DirecTV review: directv sucks 820

Signed up for DirecTV at the San Diego County Fair under a 1 year promo contract, canceled service after 14 months. Now they are stating I had a 2 year contract and owe them early cancellation fees, even though I have in my possession a contract stating I was under a one year contract. They still will not acknowledge they are wrong and have sent my account into collection.

Never use DirecTV it will be a big mistake, stick with cable.

My complaint with Directv is described in the following letter I wrote to them recently.

To summarize their incompetence, here are the stats on my case:

• Number of phone conversations: 18
• Number of minutes on phone: ~780 (or 13 hours)
• Number of CSRs spoken to: 27
• Length ~1 month

Its long, but the detail from every call is there. By the end, you will easily understand why this was the worst customer service experience I have experienced.

I switched to DIRECTV in early October 2006 from Charter Communications (Cable) to enable my wife to watch her team’s NFL games on Sunday Ticket. I began my DIRECTV service with the 4-month Sunday Ticket promotion. I was told that at the end of the 4-month period I should choose a package to switch to. I chose to switch to Choice, and one month before the end of the 4-month period I called DIRECTV to schedule this change of package in advance. I was told by the CSR that this was possible, and he scheduled this change, which was to occur in early February 2007.

A couple of days after the scheduled change, I noticed I was still on the Premier package, and had been billed for that. I called DIRECTV, and asked why I had not been switched to Choice as scheduled. The CSR could not tell me why, however corrected the problem by switching me to the correct package.

I am an avid ice hockey and Atlanta Thrashers fan. The next evening I tuned in to watch the Atlanta Thrashers game on Sports South as I had done for the previous 4 months of the season on DIRECTV. To my surprise the game was blacked out. This seemed unusual considering no game had ever been blacked out before on Sports South for me. Coincidently, the same hockey game was being shown on two other channels as well, to which I was a subscriber; Center Ice and HDNET. I checked these channels, and as expected the game was blacked out there because it was showing on my local sports channel Sports South. But the game was being blacked out on Sports South also.

At this point I began, with DIRECTV, what was by far the worst customer service I have experienced. I have encountered various customer related problems throughout my time as a consumer, but nothing has come close to this experience in terms of length, frustration, cost, incompetence and time. I have also read many other problems customers have had with DIRECTV, and they do not compare, in terms of customer service.

I kept a written call log during the resolution of the issue. I am leaving the log unrevised, so please forgive the shorthand, rushed appearance.

Before I list the call log, I want to summarize the resolution of the problem in a set of statistics. These figures only relate to my contact with DIRECTV, and do not include time spent in contact with the NHL or Sports South.

• Number of phone conversations: 18
• Number of minutes on phone: ~780 (or 13 hours)
• Number of CSRs spoken to: 27

I would not normally write such a long letter, however I am including the call log here, as it inherently reveals my complaint with DIRECTV. The log of the experience is fairly long, but please read it fully. I cannot summarize the events without losing the full impact of what I went through.

I must also point out that the level of detail of the log increased as time went on. Obviously the longer the experience progressed, the more I wanted to preserve the details. Hence some employee IDs and names may be missing from some calls (sic), and the earlier call durations are estimated.

BEGINNING OF CALL LOG:

2/8/2007

• After changing to the Choice package (from Premier), the Thrashers game tonight blacks out. It is also blacked out on Center Ice and HDNet.
• I ring DIRECTV.
• Talked to 1st level support – no resolution.
• Was told that Thrashers games on 631 are subject to blackout.
• Transferred to supervisor.
• Talked to supervisor, no answer for what was happening.
• Supervisor admitted that I should be seeing the games.
• I was told DIRECTV had recently made a change to their Choice package (that week in fact) so that may be why it was being blacked out inadvertently (I believe it was formerly called Total Choice).
• I was put on Premier package for 24 hours so I wouldn’t miss a game (I did that night anyway while talking to DIRECTV). She said after the 24 hours, I would go back to Choice, and the problem should be solved by then.

Length of call: 2 hours

2/9/2007

• I noticed tonight, that the Atlanta Hawks game on Sports South got blacked out.
• Called DIRECTV.
• Talked to 1st level support, then a supervisor. I was told many times games are just blacked out for me and that I would have to accept it. I didn’t want to accept that answer without an explanation as to why I get blacked out for Atlanta Thrashers/Hawks games when I live 30 miles from greater Atlanta.
• Also asked why I have to be on Premier for games not to be blacked out.
• Transferred to a supervisor.
• CSR (name was Jason I think), finally admitted the problem and escalated problem to program manager.
• CSR said to expect a call back in 3 business days.

Length of call: 2 hours

2/10/2007 – 11:00pm

• The Thrashers game is again blacked out tonight.
• Called DIRECTV.
• Started off at 1st level support.
• Was told that DIRECTV is not in control of blackouts.
• I asked why Center Ice is blacking out the game, and SportsSouth at the same time. If Sports South is not my local channel (which it is) why isn’t it showing on Center Ice?
• Eventually transferred to supervisor.
• Greg
• Was given direct tech support line - [protected] prompt PIN - ****. Priority for 1 week.
• After initially not believing that I should be getting Thrashers games, Greg found that 631 is available with the Choice package, and available in all Georgia ZIP codes.
• Stated I should get all Thrashers (and Atlanta Hawks) games.
• Although he admitted the problem, he suggested I just upgrade to the Premier package to fix the problem.
• Proposed 6 month $20/month discount for premier.
• I stated that the customer should not be responsible for working around DIRECTV’s problems, especially when it involves paying more money.
• The CSR admitted there was a big problem as to why I was being blacked out.
• He was very apologetic, and said he was bypassing his supervisor, and sending an email direct to the program manager.
• I was to expect a call back within 2-3 business days.

