DIRECTV Reviews

My wife asked where on the guide the local network channels were. The Tech said we didn't get local network channels and could apply for a waiver, pay a fee per channel and then receive them. What? We were flabbergasted but wanted local networks so we did as instructed. First waiver was denied and we applied again. Second waiver was denied. After several phone calls to DirecTV and many wasted minutes on hold and explaining our issue, it was suggested we put up an external antenna to get local channels. I purchased the biggest one and only get ABC and NBC because of our location.

On the NFL Ticket, we didn't get Sunday night football or Monday night football through NFL Ticket. Now, we don't get the playoffs and will not be able to watch the Superbowl. Any average person would believe that if they pay much more for NFL Ticket they will be able to watch all the football games. At no point were we informed we would only get selected games, no play offs and no Superbowl. We don't care for their excuse that the networks won't give DirecTV the rights to show these programs. We paid good money to DirecTV in the first place and more for the NFL ticket. We were misled.

One of our earlier phone calls to DirecTV we talked to a supervisor and asked, since they lied to us, to let us out of our contract so we could go with a service that would give us what we paid for. The early termination fee was going to be $480! This is highway robbery. There seems to be no recourse. Certainly calling DirecTV repeatedly and escalating the issue to a supervisor gets no results. The main reason we went with DirecTV in the first place was for the NFL package. Had they disclosed they wouldn't give us local networks and not all the football games we would have forgone the NFL ticket experience and gone with a company that would have provided us the basic of all television services, local networks.

The technician showed up to install my dish and receivers and he only had one HD/DVR, one HD box, one DVR and two additional boxes which I also ordered. He got his supervisor on the phone and they told me that it was not possible to honor that order and that I was never promised that. I sent the technician away and called DirecTV back and requested that my conversation be replayed. I was told that could not be done without a subpoena. I have already cancelled my cable. I am now going to be without everything until I find a replacement or get cable turned back on. I want this fixed. I am currently without cable.

He then transferred me to representative to get details on the cost of the DVR. During that time, I was told there is a $99 cost. I told the representative that I was not interested because I was not prepared to pay #99 for a DVR plus monthly rental fee, something about that seem unconscionable. That was when he told me they could give me the box free of charge. I decided that I would think about it.

A few days later (October 17), I called back and decided to take the service. I spoke to a new representative, I reiterated the no contract agreement and fee waiver for the cost of the DVR that had been detailed by the previous representatives. However, all promised deals were not outlined in the notes on my account. So after a long conversation during which time I threatened to take my business elsewhere, the representative agreed to honor the free DVD and no contract obligation. She informed me that everything was taken care off. A week later the DVR was installed. No new contract was provided and I did not expect to get one since they told me there would be no contract.

Two months later, we are having significant problems with the dish, so my mother wanted to switch carriers. I call DirecTV to cancel and I am told that we have a 2 year contract and that it is $20 for every month if you cancel early, equaling $440. I got upset because I know that when I agreed to take the service, the contract provision was waived. I asked for the notes on my file to be reviewed. I was told someone would get back to me in 24 hours. I never heard back from anyone. When I followed up on January 12, 2010, I spoke to a representative by the name of Edward. He given the speech from before, "you have a contract it is for 2 years, if you want to cancel pay the fee."

I requested a copy of the notes on my account, they refused to provide it. I requested a copy of the agreement that I supposedly signed or was sent, I still have not received it. Edward went on to inform me that contracts are only provided if the customer asks for them since they are available online. I challenged that and said that I signed up for this service through Verizon and every time there is a change in service, Verizon sends out new language regarding it. However, nothing was sent out with regard to this service change. I also raised the fact that under the bundle agreement the term is a year, with a lower cancellation fee. He informed me that although, I signed up through the bundle, the bundle agreement does not apply when you chose to up-grade. Yet, despite a significant difference from the current contract, none of that information is provided to consumers. It is only provided if asked.

Overall, this is a very frustrating and unfair state of affairs. As a customer, I always try to ensure that I do not end up victim to such circumstances. Thus, it is truly unfortunate when I was informed one thing and yet end up in a situation like this. Based on the number of complaints on this site, it is evident that DirecTV is unscrupulous and I am hopeful that Consumer Affairs can step in and help consumers with this issue.

Well, then I canceled my service and they said I would be charged over $400 for cancelling when I never even used the service but for only three days because they gave me the run around. I told them I was going to cancel anyway and they can't make me pay the money that I don't owe. I told them I was a senior citizen and that they are falsely advertising that they are offering one thing and only give you something else. I canceled the service and they took the money out of my bank account after I told them they did not have permission to do so. I had to call my bank and they got my money back and I had to cancel my bank account and open a new one so they would not have access to it. DirecTV is a fraud company that misrepresents to people like me and out right tried to steal my money from me.

I want to be apart of the class action lawsuit against them and anything else that people have against them. This company should be put out of business and not allowed to do what they are doing to people. Please help me. They are calling me everyday and harassing me for money that I do not owe them. I am a senor citizen and I need help to fight them off. They have caused me great harm by me not sleeping at night because they call and harass me all the time. They took my money out of my bank account with out my permission and I had to hope another account. They tell me they will take me to court and I tell them I would love to tell a judge what they have done to me, but they still harass me and not take me to court. I am very tired and don't know how much longer I can fight this very big company by myself.

I would have to pay $19.95 for shipping and handling. I did not have a problem with that but then they said that I would have to extend my contract for two years to get the receiver. I told them that it was blackmail and that I would not do it only to be told that that is the way it is. I refused the receiver. That is wrong, wrong, wrong. They have a faulty product and will not replace it without me agreeing to keep having their service. How do I know that I will have more problems with them and I am in for two more years? Please help in whatever way you can. Thank you.

When contacted to explain the problem, the customer service agent and the Operational Manager wanted to charge me for the visit to perform a correct install. When pushed that this was not a warranty issue but rather an improper installation, they offered a $30 credit on a $49.999 service visit but refused to have an installer come and perform a proper installation without cost to me. They stated that their "contract" clearly covers only 90 days even if the problem is one of improper installation.

I think he might have kept it! After a couple months of horrendous bills from them, which were way over the advertised price that they had advertised, I cancelled service with them. Now I cannot get anything on my TV. My con came over and said where is your antennae. I said I don't know, I think DirecTV kept it! He said that Ii shouldn't have given it to them--at that time I realized it, too! I don't know how this company gets away with its false advertisement!

I don't know anyone that can get by a total of seven days without TV. So my wife wants to cancel the service. All they can say is that you would be penalized $20 or $40 a month for a breach in contract. So if you are paying for a service and DirecTV does not provide the Service, why would someone pay a penalty? I would suggest to anyone wanting a dish service to really think about before you purchase it. This contract issue should be voided if DirecTV can't fix the problem which is just a five minute fix (no installment required). Another thing, when my wife asked for a supervisor, the DirecTV Customer Service put her on hold for 10-15 minutes and the hung-up. Great Customer Service.

I stated that the bill I had said I owed $190. She said I told her I had not received a bill which was a lie. Everything I said she tried to turn around on me. She would not listen and would not let me talk. I asked to speak to someone higher up. She said I could just cancel and pay over $400 in cancellation fees. I told her I had DirecTV for years and had been without it for under a year and never had a problem. I just wanted to know why my bill was so high. Yet again, no real answer. I was told the credits don't kick in until the 21st each month.

She said she could cancel the HD but I would have to pay for what was used. I said so someone on the computer can put whatever they want and I have to pay for it no matter what. She said yes. I said I wanted to speak to a manager. She, after over a minute of silence, said she would call back within 48 hours that was a week ago. I cannot get any answers. I even wrote an email the to CEO. No response there either.

They signed the contract for service on 8/2/09. I registered their account and filled out the online rebate form for them. The next day, after they signed up, I have the confirmation 8/03/09. Now it is 1/11/10 and my mother asks me about how much longer it should take for their bill to show the rebate. I called DirecTV and their representative named Bella said that the rebate was never received and it was too late to file it. She said the "confirmation number" that I received in email is only confirming that the account was registered, not that the rebate was being processed. I am sure I filled that rebate form out, but there is no record in their system and therefore they say basically, “Tough luck.”

These bait and switch tactics are going to cause that company much more money than the $250 they scammed out of my parents! I will never recommend DirecTV to anyone else and will share this story with anyone who will listen.

Every single time I talk to either company, they pass the blame on to the other company. Yet, they claim they cannot talk to the other company. I was told I would have to pay $360.00. I told them about the service being terrible and being over billed. I told them about all the complaints online and how they have such terrible service and I will make yet another complaint with consumer affairs and FTC. And the response from the supervisor, Jessica, in the cancellation department was, "whatever, do what you feel you need to do."

I cannot believe that any company could be so rude to their customers and have such unfair business practices. Avoid DirecTV and Verizon at all costs.

When I told them I need to talk to someone who could handle this problem, they give me a PO box with no phone number. This whole thing has been nothing but a scam right from day one. I pay all of bills on time and this so-called company is trying destroy my credit and waste a lot my time and energy. They recorded all of my calls and have all of it on file. I refuse to bow down to their ways. How can they get away with this scam? They want me to waste more of my time and a stamp to explain again to a PO box (with out a phone number) and wait for their answer. Scam! This resulted to emotional and credit damage.

On 9/28 they installed the Direct TV services they spend about 8 hours in my apartment trying to get the signal going. I started to doubt if this was a good decision. Then at about 9 pm they finally finish. The minute I start making sure I have the channels that I was told I would have I come to realize I do not. Then, I asked the technician what happened to the channels that I had requested online. He suggested we call Direct TV’s call center. So we did and when we call they tell me they do not offer that package anymore. So they tried to upgrade my services into a more expensive package.

At this moment I asked my services to be cancelled because I felt deceived. The representative tells me not to cancel at this moment to experience the service for 30 days and if I did not feel satisfied I can cancel without a fee. My family was exhausted of having these people in my house all day with no TV on that we accepted their offer. The next day we had no signal on two boxes. At night time it returned.

The third day the signal would come on and off. It became so frustrating that on the first opportunity I had, which was Saturday 10/3, when I returned from work I called to cancel my services. When I call on 10/3 the first operator transfers me to the cancellation department and the lady that responded confirmed my info and I explained to her what has happened and I told her I wanted to cancel. She said I would be accessed a cancellation fee of $458.42 for cancelling the service before the two-year contract was due.

I told her that on 9/28/09 I was told that I could experience the service for 30 days before I was assessed any fees. She then assures me that I was lied to and that there was nothing she could do. At this point I asked to speak to a supervisor that then tells me that because I cancel within 15 days of installation I would not be accessed any fees and that he would mail boxes via Fed-Ex so I could return the equipment. I waited one week and no delivery from Fed-Ex came by; then I called Fed-Ex and learned that they delivered the boxes and left them at the entrance of my apartment door. So the point is that I had to call again to ask if they could ship the boxes again because I never received them.

On 10/14/09 I receive a bill from Direct TV charging me for the $458.42. At this point I am confused with what kind of company makes people go thru so much hassle. I call them again and explain to them that I was told first that because of a 30-day trial period and then told that because of a 15-day trial period I would not have to pay the cancellation fees. So they reassure me that I would not have to pay and again I asked when the boxes were shipped because I had yet to receive them. The operator helping said that they had no request on my acct. for boxes to return the equipment that he would process it for me.

At this point I can expect anything from Direct TV. Then, I go to my Direct TV account online to make sure that it says $0 balance and it did not. So I started to write dispute letters to Direct TV informing them of the situation. I only received back e-mail response no written responses ever. I also did email disputes to them but only received like automated emails telling me that they could not remove the fees. Now, I receive a collection notice, so I intend to sue them. I would like a judge to decide what's right. This company is the worse it should be put out of business. They are robbing people out of their money in such an obvious way and it's incredible that they are doing this. This company has made me take time to dispute their charges, not to mention the frustration and now I have to invest time and money to take them to court before they put this collection on my credit and do more harm to my family's financial future.

They installed the HD and moved the existing DVR to another room one week later. The following day, I called DirecTV and stated that my DVR was not recording. They looked up my account and said that I did not receive a DVR but an HD receiver. I told them that this was not the agreement that I made. At that point, they stated that they would kick it over to their resolution team, and I would be contacted within 48-72 hours.

When I did not hear from them within this period of time, I called them again. They stated that it was on the schedule for the resolution team as high priority and that I would be contacted by them by the end of the day. Again, I was not contacted. I called them again 3 days later, and after being transferred through 4 different people, I spoke to a supervisor who stated that the receiver was what I signed up for. I stated that this is not what I had signed up for and why would I settle for this when I initially called for an HD DVR and rejected it due to the cost.

He stated that he could provide one for me, but it would now cost me $199. I stated that they told me just 4 weeks ago that it would cost me $99. Now, he was going to charge me the whole cost? I told him that they made the mistake, and now, I would be paying for it? He stated that I was stuck with the receiver, and if I cancelled my subscription with them, it would cost me $480. I questioned this, as I have been a customer for over 5 years. He stated that because I received the new HD receiver (even though this is not what I had signed up for), it was like a renewal and that I was committed to this now for 24 months.

I am appalled and disgusted that they could run this scam. They promised me one thing, then delivered and installed the wrong equipment. Now I am stuck with a piece of equipment that I didn't agree to and am having to pay for it. If I cancel, they are going to charge me enormous fees. I feel completely trapped. They will not correct their mistake, and I am being made to pay for a product that I didn't order. I have pleaded my case to several employees at DirecTV, and no one is listening, let alone try to make it right.

On Monday 1/4/10, I got an email saying that they had disconnected our service due to nonpayment. I also received two more emails saying that they had shipped boxes to return the equipment to them. On Wednesday, 1/6/10, I logged in to check my bank account information to find that DirecTV had debited my checking account for $1,172.57 with no notice. FedEx had not even delivered the boxes until 2 hours after they drafted my account. I called the bank to dispute the charges and they said, “Well, DirecTV can do that. When your installer came out, the paper he asked you to sign is not just a statement that he installed, but on the back of that, there are a million terms and conditions you agreed to; one of which is saying that it is okay for them to debit your account when service is disconnected for any remaining balance.”

They said we owed them $450.00 for service then they charged us a $265.00 early termination fee even though we had our service for three years and thought we had only signed up for 48 months. Apparently, when we switched the box in our bedroom to a DVR, it automatically renewed our contract. Then they charged us $445 for the unreturned equipment before we received the return boxes. DirecTV has very deceptive practices and should not be allowed to do these things to people.

Neil said our wires were crossed with another household and the wires were corroded. He repaired the wires and uncrossed the wires. DirecTV was supposed to get the President of the company to call us within 24 hours of Pam and I's conversation on Dec. 30, 2009. We have yet to hear from the company to help us rectify this issue. Today, which is January 7, 2010, I sent a letter regular mail and certified mail and I gave them until Wednesday, January 13, 2010 to rectify the problem or else I would contact channels 3, 6, 10, 40 and Fox news to tell them the problem. I also told them that I would take legal action in consulting a lawyer and I was going to send a copy of this letter to the Bureau of Consumer Affairs.

I purchased the boxes as well as a protection plan offered only to individuals who own their boxes. As they explained, since I would be owning the boxes, instead of leasing them, any service on the boxes would be at my cost. Had I leased the boxes, problems would be DirecTV's responsibility. I purchased the boxes and paid the monthly $5 protection fee. When I received my first billing, it included both a lease fee and the protection charge. I called them in September 2007 as I was being billed improperly. I explained the situation and the rep agreed. Why would I pay for both a lease and protection on equipment I do not own?

The rep stated I was not being charged a lease fee but a fee for the second hook up. I asked why it was called a lease fee on the bill and they rep stated that was simply how they did their billing. This was DirecTV's first act of fraud. I did not find the out until two years later. I continued to pay the ever rising rates, which increased from $87 a month to $115 over two years while the number of provided channels actually decreased. When I canceled my subscription in December of 2009, and paid my final billing, I thought things were done and over. I was wrong. DirecTV then immediately charged me $250 for the boxes that I already owned. They insisted the boxes were always leased, but did have a record of my phone call of September 2007 and even had the fact that I insisted at that time that I owned the boxes.

DirecTV claimed I was advised that they were leased and understood. They could not answer why I was paying a monthly protection fee on leased equipment. They then claimed I insisted on purchasing an item I did not need. What a load of crap. Why would anyone pay a $200 lease fee and also monthly lease payments and then a monthly protection fee to protect equipment that they do not own? DirecTV simply lies to its customers and will say anything to steal money from them. They then billed the entire amount to my credit card without my authorization. When I called them, they refused to give me anyone's complete name.

