I ordered Direct TV service for one year over the internet. The service man who came to my home to install service was rude & has sloppy workmanship. I kept the service for 18 months before discontinuing service. I stopped service by e-mail on 5/12 & received an e-mail on 5/16 that I could not discontinue service by e-mail. I called the number that was given in the e-mail to discontinue service on 5/17. The service person stated that I owed for another month of service (the due date was on the 15th) before they could discontinue service. I stated that my service was paid in full on the 12th & that I should be getting money back on service for a month as I had to pay a month in advance for service. The rep stated that I would get both months overdue payment back after I made another payment (prorated of course). I stated that the service would need to be discontinued as of 5/12 & she stated that she could just move the service to my new home instead. I stated again that I wanted service discontinued & I had gone to another satellite service that was bundled with my phone service. I requested boxes & mailing labels to return equipment to Direct TV. We hung up on this note.

I spoke with another rep at the end of May requesting boxes & mailing labels to return equipment. I was told that the materials would be mailed the following week. On 8/7 I went to the ATM to withdraw money where I found out that my account was overdrawn. I pulled up my bank account online & found that Direct TV had made an unauthorized withdrawal from my bank account of $819.00. I called my bank the next morning to dispute this unauthorized withdrawal (THEFT). I found out that because I had made online payments with my debit card that the charges could not be reversed even though they are in dispute.

The following is a summary of my & the bank's conversations with this company. I gave them permission to take money out of my account without notice when I used a debit card for their services. Also they stated that I had a two year contract with their company (due to having DVR service), but are unable or unwilling to provide proof of said contract. I was actually told that I should have kept ALL of my paperwork including addendum's that I had signed. I informed the rep that I was disputing the fact that there was a two year contract in effect and that I paid extra each month for DVR service. She was still unable to send me a copy of the contract. Also I was told that service was being stopped as of 7/28, nearly 3 months after requesting service to be stopped. I was being charged an early cancellation fee for terminating service 6 months early according to their records. I would be refunded equipment fees when they received their equipment was returned (you can believe that is insured), but only after they checked the receivers for any unpaid pay per view movies/event. The receivers had be packed since 5/12 but you never know how things can suddenly appear on a bill when you have no recourse for dispute. My bank officer & I both spoke with Direct TV reps for 3 days without any success in resolving this matter. I will be following up with the Better Business Bureau in attempting to resolve this matter.

08/12/08...I am APPALLED! I called today to switch to Direct TV. 89 minutes and two representative later they finally had my order straightened out. During this process both representative confirmed the installation between 8:00 and noon tomorrow.

I specifically confirmed this SEVERAL times as I had to schedule for someone to be here. I even had the reps stay on the line while I confirmed my arrangements at which time I again confirmed 8:00 to noon the following morning. This evening I got a call from a computer confirming a different date! INEXCUSABLE! I already made arrangements ot have someone available at the time scheduled and they changed it without consulting me - this after it took 2 customer service reps 89 minutes to place my order in the first place! WOW! I may not get the Big Ten Network with Time Warner Cable - But at leaset I get customer service!

I am counting my blessings - at least I cancelled before I experienced the variety of problems I have read after I googled and discovered this board!

Any time it even thinks about raining I know I won't have satellite service.For some reason I have not had satellite for over a month now.I called and the soonest appointment I could get was 3 1/2 weeks away but I made the appointment...which was for the late afternoon of July 30th.The person on the phone told me they were going to upgrade my satellite and my boxes so that I would get better reception and not loose service so much.I was home all day and even stayed off the internet so I wouldn't miss any calls from direct tv.No one showed up or called.Then I called to ask what the probablem was.The person on the phone told me the tech would call me within 10 mins. and 30 mins. later no call.So I called again.The tech called and said he would be at my home the next day.I told him I wouldn't be home until 6 or after and he said that was fine.Let me back track one moment.When the service tech called me he said he had tried to call me several times that day and left me several messages.I did not call him a liar like I wanted to I just told him I had been home all day and my phoneline never rang.My phone does not have an answering machine for him to leave me a message so I know he did not leave me a message or try to call me because I was home.The next day I rushed home after work and saw that two different numbers had tried to call me but I wasn't home yet.I called the last number and the guy said he tried to call and I wasn't home.I said yes thats right but I said I wouldn't be home before this time.He then called the tech and he was suppose to call me and come.The service tech called and said he was 70 miles from my house and I thought to myself that it wasn't my problem.I said so you're not coming and he said yes he was but would be awhile.Then an hour or so later the service tech called and ask me if I was getting a high def. dvr..I said I wasn't sure about the dvr but was sure it was a high def.dish.He said that was crazy and it wouldn't make my reception any better.I told him I was tired of the run around I was getting and he got verbably ugly with me and said he would have his supervisor call me and he hung up on me.I still haven't heard back from anyone from direct tv since he hung up on me.Whta's up with this horrible treatment of customers...does direct tv even care about its consumers at all...I think not.Rena Stanfill