Length of call: 1.5 hours

2/13/2007

• I retrospectively found out from DIRECTV that they called today and left a message.
• My phone was on all day.
• I received no missed calls and no voice mail messages.
• I received no other call attempts that week (Mon-Fri).

2/16/2007

• It is now the end of the week (5 business days since my last call) and I have not received a call from DIRECTV.

2/19/2007 – 2:05pm

• Calling DIRECTV again.
• CSR’s name is Prisha
• She said there were no Thrashers games scheduled on Sports South, despite it showing on atlantathrashers.com and on all TV guides.
• We spent about 15 mins discussing whether Atlanta Thrashers games are ever shown on SportsSouth. She refused to believe that they were, although I had been watching games on the channel all season, and Thrashers web site clearly shows all games scheduled to be broadcast on SportsSouth.
• Transferred to next level of support.
• While waiting the line gets disconnected.
• Called again, transferred to a manager.
• Her name is Betty.
• Betty was very patient, and began to walk me through exactly what package I wanted. It appeared that she wanted to switch me to my desired package, although there was no evidence the problem was fixed.
• I went along with it. At this stage we also decided that Plus HD was the optimal package for me.
• She changed my account to Plus HD.
• We discussed prices.
• She insisted I accept the Sports pack add-on to my package. She said that is the only way to get 631.
• I stated that is not true. All documentation points to 631 being a standard channel in Georgia with all packages (I also confirmed this with Sports South and had already confirmed this with several DIRECTV CSRs).
• She was very insistent that I take Sports pack. I go along with it for now.
• She offered a discount on the Sports package: $12 normally, but offering $10 discount for 6 months.
• She then decided to try leaving Sports pack off, so I could verify that Sports South was still viewable on my TV.
• She took off Sports pack after finding out 631 is still on with Plus HD and no Sports pack.
• Back to the problem, and she could not give me an explanation of the blackouts.
• I asked for the phone number for Sports South: 404-885-****. (Later called this number and it is incorrect.) Found out the real phone number off a Thrashers forum.
• I asked for the phone number for NHL Center Ice, but none was available. (Later found this online).

Length of call: 2 hours

2/20/2007 – 7:00pm

• Thrashers game blacked out on Center Ice and 631 again.
• Calling DIRECTV.
• First CSR was very unhelpful.
• Transferred to manager.
• Manager said I needed to talk to technical support.
• Transferred again to tech support.
• 1st level tech support couldn’t explain the blackout problem to me.
• Transferred to supervisor.
• So far, have been on hold for 30mins.
• Currently missing 3rd Thrashers game due to this problem.
• Then, the line was disconnected! I heard the phone pick up, people talking, then dial tone.
• Called tech support again..waiting..will I be on hold for another 30 mins?
• At this point, I am getting quite furious.
• 8:00pm
• CSR answers the phone…
• Name & ID: Tresca – Polite
• Explained problem, and I’m getting transferred again.
• Says I’m going on hold for 2-3 mins.
• Talking to male supervisor: Jerry
• Says his computer responding too slowly, moving to another computer.
• 8:13pm, on hold.
• Admits only channel showing current game is 631, so shouldn’t be blacked out.
• After a while, he tells me that I need a phone line attached to my receiver to get Sports South games.
• Says I will need phone line for every receiver in my house to watch Thrashers games (I have 3 receivers)
• This is the first time I have heard that I needed an active phone line to watch Atlanta Thrashers games.
• I partly accepted his explanation, because it was the first time someone confidently told me what the problem was. However, it still did not explain why I could see games when I was on Premier.
• I asked to be transferred to someone suitable to lodge a complaint about the phone line limitation.
• Given customer retention line: [protected] “direct line” (later found out its not direct without a PIN)
• Transferred, and speaking to Derrick
• Says phone line not issue and the previous guy I just talked to was wrong!
• Says Sports South is part of my RSN.
• Says I SHOULD be getting all Thrashers games.
• 9:09pm – still working with Derrick.
• He is trying to fix the problem.
• I’m missing another Thrashers game while he does because they can only test the problem while Thrashers are playing.
• Says specific programming has not been added to packages below Premier.
• 9:16pm
• Is forwarding a form to his supervisor, who then has to submit to Programming Manager.
• Again I am to expect a call in 2-3 business days. However, I request a call tomorrow, as I have already been waiting a long time for this call.
• Is giving me total of $50 off premier for this month. (down to $49)
• Requesting PIN: ****
• Call ended 9:25pm

Length of call: 2.5 hours

2/21/07 – 12:40pm

• Called Richelle with Sports South on 404-230-****.
• Says Thrashers games shouldn’t be blacked out in ANY part of Georgia.
• States that its wrong that DIRECTV is doing this.
• Will refer to her boss, who is returning this Monday.
• I requested he call me.

2/21/07 – 4:30pm

• Calling DIRECTV.
• Dora answered
• I state I am calling because I haven’t received a call back from DIRECTV today like I was promised.
• 1st level CSR says she can’t do anything about it.
• Transferring to supervisor.
• On hold for 10mins.
• Connected to supervisor: Jesenia (or Yesenia?)
• After I explained the situation, she told me Thrashers games were subject to blackout in my area!
• I told her I didn’t want to discuss the problem, I wanted a call back as promised.
• I told her what DIRECTV is doing is not right, and asked why I hadn’t received a phone call.
• Now on hold again to check status of my issue.
• 5 mins on hold
• When she returned to the phone, the first thing she said was “Thrashers games are subject to blackout”.
• By this time I’m irate. She has apparent disregard for everything I have been through to this point.
• I explained the problem again…
• I told her the games get blacked out on all packages but Premier. Why not premier?
• This got her thinking.
• 5:06pm
• She’s investigating, so I’m on hold again!
• Told me she is going to ping her higher ups again, and request that this issue is resolved.
• She left me her voice mail number in case I want to call back and get a status. [protected]
• 5:20pm call ended.