I am certain this is done so they can deny anything they say at a later date. I am disputing this claim. If you wish to be lied to and have your money stolen, DirecTV may be the company for you, but if you do not wish to be victimized, I would recommend you avoid them.

So I was surprise to learn from DirecTV when I called a year later to cancel, they then told me my contract was for 18 months and I would owe a $100 early cancellation fee if I cancelled before 18 months. I asked DirecTV repeatedly to send me a copy of their contract and they emailed me a "customer agreement" with no length of contract service. They billed me the early cancellation fee on my credit card and I disputed it, sending my credit card company my letters and emails to DirecTV and DirecTV's "customer agreement".

Visa removed the charge from my card and did not reinstate the charge later, because, DirecTV did not send them our contract that included a length of service. Today, I got a call from a collection agency! Although DirecTV will not send me or my credit card company a copy of my contract length of service, they assigned the prepayment penalty to a collection agency who says I have to resolve this with DirecTV since their job (as a collection agency) is not to determine whether the billing is correct or not. Their job is to harass me to pay a bill I do not owe. The collection company offered to hurt my good credit for this $100 charge that DirecTV will not show me I even owe.

I called to cancel on 14th day and they told me that your grace period started on the day I ordered and not from that day of installation. My credit card was charged full year's service charge and additional service charge. I disputed the charge with my Credit Card company. I got the refund on my Credit Card but then got two invoice reminders. I sent a letter to their dispute department, asking for recording of the conversation with their rep at the time of ordering so that I can prove my point, but not response. Time, energy, postage charges for communication and most importantly stress.

Then the second technician came out and said he would have to put a pole in the exact center of my 20 x 30 foot yard in order to get reception. I really think he just did not want to do the job because it was cold outside. Preston the supervisor was extremely condescending on the phone to me while the technician was there. He said, "We have over 30 million happy customers." Their set up to get your credit card info up front and start charges right away even before they know if service can be installed is a giant scam. I have wasted so much time with this company. Never do business with them!

I was supposed to pay $36.95 per month for one year. In the first few months, my bill went up to $107.00 per month. My bill goes up every month. I call and am on hold for hours then get disconnected. I have received some free channels for my trouble, but it just keeps getting worse. And now, they want me to pay for them.

We received our next bill and once again the rebate was not subtracted and they added the rebate from the 1st bill back on our account. I called again, and was told that I would have to resubmit the rebate again under our new account number. So I went online and this is when I found this site with similar complaints. I still did not find the correct site to submit the rebate. I told the representative that when I redo the rebate, I want it immediately and he said they could not do that. Mind you, they're cancelling the previous account was done to no fault of ours. My husband and I are disgusted with DirecTV and we're looking for a different provider.

So, I called right back and was told that I could not get Cinemax "HD" without getting the HBO Premium package too. While I was waiting on hold to see if they could work around that. Well there pops up the Cinemax "HD" so, I believe I was being scammed into getting a more expensive package just to make a movie channel change when it did not have to be that way. So, I hung up while waiting to speak to someone to see if that change could be made when it was immediately without speaking to a customer rep. I have been unhappy with them for awhile. I can't wait til my contract is up so I can cancel.

I told the representative that I tried to order those services but they never worked because the phone line was not hooked up. He gave me a mailing address for Bill Dispute after putting me on hold for 15 minutes. No email, no phone but a mailing address! It's 2010 DirecTV! Every time it rained the signal would go in and out and I even had the signal go out for days at a time randomly. I never was credited on my bill for those days and it was obvious on the call to the representative that he wasted 15 minutes of my time to act like he was helping a customer when really he just repeated the same **** after putting the phone down to act like he was working. He didn't actually put me on hold just but he just put the phone down.

Dec. - $60.99

So far, I have paid DirecTV $191.29. Even 3 months at $60.99 is $182.97 I think I have paid 4 months on the 2nd year of my contract. I also think, you are not fulfilling your end of the contract, and therefore, it could be void. Also, we had been a very good customer of Dish TV. Please hold up your end of the deal. My first year bill is $34.99. My 2nd year bill is $70.99.

Finally, after about 2 weeks of this, I let it go. Now it is January 4th, 2010 and I have another major issue with them. I called to see when my contract will be up and they stated October of 2011. Well, we have not made any changes or upgrades to our account for 2 years in Feb. and the contract should be up. I argued with the person that was taking the call and he said we made changes to our account back in October of 09. I asked him what changes and he stated when we upgraded to a DVR in one of our rooms. I explained to him that my husband called prior to purchasing the DVR to make sure it would not change our contract date and of course at that time they said no.

Now they are saying yes. First of all, this is not an upgrade. We had a DVR, in that same room, hooked up and working. We had a horrible thunder storm one night and it zapped the box and it stopped working. Obviously, we needed to purchase a new one so that we could watch television upstairs. That is the only reason we purchased another one. We obviously would not have purchased another one if the existing one worked. The person that I was speaking to told me that it is considered an upgrade.

How is it considered an upgrade when we were already paying for it? He said we would have to of bought it from Best Buy for $499 for it not to be an upgrade. What sense does that make? None if you ask me. DirecTV is a complete rip off and you seem to get a different answer everytime you call. While I had them on the phone, I had another bone to pick. We pay good money for the NFL ticket. We have had it for years. Well, it does not work in one of our rooms in our house. The guy I was speaking to said he would connect me with Technical Support and any refunds would be issued. I spoke to someone in the Technical Support area and the woman stated she would try and troubleshoot it, however no refunds would be issued. She said that very quickly. But it is okay to charge people money for services that are not provided.

DirecTV is a total rip off and their staff are useless. The supervisors are worse than the field staff. It is a complete joke. When I was on the phone with the technical support person and became a little angry, the call was lost. I believe they hung up on me. The customer service is very poor and they should be ashamed of themselves. I am not asking for things that are so out of reach. I pay for a service and want the full service that I am entitled to. I pay DirecTV so they should be working for me not against me.

I recently signed up with Verizon to have internet service at my home. DirecTV charges extremely too much for internet services and Verizon was offering a deal that could not be passed. At the time we signed with Verizon, we were unable to get FIOS TV service through them because of the city which we reside. We were assured this would be resolved shortly and would be able to get TV through them. We confirmed with DirecTV that our contract would be up in Feb. of 2010 and now all of the sudden it has been extended to Oct. 2011. Now we are out a lot of money because we cannot switch to Verizon or we will have to pay $20 per month until October of 2011. Also, we are out the money we would save by adding the TV to our Bundle Package with Verizon.

Americans do not have the power to deal with large companies and our governments when they continue to do whatever they want. I am paying more for less already based on Dish and the local cable companies quotes. Customers who are forced to sign contacts which all the large companies to modify at will with additional fees and/or services not originally agreed to. They are breaking contacts with millions of customers which should be a breach of contract.

I spent three hours on the phone with DirecTV during which time I was transferred numerous times and told that DirecTV saw the two receivers as interchangeable and couldn't control which was installed although they admitted that the receivers did not possess the same networking capabilities. I was also told "if you want to know what you're getting you should have gone to Best Buy." I finally spoke with Elizabeth in customer retention who agreed to send the installer back out to correct other issues with the install and promised to put a not on the work order to bring the r22 receivers.

On 1/4/10, the installer called to let me know he was on his way and, when asked, said there was no such note on the account. He contacted his supervisor and stated that they had no r22's in stock. He also stated that he understood our complaint as he personally owned r22's and knew they possessed different capabilities than the r15. He suggested that I contact DirecTV and have them ship two r22 receivers to the house so that we could exchange the r15's.

I called DirecTV and, as the operator was unable to help, was escalated to a supervisor named Shannon. Shannon was extremely rude and told me they didn't ship out equipment. I pointed out that you could order equipment online and she said "yes, but we can't send you a specific receiver. If you want a receiver that can connect to the network for On-Demand I'll send you an HD-DVR and you'll have to pay $199." I asked her how that was acceptable since the r22 had the same capability at the regular $99 cost and was told that this was true, but she still couldn't send me out that particular model. She then advised me there was no point discussing this as she couldn't do anything unless I wanted to pay the $199 for the HD receiver and the additional $9.99 a month to be able to use it.

Needless to say, I am shocked that as a new customer DirecTV sent equipment that was subpar. In addition there is never any mention of a substitution for a lower model number when you order, nor does it state that in order to watch On-Demand programming you will need to incur additional costs if they decide to give you older equipment. I also find it shocking that DirecTV is claiming there is no way possible for them to dictate what is sent out to the customer as far as equipment. They are essentially washing their hands of their own service. This feels a bit like a bait and switch.

After almost flipping out in rage, I asked to speak to a manager, where I spoke to the most sarcastic human being alive, where for over 30 min. of me pleading and explaining with him that I needed the money now, all he kept saying repetitively , " that's our policy for refunds, I'm sorry sir, but you would just have to wait 6-8 weeks" I think this is outrageous! They won't give me a number for corporate or for their finance dept. They also can't charge it back to my card. Supposedly, Mastercard won't allow them, so they have to send out a check which takes "6-8 weeks". The only option they give me is to write to corporate and wait for them to respond in 7-14 days! This is unbelievable. They are so quick to collect money but so late to pay back for their mistakes. I feel robbed, bamboozled; I can't believe companies like this exist without integrity or moral values.

But that is only part of the days TV broadcasting story. Before the game we watched part of the Rose Parade broadcast on NBC only to hear the announcer say with pride every ten minutes and this year we are broadcasting in HD, not if you are a DirecTV customer. DirecTV broadcast more than 200 channels in HD. Why do you not give priority to the major networks: ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS?

DirecTV stopped billing my credit card, but did not close my account. Since I had disconnected the hardware, there was no way for me to know if my account was on or off. There were no new charges to my credit card, so I assumed it was off. I got a bill a few days later, and figured their billing department had printed and sent it because they had not been informed by the folks who handle accounts. I ignored the bill.

A couple of months went by and I got a bill from a collection agency in the amount of about $140. When I contacted DirecTV, they said my account was not closed because I did not respond to their email after I sent them instructions to terminate the account. They closed the account only after it was "delinquent" because I didn't pay for a couple of months' bills!

Nobody at DirecTV wanted to admit their company made a mistake by not closing the account. Nobody said, "Since you were with us for 5 years and never missed a payment, I'll just take care of this, and hope you will come back to us in the future." Instead, their reps all said they could do nothing. One suggested I snail mail their billing dispute department. I wrote a long letter, outlined a number of issues I had with the company. They did not give me the advertised promotional discount until I asked for it several times. The tech had mounted the dish on the landlord's new roof after I told him to mount it on the wall. They billed me for services I did not order. They tried to extend my contract obligation because deficient equipment had to be replaced, and they didn't cancel my account when I told them to do so. I got a form letter in response.

I will never deal with DirecTV again. Dish Network is probably just as bad. Subscribing to satellite TV is like making a deal with the devil; they act as though you have sold them your soul.

On Dec. 26th 2009, I got a bill that didn't reflect any rebates or discounts that was supposed to be there. After talking to several different people we finally got our discounts. Now, they are saying we didn't give them my father's account number when I argued we most certainly did the agent said we gave it an uncertified dealer who didn't have the authority to do so. She notes that the agent did put our request through but again she reminded me that she was not a dealer.

I asked her how we would know who is a "certified dealer" or not? She had no response. We have called several different numbers and talk to supervisors who all said the same thing "we apologize but there's nothing we can do." This same situation has happened to my sister in the past which resulted in her changing to DISH satellite. We are seriously considering to do the same. They said all calls are recorded but when asked them to go over the conversations; the supervisor was uninterested in doing so.

On Oct. 27, the installer came to install the HD. He spent about 5.30 hrs for installation: from 12:00pm-5.30pm. The original time frame requested was between 1-5 pm. I had an emergency call at work in the morning so my daughter at age 17 was home. She was the one who signed the work order from the installer. After I came home, my daughter told me that the installer said I needed to have someone complete the wiring into the wall in order to have an HD reception. The HD installation was not completed. There were two colored wires (blue and green) hanging out from the wall, not connected to TV. But I was too busy to call back at that time to check what was going on and to reschedule another appointment. I also thought that DirecTV would have a report from the installer.

Two weeks after, I received the bill from DirecTV. The bill was $72.19 on Nov. 12, 2009. I called them right away since my original intention was to cut back my expense, not to increase. I called them on Nov. 13 in the morning to dispute the monthly fee which was not as agreed. I talked with four to five different people. They told me that they had no record of price discussion previously on file. I also had a new contract which would expire on Oct. 27, 2012!

I was so mad because all of these issues from price to contract discussed at the time of ordered were not honored. I felt ripped off. I asked to return the receiver and to have my original ending contract date back on my file, but I was told that it was not possible. They said that once the work order was signed after installation, I was committed to two years new contract. There was no way for me to get out of it. I insisted that I was promised to have no contract, but they still told me that it was on the work order and they did not have to tell me. I was on the phone with them for over two hours.

I called back again at 1:00 pm on Nov. 13. I got Sandra (ID #**). At the beginning, she insisted on a 2-year commitment. But after I told that my daughter, who is a minor, signed the contract, she then went to talk to the supervisor and issued something called "Recovery Kit" which is a returned shipping label and a box authorized me to return the receiver back. She also told me that she noted on my account to have my ending contract dated back to the original date. The new contract for two years installation date was invalid. I was thinking that everything was settled.

On Dec. 30, I called DirecTV to schedule the cancellation. Again, I was told that I had a contract and the cancellation fee of $480 would be applied. I talked with Robert (ID#**) at about 8:30 pm., and Kelly (ID#**) at about 9:00 pm. These two people were so rude. When I asked for copies of the recorded phone conversation, they said that they had none. Kelly (supervisor) said that even a minor signed the work order after installation, the contract was still valid. Besides, Sandra, who issued the recovery kit, gave me a wrong information. There was no record of conversation of whatever Sandra told me either.

I was so frustrated and insisting on disconnecting. Kelly transferred me to the disconnection dept. I spoke to "Kit" (ID#**) at about 9:30 pm. At the beginning, he told me that there would be a termination fee of $480, put me on hold, and came back to me that he found the new contract was invalid. There was no cancellation fee. He scheduled the cancellation of my service on 1/10/2010 with confirmation #**. I requested him to email me the confirmation of our conversation. He said that he would do so. I emailed to DirecTV to confirm my conversation with Kit, but the email response was different. I still have a two-year contract. I also never received an email from the guy named "Kit" either. I am very disappointed.

The installation rep showed up on a Monday morning. He brought the equipment with him, it was never actually shipped. When I question him about the shipping charge, he told me that they have everything on hand and was not sure why they (AT&T) tell customers they need to pay shipping for any equipment. It took 6 hours for the installation to be completed. Mud was tracked all over the carpet to our new home, which I was very unhappy about. We had just paid for the carpets to be steam cleaned professionally the day before. I was also late to work because of how long it took.

Then we get to the part where no one ever told us that we would need our TVs available. No one ever asked us what type of TVs we had either. The only television I had available that day was a regular 27-inch TV the kids used. The install rep said that was fine and he would activate all the receivers with the same TV. He proceeded to carry our TV around the house and activate the receivers. I am on my hands and knees scrubbing our carpet when the installation process is finished. Rep asks me to sign a couple sheets of paper saying that I agreed to the drill holes he placed in the walls and that he had completed the work. I hurried and signed the papers he asked me to and was given a quick run down on how to use the remote. He leaves.

The install man shows up 2 days later while I am at work. My husband calls and he is very upset. He says that the install man named Mike is here to hook up the new receiver. Mike tells my husband about the price differences. This is the first we hear about this. We were originally quoted $29.99 per month. Now is $69.99 per month, plus $5 extra per month for the DVR. This is the first we hear about this price. Mike tells us that DirecTV and AT&T are in the habit of not disclosing this information to customers. My husband has blown a gasket. I take an hour off of work, unpaid, to try to call DirecTV and sort this out.

Phone call to DirecTV. Rep tells me that the service is actually not going to cost that much. I tell her that the install man is at my home right now with my husband and that is what we were just told. Rep tells me that the HD package is considered an upgrade, but that we are getting a promotional price on it and that after all of our discounts we will only pay about $54 per month after taxes and everything. After thinking about for a minute, I decided that is a little more than we wanted to spend but agreed. By this time, the installation was rescheduled for the HD receivers for the weekend.

Saturday morning, the next day. I get a notice from DirecTV. A letter telling me how to claim my rebate. Rebate? What rebate? It also includes a disclosure about a 2-year agreement. 2-year commitment? When were we told about that? The rebate is apparently good for one year. This rebate is the discount that the rep was speaking about the day before when she said discounts. She never said anything about a rebate. And no one ever said anything about a 2-year agreement. I was extremely upset.

