My husband and I moved to an apartment. We were only month to month on our lease and were only planning on staying for 6 months. We then decided to move and unfortunately our new residence will not allow us to have Direct TV/Dish. So we called and informed them we were canceling our services. They told us we were automatically put into a 2 year contract. In order to cancel our services we had to pay $300.00 to get out of it. We told them we were unaware of the contract and would like to see a signature. They said they do not require a signature on their contracts. Everyone was very rude and did nothing to help us. They told us if we did not continue the services with them they would steal our money from our account.

In the end we had to keep their services because we did not have $300.00. We also have comcast now, so we are paying for two services. Please do not EVER use Direct TV!! 2 year contract, leases are only 1 year!! Amazing that they can get away with this!

Be careful in choosing Direct TV as your satellite provider. Their service desk is very courtious when you call and sympathize with your cause, but do not resolve a thing. I was a loyal customer for over 5 yrs and in December of 2008 I decided to cancel and go with ATT U-Verse. I received a better deal and so far everything has been an excellent experience. However, when I cancelled my service, I had just paid my monthly bill so I was owed a refund. Though not much, but every little bit helps and since I had paid my bills for so long it should only be fair that they sent me my refund. Well, to make an extremely long story short, till this day I am still to receive my refund. I take the trouble of calling in every month, because at this point, its become a mission for me to try to get my refund. They have all tried to tell me how they have sent me so many checks and yet not one has made it to my address. How come I receive every other piece of mail from their own company, even statements showing that they owe me a refund and I can't seem to get another envelope with a check? Is it going into "check space" and its floating around out there? I'm positive that if I owed them even the slightest amount of money, they would have no problem disconnecting my service. Its been six months now (6 mths). How much longer does a customer have to wait to get their own money back?

I competed a year contract with Direct TV. My job wasn't going as well as it had in the past. I called to cancel my service. I was talked into, putting my account on a 6 month suspension. During the 6 months, I had moved to a different location, and had left the dishes at the old residence. When the 6 months was up, they automatically started charging me for the service again without any warning. I called them several times, and I told them I had no way of receiving the signal, as the dishes were at the old place. They refused to drop the $63.00 charge, for a service, I did not, and could not receive. The woman from customer service was very rude on the phone. I informed them that I would never use their service again, I felt like they really took advantage of me. I feel I should have received something in the mail, to inform me. I would not let them talk me into this situation if I were you.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH DIRECT TV !!!

As submitted to the Better Business Bureau …

Complaint Classification:
Complaint Description - Posted 4/9/2009 11:28:18 AM

My wife and I have disputed a claim in the amount of $311.35 from day one and explained to DIRECTV that they did not provide the level of customer service that they had promised. On four (4) separate occasion during Sept. of 2007, we asked DIRECTV to move a satellite dish off our deck to a more suitable location (service started in late Aug., 2007). Each time over a period of four weeks, DIRECTV informed us that a service technician would be at our house to move the dish but a technician never showed up and no one from DIRECTV called us to reschedule. In fact, on the fourth call, we explained our frustration to their CSR and warned her that if no one showed up on the day THEY scheduled, we would cancel service. She assured us that a technician would definitely be out to our house on 9/24/2007 to move the dish. Again, no technician and no phone call to let us know (or even to reschedule, which would have been fine had SOMEONE from DIRECTV called us). So, we cancelled service after one month. When we received a notice of the cancellation fee, a letter was sent to explain why we were not going to pay it. They acknowledged our complaint, but said that we signed an agreement and were bound by it. We said that we would not pay a dime at which point they contacted three different collection agencies over the period of 18 months in an attempt to collect a debt which they knew we would not pay. One reported this dispute to a credit bureau.

Complaint Summary
Failed to send technician to move dish after four calls and appointments were made. Service Canceled and dispute cancellation fee.

Resolution Sought
We demand that DirecTV inform the credit bureaus that this debt is being disputed and to remove any adverse report from our credit history. We also demand that they either settle this matter in court or dismiss it. Further attempts to collect by retaining assistance from other collection agencies will be construed as harassment.