Length of call: 50 mins

2/21/07 – 5:45pm

• Received a call from Aracely
• (Incoming phone number ID – 956 784 ****)
• She states she was referred to this problem by Yesenia, and she has investigated and found that I am being blacked out of these games, end of story!
• In disbelief, I tell her the same things I have told the 15+ DIRECTV employees I have already talked to.
• I tell her that I called Sports South, and they are in agreement that it’s a DIRECTV problem.
• I ask her for a reason why there are black outs for me – she didn’t give me one, and seemed to imply that black outs are an “unknown and unexplainable entity”.
• I ask her why I have to be on Premier to get games – no reason given.
• She says also that I should be able to get the game on Center Ice! (that of course is blacked out too).
• She says she is going to call me back shortly, after doing some more investigation.
• Call ended 5:55pm

Length of call: 10 mins

2/21/07 – 6:10pm

• Received a call from Aracely
• She said she talked to some people, and someone from the dept is going to call me back tonight.
• However, she stated that “there is nothing DIRECTV can do about black outs. It is totally out of our control”.
• I asked her to explain then why there are different rules for black outs on different DIRECTV packages – no answer.
• She said I need to get NHL Center Ice to watch all the games.
• I told her I already have it, and Thrashers games are always blacked out on Center Ice because I get SportsSouth which is my local sports channel!
• She told me to expect a call tonight from someone. She said she doesn’t know when or who would be calling me.

Length of call: 5mins

All today:

• Posted to DIRECTV forum
• Emailed Atlanta Thrashers
• Phoned Sports South

2/22/07 – 10:30am

• I sent an email to DIRECTV online comments and suggestions form.
• I stated in this email, that the avenues I have pursued so far are getting me nowhere, and I would like to pursue other options outside of the call center.

2/22/07 – 4:30pm

• Called Jesenia’s voice mail, and left a message.

2/22/07 – 4:32pm

• Calling express line to ask for status.
• The hold music is a song that has the lyrics: “Call on me, and I’ll be there for you and you’ll be there for me… I’ll be whatever you want me to be…” (I do have a sense of humor, and this lightened my mood)
• As I’m on hold, I get a call on my cell phone from DIRECTV!

2/2207 – 4:34pm

• Receiving call from Amanda relating to my email to DIRECTV.com
• At first, she asked what the problem was, and then began to investigate.
• I told her more than 15 people have done exactly what she is about to do, and I’d rather have the Program Manager call me like they were supposed to. It is now 12 days since my initial report, and I have not had a call back.
• We switch topics, and she asks if I want an address to write my complaint to.
• I get the addresses of the Office of the President and Customer Service.
• She told me she will talk to her manager and call me back within 1.5 hours.

Length of call: 10mins

2/22/07 – 4:50pm

• Receiving call from Amanda.
• She talked to her manager, and he has heard of several other people with similar problems, caused by the new DIRECTV packages. She said the new packages (everything other than Premier) had not been configured correctly, and therefore I was incorrectly being blacked out of games.
• This is the first acknowledgement I’ve had, and the first time I’ve heard that other people are having issues also. I had also spent time researching on the Internet for other people with the same problem.
• She says that receivers aren’t getting the correct information from DIRECTV for these new packages.
• She said she will call back tomorrow or Monday when she has a resolution for the problem.

Length of call: 5 mins

2/23/07

• Received replies from an email I sent to Atlanta Thrashers. My request was also sent to Center Ice for investigation.
• A representative for NHL Center Ice states that she will get in touch with her DIRECTV contact.

2/23/07 – 4:55pm

• Receiving call from Amanda
• Her manager still looking into the problem.
• No resolution yet, she just wanted to keep in contact.
• She said she would call again Monday.

Length of call: 2 mins

3/2/07

• Have not received any calls this week, despite being promised a call on Monday 5 days ago.
• I wrote another email to DIRECTV.com as the resolution of the problem has again stalled.

3/4/07 - 1:10am

• Called DIRECTV
• Asked why I haven’t got a call back for 4 weeks (the only person who called me back was from the web complaints team). No reason given.
• CSR stated he could create a new escalation request.
• I stated that I had been through this many times, and I am trying to find a way to get this problem resolved. I have continually hit a brick wall after supervisors escalate the problem.
• He said the next step would be to write to the President.

Length of call: 15mins

3/5/07 - 4:50pm

• Received call from Megan @ DIRECTV in place of Amanda.
• She said the problem should now be resolved.
She said the problem was caused by a glitch at DIRECTV that was not registering my zip code as a Georgia zip code. Because of this my games were blacked out.
• I stated that I would only like to switch to the correct package (Plus HD) during a game to be sure that the problem is fixed as this is the only way of proving its fixed.
• She is scheduling a call for tomorrow night at 7pm during the Thrashers game.

Length of call: 10 mins

3/6/07

Received this email reply from DIRECTV.com:

Subject Expected calls not received Discussion Thread Response (Aaron) 03/06/2007 10:29 AM Dear Mr. *******,

Thank you for writing. I'm sorry to hear that you have had an ongoing problem with your DIRECTV service. Upon reviewing your account, I found that you have spoken with our representatives several times regarding the blackout of an NHL game on the NHL CENTER ICE package. As the provider of the most comprehensive sports programming lineup in the digital home entertainment industry, it's challenging to describe the blackout rules for many different locations and sports briefly. Please visit our web site at DIRECTV.com/blackouts for our general blackout FAQ, and click on the specific sports package you're interested in for more detailed information.

We realize blackouts can be confusing and disappointing to our customers. However, to honor our agreements with the leagues and other owners of broadcast rights, we must pay close attention to the restrictions that we are required to follow.

Thanks again for writing and stay tuned to DIRECTV.com for the latest news and information about our service.