Phone call to DirecTV. I spoke to rep. Got no where. I was told that I should have read what I had signed before I signed it. When? While I was scrubbing the mud out of my carpets, or while I had 2 minutes to shower and get to work? First installation man never mentioned I was signing a contract. He told me I was signing off on his work. Spoke to the rep’s supervisor. Told him I wanted to cancel everything. Supervisor says that’s fine. They did not even try to resolve the issue. They tell me that because I agreed to have their services for 2 years, they will bill my credit card $460 early termination fee. Early termination fee now? What is going on? I tell them I should not have to pay this. Supervisor says he will connect me to the cancellation department. On hold for 40 minutes. Speak to cancellation rep. Rep gets supervisor. Supervisor blamed AT&T for everything. Says that it is their fault for not informing me that there is a 2-year agreement, ETF, and that HD costs more. She tells me to contact them. She said that they will waive the ETF and credit me back for the shipping of the second equipment if I could get AT&T to call them to verify there are no notes that I was told this.

Phone call to AT&T. Speak to rep and explain issue. 15 more minutes on hold and I was connected to the sales department. Told they can't help me. Transferred back to customer service. Have to re-explain everything again. 25 minutes later I get to speak to a supervisor who finally had 2 brain cells to rub together and spoke English. It was like I had won the lottery. I explained everything again for about the 100th time. Supervisor agrees. Nothing in the notes. I demanded they listen to the phone call since they record the phone conversations according to their automated system. Sup says that she will make a 3-way call to DirecTV. 40 more minutes on hold. I was finally brought into the conversation. Supervisor from DirecTV agrees to waive the ETF. I am told that they will send a return package so I can send back the equipment to them. Says that they will refund me both of the shipping charges I paid with my credit/debit card. I agree. I got the name and employee number of both supervisors.

I get online and googled DirecTV complaints. I’m overwhelmed. I immediately call bank and report card as lost or stolen. Seems that DirecTV has a history of stealing customers money. They are in the habit of being quick to cancel an account but are not willing to try to resolve any issues customers may have. I go for 3 weeks with no access to my checking account before my bank finally gets me a new card. Better than paying DirecTV $460 right before Xmas when you have 8 children.

No refund ever comes for the shipping. Phone call to DirecTV today, 01/01/2010, after a promise of refund that never comes. Spoke to a rep. She started off pleasant. She tells me she can process a refund for me for the shipping but needs my credit card number. I must seem stupid to her. I tell her I am not comfortable with that. She tells me I will have to provide the info if I want a refund. I asked her how they credit back customers who do not have a credit card. She tells me that it is not in my best interest because it takes loner and she does not recommend it. I told her that’s fine. I will wait for a paper check to be mailed to me for the 2 charges of $21.54. She hangs up on me. I promptly call back. Speak to rep named Laurie. She says that there are notes on the account to support my claim. What a big surprise. I am penalized because the supervisor that agreed to waive my ETF did not leave any notes on the account about getting the shipping credited. I asked for a sup. I am told that they only have floor supervisors available and that they will tell me the same thing. I hold for over 20 minutes. No supervisor ever comes to the phone. Rep comes back to the line and apologizes for the wait. I was placed on hold again for 10 minutes. Rep comes back a second time and says that there are still no available supervisors available. By this time I have already gotten the DirecTV corporate number and CEO info, as posted below.

If you are looking for contact information for Mr. Chase C., President and CEO of DirecTV, the DirecTV corporate office address is: East Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 90245. As of now, I still have not received a refund and that this company has taken money, and time from me that I will never get back. I have nothing to show for this but frustration and stains in my carpet. Take the advice, do not ever get DirecTV. It is the biggest rip-off I have ever been through, and I came out better than a lot of people.

Upon contacting DirecTV, they told me I was breaking a 2-year contract with them. I had to keep their service for 24 months or pay a $250.00 penalty. I told them I never dealt with them, that I only dealt with Verizon through a bundling program. I never received an agreement with DirecTV and informed them of my past year of using the service that I ordered from Verizon. I asked why would I be charged a penalty through them after using the bundling for my 1year agreement? I was told that as soon as I had signed up with the Verizon agreement with DirecTV, I was for 24 months agreement. I tried to tell them I only dealt with Verizon and I knew nothing of any agreement with DirectTV. I asked how I could be committed for 24 months with them when Verizo's contract was for 1 year?

At no time did I receive any information about the first agreement. At no time was I informed of a cancellation fee nor did the serviceman who hooked up my TV bring this to my attention. If they had, I would not have gotten the TV hook up through them. I was not told about this two year commitment at any time during all my numerous calls to DirecTV nor did I sign anything, any paperwork, regarding a commitment when I ordered the bundle over the phone through Verizon for the triple bundle. I signed no papers. After more than ten phone calls (to Kim, Dillon, Bill, Yvette and Lucinda, one of them hung up on me, etc.). I was told to change my order to the family deal for $24.99 per month for the next 12 months ($300.00 plus), the lowest package available or be penalized $250.00.

In the beginning of November 2009, I called DirecTV and spoke to Lucinda who quoted me a penalty of $140.00 based on the time used and left. This was on November 11, 2009. I received a bill the next week for $213.00 and when I called today 11/28/09 and spoke to Summer, she quoted me a penalty of $230.00. What can I do? Verizon will not do anything and told me this is a problem with DirecTV, not them. I canceled because of your terrible service and complete disrespect of us as paying customers. The satellite signal is very undependable and the service will be out for hours/days at a time even in nice weather. Your product/service is terrible, extremely low in quality.

It is your company product's fault that I canceled, therefore, I expect that the amount will be removed from my bill by DirecTV. This company and its representatives misrepresented their product throughout my dealings through Verizon. DirecTV salespeople both male and female were consistently rude, patronizing and condescending. This service is disreputable. Customer service is rude, condescending and argumentative. I'm ready to go all the way to fight this, word of mouth is the best form of advertisement around. It will travel fast from person to person and my advice to consumers: Stay away from DirecTV, their product/service is terrible, extremely low in quality. I will also post a copy of this letter on the Rip Off Report and Squeaky Wheel websites.

Please remove this charge from my bill. It is the fair thing to do since there was no signed contract or individual contact with DirecTV. You should remove this amount of money from my bill and everyone else that your company has ripped off. Your company has had these bad reports at least as far back as 2002. There are 38 pages of dissatisfied, displeased, discontented, disappointed, unhappy, frustrated, fed up customers on Rip Off Reports only. I did not check other websites, this one was enough for me. I have contacted the BBB.

When I tried to contact DTV about these charges, I would get transferred into a maze of automated directories and then was left on hold for over an hour at a time while waiting for an agent to look into my complaints. Eventually, I was told that there were going to be fees if I wished to terminate any services they were providing. In July of 2008, I moved from southern California to upstate New York. When I called DTV to setup reinstall our satellite equipment, I was told that my old DVR would not work with the new equipment and that I would get a new one free of charge. I was not told that accepting the new DVR would be renewing my contract with DTV.

After installation was complete, I called to activate my service. Once again, I was told that if I signed up for the NFL Sunday Ticket Special Offer, 4 pay of $74.99, that I could receive all the premium channels for free. I was not told that this special offer renewed automatically. When I received my statement in November, I saw that I had been charged a premier partial month charge of $101.49 while also being charged for the NFL Sunday Ticket for $74.99. I immediately called DTV, canceled the NFL Sunday ticket, demanded a refund for the premier channels for $101.49, and canceled them. The December 2008 statement showed a credit for premier partial month credit of only -$90.99, not the $101.49 I was charged. I was also charged a premium service disconnect fee of $10 which I was never told about when signing up for NFL Sunday Ticket or when I called to cancel it.

In addition to the disconnect fee, I was also charged for HBO, Starz!, Showtime and Cinemax partial month fee of $37.27, total choice plus partial month for $47.66 and a second HBO, Starz!, Showtime and Cinemax monthly fee of $43 all on the same bill. I immediately contacted DTV again and tried to get this resolved. After almost 2 hours, I was finally given to a supervisor who eventually directed me to pay $211.01 while they sorted out the rest of the fees and that it would take time to remove them from my statement. My January 2009 statement showed a late fee of $5 because I had not paid the entire balance shown. It also had a HBO, Starz!, Showtime and Cinemax monthly fee of $43 which was supposed to be canceled months earlier and which I had paid a $10 fee for canceling. I contacted DTV and once again canceled the premium channels. I was told that I would be receiving a credit for the charges.

My February statement showed a credit NFL Sunday Ticket billing adjustment for $74.99. It also had another HBO, Starz!, Showtime and Cinemax monthly fee of $43. In March, DTV started charging me $44 for HBO, Starz!, Showtime and Cinemax which was still supposed to be canceled. I was continually charged $44 until I was finally able to disconnect the service in April. My May statement finally showed a HBO, Starz!, Showtime and Cinemax partial month credit of $39.60 and there were no additional charges other than the DirecTV DVR service monthly fee of $6 and HD access monthly fee of $10 which has been on every bill, but was unable to get out of unless I wanted to pay almost $500 in fines.

In July, I temporarily suspended my service because I was moving back to California and overpaid my account by $40.35 on purpose to help ensure that there would be no fees or other fines that could be forced on me. In December 2009, I called and had my service reinstated with just the Total Choice Plus monthly. I was also informed that we could receive Starz! and Showtime free for three months. I ordered a new remote which was covered under the DirecTV protection plan. A few weeks later, I received an email notifying my statement was available online for viewing. I saw I had been charged $15 for the remote control which is clearly covered under the protection plan. There was also a Starz and Showtime monthly fee of $24, a NFL Sunday Ticket 2009 Early Renewal in 6 payments for $44.99 and a Starz and Showtime partial month charge of $15.20. There was a Starz/Showtime for 3 months credit for $24, but no credit for the $15.20.

I contacted DTV and once again canceled the NFL Sunday Ticket and was told that I am supposed to receive a credit back for the remote control which is covered under the protection plan and the NFL Sunday Ticket which was never ordered and was repeatedly canceled months before. I was also told that I must pay the $15.20 for the partial month of Starz and Showtime and that I will receive a credit back for it at the end of the three-month promotion. When asked why I must pay for a free promotion, they were not able to give a reasonable answer and when asked if they were going to be paying me interest on my $15.20, they hung up on me.

It is obvious that DTV is effectively pulling a bait and switch and forcing customers to spend hours every month on the phone, helplessly on hold and being switched between different departments in an effort to confuse the customer and discourage them from trying to resolve these issues. They never inform the customer of the fees that are associated with the equipment they pay for but are only allowed to lease. They make your equipment obsolete and force you to take new equipment prior to your contract expiring and then renew your contract without your consent. There is never any mention of termination fees.

When customers call to order service in response to their advertising, they fail to disclose the material facts about commitment periods and cancellation fees. DTV's sales representatives tout the features of various packages, assure the customer of the value of the services, and sign the customer up for installation. They obtain the customer's credit card or other payment method, and process the order through defendants' internal computer system. Their sales script includes nothing about the terms of service and the significant penalties for failure to comply with them.

In addition to providing its receivers directly to customers, DTV also sells them through a number of national online retailers such as Costco and Best Buy. The cost of these receivers varies from approximately $99 to $199.99. See Bestbuy.com. The circumstances of the purchase are indistinguishable from any other online purchase. The customer is given a number of options for receiver equipment, a choice is made, a credit card number is entered, and no disclosures are made that would alert the customer to the fact that the transaction is anything other than a purchase. After purchasing the receiver, the customer must then contact DTV to install and activate it in order to receive programming. DTV requires the customer to sign up for one of their programming packages. After activating the DirecTV receiver, the customer discovers that the purchase of the receiver was not a purchase at all, according to DTV. Rather, DTV considers the purchase transaction a lease of the equipment.

After the receiver is activated, DTV starts charging a monthly lease fee of $5.99 or $9.99, depending on the type of receiver obtained. Additionally, if the customer decides to cancel his or her programming commitment before the expiration of the 24-month term of service, he or she is required to give the equipment back to DTV in order to avoid a significant early cancellation fee. Finally, at the end of the lease term, the customer must return the equipment in working condition, or he or she may be charged hundreds of dollars in penalties.

Customers, who do not purchase online, but rather at retailers' brick-and-mortar facilities, are sold their receivers in a manner indistinguishable from any other purchase. While the retailer may provide a sales receipt after the purchase has already been made that contains several disclosures regarding the so-called lease, the disclosures are not provided at a meaningful time, or in a comprehensible format. The customer is given a long and narrow cash register receipt covered with crowded print and multiple abbreviations. All the indicia of the purchase suggest that the equipment has been sold, rather than leased to the customer. In the context of these transactions, both online and in the brick-and-mortar context, DTV fails to adequately disclose the following:

That the customer is entering into a lease rather than purchasing receiver equipment; That in many instances the terms of the lease require a monthly payment for the equipment; That the customer must return the equipment; and that the customer will be assessed a significant penalty of up to $480 if he or she does not return the equipment in working condition to DTV at the end of the lease. The conduct described here in constitutes unfair and deceptive acts and practices in trade or commerce and unfair methods of competition in violation of California Law.

The terms of DTV's contracts with customers are so one-sided as to grossly favor DTV. The contracts limit the customer's rights and remedies and impose numerous, sometimes undisclosed fees, while at the same time maintaining DTV’s flexibility to alter any terms and conditions upon which they offer services. DTV includes provisions in their contracts which permit them to change any of their services as well as their prices, at any time, during the term of the contract; to charge the customer a fee to replace their own defective equipment; to unilaterally modify the contract to add fees or increase the current fees, with no opportunity for the customer to cancel; and to charge a deactivation fee if the customer cancels for any reason, including changed terms and conditions or poor service.

Numerous other provisions in DTV's contracts contribute to their one-sidedness in defendants' favor, including but not limited to those relating to administrative fees, binding arbitration, notification requirements, restrictions on class action lawsuits, and limitations on remedies. Accordingly, those contracts are substantively unconscionable. DTV's use of substantially unconscionable contracts constitutes unfair and deceptive practices and unfair methods of competition in violation of California Law.

I have continued despite my dissatisfaction to pay my bills and continue with DTV service because I am fearful of their ability to unlawfully impose fees and withdrawal money without my consent from my accounts. They also have the ability to impose fees and send me into collections and ruin my credit if I cancel service or try to partake in a class action lawsuit. Also, it is evident that DTV agents do not make notes in customer accounts when they feel that they could be seen as unfavorable towards DTV, therefore providing no record of your conversations with them. I wish to be contacted by anyone who has the money and/or power to stand up to this fee-loving behemoth.

When I first signed up with DTV, I was never informed that there was a 24-month contract or that any termination fees would be assessed if I were to quit my service. I was also not informed when I decided to suspend my service that this would lengthen my contract time by the amount of time I suspended my account and that would affect the amount of my early termination fees. All that was said when I decided to suspend my account was that it would not cost me anything. I was shocked that they just automatically withdrew money from my account without my permission. I had no warning from them that this would happen or for what amount(s) they would do it for. Why three separate transactions as well? This seems extremely punitive to me. Surely they must know that each time an account had insufficient funds, an overdraft fee is charged to to the account.

I heard that there is a class action lawsuit - a law firm. Can anyone provide me with some assistance to this matter? DirecTV claims that I can appeal these charges, however, in the way they have already handled my situation and the situations of countless other customers I am reading about on the internet, I can't see how they would be very sympathetic to my situation. Already I pleaded with them not to charge me because I can't even afford to continue their service and they heartlessly did it anyway. Please help. Unemployed and overcharged!

I asked for some time to think it over and she said it was a one-time offer that expired if I did not take it right then. I asked if maybe I could call back and ask another manager for the same deal and she said she would mark it down on my account notes that the offer was no longer valid. I said I did not sign a new contract, nor did I sign the work order the tech had. I sent him packing without the signed version! She said that since I allowed the tech into the house and he activated the box that it was all they needed to start a new contract. They did not even consider that the tech brought the box in, hooked it up, hung a new dish, activated the box and then said it was a downgraded version from the recordable one I had, only it was HD instead of standard-def.

Had I been told what was there when he arrived, I would have sent it away. DirecTV said there would be numerous charges associated with changing out that box with the one I wanted, so much for being a reliable, dedicated customer for the last 10 years. They give away the HD DVR to new customers anyway, along with better monthly rates. I guess it sucks to be loyal and not jump around company to company. So I just canceled the service anyway, and canceled the C.C. they have on file; have fun collection agency, you're not getting my money! No signature, no contract, no money. Hello Dish Network! I will have to fight collections for years to come, damaging my credit over a silly mistake they should own up to and should have corrected with no questions asked.