FIRST OF ALL I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS I BEEN CHARGED SEVERAL TIMES FOR SERVICES I DID NOT ORDER OR WANT. ONE MONTH I WAS CHARGED MY REGULAR BILL TIMES 3 . IVE HAD CHANNELS ADDED AND TAKEN AWAY WITHOUT MY CONSENT. THE NEW ONE IS THAT I NOTICED I WAS BEING CHARGED FOR DVR SERVICE AND ITS ALREADY INCLUDED IN MY PACKAGE. CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME I WAS RIGHT OF COURSE AND SAID THEY WOULD CREDIT ME $35.00 SO I GO TO RECORD SOMETHING ON MY DVR IT DOSENT WORK I CALL AND GET TOLD THAT IT WAS THERE MISTAKE AND THE $35.00 WAS NEVER DEDUCTED FROM MY ACCOUNT THEN I GET TOLD THAT I HAVE A BALANCE OF $28.00 AND THAT THEY CANT TURN MY DVR BACK ON UNTIL I PAY IT AND MY DUE DATE ISNT UNTIL 8/15/08 SO NOW I DONT HAVE MY COMPLETE PACKAGE BECAUSE OF THEIR MISTAKE. YOUR COMPANY SAYS THAT YOUR BETTER THAN DISH NETWORK AND YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS GOOD THATS A LIE ALL THEY DO IS TELL YOU WHAT THEY AND EVER TIME THEY MAKE A MISTAKE ITS ALWAYS SORRY FOR YOUR INCONVIENENCE ITS NEVER ANYTHING FREE OR CREDIT TO YOUR BILL I THINK AFTER SO MANT MISTAKES THOSE KINDS OF THINGS SHOULD BE OFFERED.IF I DONT RECIEVE SOMETHING FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS I WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE TO CANCEL MY CONTRACT WITH OUT ANY CHARGES FO BREAKING MY CONTRACT WHICH ENDS ON 6/09 I DONOT AND WILL NOT DEAL WITH THIS TYPE OF INCOMPETENCE FOR ANOTHER YEAR.I ALSO PAY OVER $100.00 A MONTH FOR SERVICES THAT IT SEEMS YOU HAVE CHEAPER PRICES FOR THE SAME CHANNELS I HAVE I FEEL IM BEING RIPED OFF AND IM PRETTY SURE I CAN GET THE CHANNELS I WANT FROM DISH NETWORK THATS NOT WHAT I WANT BUT I WONT PUT UP WITH THIS IM SURE SOMEONE WANTS MY $100.00 AMONTH AND APPARENTLY DIRECTV DOSENT! I WOULD HOPE

My apartment had Direct TV all ready installed when I moved in. I was informed this was a month to month contract and NO long term commitment was required. I was then asked if I wanted to upgrade packages and again was told no long term commitment was required... so I got it. I moved shortly thereafter and tried to cancel my service. They said I was then on a 2 year commitment. But, I was to return the box, but keep the antenna. They produced a piece of paperwork showing where I had agreed to a 2 year deal. Funny thing, it was not my signature. I informed them of this and their reply was that maybe one of my friends signed for it on my behalf. I have no friends there and no one had my permission to sign my name..Period. Then I was told I could protest in writing, which I did. Their response was they would turn me over to collection and ruin my credit. Plus, my account was now closed and no further action could be done. What can I do fight these deceptive, fraudulent, crooks?