Sincerely,

Aaron ID *********
DIRECTV Customer Service

[There is probably not a more condescending and insulting email I could have received at this point in time. In my initial email, I had stated that DIRECTV has acknowledged the error on their part. I gave Aaron all the information on my case, and he still refused to acknowledge the facts I had given him. He even misstated my problem as being with Center Ice, not Sports South.

I can’t help but feeling that when any issue relating to black outs arises, DIRECTV employees feel that due to the complexity of the system, they can always give the customer a template answer such as the one above. This was certainly my experience throughout the past month. It is extremely frustrating to talk to so many CSRs who, for the most part, have been trained to assume no fault on DIRECTV’s part, and to supply the customer with the most “appropriate” textbook answer to the problem. When there is a real problem, how does the customer get anywhere?]

3/6/07 – 7:15pm

• Call received from Megan
• We are about to test switching to Plus HD while a Thrashers game is on.
• Thrashers game is not blacked out, so the problem is fixed!
• I received a discount for this month’s DIRECTV service.
• HBO, Showtime discounts for 6 & 3 months respectively.

Length of call: 35 mins

3/7/07 – 5:20pm

• DIRECTV called to try and resolve my problem (relating to an email I sent).
• Before I could explain to him the situation, he stated that because I don’t have a phone line in my receiver, it could be causing the problem!
• I let him know that the problem was fixed now, and the reason why (DIRECTV ZIP code glitch).
• He seemed unfazed by this, and continued to assert that I could have blackout problems without having a phone line attached to the receiver.

Length of call: 5 mins

3/10/07

• Today I went to record a program on the DVR, and the receiver said “DVR is not activated on this account”
• Rang DIRECTV to fix – the DVR wasn’t added to my account after the last change on 3/6/07.

Length of call: 20mins

END OF CALL LOG

Please refer back to the first call I made on 2/8/07. The CSR had stated the possibility that the new packages were incorrectly causing black outs. This turned out to be the problem, although of course we couldn’t have known for sure straight away. However, the resolution certainly did not progress well from this point.

I never did receive a call from the people that the problem was escalated to at the call center (the program managers?). This is despite being promised a call back several times. The only calls I received were in response to my DIRECTV.com email.

In the early calls, several CSRs disputed the fact that Sports South is part of all packages in my state (Georgia). This is despite the evidence I had directly from the DIRECTV web site – the DIRECTV channel line up. I believe that this was caused by their systems not being up-to-date with the new packages.

Every time I called up and spoke to a new CSR, they wanted to know the full story (which I can understand). However, after I told them the story, they disputed facts that I had spent hours establishing with other CSRs (such as Sports South being a local channel for me and the fact that I was not in a black out area for Atlanta Thrashers games). In this case, I can generalize as it happened nearly every time. As a result, I wasted around an hour each call convincing the CSR of all the facts of my case. Most of the CSRs that disputed my statements, were not willing to believe anything I said, and amazingly, anything their own colleagues had already told me. Remember, I recorded most of the CSR’s employee numbers. I was able to quote the DIRECTV employees directly with reference, and yet that was not enough to move on past established facts.

Much of the time spent on the phone was on hold waiting in the queue to be answered. My wait times varied between 5 and 40 minutes, and averaged around 20 minutes.

May I also suggest that copies of this letter are sent to the individual employees that I dealt with. Each of my conversations with a DIRECTV employee was isolated. They usually did not know what I had been through before a call, nor that my statements were truly based on all the events up until that point in time. I believe that if they are able to read of my entire experience it may help them with future situations with other customers. I was often made to feel that my statements were fallacious, and that any investigation I had done on my own was either not helpful to resolving the situation, or wrong.

I apologize for the length, but look forward to receiving your response to this letter.

Sincerely,

I have been a DirecTV customer since about two years after they started the company and had always been very satisfied with their service until now. I signed up for HD service and received an HD receiver. Number one, HDMI does not work on receiver; #2 receiver goes out at least once a month and takes me over an hour to get working again. When I called DTV, they offered to send me new receiver (mind you, I paid $200 for the receiver), when I received replacement receiver it was refurbished. Their customer service lies to you - oh and by the way, I was never told I had to have 2 year contract when I signed up for HD, and I never signed any contract for the HD that I remember .. now they want to charge me a $240 cancellation fee.

I am done - I have changed to DISH Network

DirecTv did the same thing to me as to the two reviews I see above. I fulfilled my contractual obligation. When I was on a month to month basis my leased DVR failed, they shipped me a refurb, picked up the old one, then later claimed that I had agreed to a new two year contract. I talked with 3 DirecTv employees and wrote a letter. Then I had my attorney send a letter. They still don't get it. Now I've filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General. MY ATTORNEY SAYS SHE HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS COMPLAINING OF THIS SAME PHANTOM CONTRACT ISSUE. DirecTv claims they told me about it. I'm very anxious to hear the recording. They are welcome to bring it along to small claims court. WHERE ARE THE CLASS ACTION ATTORNEYS WHEN WE NEED THEM? C'MON GUYS!

I had the same thing happen to me. I had a faulty HD receiver that I purchased over a year ago. I called and they were as nice as could be and told me they'd send a new receiver since they've had problems with this model. I received it, set it up and called to activate. All was well, until I called for another reason and was annoyed so I mentioned that I would just cancel since my contract was up Jan 2008. That's when you told me it was extended until Mar 2009 because I received a new HD receiver. I was livid, this was the first I heard of this. I spoke to about 10 people and nothing can be done. I put in a complaint with the BBB and was basically told too bad. They said I received a confirmation letter that stated there was a new 2 year contract. Well, I have the letter and it doesn't state it anywhere. I told them to send the faulty receiver back and take this one and I'll wait until my original contract was up and again no. I'm going to cancel and fight the fee. We'll see what happens. Class action? I'm in.