"Also, because DirecTV significantly discounts the price of equipment and installation, we ask customers to agree to a programming commitment of 12-24 months effective when they accept and activate service. I see that you activated equipment on 10/2/2009 and at that time you agreed to a 24-month programming agreement. Information on programming agreements were mailed to all customers in April of 2009; however, I apologize for the negative experience you received from the technician and customer service. At this time, the agreement is valid. You can visit our website at directv.com/agreements for more information on the programming agreements. Please also see section 10.D, which informs that no agent or sales person is authorized to change the conditions of the Agreement."

Does any of this qualify as breach of contract? If they tell you something on the phone that they are not obligated to honor in the first place? My dad is now paying $51.00 a month instead of $35. He is on a very tight fixed income and I will probably end up helping him pay for this, all because of their lying ways.

When I called DirecTV to complain, the woman I spoke with apologized and told me it was "a computer error and it should have never happened", and that the money would be back in my account within 2 days. The next person I spoke with apologized and said that was incorrect; it would take at least an additional 3 days. When that didn't happen, I was told it would take 6-8 weeks and that it would be quicker if I filed a claim with my bank. So I tried to file a claim with Chase but was told that DirecTV never refunds their claims.

So I called back DirecTV and told them what my bank said and this guy tells me that in my case, they definitely would not refund my bank because the charge was authorized. I said, "Now wait a minute, it was not authorized and every DirecTV employee I've spoken to before you has apologized for what happened and said that it was a mistake." This guy says, "No, you were late on your payments. In your contract it says that DirecTV can debit your account if you don't hold up your end of the bargain. Your promise to pay doesn't change that." If this were the case, why couldn't the first person I called have said to me “No, a promise to pay isn't going to stop cancellation”? Why does everyone I talk to tell me something different? It seems as though these people will tell you anything to get off the phone.

My husband started calling on a daily basis trying to get our money back after we returned the equipment. They said we would receive $288.00. Our bank also said that they would refund our overdraft fees once they saw the refund from DirecTV. So that's $500 right before Christmas that we were waiting for. My husband was told the best they could do was 7-10 days. After 10 days, we were told because of the holidays it would take another 2 days. Yesterday, he called to confirm that the money would be in our account today and a woman said, "Yes sir, I promise you that the money will be in your checking account tomorrow.” That brings us to today. He called and was told by another person that the refund takes 6-8 weeks and he doesn't know why anyone told him it would be any sooner. Why would all of these people lie?

So, now we wait the 6-8 weeks, which I'm kind of nervous about because I've read some other complaints and it sounds like it takes longer than that, and I'm wondering if my bank will still refund the overdraft fees if it takes that long. $500.00 may not sound like that much to some people but we live check to check. The whole episode put a huge damper on our Christmas.

Not three months later when I got my mail from my son, I have letters from DirecTV demanding payment for early termination, so that $400 went from being for the receivers that were not processed to early termination fees. No one could tell me how I have early termination fees when I had the service for 19 months. They showed I got the account established in 12/07 which is when I returned a receiver. This is their mess-up. They have since referred this to 2 different collection agencies that are driving my son and his wife crazy with letters and calls. They got his phone number because I used his address as my forwarding address and they will not stop. They have added this to my credit report 3 times and I have had it removed 3 times. I am not paying this and I will not ever use DirecTV again. They are crooks. I tried to explain all this to the collection agencies and they said it doesn't matter. I can't prove it and they get paid by collecting this debt and they will not stop until they collect. Well, they won't collect from me, not in this life. Do not use DirecTV.

The technician wanted me to reformat the entire DVR which would erase all my programming (hours and hours of content). I took down the instructions to reformat and told them that I would do it after we had watched and erased the programs we had. We did this within a day or so and followed the reformatting directions, which of course didn't work any better than it did for the other customers with the same problem. We called back and went through several representatives that knew nothing about our earlier calls as they kept having us describe our problem and going through the initial troubleshooting only to pass us on to the "proper" technician after each explanation. They then made us describe the process of going through the reformatting and made us do it again and told us there was nothing they could do.

We called, I know at least seven times through November and December until we tried to get them to just let us out of the contract. They threatened us that it would ruin our credit and that we could not get out of the contract. I have repeatedly asked them why we have to honor a contract that their company won't. I get a different answer each time explaining how it is all our fault. Finally, after we have decided not to deal with them anymore, they are sending a replacement DVR but refuse to send a technician without charging us. This was only under the threat of contacting Better Business (which I have done). And even then it took 2 phone calls over the period of an hour and a half with 4 or 5 representatives trying to get us to reformat again with all the troubleshooting stuff too.

We want out of the contract that they refuse to honor. Each supervisor that we speak to cherry picks the so called notes they take on our calls and tells us that we won't comply with their troubleshooting requests even though we have repeated their processes numerous times over and over with each phone call. They never seem to put that fact in their notes. After 8 or so calls, who wouldn't refuse to keep unplugging their system and hitting reset with no effort from the tech to send help? Now, they are using the fact that they are sending a new DVR as proof that they are holding up their end of the contract and won't let us out of it, after stalling for months while still charging us hundreds of dollars for their non-working service. Holding up their end would have been immediately sending a replacement.

We tried to just not pay until they sent a rep out to us but they keep threatening us with the contract. And now they are even using the fact that we were late on a payment as an excuse as to why it took so long for them to help, even though we decided on not paying well after our service stopped working. I really have no other recourse at this time besides waiting for them to try to collect payment for the breach of contract, because I will no longer send them any money for a service that won't work and I'm not going through anymore phone calls to listen to them blame us. Consequences: pretty much a simple case of me being out the money that the service costs for several months that it hasn't worked. And now being told that we have to keep paying until our contract is up.

On October 28th of 2009, I received an automated message on my cell phone indicating that cable TV from DirecTV had been ordered in my name. I was immediately alarmed because I had not recently ordered utility services of any kind. The automated message left an account number and 866 number to call back. I researched the number on the internet and found that many others had also received a similar message and indicated that it was fraudulent when they called back. I called the 866 number but it gave me another automated message indicating that I should call another number. I then decided to call DirecTV corporate based on the number I found in the white pages. When I called, they indicated that no such account for me existed.

I checked my credit report in December 09 as I was undergoing approval for a mortgage and the bank indicated that they wanted further information on the inquiry from DirecTV. Upon review and confirmation of the posting on my credit report, I immediately contacted Experian to report that fraud had occurred and they submitted a request for an investigation. The representative from Experian recommended that I also contact DirecTV to ensure that no such account existed under my name and alert them that some fraudulent activity had occurred.

I immediately did so (contacted DirecTV) and was transferred to the Fraud Department. I spoke to a representative by the name of Vincent who stated that he could not find an account under my SSN and that the error was on the credit bureau's side. I expressed my concern that at this point it was an inquiry and my fear is that it would escalate to a delinquent account. Moreover, I explained my situation with respect to obtaining a mortgage and the inquiry being questioned by the bank. He then stated that there was nothing else he could do for me and an issue of this nature should not prevent me from obtaining a mortgage. I requested to speak to his supervisor and Vincent was very uncooperative but after 5 minutes, he took my cellular number down and told me that he would have his supervisor, Jose, contact me within 24 hours as he was busy in the field investigating cases. It is not 18 days later and I have not heard from Jose.

Later in the day, I contacted DirecTV's Fraud department again with hopes that I would get a more knowledgeable representative. This representative's name was Rebecca. She searched my SSN and could not find an account but advised that she put a "block" on my SSN which she said meant that no account could be established in my name. If only Vincent would have done this?

This situation with DirecTV is not unusual. There are many other consumers and citizens who have experienced this from them. However, I believe that more steps should be taken to validate the identity of applicants and protect the identity of consumers.

On Dec. 10, ’09, I spoke with Denny (#**) about my bill being incorrect. He proceeds to read my bill to me 3 times and never listened to why I felt my bill was too much. My bill was $20.00 higher rather than being $5.00 less. I explained to him what the woman had told me about what I would receive for free and he proceeded to tell me that I could not get the Starz and Encore for a year and that she made a mistake or told me incorrectly. The promotion was for 3 months. I also explained that she told me that all DVR fees would be waived for a year. He said that the $6.00 monthly fee would be waived but there was a receiver charge that I would have to pay. I was never told about any receiver charges. The woman stated that it would only be the $6.00 fee after one year. He told me that I had to pay that. I told him I was not going to pay that because that is not what I was promised. He kept arguing with me and I finally got mad and told him that I did not want their service. If they would not honor what I was promised, they could cancel the service.

He came back and said he could get the Starz and Encore for 6 months but not for a year and he would waive the receiver fee. I told him to cancel the service and that this was not what I was told and I did not want the service. He put me on hold for around 10 minutes and finally came back on the phone and my service for the DVR was canceled. I had no reception with that box. I gave him my card for my old box and he had that reactivated. He also stated he was sending a recovery tag for the DVR box and I should receive that in a few days. Never once did he say they were charging me a cancellation fee. He should have explained that before he turned off my service.

On Dec. 15, 2009, I called DirecTV and canceled my service with them. I went to another company because they made me so angry. They tried to give me the same deal that Denny had tried to give me and I told them I did not want their service any more. I spoke with a Jerry (#**) and he stated then that I would be charged an early termination fee. He stated they were putting the charge on a credit card they had on file. He stated that I would receive an e-mail stating my account has been closed and a final bill would be sent also. I have never received any of this. I never gave them permission to keep any of my credit cards on file. I did ask what card he had on file and he gave me a different card number.

A few days later, I received a call from customer care asking why I canceled my service. I explained why and she said she took notes about the issues and gave the address for billing disputes. She stated that I would receive a bill in the mail and I could write to the billing dispute address with any issues that I had about the early termination fee.

As of today, I have never received any bills from DirecTV regarding a final balance. I mailed them a check for the 11 days of service that I used. On Dec. 22, 2009, they cashed my check and charged my checking account $465.56. I have never received a bill to dispute and never once was told that this checking account would be charged. When they told me they had a credit card on file, it was not the card to this account. I used my checking account to make the payment but never told them to keep this account on file. I received an overdraft notice from the bank was how I found out that they charged my account.

To date, no one has followed through with what they said. This is the worst business practice I have ever heard of. How can they charge consumer fees when they can’t uphold what they promised. They have their box back in perfect condition. It is not like I waited months before canceling the service. I realized it would be a pain in the neck to keep the service. I ran into the same thing with Qwest and had to fight with them every month for years about my bill not being correct and I did not want to go through this again. My checking account was overdrawn at Christmas and I do not know when and if I can get the money back. I am on unemployment so I live check to check and right now, I don't have enough money to pay my car payment.

If you need to speak with someone with authority to resolve a complaint, call 1-866-785-5536 or email at CustAdvocFollowup@directv.com.

Then I got a letter from Nationwide Credit, Inc. saying an unpaid debt of $36.97 has been turned in to their debt collection agency from DirecTV. So, I go back over my last DirecTV bills and realized I've paid a bill for $76.70 consisting of 8 Pay Per View movies I've never ordered, and 5 of those are the exact same movie. First of all, I never order movies. Second, they couldn't be accidentally ordered because my phone line is not connected to the TV. So I called this credit agency and explained all this to someone with a nasty attitude who keeps saying that I owe the money anyways. I gave him a few choice words and he hung up on me, and that's where I am now. I've paid for services I didn't receive, and now they're ruining my good credit.

So, then I ask to speak to a manager. I am disconnected during the transfer and have to call back. I then get a supervisor on the phone who tells me that because it shows that I lived and still live at this certain address, they cannot give service to anyone listed under it. Well, I said to her “I have had service with you all before, and I do not understand the problem. I was at a different address before and I had no problem getting service then.” She then informs that I was given service then because the account in question was not delinquent in anyway and that they saw no problem with giving service then. But now, since the person in question now owes money to them, it's a problem.

She then informs me that if I would like, I can pay the bill in question and then they would turn my service on at my residence. So, I then tell her that I do not think it is fair that I am being penalized for someone else’s mistake. I then asked to speak to the supervisor over her and was told that there was no need to speak with her because she would only tell me the same thing. So, when I continued to ask her about speaking to a supervisor she says to me that she can take my name and number and the head supervisor will call me in four hours. I asked her “What happens in four hours and how can an exact time frame be given on calling me back?” I was told she was busy helping others and that in four hours she would be available to call me.

Needless to say, she never called me back. I also called back the next day to find out the privacy policy because I could have been anybody and they gave out information on someone I may not really have known. I was told that they can give out information about someone as long as they do not give out the amount of the bill. Thanks for reading.

On the 10th day, I checked my account and the money had not been returned. To make matters worse, DirecTV debited my account $154. I quickly called them and they stated they had the right to debit my account based on my contract. I never knew I was under a contract! I asked them what was the charge for and was told it was an early termination fee. I explained to the CSR that I was never informed that there would be a fee involved nor was I aware they could go in and debit my bank account. I asked to speak with a supervisor. I was told the supervisor was on another call and had one call ahead of me. The CSR took my name and phone number and stated a supervisor would return my call in 10-15 minutes.

Needless to say that call never came. I called back again after 3 hours and was finally connected with what was supposed to be a supervisor. She was of no help. Also, when DirecTV debited my account, it caused me to incur $140 in overdraft fees and remember that credit that was to appear in my account in 3-5 days? Well now I've been told they will not be crediting my account because that was a valid charge. DirecTV is a sham! Beware! They need to be exposed. I'm thinking of contacting my local news organization. Their business practices are shoddy and they are outright liars! For account safety purposes, I am closing out my debit card and have ordered a new one. They will not get another dime of my money. I hate DirecTV or as I've newly coined them, Direct Ripoff!

Big Lie # 1: Since I was a previous customer, they started me up on my original sign up date from 8 years ago (making me owe about 2 1/2 weeks extra upon installation). Okay, you figure that out because I still haven't and they never told me this and I couldn't get out of it. I even thought the installer explained to me that the DVR/receiver he installed would work on my existing older HD TV. He told me to just bring the receiver that was at the living room TV (that I thought was the HD receiver), hook it up and call in to add the $10 per month HD TV charge.

Lie #2: I was not told that I was under any contractual obligation. When I did hear about this (it was too late) and I had a two-year financial obligation and would owe them close to $400 if I canceled before that time period was up.

Lie #3: Even though I told the sales person and the installer I wanted an HD receiver (and was told I was getting that), I did not. So when I plugged in my new $1000 HD TV and didn't have HD, I called DirecTV. They said, "Yes, you're right. You don't have an HD receiver. Now you have to pay us another $199 and we'll install it for you."

I feel so shammed by DirecTV. I've even contacted my local news stations. I will never use them again. I will only use a company who goes month to month billing even if it is Comcast. At least I know what Comcast will lie about. DirecTV has terrible customer service. Lying to your customers consistently and on purpose is despicable.

I voiced out my complaint, warned them months in advanced that I will return to Comcast and I am still being tormented by a $54 bill. Rule was if I contacted them by letter before contract date ended that I would be out of contract. I do not owe them. I also wrote that I wanted a return label to send their boxes back. I talked to India and was assured that I would not owe. I immediately got hooked up to Comcast. I feel that they lie to get customers. I do not owe them. I paid what I owed. I feel I paid too much.

Now I see that the State of Washington Attorney General has recognized their unfair sales practices and is going after them. It is about time! Last week, I called and spent over an hour on the phone trying to settle this. I was passed from one person to another. Each time, the person said that I would not need to repeat the circumstances as there would be notes already in place. However, each time I got a new person, they acted as though they had no idea what I was calling about. I eventually asked to speak with a manager or supervisor and was passed to another operator and never got to a supervisor. I subsequently called approximately a week later.

This time, I spoke with an individual who flat out said that he would not pass me to a supervisor. I explained my problem and he said that DirecTV would not credit me for the rebate so I asked for a supervisor and he asked me why. I told him that it's for the same reason we were talking right now. His answer was that they would not honor the price that I originally signed up for and he again would not send me to a supervisor. This went on for about six times, him asking me why I wanted to speak to a supervisor, me stating why and him denying me. It finally became obvious that the plan on DirecTV's part is to wear you down until you give up.

Obviously, I never received this mystery letter. Why would they send such a letter separately? This makes no sense. So now, they are saying that I owe a $220 cancellation fee. I have 4 receivers. They said that the receiver that was not working, I owned. They said that it was my responsibility to make sure that all of my receivers worked, but they did me a favor by swapping my old receiver out at zero cost. But if I did not return their receiver, they would charge me an additional $149.