Company's Initial Response - Posted 04/22/2009
We regret to hear of any misunderstanding or inconvenience. We apologize; we do not have record of four missed appointments. Our records indicate you placed an order for DIRECTV on August 3, 2007, and activated on August 19. On the day of installation, you requested another receiver which was installed and activated. On August 20, you contacted our customer service to request the satellite dish, which was installed on your deck, be moved. We offered to schedule the dish relocation for you at a cost of $49; however, the offer was declined. On September 14, you contacted our customer service, were provided a $100 programming credit to retain your business and we scheduled the relocation of the satellite dish for September 17. Our local office attempted to contact you by phone regarding your appointment but your phone number would not accept incoming calls. On September 18, you contacted our customer service to request disconnection of your account. At the time you placed your DIRECTV order, we advised you there would be a programming agreement associated with the equipment you were acquiring. We also communicated the agreement in the order confirmation letter and in the DIRECTV Equipment Lease Addendum (mailed to the address on file and at directv.com/agreements). We significantly discount the price of equipment and installations. In exchange, we ask our customers to keep their programming for a specified amount of time. Customers who acquire advanced receivers (DVR, HD, HD DVR) accept a 24-month programming agreement. You disconnected prior to completing your programming agreement. As a result, a valid Early Cancellation Fee applied. As you requested, we have notified the collection agency to cease collection activity on this account. However, DIRECTV retains the right to pursue collection of this debt. The balance of $311.35 is valid and due. Thank you for the opportunity to address your DIRECTV concerns. Sincerely, DIRECTV Office of the President.

Initial Response Summary
As you requested, we have notified the collection agency to cease collection activity on this account.

Consumer’s Rebuttal – Posted 04/24/2009
Re: "We offered to schedule the dish relocation for you at a cost of $49; however, the offer was declined?" Are you kidding me? We would have gladly paid it had it been offered AND had a technician ACTUALLY come out to move it, but it wasn't offered nor was there any mention of it on the 3 other calls we made. Why would Direct-TV tell us that they would be out to move it on 4 separate occasions and then leave us in the dark? On the 4th call, we told your CSR that if it wasn't moved, we would cancel, and when no one showed up OR CALLED, we canceled (a $100 cr. was of little interest to us at that point). Re: "Our local office attempted to contact you by phone regarding your appointment but your phone number would not accept incoming calls". Come on now! Admit that no one attempted to contact us to reschedule, which is what we were upset about. Had they done so, we wouldn't be having these disussions. What now angers us the most is the fact that two - not one, but TWO - collection agencies, Nationwide and Allied Interstate, have posted adverse history. Don't you think one report was enough? We will contact the Iowa State Attorney General to see what recourse we have.

Company’s Final Response – Posted 04/27/2009

Although we understand, you were frustrated while waiting for the dish to be moved, nothing in our records indicate that the location of the dish caused a problem with your services. The original install was approved by the person at home during the installation. We have verified the relocation work order was processed and the $100 credit was provided to your account. We have also verified the notes on the relocation work order indicate the local office attempted to contact you to reschedule the appointment, but they were unable to reach you. We have reviewed your account and unfortunately, we are unable to waive your Early Cancellation Fee. As noted in the DIRECTV Customer agreement “We may assign your account or this Agreement and all rights and/or obligations hereunder to any third party without notice for any purpose, including, without limitation, collection of unpaid amounts…” To avoid further collection actions please remit the final balance due, in the amount of $311.35, to the following address: DIRECTV, PO Box 78626, Phoenix, AZ 85062-8626. Respectfully, DIRECTV Office of the President.

I called to inquire about getting Direct TV to replace our cable service. One of the main reasons was to get my husband, a NY transplant, Yankees and Rangers games, so I asked alot about the sports pack. This was the main purpose of our ordering it. We are paying extra for the "sports pack"

I very specifically asked the customer service representative before I agreed to to contract if Yankees games were blacked out. I was extremely clear about this. There could not have been any doubt about my concern. He absolutely knew why we were ordering Direct TV. He repeatedly promised me that NO yankees games were blacked out. (I asked three times!!)

Guess what? He lied. Explicitly and without question. I was told that no yankees games were blacked out on the YES network. He even told me that not even Fax Saturday afternoon games were blacked out. So, it sounded great to me. I ordered it and my husband took a day off work while the installer was here and we even had to jump through hoops with our condo board so that they would agree to let us drill into the outside of the building.

And guess what? We don't get the yankees games! I assume the same is true with the Rangers game, but it isn't hockey season. Within three days of getting it installed, we discovered this. (We didn't try to watch yankees games before that because we were out of town.) We called, we complained, we explained the situation, that we were deliberately lied to, that we felt we had been defrauded, spoke with supervisors, with no results. Apparently, it is ok with them if their customer service reps lie as long as they get you to sign the contract.

We both feel that we have been defrauded so badly, and in such complete violation of any ethical standards, that we are considering appropriate action to take next. We just don't know what that action might be.