My free satellite receiver (H20) burned up and smoke was billowing from the unit. Thankfully it happened when I was at home. A fire could have resulted. After researching the H20-the unit suffers from overheating problems. Obviously I don’t want the same receiver with the possibility it could catch fire or burn up again. Directv explains that the Tivo model is the only other HD receiver they have other than the H20. I respond by saying OK I’ll add Tivo service to my bill if you can send me the Tivo model. So not only I’m I staying a customer, but I’m going to pay you more money a month for expanded service. Directv says I have to pay 200.00 for the Tivo unit. I am flabbergasted that your faulty equipment burns up, has a bad track record, and you will not replace it for free. Finally after getting nowhere I said that if Directv would not send me a new unit and give me some customer satisfaction that they could just terminate the service. Prior to this I was a premier customer and never had a problem. Directv had a chance to make the matter right and provide service to the customer. Instead they tried to squeeze a little more money out of the consumer for their error. To make matters even more frustrating you apologize and agree that the early termination is indeed wrong and will be waived and proceed to send it to a collection agency. I spoke with several managers who said it would be taken care of and it never was. Also wrote the billing dispute a letter. File with the BBB!

Directv added NFL sunday ticket early renewal in 5 payments to my bill and charged me $45.80 without consulting me at all. I was just checking the bill and noticed this charge. Is that legal? I called them up and of course their system is down as always so I sent them an e-mail and I have not received a reply yet.

Belinda,

I am a supervisor at DirecTV. I read your comment. Yes on Monday 16th we had a horrible system crash. From 9 am to 5 pm. If you ever had the NFL Sunday Ticket before, all sports back auto renew every year. The season does not start until August 9th. You can call before then, get a credit back for that 45.80 and take the sports back off. Not a problem.

We ordered and prepaid for Direct TV to install an additional TV outlet. The installer came out and demanded money be paid to him, IN CASH, or else he wouldn’t complete the order. We canceled Direct TV because of this. They now refuse to refund our prepayment. Fleecing customers is their policy! Beware!

I had a simular situation with Directv. We have had Directv service for over 10 years, and started have picture problems about a year ago. They came out 3 times and never resolved the issue. I thought it might be the television, so I purchased a new one, but the problems continued. I finally gave up and decided to cancel my service. They then informed me that I had to return my recently purchased receiver. They went on to say the equipment was leased. I explained the equipment was purchased at Best Buy, and I had the receipt to prove it. I told them there was no lease agreement discussed with the purchase, and never one ever discussed the possibility of us entering into a lease agreement. They didn't care and informed me, they did not require their customers to sign lease agreement and it didn't matter whether I was told it was a lease or not, they expected their equipment back, or I would be charged $420.00 for the receiver. I have spoken to at least 4 different people, but to no avail, this group could care less about making it right for the customer. Now I am left to file complaints with everyone who will listen, including the BBB and all email complaint avenues.

Canceling the package is a hassle. I called and canceled on 18 Jun and was still billed, and my credit card billed, the 45.80 + 2.75 tax for the package I canceled. I called again, got it canceled. Directv then charged me 48.55 + 2.91 tax to cancel the order. Had to call AGAIN on Saturday regarding the charge. When They got done with my account I'm still short $2.75. So when you cancel your package beware of Directv's hidden fees.

Good Luck.

I also have a complaint I recently had to move closer to my mother who is having serious health problems and tried to have my directv transfered but had no reception so I was told their would not be a shut off fee so what does directv do they use my credit card and debit my account with out my consent or permission so I now have bounced checks and charges from banks and creditors coming out everywhere so what can I do Thanks Debra Thompson 9/12/07

Anyone want to start a class-action, I'm in, too! This "verbal contract" stuff is crap! And DTV should be held to a certain standard, too, contracts aren't just one-way!

When I ordered the service I was told that I could cancel within the first month and not be liable for early termination. I canceled in the first week. They now claim that the cancellation must happen within the first 3 days of service. I was never told this. The email confirmation for the new service doesn't state that either. When I asked about cancelling in the first month they only said yes. What they should have said is "yes, but within the first 3 days". They use deceptive tactics to hide this policy. I have requested to dispute this charge but I never got a call to have the opportunity to dispute. They are now threatening collection and reporting to credit bureaus.

So tired of everyone complaining about the bill the received after the 4 month trial ran out... If you learn to read the full contract and listen when they talk to you on the phone when you set up your account... Because they are just reading out of a book. They tell you that you have To pick up your Phone and Call them to choose what package you want other wise you will be charged the full amount. Seriously, they are a company that wants to make money and if ###s let them then its the peoples own fault.Learn to Read/Listen to what your told or see and you wont have any issues.

If you are looking for contact information for Mr. Chase Carey, President & CEO of Direct Tv - please follow the link below. There you can find more useful information for your battle.

Also the Direct Tv Corporate office address is:

2230 East Imperial Highway
El Segundo, CA 90245

Tel. [protected]

e-mail: chase.carey@directv.com

http://consumerist.com/consumer/executive-customer-service/directtv-ceos-contact-info-257620.php

Good luck,
Chris

I closed my account with directv and they debited the final bill out of my bank account without my consent or knowledge. I checked with my bank and they acknowledged that Directv has a history of doing this to their customers. I think that is appalling and they should be held accountable for this.

Beware people!

Call their main number then ask to disconnect services. Ask the disconnection agent for a supervisor. You won't get anywhere otherwise.

I had similar issues here recently. Had been a DirecTV customer for 3+ years. Went to upgrade my dish so that I could get local HD through my current receiver vs. my over the air antenna. Instead of just upgrading the dish, they offered me a full dish and receiver upgrade. I like many here do not remember any discussion of a 2 year contract extension. Then the first dish the installers put in was faulty so I only got partial signal but they did activate the new receiver. After a week of waiting for them to replace the dish, they did so and the new dish got no signal and I lost all service. They wouldn't resolve this in a timely manner so I canceled my service and was told that since the new receiver had been activated I was now under a 2 year agreement and was charged a cancellation charge. Not sure how they can consider the contract fulfilled on their side since the new service was never fully up and running, but they consider it so. In addition, they have informed me that they consider the new receiver a "leased" receiver and while I'm happy to return it, they have my old receiver which I purchased from Best Buy so I'm asking for it back (I'm sure I won't ever see it) along with the OTA antenna that was attached to the old dish that their installer walked off with.