I did not feel that this was fair since they could not provide the local programming and the service that I actually signed a contract for when I lived in the West Virginia location. We then went on to this waiver option which they could submit to allow me to receive some local channels after a 45-day waiting period. I actually waited the 45 days and had to call back only to find out that the waivers were not submitted to the FCC and I would have to wait another 45 days. Again, I went through the cancellation conversation and was not able to cancel due to the high cancellation fee, which again I did not feel was warranted since DirecTV could not provide what I originally purchased. This is only a brief summary of all the time I wasted with this company and I am still stuck with their limited service and 2-year contract that I do not want.

Installation was supposed to be free; it was not free. We paid extra money for the first months that were supposed to be credited to our account. However, since we were late on a bill, they reserved the right to not credit our bill. Now comes the best part of this whole scam. I have been forced to have the service for about a year now, even though I am unhappy with the service. At the beginning of this month, my satellite just started going in and out, and eventually it went completely out. When I contacted DirecTV, they informed me that I would have to pay $50 for a tech to come out and fix my satellite. I obviously refused to pay this, and they informed that I could sign up for a service plan that would cost me an extra $5.99 a month. This service plan also extends my contract for 1 year (hard to believe, I know). After hours of being treated in the rudest fashion that I could ever imagine from a customer service team, I decided to contact the CEO office only to be treated in the same rude fashion.

With the choice of paying the $50, paying the $5.99 a month or not paying and still be subject to the contract, I decided to pay the $5.99 a month. They sent a tech to my house to fix the satellite. When he got here, in informed me that our dish outside was missing brackets that hold it in place so it does not move and loses signal. On top of that, the person that installed the dish failed to rubber insulate the connections, and they were starting to rust. So, this means that I am going to pay this money because DirecTV did a bad job installing my satellite.

After I thought about it for a little while, I have decided that I refuse to be treated in this manner and I plan to do something about it! I should not be held responsible for DirecTV's shortcomings. I think this info is proof enough that it was in fact DirecTV's fault that my satellite quit working. Above that, I think the whole company is shady. The more I look online, the more I see my same complaints, and only hope that everyone will step forward as I plan to do, and do something about it!

Last week, I checked my billings and found it was still not there. I called DirecTV and talked to Ray (who couldn't help me), then to some lady (the next one up the chain, who also couldn't help me), and then to Supervisor Barry. Each said that to get the discount, I had to have applied for it at the point of sale, which I did, and each finally said they took my word for it. I pointed out that the invitation email actually came from them on 7/13 (I still have it) and that I signed up for service on 8/7. I said that I definitely gave them my friend's name and account number and recalled how the agent gave me back my friend's full name and then explained the $100 would come back to me in ten months of $10 discounts.

At that, they pulled up my initial application and said it wasn't entered in the work order, so that's why it wasn't paid. Okay, I said, "Now I am here, please fix it." They said I waited too long to complain. I pointed out that I complained on my first billing and that their agent stressed that not all the discounts come right away and allow 6-8 weeks for processing. So again, here I am. Still, they said I waited too long and if only I had complained two months ago.

In the end, I summarized and said there is no dispute that I did what I was supposed to do, their agent goofed up, and now they are breaking their promise because I waited too long to complain. Is that a fair summary? Barry said, "I cannot help you." Finally, I told Barry he needed to get into a different line of work because he obviously was not there to satisfy the customer. Then I noted that as a supervisor, he was a member of management and indeed, to me, was the company, and that weaseling out of your promise because I am a couple of months late to complain showed that he and his company were dishonest and with no integrity. Then he said, "Have a nice day" and hung up. Welcome to DirecTV's 100% Customer Satisfaction initiative.

In Oct. of 2009, I accidentally paid an extra payment and they agreed that they got it but they stated that the 2 payments covered only the month of October. When I paid the last payment in November for the last month of December, they were told that I did not want their services. This was explained to me that I must give 1 month in advance and did that with extra time. Now they have threatened my good credit and it was like talking to a wall. These people, even the supervisor, treated me like a school child. They were also informed that I would like to get involved in this class action suit because of their misleading practice of business. This practice is highly unfair to all consumers. Please, I would like to get involved before they ruin my good credit. Help me please!

I later enrolled and inquired about the offer but was told "Since you are unable to enroll in recurring payments (Auto Bill Pay program) by the time you've placed your order, your eligibility for the $100 Visa Prepaid Card Offer has been forfeited." The agent obviously didn't know what she was talking about and DirecTV has no intention of making this situation right. I will never recommend a company that doesn't do right by its customers. I'll end service as soon as the contract is up.

I worked on my house still moving in. A week later, I turned on my TV for the first time to watch the Super Bowl and there were no local channels. I called. They checked and told me not in my area. If I wanted to sign a waiver and pay almost $3.00 per channel per month in about 6 weeks, I could get them but, sorry, I was told wrong but there was nothing I could do. I could not cancel after 24 hrs. of install. I got over that and almost a year later, I had two more receivers installed at over $200. After they installed, I got a letter saying I renewed my contract for another 2 years. I was not told this. I called and 3 supervisors later, they told me sorry, I should have been told but nothing could be done (I have badge number of the last person if needed).

I went to their website and asked for a call back for the problem I was having in Oct. 2009. I'm still wanting for a call. I quit paying them and since had Dish installed with free local channels. I thought that would help them address me about these problems, or at least contact me. It's Dec.11, 2009, I'm still waiting. Thank you.

After 3 months, my bill unexpectedly jumped $36 because of the added HBO, Stars! and Showtime. I never watched any program on any of the above mentioned programming and called DirecTV regarding the additional charge. I was told that it would be taken off and that I would receive credit. When receiving this last bill, I noted that the credit was only $10.80 and not the full $36 as was expected. I contacted DirecTV this evening and spoke to Beckie and explained the above situation. I was put on hold as she was going to see what she could do. I was informed that they would not credit me the full $36 as it was pro-rated to the date that I called. I informed Beckie that I never watched any program on any of the 3 premium channels. I was informed that there was nothing else they could do.

I called them and they told me it was an error, but they can't correct it and I can't get my money back until they received the boxes. I finally received the box for my receivers on December 2, mailed them back on the 3rd and they received them on the 7th. I called them on the 9th and after talking to three different reps, I finally found someone who could confirm that they had gotten my receivers. The rep told me that I still won't be able to receive my money for a minimum of 30 days because they are busy.

I have been a customer of DirecTV for about six years or so and have never been late with a payment. I've wasted so much time and thought I was doing everything I could to avoid any problems. The reps at DirecTV, their fault or not, are not very helpful at all. I would not have a problem about waiting to get my money back if it was my fault, but doing what I thought was right and I still am getting penalized for it. I really don't have any suggestions about how to go about it the right way because I thought I did.

So I told the rep that doesn't seem right. Before I could go on, the rep said, "I'm going to transfer you to someone who can take care of this for you." After a considerable wait, another representative came on the line and we went through a lengthy process - essentially reviewing my account. This second rep agreed that I should not be charged an early termination fee and said he had entered all needed changes, but cautioned me that it would take a few weeks before these changes worked their way through their system! Well I did delay two weeks before terminating my service with DirecTV.

Lo and behold, I got a notice stating that I owed them $206.33 for early cancellation! I called up DirecTV, went through the entire process again and again, their representative decided I didn't owe any money. Yesterday I received yet another notice from DirecTV, dated December 1, 2009. This notice states, "Our records indicate we have sent you a final bill for $206.33. Please be aware you may be billed additional charges." So, I called again on December 8, 2009. The call started at roughly 4PM. They attempted to get my personal information for collections purposes. I refused to provide this information. "Hey man, either you give me this information or I'll send you to billing." Fine by me, send me to billing.

Andrea, "What is the problem?" I told her I terminated my account on Oct. 31 and was still being billed $206.33. I told her I was a long time DirecTV customer, over three years now (that I think it's about probably more like 10 years, but only three years at present location). Andrea had me read the entire December 1 letter over the phone. Then she said, "It looks like someone thinks you own on your account." Long pause. "You still there?" "What I'm seeing. It looks like you still have a commitment." Long discussion where I reviewed the entire history. I told her I would respond to the latest collection notice in writing. I told her that if they take any adverse action of any kind to include credit reports, watch out because I'm taking this to my attorney. "You will have to talk with my supervisor. I cannot do anything about this."

David, "How are you?" I went through the entire history again. "It shows here there was something that have been removed - that was November 13th and today. All I can do, because this is over my limit, I would have to send you to my supervisor. My ID number ** and will have to send you to my supervisor. It should definitely be taken care of in the next 72 hours, probably not even that long. That was October 29th, yes 29th (more muttering intelligible). OK just about finished. I want to make sure I have everything correct so this is removed for you. OK I have sent that in and it should be taken care of next 24 to 72 hours. There will be a credit on the account in the amount you were charged - $280.00 plus tax, $18 tax and $10 protection plan cancellation. You will be credited $101.87 after everything."

"Have you returned your receivers?" They are leased. I told him someone told me I owned them. Are they leased or do I own them? "I am showing you don't have to return them because that part was taken care of. You do own them. You can keep them, throw them away or sell them." I asked David if any credit reporting had occurred. He stated that this matter is not in collections and no report had been made. The conversation was terminated at 4:36.

I was expecting that my refund will be arriving soon, but they will start their 6-8 weeks today. If I did not call, they will not return my money. I spoke to the supervisor assigned to billing dept., account #**. He said sorry that he cannot not do anything to expedite my refund. For me this is ridiculous. I have to keep on calling them to get my money back.

Installation date was on 11/21/09 (Choice package, standard receiver, $29.95 a month after rebate for 14 months, $55.95 for the remainder of the 24-month contract, $100 gift card and all). On 11/22/09, I called Customer Service about blurry picture. On 11/24/09, installer returned and informed me that because the TV was 1080p that I would have to upgrade to HD (no one in Sales ever mentioned that).

I called Customer Service back and explained that if I had known this, I would have not ordered the service. It's a weekend house and we're trying to save money these days. Their reply was a free HD upgrade but a ten-dollar monthly access fee for the HD service would have to be billed. I then asked if I was in my rights to cancel with no early cancellation fees. She told me that I was and would only be billed for a partial month of service after the equipment was returned. I then proceeded to cancel and I thought everything was fine. Boy, was I wrong!

On 12/4/09, the Retention people called and threatened me with a $480 early cancellation fee. I explained my earlier conversation with Customer Service to no avail. I called my credit card company who was very helpful in contacting a manager in your customer service department. Between the three of us, we discussed different options that would resolve my problems: 1) blurry picture and 2) early cancellation fee. I asked how long it would take for the cancellation to actually happen and I was told about five business days.

I said I would talk to my wife and we would decide in the next day to cancel or not and, "get back to you." On 12/6/09, after talking to my wife, we decided to just stick with the service and plan we had and actually bring a regular definition TV to our weekend place ( it sounded like a plan to me). So I called up and tried to get the cancellation order lifted. I was told I would have to reactivate and that nice little package I originally signed up for would not be available. Instead I would have to order the Family package if I wanted to keep my payments at $29.95. So I ordered the Family package (what else could I do?).

Problem #3 was that there is no satellite radio in the Family package (at least none that I listen to). We were paying for satellite radio before, and we are using the money we used to pay them to offset the cost for DirecTV. That was one of the reasons we ordered the DirecTV. Is it possible for DirecTV to just get me back to my original plan and forgive the cancellation? That's it. That's what it would take to get this resolved.

I informed the bank of this promise and they told me to come back when I received the check and they will refund me the NSF fees. After a few weeks had passed, I called to check on the status of the check and I was informed that a request was not submitted. Chris was the representative who told me he was going to put in the request on 11-9-09. I called back today, 12-6-09, and spoke with Patricia who informed me I was going to be refunded $113.68. When I asked her about sending a letter to supply my bank with, she placed me on hold for 5 minutes then hung up. I called back and spoke with Vivian who explained that I will not receive a refund check because it's policy. I asked to speak to the manager.

The manager William informed me that it was nothing he could do, but give me Showtime for two months. I have been in a runaround and it could have been prevented if the associates were knowledgeable. Out of the four representatives I spoke to, only one had adequate knowledge. My bank account is well overdrawn and they are threatening to close it and report it on my credit reports.

On 11/14/2009, DirecTV came out for installation. At that time, I was told by the Service Tech that I should not have the dish put on my roof as if there was no reception due to ice, that I would have to wait for the ice to melt because they would not be able to get up to the dish. So a pole was installed for $75 and to run cable from the pole to my house was $2 a foot for an additional $45. The Service Tech also told me to order movies from the TV in my room (where I had DSL), that I would have to unplug the telephone line from my phone - plug it into the DirecTV box, order the movie, and then plug my telephone line back into the phone.

When I was not able to get Movies on Demand, I called the 800 number for DirecTV. I was told that since I did not have an HD TV or HD service for an additional $10 a month, that I could not receive Movies on Demand. I previously had Time Warner Cable service with Movies on Demand when I switched to DirecTV. This was one of the questions I had specifically asked the AT&T Rep. when I agreed to sign up for DirecTV, if I would be able to get Movies on Demand. And I was told yes. I was also told by the DirecTV Rep. that the Service Tech had told me wrong for ordering a movie, that I had to order the movie from my computer on the DirecTV website, not to be charged for ordering the movie in addition to the cost for the movie.

The Service Tech also told me to spray Pam on the dish so debris would not stick to the dish causing bad reception. I confirmed this information with DirecTV and was told me that spraying Pam on the dish is the worst thing you can do. And that the dishes have a coating on them so debris would not stick. I was told by the AT&T Rep. that my DirecTV service would be $39.99 per month for 12 months. This was for 3 boxes plus a DVR for free. And after 12 months, my service would be $60.99. This was a savings compared to my Time Warner cable service, but my first bill from DirecTV was for $71.31.

My DSL connection (with AT&T) did not work until I had DirecTV cancelled which AT&T provided me a credit for the time I did not have DSL service, but only after several phone calls to Tech Support and time spent trying to get service.

On the 3rd day of DirecTV service, I was fed up. I called and cancelled my service. I was told that I "may be" charged an early cancellation fee of $480 even though I explained to them all of the problems I had. I was referred to the Customer Agreement. I called DirecTV numerous times and corresponded via email numerous times regarding my concerns and the early cancellation fee. And not once time would anyone address my concerns but only to say the early termination fee was within the Customer Agreement. But it does not state in the Customer Agreement that DirecTV will make a direct debit for this fee using the account information that they had used for the set-up fee of $21.40.

I cancelled my service on 11/17/2009, and I was told that I would be sent packaging in order to return my receivers and remotes. On 11/23/2009, I still had not received the packaging and contacted DirecTV. I was told that the packaging had been sent out on 11/19/2009. I was concerned with this because if you do not send the equipment back within 7 days of receiving the packaging, you are charged $480. I received the packaging on 11/24/2009. I packed everything exactly as the equipment return program had stated and contacted FedEx the next day, 11/25/2009 (per the instructions), to have the package picked up.

When I looked at my Key Bank account that day, 11/25/2009, I saw a pending charge for $469.69 coming through (which caused my account to be overdrawn). I called Key because I did not know where that charge was from. Key stated that the debit was made using my PIN and the debit could not be reversed. I would have to dispute the debit but my debit card was cancelled. My account was overdrawn with other charges coming through, I had no money, no debit card and I would be charged a reoccurring debit charge until the debit was cleared up. I contacted DirecTV and was told that I had already been charged the equipment charge that I was not to be charged until 7 days after I had received the packaging. And there was nothing she could do about it.

When FedEx picked up the package, I sent DirecTV an email telling them this and gave them the tracking # and asked if the $469.69 would be put back in my account. I then received an email that they verified the package was en route with the tracking # but I had been charged the early cancellation fee using the bank information that I had given AT&T for my set-up fee of $21.40. This charge of $469.69 was not authorized by me. And the Customer Agreement says you will be charged an early cancellation fee but I assumed via an invoice, which after I received an invoice for this fee, I was going to file complaints with the Ohio Attorney General's office, the BBB and the PUCO because I felt I was within my right to cancel within 3 days over the issues I had incurred from the time I had the DirecTV service.

DirecTV did state today, 11/26/2009, via email that if I reactivated my service that I would be refunded the early termination fee. You have to be kidding! As of today, 11/26/2009, one overdraft charge had posted to my account. This fee was reversed after I called and explained the situation. She also told me that I had 2 more overdraft charges coming through. Both overdraft fees hit my account. Another one was reversed but the 2nd & 3rd fees were now $39 each.

I was contacted last night, 12/2/09, by someone from DirecTV who works in the office of the President that is located in Colorado. I basically got from the conversation that this must happen a lot by what I was told. I was told that if the bank goes in and reverses the debit, that I will be billed for the early termination fee. And once again, I was told if I sign back up with DirecTV that the early termination fee would be reversed, blackmail in disguise.

