fee on my bill but thought this was just the monthly fee for using the extra device. I was never told that this would be a leased unit either by the seller on eBay nor the customer service agent for DirecTV nor was I told I would be locked into another 18 month commitment to DirecTV.
On April 12th I called to cancel service and was notified that I was held responsible for this agreement and would have to pay for this. I do not have nor was I provided a signed receipt showing I agreed to this nor was I ever provided any information to this effect. On April 19th, unbeknownst to myself, my American Express Card was charged the amount 317.01for what has been invoiced as an early cancellation fee. At no time did I give DirecTV authorization to debit my card for this in fact I refused this fee and told the representative on the 12th of April I would be disputing this.
I am disputing this charge for the additional 18 month commitment as I have had service with DirecTV since 2006 and have fulfilled the original service commitment. Additionally I am disputing the lease charges for the receiver that I had purchased from eBay and have been charged by DirecTV for. Youre assistance is appreciated in this matter.
Unautherized charges to my credit card caused me to cancell the card in fear of additional attempts to defraud me by DirecTV. Stephan of Manchester, VT April 26, 2008
Last year we purchased the exhorbitantly priced MLB (WARNING-IT SELF RENEWS!)package soley to watch the Yankees. We had numerous game black outs and decided to upgrade to the premium package for the YES network. All went swimmingly for about a week than an error message appeared on the screen. After an hour on the phone with tech support, I transfered to some supervisor that offered up a bunch of excuses why we could not get the games, at first because we were in the regional area or the we out of the area and had to buy the MLB pack. Why it worked for a week she could not explain. So, after 20 yrs as a Directv subscriber, I will move over to cable. At least i won't lose the signal during bad weather and i will have the broadband to watch the game on MLB.com.
severe emotional distress as i cannot watch the yankees. Try and read the fine print with Directv before you agree to any changes, it is confusing. Customer service is a joke and i believe they intentionally drag things out to infuriate us, hoping we will get fustrated and give up. Bilkis of Richmond Hill, NY April 25, 2008
I have signed a year long contract with DirecTV. Upon cancelation they are charging me a early cancelatioon fee for the amount of 282.65. I asked them to provide me a copy of my signed agreement where it says that I am signing the contract for two years. Instead they replied me saying that agreement was verbal and they don't need my signature for that.
I never had any verbal agreement with anyone with DIRECTV. Besides I wanted to see these therms and conditions on my signed agreement not after signing an agreement. This is not a proper way of doing business.
There is a balance of 282.65 and DIRECTV complained against me to a collection agency and now the collection agency is going to report it to the credit report which will affect my credit score. Carlos of Cypress, TX April 22, 2008
I have been a DirecTV customer since 1996, starting with as a Primestar customer. DirecTV back then was known for their superb service. As a primestar customer, I received special perks that were on my contract, such as the ability to have up to 6 receivers for the same price, the monthly magazine, etc. As time passed, they changed my pricing, removed the free magazine, and made other changes. Since I did not read the magazine, I let all those issues go. In 2006, I started experiencing problems with my existing equipment. I went out and bought an HD unit from Best Buy and paid for the equipment myself.
I contacted DirecTV to get new equipment and they wanted to charge me over 800, I told them to cancel, and they called me back and gave me new equipment for free, except for another HD unit which I ended up paying for. Last year, they increased my bill by over 30, saying that my previous access was no longer valid and that they were now leasing me the equipment. After several heated emails, I decided to swallow that too, to avoid the hassle of changing over. Then they started charging an additional 10 for HD that was previously free, and by then I had it.
Last Monday I contacted them on their website to cancel the service as of last Wednesday. They did not do it. I contacted them three times since then and now they say that since I did not call (although I used their site to request disconnection), that I have to pay for service to today. In addition to that, they are charging me a 25 fee to disconnect because they claim that I agreed to a two year contract that I did not. As I mentioned earlier, it's not the fees, its doing what is right or wrong. Their business practices are questionable at best and I would not recommend anyone subscribing to their service.
Minor (20 for service, 25 disconnect fee).
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