I escalated the issue to their billing department and am being told that they won't reverse the charge. I was planning on disputing through my credit card and BBB but it sounds like from these are dead end channels. I'll probably just eat the money and file a complaint through the BBB so it's at least on record, but don't really want to deal with collections. Was considering maybe small claims court to see if I can at least force them to spend more in attorney fees then the charge, but not sure if I can file in local or would have to file in their state (need to look more closely at the T&C's).

So short of it is they have lost a loyal customer who pointed multiple people to them who will now point them away (meaning they will loose more in revenues then the $300 cancellation charges...) If anyone does start a class action, please contact me as well.

I completely agree w/ your comment about Directv and the blackouts. I currently work for Directv and have taken dozens of calls concerning blackouts on channels that should be showing the games. We are not trained very well to handle calls like this however we have a "system" that is supposed to give information on what channel the professional game is playing on. This so called system is wrong more than right. Directv is somewhat of a new company and has meant many bugs to work out (but you would think after 8-9 years the company would finally find something that works), I think the engineers that work for Directv are cheap laborers from different countries whom do not understand the expectations of how AMERICANS want things to work when their hard earned money is spent on certain products. Directv does have good and bad sides, such as the NFL Sunday Ticket(the only good part of Directv when it works!), I know for a fact if Directv looses the contract w/ the NFL it would probably go out of business. BOTTOM LINE DIRECTV IN MY OPINION IS AS BAD AS WALMART WITH THE PAY, BENEFITS, AND SERVICE PROVIDED! If you are looking for an excellent service with AMERICAN CUSTOMER SERVICE contact your local cable provider. Cable has a lot of features Directv lacks such as ON DEMAND services.

I understand your situation, however please contact Directv to confirm if your order was made through a dealer or Directv @ [protected]. I work for Directv and I assure you if you were billed through us we will refund you, however if you were billed through a private dealer which is often the case with online orders you would need to contact the dealer to receive a refund.

I signed up with Directv in March 2007. I was told it was one 1 yr contract and I was quoted a totally different price. When I got my 1st bill I called to complain about my bill. I had talked to a supervisor named Oscar on the Red team in Texas. He gave me a $20.00 credit per month for a year. He documented it in the notes. After 6 months I got a bill with no credit. I again called Directv and they basically told me that I cannot get that promo anymore, even though I was promised it and they saw it documented in the notes on my account. They said he should have never promised me that. I wanted to speak to someone higher up because I couldn't believe it. The supervisor said she had filled out a complaint action request form and that someone would got back to me within 24 hours. No one contacted me, so I called back. I got a real snotty supervisor. She too, said that there was nothing she could do. I told her that I would be contacting Time warner cable to get new services and that I would call back to cancel. This supervisor turned off my services right then and there. I had to call back once again and spoke with another rep that did apologized and said that he would cancel out too if he was me. Finally when I did cancel I was told I had a 2 yr contract and that I owe an early termination fee for 1 yr and 5 months. I am currently disputing that 1 year of fees. I have e-mailed the Better Business Bureau and two heads of Directv. I have NEVER in my life had such a bad experience with a company. I will continue to tell anyone who is thinking about Directv to "STAY AWAY!"

You have an e-address on the back of your bill under "How to pay us:" but doesn't work or can't be found. Must have been set up by the same genius who suggested that "call center in India". How about sending me an e-mail containing an e-address which permits me to "How to pay you".

Also: I have a voice prosthesis which is not recognized by your automated phone system. I'm sure you can see how the combination of the phone system and the call center in India could formulate a lesser individual into a bomb throwing terrorist.

I, however, am not that type so you need not call the Homeland boys as they have enough to do. Besides their call center is also in India.

Sharing my inner thoughts with you, I am

Joseph Mannozzi

Have you thought about contacting your state or federal Representatives? They can make laws that impose penalties on companies that carry out frauds like this. If the Attorney General's office does not have a law that it can prosecute a business under, its hands are tied. The Better Business Bureau is fairly useless--the companies pay to belong.

STAY AWAY FROM DirecTV...

To any Citizen out there:

I have been a loyal DirecTV customer for 12 months – no late payments. I received my bill and I needed answers on why my bill was $84.98 which was higher than the previous month of $59.99, without any prior notice or any changes in my service. I called Customer Service for inquiries and I was rudely hung up on after waiting for more than 30 minutes. I called again and the same thing happened again and again and again... To my surprise, my service was disconnected the following day.

I DID NOT AUTHORIZE any one to go ahead and disconnect my service. I told whoever was at the other end (she gave me the following credentials: Name: Heather, ID: U2795 – She refuses to give me her full name because she knew she was not Professional and Courteous at all), NOT TO DISCONNECT MY SERVICE until I knew what was going on.

I signed up for a 1 year promo contract and now DirecTV is stating that I was in a 2 years contract therefore, my credit card was charged $137.00 for early termination... DIRECTV is out there to RIP YOU OFF...

I agree, Direct TV is a company which people should be aware of. I ended my using them after using a debit card to pay my bills. Then upon leaving them I sent them back all three receivers as agreed. Then found on Christmas Eve that they had a computer error resulting in my card being charged for one of the receivers. This is after someone had called me from there days prior confirming that they had in fact received the receivers. I called them on Christmas Eve after finding they had charged my bank account for a receiver (over $200.00), they acknowledged the error, told me I will be getting credit but can't tell when. Joh Q Public should watch them and be careful what information they are given because they can have things such as this happen resulting in better profit margins in the event John Q Public doesn't catch it.