I am in the process of disputing the fee with my bank and I have a problem with DirecTV telling me they would bill me for the fee if it was reversed. I feel that I was told incorrect information when I signed up for the DirecTV service from AT&T, who I purchased the service from. I was not told that I needed either an HD TV or pay an additional $10 for any On Demand Services which I already had On Demand Services with Time Warner Cable before signing up with DirecTV. In addition to that, my DSL for internet did not work until I had cancelled the DirecTV service. And for my concerns regarding the pricing, I was told that I had to file for a rebate in order to receive the price I had been "told I would get". When I signed up for DirecTV through AT&T, I was not told anything about any rebates.

The DirecTV equipment was received via FedEx and I printed the confirmation of that and faxed this to the President of DirecTV. I am already in the process of disputing the unauthorized charge of $469.99 with my bank. I have filed complaints with the Ohio Attorney General's office, the BBB of of Colorado but this was sent to the BBB of California and the PUCO in which the PUCO does not have jurisdiction over Satellite TV and they told me to contact AT&T which I have and At&T only can sell the service but cannot help you with any of the charges. Somehow, that does not seem right either.

I do not know for a fact but it does not seem legal or right that DirecTV would be able to use my banking information obtained for the set-up fee from another company, which I had authorized and then use it to charge me their early cancellation fee. If so, then it seems like all companies could charge you for outstanding debts that you owe them, if they had your banking information from a debit card transaction? DirecTV has to be stopped from doing this.

I asked DirecTV (both over the phone and by registered mail) if they state this is a 2-year agreement to please provide a contract of some sort. All I've gotten was an agreement from March 2009. My service started in December 2007, and I honestly don't think there were 2-year agreements back then. I have written them several times to no avail. This last letter (like the other ones) states they have reviewed all charges and the $100 is valid.

I feel helpless against these thieves who have never provided me any service. They told me to send in a statement from my bank that proves the charges and that my name is not found on a DirecTV account. I have done so and then I called them back to confirm the fax, they said it was a “process”, they couldn't confirm anything. Someone has to stop them! Where do we go to make them liable for the shady contracts and unauthorized charges to consumers’ accounts? This has been a financial hardship on my family. I cannot touch my account and I really don't know when this situation will be resolved.

I called them and was told it was because of an early termination. I had to explain again what the situation was and the rep placed me on hold to speak to her supervisor. So she came back on and said it should have been a charge of $38 for the partial month. I asked when I can get credited and she said it would be 8-10 business days! I told her that was not acceptable and it caused my account to be overdrawn! She only offered me an apology and said that I would be refunded in 8-10 business days. I asked her what kind of proof do I have that it will happen. She said she can give me her operator number. I never authorized any charges. I was never told of any charges and I was never signed up for auto pay! Whatever you do, never ever tell anybody you like or love to use DirecTV!

I called thinking stuff happens, a glitch, no big deal. I'm told the charges are for movies we ordered and weren't billed for in, get this, 2000! Excuse me? I say, no, we didn't order these and this receiver number is not the equipment we have, though I can't tell you what the old receiver numbers were. (The ones we owned, having bought them in the $1,100 charge when we set up in November of 1995 and which were taken by the service rep in June though I wonder if he should have since they were not leased, but our property and what happened to them after they were taken anyway?)

The rep puts me on hold, comes back and says, since we are loyal customers (14 years, yes) she can credit one, but not the other. Wow, would they have charged me double if I was one of those Ben Franklin-headed newbies? I had stopped being amused by this time, pointing out to her that the statute of limitations on many crimes is 7 years and this is 9 1/2. Apparently, PPVs are right up there with murder and terrorism, whether you ordered or watched them or not! Who knew? I told her that was really not acceptable and I know I used the word ridiculous which was quite appropriate and told her I would take the matter further though I would pay the entire bill and they could do as they pleased (apparently they are crediting the $2.99).

Is it even legal to bill for something after this period of time? Especially considering they are in possession of the receiver they claim the order was placed on and legally, that receiver was my property, not theirs? In a search of my records, I find the number was for our previous "additional" receiver, the one on which, after about the 1st access card replacement, it was not possible to order a PPV for a reason no rep was ever able to explain -they'd say everything looked fine. I was told if the box wasn't connected to a phone line, nope it was, and left on 24/7, unless the power was out.

So now, I am positive we never ordered either of these PPVs and I am very angry even more so now that I have read some of the hideous things this company has been doing to people! I don't start wars, but if someone declares one on me, I will finish it. I will visit all the forums and blogs I can manage, and will also be writing to the Office of the Attorney General in Illinois and I think to my Congressional reps as well. It might be interesting to have a staffer google DirecTV billing problems and read some of these stories. 2010 is an election year after all; yell and you may get what you want. I see a family acquaintance, who is a lawyer, is also a wise woman. She says, "Never let anybody in your bank account". Amen.

In proportion to the rest of the stories, very little. Some points on my blood pressure, which I do resent as it's so unnecessary and the cost of the time it's going to take paying the little maggots back for their idiocy. At this point, the only monetary cost is 3 bucks, but nobody (not even lawyers) can put a price on time, because no amount of money buys anyone any more of the stuff. Therefore, the worst cost is loss of extremely valuable time.

After doing some research on consumer reporting and complaints, I have been made aware that DirecTV has been taking money from consumer's accounts unauthorized for early cancellation of contracts and equipment charges without contact. I was never aware that I was bound to any contract nor did I want to terminate my service. Furthermore, I have three satellite boxes that haven't worked for about 6 months. Repairmen came out several times, the boxes would work for about a day or two, then not work again.

When I found out money had been taken out of my account without my knowledge, I thought how could this be? I called my bank and was told to contact DirecTV first. After being hung up on by at least 2 service reps, I was outraged. After speaking to a third rep, I was offered a credit of $240 if I restored my service and $175 credit for equipment. I am still pursuing a credit back to my account, no to my future bill. I will be contacting the corporation to pursue my funds.

Two weeks went by, and no boxes. I called DirecTV again, looking for the boxes they were supposed to send so I could return my receivers. They looked and said they had been shipped to my old address from which I moved. I asked them, again, to ship them to my new address. I have called them back 16 times (documented) looking for the boxes. When I took my receivers to the local store, they told me I had to return them via the boxes to DirecTV (I thought this was bogus, because they didn't want to work any "harder" than they were).

It has been over a year, and I have received no boxes. I refused to pay the $400+ from DirecTV that they are attempting to collect from me through a Collections Agency. I have sent formal letters to DirecTV and the Collections Agency. Phone calls stopped for a few months and came back. This is ridiculous. All I want to do is return my receivers! Is that so hard? Geez.

I have been hassling with DirecTV since May. They point the finger to the subcontractor, and the subcontractor points the finger back. DirecTV has accepted responsibility for damage at least twice but then backs out of actual repairs. The most recent acceptance of responsibility was August 30, 2009. DirecTV turned it over to their insurance company, State Farm. The claims administrator for State Farm says that they are still checking to see if they are liable, and that if they pay, they will not pay for a new cabinet or tile. They do not pay for replacement. They only pay the present value by depreciating the value for the age of the cabinet.

The house is 40 years old but was remodeled about 15 years ago. We are not remodeling. We just want to be made whole. Severe damage has been done on second floor kitchen, exterior wooden balcony (including main support beam), first floor spa bathroom (with tile wall, floor to ceiling), and exterior wall. I have had to cancel social and family gatherings. We have had two stints of 3 weeks and 2 weeks of no kitchen use, so we had to eat out. The Holidays are here, and our complex is frontage to a parade that all residents host parties for, and my kitchen is unpresentable. What are my rights?

I am a single parent and was laid off from my job in May 09. I got behind and ended up with over $250 bill, and service was cancelled even though I was making some payments on the account and talking with the collections department all along about what was going on. They always said that was fine and noted when I could next pay and never said anything about the early cancellation fees which I had never been verbally told about when I signed up for the service or anytime prior to today. I agreed 2 weeks ago with a collections rep to take out one payment of $178 from my account after the 20th and I would make arrangements to pay the remaining $90 as soon as I could. (My unemployment checks are going to keep the electricity, water and gas on and feed our family, so there's not much left if any to pay $90 all at once. But I was told that was fine. As soon as I could get the rest paid off, my service will be reinstated. That was about 10 days ago when the rep told me that.)

On 11/23, DirecTV debited my account as agreed for the $178 payment which was fine. Then, a couple of days later, they debited my account without my being aware of it for $285. This caused me to go negative on my checking account which then triggered 4 bank fees totaling almost $120 and other fees for those non-sufficient funds for smaller purchases I had been making (not aware that the $285 + $120 was gone from my account). Last night, there was a debit from DirecTV for $36.20; and this morning, there was another debit from DirecTV for $30 and some odd change. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with a rude customer service rep who repeatedly told me there was nothing they can do, there was no supervisor available and they couldn't do anything anyway and all "escalations" would have to be in writing to their corporate PO box in Colorado. They could reinstate my service if I pay the remaining $123.52, which means I would have paid over $650 for a couple of months of basic service that I agreed to at a price of $34.99/month. I am also about to be charged another $400 for not returning the equipment by today, even though I had told the rep, who set up the $178 payment, that I would like service reinstated and she said no problem once I pay the additional $90 remaining.

This is appalling customer dis-service, and I did call the "customer service" toll-free number which just rings with no answer at all (It's 10am EST.), not even a phone menu. I've never had such insane "service." I asked today since they have already debited two times today for random $36 and $30 amounts. The rep said they try to take out whatever my bank will let them take out of my account to get the remaining $123.52 I owe. I asked when the next debit and how much it will be. She could not answer and said no one knows - it is automated. I asked who handles the automated debits, and she said no one - I have to write to corporate. She said they may try to take out the whole $123.52 today. I told her I don't have that in the account. (I would have it if the bank didn't charge $120 in NSF fees due to the DirecTV debit of $285.) Then she replied that they may take out whatever they can get until the $123.52 is paid off. The only way to stop it is for me to close my bank account! I asked her if she did not see why I was so upset with DirecTV, and she replied that she pays her bills on time, especially now that she works in collections. She kept reminding me that I did agree to all these charges that were in the fine print. (That's the fine print in the agreement that is sent after you agree to sign up for the $34.99 per month - no mention of the contract or early cancel fee, etc.)

I need to pay my water and electric bill today, and thanks to DirecTV, my money is gone. I've spent 2 hours this morning on this issue and will spread the word on this horrible scam. Please contact me about the lawsuit or if there is anything you can do to help me. Thank you.

I called DirecTV, and the agent stated that the account had been placed on hold because someone who lived here before had an outstanding bill. I asked the agent how that becomes my concern. I told him that I have not had service with DirecTV and did not owe a balance. He gave the dates of service during a time that I was not living in the state. I asked then why I was not informed of that online during set up or even afterward before having to find out when no one came to connect service. He apologized but had no answer. I asked what could be done, and the agent said that I needed to pay the balance even though it is not mine to pay. I told him that I would not be paying someone else's charges and asked for the $405.93 to be refunded, and he tells me that the funds are not refundable.

At first, I thought he was joking. As a realized he was serious, I asked to speak to a supervisor who tells me that monies cannot be refunded and that I would have to pay the outstanding balance or I would be out the $405.93 that I have already paid for services that I will not ever receive. I cannot begin to understand how a business can feel that it is legal to keep money not owed to them and be totally callous about the situation. Had I been informed upfront that there was an outstanding balance at the address owed by someone else and that it would need to be paid before I could receive service, I would never have attempted to set up service. If they have no intention on setting up service, how are they able to keep the money?

Fully 3 moths later, on November 19, DirecTV charged over $800 to my debit card without so much as a phone call or an email. I had no idea I had been charged until my wife went to use the card, only to have it decline. This was on 11/23/09, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving! I immediately called the bank expecting the worst and they informed me that DirecTV had charged several individual charges to my card: $175 + $45 + $46.01 +$135 + $440 = $841.01! I immediately got on the horn with DirecTV and that's when I found out about the 24-month contract I never signed. They informed me that they had also sent out a shipping box for me to return the equipment, which I never received. Apparently that's not their problem.

Hey, DirecTV, if you're going to have a policy that can potentially cost a customer $800+, make damn sure I know about it! This sneaking it into the fine print is BS! I spent over an hour on the phone with DirecTV and, after coming to the conclusion that I was not going to get the $440 back under any circumstances, I turned my service back on, with the understanding that all the monies would be refunded back to my card within 48 hours.

I am realist. It was 2 days before Thanksgiving and I didn't expect the credit to hit on Thursday (the end of the 48 hours), but I did expect it to hit today (Friday). When I called to check the balance on my card today, I was told there was no credit issued to my card.

I called DirecTV and they told me that the money was applied to my DirecTV account! I never agreed to that. I asked to speak to a manager and I got a real gem named Jose, who I could barely understand. He told me that if I wanted the money back on my card, it was going to take 30-60 days to process the request. I told him that wasn't what I was told or what I agreed to and that it was not a good enough answer for me, and that I wanted to speak to his supervisor. He then informed me that was their policy in this instance and that his supervisor does not talk to customers (in a customer service department, mind you). I said, "Fine Jose. If that is in fact your policy, could you could email me a copy of that policy so I could look it over for myself?" The phone went silent for a minute and then he told me that if I wanted to get something like that, I would have to call back and talk to someone else and then he proceeded to hang up on me, not smart!

I called back and spoke to a guy named Joseph who was very easy to deal with. He told me that was not their policy and that it was very easy to get my funds reapplied to my card. Now I don't know what to believe! He assured me he would handle the escalation personally (I'm not holding my breath). I am now waiting for someone in Finance to call me to discuss the matter further (fat chance I think).

My TV problems started on the previous Wednesday. To make a long sorry short, after being on the phone day after day for hours on end with each rep giving me false hope and different stories about when my problem would be taken care of, it's now Thanksgiving and my service is still not on. The last rep from DirecTV told me that they could get a tech out on Sat. between 12-4 and she made a "not so nice comment" to me. My children and I have not been able to watch TV period because this problem affects even my local channels. I have been renting movies everyday and I made DirecTV reps aware of this.

I have been very polite each time and some reps have been giving me their "oh well" attitude. I even emailed their customer service dept. Still, I sit with no response. They have been totally clueless in my case and the only thing that they were accurate about is that my bill has been paid and that I shouldn't be having this problem, something that I already know. I'm really just trying to get my story out. But if I would take you through the steps of my issue with my DirecTV service from the beginning, I would, no doubt, be on this computer explaining for hours.

So we ordered the network stations out of New York to be included in our package. We were told that the regional affiliates would have to approve our request to add the NY network stations. Within a week, we were receiving NBC with no problems. Now, nearly a month later, we called DirecTV today and were told that we were denied approval to receive the CBS channel. They could not, however, tell us why or who to contact to try and appeal the decision. We have friends in the same city who already receive CBS through DirecTV in this way, but the representative at DirecTV didn't seem to care.

When we asked about canceling our service because we were not going to be able to receive what was peddled to us as something we'd have no problem in getting, the representative informed us that we would have to pay over $400 in a termination fee. I am just sick about the fact that I'm stuck with a two-year contract with a company that is not delivering what it promised and refuses to help us try to resolve the issue. It would have been better for us if we had paid the extra money to get cable. I would never recommend DirecTV to anyone. It is a deceitful, manipulative company that doesn't care one bit about their customers.

Another issue I had was that my son, by accident, by grabbing the remote and pressing 2 buttons randomly spend $44.99. Until 8 months ago we had cable and this didn't happen once. What surprised me more than anything was his rudeness? His comment was to watch my kids, and when I told him if he watches his kids' every move, he said that if he didn't, someone else did. Someone vote this guy for dad of the year.

Please, please do not sign up with DirecTV. I guarantee you will regret it, from the boxes you have to have with each TV to the ugly dish to customer service and order cable.

For example, the channel says that a show will come on at 6pm but comes on at 9pm while other companies have it at the right time. Also with a little drizzle, the signal goes out for a long time on Sunday. I was watching TV when it cut off; just today, it came back on. Also, the man who installed the satellite just placed it where the old satellite was instead of looking for a strong signal. So if I hired them through internet, how can I make a verbal commitment to DirecTV? Also, they don't have a policy for cancelling the service within a time period. But they want me to pay all $480 to cancel my service with them. I agree to pay the fee but not all of it. $480 is too much especially with the economic crisis going on.