I called again today the day after Christmas spoke with a representative attempting to get her to tell me when the credit will happen, she put me on hold and hung up on me.

Great Company huh?

Having to pay a bill directv said i owe from 2003 for 500.00 but we had tem in 2001, that bill i admit to for 200.00. I paid it now they say i owe another 500.00, they are related to cox cable or just trying to make up for other people not paying there bills so they try to get whoever else to pay without question, i for one am not giving another a dime to directv till i get a copy of itemized statement as to why i still owe for services NOT rendered.

For anyone who is expecting "cash back" as a consequence of returning to, or initiating service with Directv, be aware the fine print specifies that the "cash back" is actually $10 applied to your account over 10 months. Common interpretation of "cash back" meant to me that I would receive a check (sending cash is not advisable.)

I believe this is a form of deception that should be addressed legally.

I have always been the biggest supporter of Directv. They have provided great product and service to me since I became a customer in 2001. However, recently my opinion has changed. I signed up for the new HD package several months ago. This included having a new dish and reciever installed. I was told that I would receive all the new HD channels. Then this week I realized that there were five channels that I was previously receiving that were no longer available. I called Directv and was told that I had to pay an additional $4.99 a month for these five channels. This is bait and switch advertising. I ask to speak to Supervisor and was transferred to a conflict resolution person. They offered me those channels free for a year but then I will have to pay for them. This is a great example of poor planning and marketing. If those people worked for me they would be out of work. This is False Advertisement. I am planning on contacting the Atty General for California.

I have posted a comment here a few months ago about DirecTV problems I have encounted when I terminated my service , I had a HD DSL receiver that I bought at Best Buy when I purchase my plasma HD tv they told me it would be better if I purchase it there they would take $200.00 off the price of the tv ,the receiver cost $300.00 plus tax , so I did when the receiver came in ( it took 2 weeks ) I was told to bring an ID or drivers license with me , I figured it was so nobody esle could say it was theirs , well when I got there and the salesmen had me sign a slip of paper again I figured it was proof that I received the item, I had DirecTV since 1991 I swap out the receivers myself call it in and yes I had HD tv it was great but than started to have problems with the picture 6 months later , there was a deal with verizon FiOS so I gave them a call and decided to hook up with them anyway when I called DirecTV to cancel all hell broke lose they said they wanted the receiver back and I owed them $185.00 for early cancellation fees because I didn't keep the service long enough , I said WHAT ! they said it was a 2 year agreement and that I only had it for 11 months they never said it was a two year agreement and if I don't send that receiver back I owed another $ 450.00 I talked to everyone there and it didn't help, I told them theirs no way in hell I was going to send them my receiver that I paid $300.00 for back to them for nothing , they said we understand but its a rental after a month of arguing I decided to call Best Buy and they told me it was a rental that DirecTV owns all their equipment and the paper I signed was the agreement after the 2 years the unit is yours I guess anyway they sent me the box and I sent the receiver back and paid the $ 185.00 I owed and that took awhile to all get cleared up I finally got a statment showing I owe $0.0 . The problem with DirecTV is lack of cummunication with its customers most can't speak good english and I sure don't even mention the two year commitment , in the past they would tell you several times and I thought that once your a customer for more than two years you don't have any more commitments and you can cancel at anytime I was wrong. ITS JUST NOT WORTH IT...

I contracted with Direct TV to come out and do a installation for a system with a DVR. First, the Direct TV tech did not show for two scheduled appointments, (I should have canceled the service then). Finally on the third time someone showed up and installed the TV boxes and used the old dish on the roof from the previous home owners. After a few hours of playing around with the system I noticed that I could not record anything without having to watch it too. I scheduled another appointments for the tech to come out and do a proper installation and once again they did not show. I scheduled one last appointment and the day of the appointment I received a phone call form the service tech saying that because my home is a two story house they could not do the installation.

I want to take a moment out here to state something. If the tech had told me that the company did not do two story installations when they finally showed up on the third appointment to do the original install I would have never entered into the agreement. I am under the personal belief that if the service tech who did the original installation knew that a DVR system was being installed and did not do the cabling installation correctly and then enter into a contract for a service that he knows he has not set me up to receive represents the elements necessary to prove fraud.

After calling the corporate offices and talking to a manager I was told that I had two options. They could give me a $75 credit and I could get another company to come out and do that actual cable installation or I could do it myself but that Direct TV does not do two story homes in Houston TX. I informed that manager that he had two choices either someone comes out and install the system per the agreement or they cancel my contact. The manager then proceeded to cancel the agreement with me over the phone.

I know I will have to fight them when they try to charge me a early termination fee but I think I will cancel the credit card I used to set up the service just to make sure they don’t rip me off.

Long story short if you are thinking about going with this company DON'T.

I purchased a Directv contract three weeks ago at a Costco kiosk at their Carlsbad warehouse location. The two people there advised me to purchase an $89.00 HDMI cable set, that I later discovered I did not need for this new service hook-up, so it was returned. They arranged an appointment date for Saturday, 12-29 at 1:30PM. A technician from a company called Ironwood Communications arrived at 11:30AM and was the only nice thing about this whole ordeal, even though he was not at the appointment time, of 1:30PM. Unfortunately, he had to reschedule for the following Saturday, Jan 05, 2008 for 1130. We were called by Directv on that date, stating that the technician would arrive "between 11:30 - 2:30PM". No show. We were called again be Directv stating that the technician would arrive "between 5:00 - 6:30PM". No show, no call. We waited until midnight and went to bed. I called Directv Sunday, Jan 06, 2008 at 9:00AM,complaining and asking for a technician to come today, since our entre weekend seems to be occupied with this project. She offered me the following Wednesday or Saturday, take it or leave it! I called again and unwound the sales contract. I sent complaint e-mails to Directv and Costco, neither of whom have replied. It seems neither company expects more for their members, or prospective clients. Which is why I will picket their store entrance about Directv and their partner, Ironwood Communications, to bring attention to unsuspecting customers naive to the problems they can expect. Don't get involved with either one - just do a google search on Ironwood Communications and start reading what pops up!