I then asked for a Supervisor and was told that I would have to wait at least 10 minutes. I said fine and was put on hold. I explained my situation to him, and he said it was an error on their part and that eventually it would be corrected. I told him this was a shoddy way to do business. All he could say was he was sorry for the inconvenience! This is why I will never pay with Auto Pay because companies like this will rip you off. Please let others know to check their DirecTV bill and go over it very carefully! I think this should be illegal and that they should deduct any amount they promised you off your bill immediately!

I have worked with their customer service to no avail as well as emailing and calling Mr. Larry Hunter, their CEO. They tell me that I should have clicked on that option and I am stuck with the contract. It seems that the company uses its expensive disconnect fee to keep its customers' business. My AT&T bundle was supposed to cost $75 a month with the TV, but at the end of 12 months, the TV price goes up(!) by itself, in addition to the AT&T fees. In addition, I was not able to register for the $26 rebate on their site and I must pay that for two months until it kicks in. That is not even what the bundle price said. It is almost like bait and switch. From looking at complaints on the internet, it seems typical of the company's practice.

The rebates do not go through, and they continue to charge you the fee they want because as they say, the rebates take 6 to 8 weeks if done online. If done through the mail, it will take 12 weeks or longer. So in the meantime, you are paying more than what you agreed to in the first place and they will not refund any money paid to them. I have dealt with customer service and have been told that's what I signed up for which in fact is a boldfaced lie. I was never informed of a 24-month contract in which I had to submit rebates to get the price I was quoted. I was never informed that the technician who installed the system would disconnect my DVD player and it would no longer be compatible with this system. I was never informed that you only have 24 hours to cancel before you have to pay a ridiculous $200 per box fee. All these conditions arrive after you sign up, not before.

The technician, who installed in my home, ruined my phone lines; and they had to be repaired by another company. He was not courteous nor helpful. I have called DirecTV on countless times, to be told there is nothing they can do and that I should contact Billing Disputes. Not only have I been lied to on countless occasions, but I was never told that to install in my home, they would have to drill holes all through my home depreciating the value of my home. If you decide to cancel, they will not remove the lines or the satellite. It is your responsibility from that point on.

How is it that a company can be so fraudulent and get away with it? If I tried this, I would be sued in a heartbeat. I never agreed to the terms they have, and yet, I'm being punished for it. I am being charged $87.22, and that's not what I agreed to. I was told I would only have to pay $34.99 a month, and yet, they say it's because of the rebates. Well, if my rebates don't go through, then what? I was told that was what I have to pay and that's what I should pay, rebates or not.

As a customer, I shouldn't have to go through the obstacle of filling out rebates which I was never told about to get the promised charge. What if I didn't have internet? I would have to wait 3 to 4 months for them to get the paperwork. I received my first bill, and I had only had service 4 days. I am being charged for a full month, and yet, I haven't even had the service that long. It's fraud, plain and simple. I will tell everyone and anyone not to do business with DirecTV.

I am on Social Security Disability and I won't get paid until 12/03. I have $15 for food and no other form of income. When I got DirecTV, I went through Qwest. The whole order was a disaster. The Qwest rep did not tell me it was a 24 month contract or that TV service was going to be a separate company. Then I was charged $19.95 shipping and handling for the equipment the installer used at my house. The installer was on his last installation and he was in a hurry to leave so when he handed me an invoice to sign, I thought it was to say he installed it. Then after he left, I turned it over and saw all the legal fine print which can also be found on DirecTV’s website. I was upset to find out I agreed to a 2 year contract as soon as services were installed. Wonder what would have happened if I refused to sign it? Would the installer repair the holes he put in my house? Would he pay for the new couplings to replace the ones he cut off my cables? Probably not.

I also paid a $200 deposit and I have never gotten a receipt from DirecTV or Qwest for that. I only have my bank statement. This was another deceptive act too. I authorized $200 exactly to the Qwest rep for the deposit I had to give to get the TV service. Two days later, I noticed my bank account was charged $221.69. I was going to make a deposit that day but the extra $21.69 caused my account to be overdrawn. I called my BofA card services and I could only dispute $21.69. That dispute is still ongoing.

When I questioned this rep about my $200 deposit, she told me it was DirecTV’s policy that deposits were nonrefundable. I read the lengthy legal documents that the customer rep could not understand. I got a call from Nicky, ID# ** and we went over the various options. I decided to sign back up for DirecTV on a cheaper plan. I did lose any rights to my deposit though and it will not be refunded. By signing back up, I have to pay for the remaining month of service (which I don't understand except maybe she put me in a disconnect status instead of cancel.

So all being said, DirecTV will put back $406 in my bank account in 15 to 30 days; one hell of a way to keep a customer. Well, I filed a dispute with Visa and I won't when the dispute but, I will be able to use the money until I get my credit and then pay Visa back with the refund I get from DirecTV and some of my own funds. It has been said there is more than one way to skin a cat. Well I say skunk instead of cat and DirecTV is the skunk. I hope the FTC takes them to the cleaners like they are the American public. I am letting everyone I know what they are doing.

I am on disability for a mental disability (bipolar) and even though I am on great medication, things like this stress me past what my meds can handle. I go into depressions and sleep for a couple of days at a time. Luckily, I have learned it is not the end of the world and when I get strong enough mentally, I’ll handle it as business like as possible. Poor customer reps take such a beating at times. Well, financially things will be great if I get the refund back before Visa charges back my account the $461, otherwise I will be another month back on my house payment.

We told the salesman that we would like to setup three TVs and we wanted two of the three to be DVR receivers. He told us that we could not get DVR units installed but could upgrade the basic units to DVR units later at no charge by taking advantage of rebates. We picked the package that we wanted and set the date for Sept. 1, 2007 to have an installer come out and switch us over. Everything went downhill from that point.

When the installer came out, he informed us that we, in fact, could have requested DVR units and he could have brought them out and installed them at that time. He then told us that we were going to have to pay to upgrade to DVR units and schedule someone to come out and set them up. When he tried to turn on our service, he discovered that we didn't have a package. He called DirecTV to set us up and get our package turned on but it was not going to be as cheap as we had been told.

So then my wife had to spend almost an hour on the phone with customer service trying to get what we thought we were switching from Dish Network to DirecTV for. In the end, we only got one of the DVR unit rebates and had to pay $99 to upgrade another unit to a DVR. We were told we were not eligible for the $75 rebate and our monthly bill ended up being higher than what we had been told by the DirecTV salesman. Then we had to schedule and meet another installer a week later to have two DVR units installed.

We were not pleased with the service. The user interface was sluggish and the DVR units were not as good as the Dish Network unit that we had. We decided to cancel and called only 83 days after DirecTV was installed. When we called to cancel, we were told that we might owe some money but it was unclear since we were canceling in less than 90 days. We asked why we would owe anything since our bills were up to date. The customer service rep told us we had a two-year agreement. We never signed or agreed to any contract in the store with the salesman or over the phone. The first time we heard about a 2-year contract was when we called to cancel our service. During the course of canceling our service with DirecTV, we have never been told the same story twice regarding cancellation fees. We were told everything from we wouldn't owe anything since we canceled in less than 90 days to we would owe over $450.

By providing insufficient information to us through DirecTV's inadequately trained sales force, we feel that their company did not act in good faith with us. Basically, we were convinced to switch from Dish Network to DirecTV under false pretenses. We honored our commitment by paying our monthly bills on time and paying whatever additional fees they requested when we switched services. We don't believe we owe DirecTV any additional money.

Then a couple of days later, I checked my checking account balance and I was overdrawn by $681.81. I called the bank to find out DirecTV took $579.77 out of my account on Oct. 22, 2009. I contacted DirecTV. They told me they took $220 for DVRs I never returned (I did return them) and $160 for early termination of contract and the 2 months I owed them (I understand the 2 months of charges). I asked to speak to a supervisor many times. They never would give me a supervisor. They said that they would refund me $220 for the DVRs. I called back on Monday, Nov.16 and talked to Reggie, badge **.

Here it is, Nov. 18, 2009. I have not seen any of my money. I was not informed that when they came out and set us back up that I was under a new 2-year contract. As a result, I have been working all month just to pay the bank back. The bank did refund me on some overdraft charges. It is theft and they are crooks and they should have to pay it back plus I feel they should have to pay my overdraft charges. Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

I emailed their customer service stating that I had purchased one from Best Buy and why were they billing me for one. I did not pay for the HD receiver but paid the rest of the bill. Then I received a past due stipulating that if I did not pay for the HD receiver, they were going to cut off the service. Then on September 28th, my service was cut off. I then advised them to cancel the service. Then I received another bill charging me for the HD receiver plus $400 for an early cancellation. I contacted them again and they advised that when they installed the satellite (new one) that I had started another contract. I was not told of this and was not aware of a new contract since I had been a customer since 2006. I feel since they had originally installed an incorrect satellite, that I could not recd HD and that this is their fault and not mine. They have now put me in a collection agency for non-pay.

I finally spoke to a CSR named Jen that listened and apologized for their mistake. She turned my service back on and they would credit my bank account the money they took out (minus the money I owed them) within 24-72 hours. 3 days later the money ($597.00) was not posted to my account. Called again. This time I was told it would take 8-11 business days for the refund to take place. To make a long story short, they took the money on Oct. 5 and I didn't get it back until Nov. 5. They claimed they deposited the money in the wrong person's account. I asked for a year of free service to make up for the problems they caused, and they counter-offered 3 months of a movie package, which I have not accepted. One full month missing $600.00 from my budget caused several (@ $300.00) overdraft fees to my bank account. My auto insurance had to be paid late. My vehicle payment had to be made late. The worst part is the stress it created with my marriage to my wife.

He proceeded to tell me again that if I wanted out, it was going to cost me $480 to cancel. I said, "What are you, nuts?" He said, "No, I am not." I told him that it's only been 5 days and I am not happy being lied to. So, I proceeded to ask about the grace period for canceling. He told me that it was 24 hours. I said, "Wait a minute, banks give 15 to 30 days grace period. Car dealers give 30 to 60 days if you're not happy and you're telling me people only have 24 hours. You can't tell if you're happy with the product in 24 hours or not."

A week later, a customer service agent called to find out why I was so unhappy and why I didn't like the product. I proceeded to explain to her why and she told that she would have a manager call me. I got no call from a manager, but I did get another call from a different customer service rep. She also asked what was wrong with the service and why was I so unhappy. I explained to her. She told me that the issue was being checked into and a manager would call me and resolve this problem. Here it is, 44 days later and still no calls from not one manager. I called again to complain and they told me that if I wanted to cancel, it would be $480 plus cancellation fee. I want out so bad, but I can't afford it and the service is so bad, it's unreal. You pay for the service to get the royal runaround. I was lied to so they could get another fish on the hook. I will keep calling them, calling and complaining to them.

When I cancelled their service because I could no longer afford the charges I received each month, and doing this only after calling the company on many occasions trying to work out a plan that I could afford all to no avail, they didn't advise that I was canceling early and there would be a cancellation fee. As a matter of fact they had little interest in talking to me at all. I paid the last $18.89 I owed them on July 13, 2009 after advising them I refused to pay a $140.00 early cancellation fee that I knew nothing about, that I'd never agreed to the fee, never signed a contract for their services, by the way I believe in Alabama if a contract is for more than 12 months a company has to have a signed contract for it to be legal, that I didn't feel I owed it to them.

The next statement I got said I owed them a $140.00 early cancellation plus a $5.50 late fee. I called their customer service department and I've never had such rude people speak down to me in a very bold and contemptible way. I told the quote unquote boss that I wasn't going to pay and he hung up on me. I began to get statements and threats of collection. Then I received a call from some company called The CBE Group that said they were going to collect for DirecTV. I told them I didn't think it was a legal debt and I wasn't going to pay and that I would seek legal counsel. When he asked me who my attorney was, I told him he'd find out soon enough and hung up.

Today, November 9, 2009, I get a letter from DirecTV saying the collection company was no longer collecting the account, I had sent registered letters to both DirecTV and The CBE Group stating I was seeking legal counsel. Now DirecTV is going to collect the money themselves or so the letter says. They asked for the $145.50 again and I put in a call to my counsel. He has been tied up with a trial and hasn't gotten around to notifying DirecTV that he represents me. He will be doing so shortly. If DirecTV turns me into the credit bureaus and damages my credit standing, I'm going to be very upset and I will request that a class action or tort action suit be brought against them.

They are arrogant, think they are above the law and can do whatever they desire but the law is for them as well as for us. I would appreciate any advice that would help me in my pursuit of justice not only for me but for every Alabama resident that has been taken by these immoral vultures.

Now, this action taken by DirecTV has left me in an extremely difficult financial situation due to the fact that the amount deducted has greatly overdrawn my checking account. Now my checking account is around $700.00 overdrawn with multiple inevitable NSF (overdrawn fees) on the horizon. Needless to say, I am in a dark place financially at the moment. The storm ahead does not look like it is going to calm anytime soon! I am not certain of the outcome on myself or others that this little complaint will effect, but here I am just venting!

I was very upset that they just went into my account causing it to be overdrawn and without billing me first. Needless to say, I called back to check on the status the following week and was informed that the rep I spoke to did not escalate the refund request. I was furious and was informed that it would be taken care of and given the same 2-4 week timeframe again. I also requested our $35 NSF fee be returned to us as well because our bank informed us to request it.

I called back today (11/7/09) and was informed by Kyle that they changed their escalation process last week and that it would take 6-8 weeks to refund our money to us. Then he told me that there was a credit on our account of $37.87, which is not the $86 credit that it should have been. Okay, by this time, I want to go to the local police and file a complaint that they stole money from my account. Then I was informed that they found that there was a couple of Pay Per View movies charged on the receivers but never billed to us. I disputed 3 of the 6 movies and was informed that since I cancelled and the account is closed, that he could not issue me a credit for those disputed movies.

I'm 98 hot at this time and requested to speak with a supervisor because the rep could not tell me why they took additional money out my account because the amounts for these 5 movies, 3 in which I disputed does not equal $86. The total was about $45 dollars, which is why I have a credit; which still means they took too much money out my account and not one of them could find out why the additional money was taken.

Ali, the supervisor, took over the call and could not explain why they took $37.87 too much out my account. He then issued me a fax number to request our $35 NSF fee be returned back to us. He started apologizing for the complete screw up and screws you as a customer. I told him that it's wise not to tell the customer that their money will be refunded ASAP because 6-8 weeks is not ASAP. I called back tonight and requested copies of all my bills from 11/07-1/08 and was informed that they have no way of sending it to me and that I have to mail in a request for copies. Ariel also informed me that they informed me of a lot of basically **. This came out of their reps mouth.

After reading majority of the complaints, DirecTV must be stopped from doing this. I don't have a problem paying what I owe but I do have a problem with them taking my money without my knowledge and also lying to me. It did not take them 6-8 weeks to take the money out my account. This theft and rape of our account left it overdrawn and we were only a few days from pay day. The time I've spent on the phone trying to find out what happened and then being lied to. And once I called them out on it, they give you the speech that the reps were wrong and informed me of a lot of things. This has caused me a lot of stress. Eighty-six dollars might not mean a lot to some people, but we're a family of 7 and that's a lot to us.

As a result of the holes, I have water damage underneath the cedar shake as well as insects that now enter into my son’s bedroom. I also have several holes throughout the bedrooms and my kitchen where the workmen snaked wires as if they were playing hit or miss. I have a broken garage window, cracked siding to the back of my house, not to mention they tracked mud and dog waste throughout. I had to immediately call in a carpet/floor cleaner to address that issue.

When I called to report all of the above, I was told to put it in writing, which I did on March 11, 2009, and to send pictures of the damage as well, which I did. It took about five months of constantly calling before they sent someone to my home to repair the damage. The person they sent to my home was the subcontractor who did the installation and who caused the damage. I told DirecTV that I did not feel comfortable allowing this man to do any more work in my home. Several months passed (after NUMEROUS phone calls) before they sent someone back to my house. They did not even have it on record that they had previously already been to my home to assess the damage. The same contractor showed. Again we told DirecTV this was unacceptable, especially after hearing how he intended on fixing the damage.

In the interim, we did call a private contractor who gave us an estimate and that estimate was sent to DirecTV. Long story short, we again called Direct demanding that they either fix the damage or pay us for the damage and would fix it or we would take them to court. They then had a contractor contact us the next day. An appointment was made for him to assess the damage. When we asked him if he was licensed and insured, he said no. As it turned out, this individual works for the original contractor who did the damage in the first place. Again, we called DirecTV and said enough was enough. They told us to get three estimates and to send them in. I am less than confident that DirecTV stand behind their word. At this juncture, I feel they are just blowing us off once again. With winter approaching, I fear what easily could have been repaired will turn into a major project and cost me even more.

The estimate: cedar shake to dog peaks cannot be repaired as the contractor states they cannot match old cedar. If one side is replaced, it must match the other side since the peaks are located on the front of the house and face the street, $3,000; garage window at $800; spackle, tape, sand and paint all holes at $750; and Carpetwood Floor cleaning at $600, for a total of $5,150

I had no clue that he was not DirecTV and someone had routed my call to someplace in California? The next week, we were set up. However, with no Internet and I had to call around for almost 2 hours, bounced between DirecTV, this satellite sales company and Verizon. They finally found us and did install. I had service for 2 days. Very unhappy; the service was terrible. Computer Internet kept shutting down. I called to cancel and was told that I would be charged for $400.00. I had the service less then a week. I agreed to pay the first month, but no cancellation fee. The service was terrible! I was then for another several hours bounced back and forth from company to company. I then had the satellite sales company and Direct TV on the same line and then they started arguing with who’s responsible. Direct TV as they had told me before stated that I needed to go through them directly. How am I as a consumer to know that something that states Direct TV’s official site is not them?

The satellite company then told me that DirecTV did not want them to expose their name. So: 1) I should have went directly to direct TV; 2) as a consumer you do not know that was not DirecTV as it stated DirecTV and does not state official dealer. I read the fine print and it said nothing. I just explained, service was terrible; I asked them to terminate over 20 times. I will pay the first month. However, with the total now of almost four and a half hours phone time back and forth, this is unacceptable and this needs to be cancelled with no penalty. They did not deliver what I was told I would get. They refused to waive the $400.00 cancellation fee (Which upfront I was not told $400.00 that I can remember).

I asked them to pull the recorded file. Stores are required to have items exchanged if you open a package and it is not what the box stated. We were sold a package that was not what I was told. How many others out there - try the service and then it is not what they were told and then they are stuck for 24 months or worse have to pay a penalty fee. Again service was less then 1 week. I explained when I had both on the phone it would be much easier to just work this out versus having to get an attorney and then them also have the fees on top at the end of the day, as this was clearly misrepresented. Again I was told they could not work with me. I asked them both “Is there anything else you can do here?” And I was told “None”.

I called DirecTV and was told that my card was debited because it was the last card used on an account. First of all, I did not sign any agreements with DirecTV, release and/or disclosure with your company. In fact, I never authorized DirecTV at any point to debit the amount of $361.51 from my account. At this point, I'm requesting DirecTV to refrain from any illegal transactions on my account. Furthermore, I request that DirecTV remove any holds or pending transactions from my account. Also, I'm holding DirecTV responsible for any overdrafts, negative transaction and returned instrument. I also sent them the information requested.

I request that DirecTV remove any holds to my account and terminate any access to my account except to return the funds stolen from my account. On October 31, 2009, I discovered that DirecTV fraudulently accessed my account in an attempt to debit/hold a charge of $361.35, a charge which I never authorized and dispute profusely. This is stealing!

DirecTV has stolen and gained unauthorized access to my bank account which they were never authorized to do under my permission. I am demanding that charges be removed and further access to my account by DirecTV be terminated. I also am requesting that DirecTV pay for any overdrafts, return transaction or negative activities causing additional payments to my account.

Sept. 14, 2009, I called to setup new service at our permanent residence in Milton, GA. This was not a reconnect but a new service. The employee who set up the package created all sorts of discounts and ultimately told me he will charge my AmEx card for 2 HD receivers as they were not covered under the package. My AmEx card was billed $198.00 on 9/14/09. Technician was scheduled to arrive Sept. 25, 2009 from 12 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. No one ever showed up. No phone call, nothing. I called DirecTV at 4:30 and canceled due to no show. I took off work for 4 hours for this installation schedule. That night, a note was left on our door stating technician arrived at 6:30 p.m. and for us to reschedule. We canceled since this is terrible service. Both of our residences had experiences of no technician ever showing up.

I called on Sept. 28 and spoke to Sam and was told to expect a $198.00 refund to my AmEx card in 6-8 weeks. So you have my money, and we have no product/service. This sounds like stealing. I emailed many times. Each email was worthless information, and the refund money did not match what was billed to my AmEx as well as what I was told when I canceled service. This concerned me, so I decided to call. I called on Oct. 23, 2009 and spent 96 minutes on the phone with 5 different people. Everyone kept sending me to someone else. The last person was Jocelyn from the equipment department. She said she figured out the problem and was refunding $198.00 back to my AmEx card (96 minutes of extreme frustration and confusion).

I emailed on 11/1/09 to ensure all refunds were correct. I received an email stating my refund would be for $90.28, not $198.00. How is this possible after a 96-minute conversation? DirecTV never stepped foot in my house, and we never took any possession of service or products, and this is how DirecTV treats potential customers. Quite amazing! I called on 11/2/09 at 3:45 pm EST and spoke to Emma who transferred me to Tanya. She told me she has put in a refund for $193.24, but this too will take 6-8 weeks. Again, this is stealing as you now have had my money for the past 8 weeks, whereas the original refund should be on my account as of two weeks ago. I am now forced to wait another 6-8 weeks. This will bring my refund at the end of December 2009. This will be 16 weeks of DirecTV having my money.

I contacted AMEX during this process to dispute this charge as well. So as of Nov. 2, 2009, I do not have my money returned and I have no confidence in DirecTV ever getting this process straight unless I keep on top of this. Is this the way a company should be running? You take my money and use my money for float since you will have this money for 16 weeks. You make me run around on the phone and via emails with little or no satisfaction? You should fire whoever is in the top position for Billing (as you truly do not belong in this job or any similar job). I will forward this email to the appropriate government agency and lodge a complaint. I am also placing this information on our neighborhood website to warn my other friends as well as contacting the Atlanta consumer advocate, Clark Howard (WSB-TV). You will hear from me until I receive my refund. If by the end of December I do not have my refund in hand, I will turn this information over to my attorney for further compensation.

It is my understanding that even a simple implied contract simply states both parties understand that when one party accepts something of value, that the other expects compensation. Well I never knew so they cannot even state this is implied. I live in Illinois and hope you can direct me to any class action suits against DirecTV that I can join. I will not pay these thieves. Please help.

Now after all these years, they are trying to charge me $800.00 unless I return these DVRs & HD/DVR since they are claiming, are leased not purchased. I have tried to resolve this with them and have told them as they have fully known, none of the boxes I have are leased and just all of a sudden after 7 yrs they want to tell me my boxes are leased? They’re out of their minds!

One Direct TV rep (lady) told me I was correct, all my boxes are owned by me. She transferred me to another rep who was supposed to credit this for me. He told me that as of March 2006, the new policy was that they no longer sell equip. All equip was leased and so my HD and DVR receivers were leased. After an hour of going rounds with them, another rep (lady) told me the same thing, only after Oct 2006, all receivers purchased anywhere are considered leased. They no longer sell their boxes. I told them I will not return any boxes that I own and I am going to cancel service with them and speak to an attorney that this was not correct and they cannot steal from people and get away with this type of practices. In the past years they had charged me for movies and additional boxes that I didn't order or boxes that weren't active. I can't handle anymore of their rudeness and refusal to make things right.

3. When you upgrade equipment you start the 24 month cycle over; there is no disclosure of this.

We decided to completely pardon DirecTV for the damages and continue with the service. I had to call three separate times to finish/ complete the installation process which was left undone within a matter of 30 days. All these three times, no one from the Little Rock Department called us back to set up the appointment time. At one time, our appointment time was set up but, nobody showed. Nevertheless, we excused them and decided to reset the appointment the fourth time for completing the installation process. During the fourth appointment time, we were the told by the representative that we would be charged. Moreover, she decided to give her rude opinions about how we should have known about certain wiring as if I were the electrician. To begin with, she had no clue what happened with us! We hung up the phone and called the DirecTV service department back again, and at this time we wanted to speak with someone in the management.

The management tried to apologize to us and checked that we were right, as all our equipment was still under warranty. She explained that the representative should not have told us that we would be charged in the first place and should not have offered her rude opinions without knowing the whole truth. By this time, we were completely unimpressed with the services we have received with DirecTV. To us, it seems like once the customers are weaseled and the contract is signed by DirecTV, they did not care about them. A contract is something that is agreed by both the parties. In this situation DirecTV did not keep their end of the bargain, i.e., providing customer service and completing the installation process which is their end of the bargain, which they did not keep.

A month later, I received a letter from their Billing dept. that they will only charge me for the services we had received which was only $67. Recently, I received a statement from the credit card that they have charged me $454. When I called DirecTV, I had to wait for an hour and a half to speak to the management who tried to read the contract and told me that the charge is legit. I replied that if the company does not keep their end of the bargain, then they were the ones who had broken the contract and not the customer. Right now, I am complaining to BBB regarding this matter.

Because things like this don't just go away, companies keep pushing the limits of advertisements. This wouldn't be as big of a deal if DirecTV was free, seeing as free services use banner-advertisements to make money. But our service is not free! It's almost $100 per month! So now, not only do I have to deal with banner ads on the Internet, but now I have to be harassed by them while watching the satellite TV that I pay for! These new advertising tactics are totally and completely unacceptable! What right does DirecTV have in taking money from companies, just so they can market their goods through the channel guide?! Since we have to pay for DirecTV's services, then we shouldn't also be forced to deal with advertisements!

If DirecTV is going to continue this, then they should lower the cost of all their subscribers service fees. It's not fair that DirecTV gets to make extra advertisement money, and we don't get anything in return but to be annoyed by seeing these ads! Or better yet, DirecTV can just get rid of the banner advertisements! No one likes banner ads, especially when those ads are part of a service that we have to pay for!

We scheduled an appointment and after waiting all day for them to show up, they called to say they needed to reschedule it for the following day. I told them we could not do it then as we were both on different shifts and no one would be able to be there that day. This went on for 3 more times of trying to schedule, them not showing up and wanting to come a different day. I told them if I couldn't get the local channels, I did not deserve to be charged for them. I was told if I downgraded, I would be charged a fee. I was also paying an insurance fee every month for them to fix any problems we might encounter. I told them they hadn't fixed the problem we had and I had paid all these months for them to do so, and I wanted a refund for it. They said they couldn't do that.

So I downgraded to the lowest thing possible for the end of the contract and told them to discontinue my service. I did receive a statement from them which had a $0.00 balance on it, only a few months after I terminated them. Now 2 years later, they are sending me a letter from a Riddle Wood law firm. The amount they say I owe is $60.68 plus attorney/collection cost of $69.00. If anything, DirecTV owes me more than that for 2 years of paying their $7.99 insurance fee every month when they never followed through on their part! Every time it would rain or snow, I got terrible reception and they never came to fix it. After terminating them, I went to Dish Net and have had no problems at all.

A couple of hours later, I was leaving on a trip and decided to check my account. And lo and behold, DirecTV had debited my checking account for $235. I immediately called DirecTV. I was on the phone for three hours and spoke with several people; I think six in all. I was advised that this was for the additional receivers, it was non-refundable and once it had been activated, I could not change them out. Then I was told I could change them out, but I would not get a refund.

To make a long story short, I was specifically told there would be no installation or equipment charges. I was misled by the sales rep., and treated rather rudely by the customer service reps. I am out $235, have no service and have been told that I am not entitled to a refund. And I can send a letter to the main office. This is, in my opinion, fraud! I did not authorize the deductions. I was told I had to have a credit card on file in order to open the account. I have filed my complaint with their main office. At the Channel 3 news on your side program, I sent letters to the editors in the local and state newspapers, filed a copy of complaint with the AZ Better Business Bureau and the County Attorney's office, along with my bank for fraud against DirecTV. I hope people read my complaint and don't sign up with DirecTV!

At 11:30 am on the 10-26, I called DirecTV and was told that someone had called my house at 11:35. I was at home, there was no call. This person also saw where there was an appointment for today. At 1:00 pm, I called back and was told that my appointment was for Tuesday all along. The computer showed nothing about Monday; however, this person advised that they would send a message to the local service company and I would receive a call in 30 minutes. At 2:35, I called DirecTV and the person had no notes of any of this and advised my appointment was on Tuesday, 10-27-09, and I should not expect anyone till tomorrow. There was no explanation. It is Tuesday only.

Not only am I going to miss 1 day but now I'm going to miss 2 days of work, and I'm not convinced that they will show tomorrow. My job is important to me. They are hard to find and my company has laid off over 1/2 of the work force due to the economy. Now I'm faced with asking for another day off or trying to find someone to stay at my house. Either way I'm going to lose. I'm very disappointed in DirecTV. I could not get to anyone who cared or was willing to try to understand my deal. Much less I felt like I had done something wrong, I feel someone should be held accountable for this.

At 4:15 pm, I called DirecTV since no technician had ever shown, nor had I received any more contact. Every time I called, including the time I spoke to a supervisor, all they could do was submit something called an FSR to the installer, requesting that they call me with an update. That's it!! Again, I called 3x, and had 3 different FSRs submitted without one singe call back! Finally, the last call in, I got someone who gave a damn. She couldn't do anymore than that, but she did offer me a $50 credit for my frustration.

Then, once she hung up with us, she had someone get a hold of the installation office in our area. She called back a little later and spoke to my husband, told him we could either reschedule and be the very first person on the schedule for tomorrow (Sunday), or keep waiting and probably have someone here by 7 pm. We chose to keep waiting since, 1) we were already here, 2) we have a busy day tomorrow (and Monday!), and 3) we didn't believe that we would actually be first, but be screwed over again instead. She totally understood and said she'd keep us for tonight.

At 6:45 pm the actual installer called us to say that he was about 20 minutes away, but that it's been a long day and it's too dark to work now. We nearly had a coronary. My husband talked him into giving us the installation office number and we called and spoke to a supervisor. She called us back a few minutes ago and assured that the installer would be here in 20 minutes or so. I'll believe it when I see it. Meanwhile, a $50 credit is no longer sufficient and I plan to call DirecTV tomorrow or Monday and demand way better compensation. This is the shoddiest customer service ever. Btw, we are located in West Los Angeles. So be prepared to be screwed by DirectTV.

So, essentially, they came and installed something that they never intended to provide. They refuse to provide a refund of the $300 I paid them because the service was "activated" and they do not provide refunds once that has happened, even though they turned it off an hour later. I cannot believe the scams this company runs and I am only one of the many people to complain for different scams this company has done. Someone has to put a stop to this.

Regardless, of the information I gave them, my name, address, her name, address, they could not help me, had no information via I.D., and they needed my debit card number to access the info. I provided this to the person and they told me in condensed version that when I allowed my child to use my debit card, this account became mine and that since she closed out the account and had not yet mailed back the Recorder Boxes, I am responsible.

Evidently, when attempting to charge her debit card, there was never enough money available to take out so they used mine. There was nothing they would do about it and told me to press charges against her with my bank. Meanwhile, my daughter requested shipment boxes to be able to return the recorders and still they refused to credit my account. I put forth a dispute with my bank. In Sept. they put an additional $140 charge against my account and 10 days later credited back. (I also disputed this with my bank) In early October, my daughter phoned to follow up on the status of the returned recorder boxes, they acknowledged they had them, and credited my account $385 explaining that they were keeping the erroneous $140 that they had previously charged and credited my account. I'd like my $140.00 that they, in my view, stole from me.

In May of 2009, I decided I needed a DVR instead of the usual box. I called DirecTV; they told me it would cost me about $99 or so for the box and about $6.50 or so every month. I was never told that just because I was switching to a DVR that it will renew my contract for another two years. If they had told me that, I would not have accepted the offer because they were already installing FiOS in my area. I just needed the DVR for a particular TV show that I needed to record at the time. I will never accept an additional two years for an equipment I was paying for.

They didn't even send me an e-mail like they did initially. At least if after they did not tell when I requested for DVR, if they had sent me an e-mail afterward I would have cancelled it. The only amount I owe them is $120.99 balance of service plus $20 early termination of the contract I know about. When I called them to send me a copy of the agreement of an extension of contract or a playback of my verbal agreement, they said they don't have any; that the initial agreement was enough. DirecTV now wants me to pay them an additional $360 early termination fee.

I spoke with DIRECTV as I was the person who referred June to them and I spoke with Belinda first, who told me there was nothing they could do, that she was tied into a 2-year contract. I asked for the supervisor and spoke with Mike who told me the same thing; they can not do anything about her account because she has a 2-year contract. I have had DIRECTV for about 15 years and this is the first time I have heard anything about 2 year contracts. According to Mike, the supervisor, they just recently started the contract program. This is the worst thing they could have done since the economy is so poor, people can barely afford to buy food. I am concerned that DIRECTV has tied in other people who are not aware of the 2-year contract since it was never their policy in the past. June is struggling and doesn't need to pay for something she doesn't use.