Brilliant! Right on.

They are Idiots, and their pals at Ironwood Communications in San Diego. Read my fiasco:
I purchased a Directv contract three weeks ago Carlsbad, CA Costco Kiosk. The two people there advised me to purchase an $89.00 HDMI cable set, that I later discovered I did not need for this new service hook-up, so it was returned. They arranged an appointment date for Saturday, 12-29 at 1:30PM. A technician from a company called Ironwood Communications arrived at 11:30AM and was the only nice thing about this whole ordeal (even though he was not at the appointment time of 1:30PM). Unfortunately, he had to reschedule for the following Saturday, Jan 05, 2008 for 1130. We were called by Directv on that date, stating that the technician would arrive "between 11:30 - 2:30PM". No show. We were called again be Directv stating that the technician would arrive "between 5:00 - 6:30PM". No show, no call. We waited until midnight and went to bed. I called Directv Sunday, Jan 06, 2008 at 9:00AM,complaining and asking for a technician to come today, since our entre weekend seems to be occupied with this project. She offered me the following Wednesday or Saturday, take it or leave it! I called again and unwound the sales contract. I sent complaint e-mails to Directv and Costco, neither of whom have replied. It seems you neither company expect more for their members, or prospective clients. I am glad I found out before they did the install, locking me into an 18 month contract! Ironwood Communications also did an install at another house I had in Encinitas, CA several years ago. I ended up with $4500. in damages from leaks caused by broken roof tiles. The only peopl ever on my roof was the 260 lb installer. Something else you will get for free with your "package deal".

Direct Technologies in Dallas, NC contracts for Directv and they refuse to pay me the $3000.00 owed to me for working for them. The owners Jessica told me I was getting my money back in October 2007 and Stacy her husband will not pay me. He has a criminal record for being a thief. If I had known this when I was hired then I would not have worked there. This is a low life ### company. Please avoid them totally. They will rip you off!

Several things happened with the customer service from DirecTV, but my main frustration was when we returned our HD Receiver in DirecTV prepaid FedEx box and then 3 weeks later we received a bill for $498.20 ~ stating that the receive wasn't returned. THANK GOD we kept our FedEx shipping label, other wise when we called them we wouldn't have been able to tell them the tracking number for them to find where we did ship it back... YES! They had NO RECORD of this being shipped back. We had to tell them the tracking number, the day it was received and even the person that signed for it ~ they had none of this info. So when calling them they told us that it would take 10-14 days for us to see a return back on our Amex (our account is set up on auto billing), then my husband told them that 10-14 days isn't good enough, so a supervisor (Leann , badge # 0193729) got on the line and told him that it would take 72 hours and we would have a credit on our account... NOPE ~ here it is a week later no credit. I just got of the phone with Direct and after being on hold for an hour and being transferred to 4 different people, NO RESOLUTION! They told me 10-14 days before I get my $498.20. Basically they have stolen $498.20 from my husband and me and are holding it until they feel like they want to give it back. Now it all makes sense why everyone hates DirecTV...

I have subscribed to directv for about 4 years. I purchased my hd receiver from costco. But when i told them i wanted to cancel the directv service, they told me i have to return the receive to them which I own! Has anyone experienced this? This is not right!

I too "purchased" a DirecTV receiver from Best Buy, in Oct. 2006. Nowhere was this receiver listed as leased. Not on the outside of the box, not on the materials inside the box, not on the Best Buy receipt. Wasn't even told a lease was being set into motion when I called to activate the receiver.

Here's a website of a law firm that is investigating DirecTV receivers "purchased" from Best Buy. They are seeking our stories:

http://www.classcounsel.com/

In August of 2007, we began experiencing problems with DirecTV’s service and equipment. A DirecTV representative instructed us to go through several procedures and discovered that the receiver was bad. She said she would ship a new one at ‘no charge.’ Once the new receiver was installed, we still experienced problems. Next, the DirecTV representative dispatched a repairman to resolve the problems. Again, the DirecTV representative insisted there would be no charge for a service call.
On the next DirecTV bill there were charges for the new receiver, shipping and the service call. After many phone calls the bill was down but still not right and no one would honor the ‘no charge’ agreement all of the DirecTV representatives had stated would take place. Needless to say, after countless phone calls, arguing with so many DirecTV representatives to no avail, we chose to cancel the DirecTV service.
It took even more countless phone calls (being told the return box was shipped; oh, no it wasn’t; yes it was…etc.) and 3-4 weeks later, DirecTV managed to send a return box for the receiver, remote and card. We returned their equipment the next day, in a timely manner.
This nightmare grew even worse. Our bill is now $147.86 and for what…canceling the DirecTV service? According to DirecTV representatives, we are ‘new customers’, i.e.: once we activate a new card we are ‘automatically’ agreeing to a NEW contract. Never once did any DirecTV representative tell us this, is that stated in any of DirecTV’s printed material or on their web site. The real kicker is, (1) we have been DirecTV faithful customers for approximately five years so this isn’t a ‘NEW’ service; (2) we have never signed or verbally agreed to any contract and (3) never once has any of DirecTV representatives implied or stated by activating the new receiver and/or a new card would we be agreeing to a new contract.
It is our firm belief that we are not under any actual or implied contract with DirecTV, we have returned all of the DirecTV equipment, have paid in full all monies owed DirecTV and having been a customer in good standing for many years we are under no obligation or contract (implied or otherwise) to pay the $147.86 for cancelling the DirecTV service.
Can anyone suggest where we should go from here?

Has any one tried or accomplished in taking Direct TV to a small claims court? I am going to do this. I could use some help.