Where to begin...?

I had Direct TV several years ago. They were ok, but I had to cancel service for reasons not related to Direct TV.

Then, I got High Def, and Direct TV called me in 2006 and offered a deal: The new HR20 HD DVR system at a reduced price of $250 (half price from the $500 purchase price). Ok, I signed up.

Problems began almost immediately. Color of picture would go green, system would freeze while recording or playback, etc., etc. Had to reset system every time. Direct TV replaced, three times, by mail.

This last time, they told me: You own the system, so you either have to pay a $79 fee for a technician to come to your home, or buy the extended protection plan. So I bought, technician came to my home, and dropped off a unit I had to plug in myself. Ok, it is working fine.

But, here is the problem. Now Direct TV contends that if I cancel, I have to send this box back as it is a "rental". So, think twice before going with Direct TV. According to them, the $250 price I paid was for the "privelege of renting; everyone pays it" (so it is now unclear why it was a special deal). When I called to inquire, I too was placed on hold so they could "research". I waited 36 minutes the first time, and 25 minutes the second time, before hanging up and going with email.

According to Direct TV, the $250 "purchase" price was really a rental fee, so I am renting, but, I am also responsible if the box fails or is otherwise defective, and I have to pay for a new box, or repairs, if the box starts acting up. Go elsewhere, its not worth it.

I d/c service 11-07 Direct tv fraudulently charges my account for 118.00 plus change for their crummy equipment which i waited weeks for for them to send return fed ex boxes. it is 4-10-08 and 15 plus calls and still no return of monies owed to me, Yet if your late they flip a switch turning off service, If payment late they charge late fees. Every call for refund they read cue card like a broken record 6-8 weeks for refund, Do the math 11-07 to 4-08 much longer than 6-8 weeks. doing this to every customer do the math do you realize what a scam for interest they earn by defrauding and delaying refunds to customers? Further more I believe I should charge late fees and interest to Direct tv plus the wasted air time on cellular phones when it takes an average of 40 minutes per call to get no resolution. 15 calls times 40 minutes? A lot of poor customer service and a lot of air time charges. Basis for class action suit? I am working on it. Businesses that operate in this manner should be shut down...

I am just going to include here the letter I just sent off to Direct TV, and let it speak for itself.

Direct TV Office of the President
P.O. Box 6550
Greenwood Village, CO 880155

RE: #025697778

To Whomever Might Listen to My Case, and Stop Quoting the Customer Service Manual,

I could take you through the hours spent on the phone, the letters faxed and mailed, and the complete and utter frustration of just having spent valuable time speaking with no less than four of your agents/supervisors in Phoenix. But instead, I will tell you that Agent #1, Agent #2, Dexter and Alexandra all repeated the exact same information to me, ad nauseum, no matter how many times I explained to them that no, I did NOT receive notice of "pending programming activation", and no, I was NOT "fully and duly aware that service would resume August 12, 2007.

It would appear that what gets typed into a customer's account becomes sacred, no matter what misunderstanding might have transpired, and that no pleading of the customer to say, be human and have a heart, will be heard.

Bottom line. My account says we owe $80.17 in service fees I was "fully and duly aware of", and I say this is not true. Some mistake, somewhere, occurred. $80.17 means something to my family, with four children, on one income. It is probably not such a huge deal to Direct TV. I was told that no matter what my stance, "integrity is valued in our employees at Direct TV", so whatever note was on my account was there to stay, and influence the reversal, or lack thereof, of the fees aside from the early cancellation fee. What happened to the customer being valued? What happened to, oh, I don't know, giving a person a break and maybe admitting someone on Direct TV's end somehow could have misunderstood the situation?

To quote that last letter from Phoenix:

We could only assume service was satisfactory because we received no request to extend the suspension when we sent notification of the pending programming activation, and no statements were returned to us as undeliverable.

We suspended service in July of 2006 because we had to move to take a job. We moved in with my parents, who had their own TVs and systems. We had no means to use the services of Direct TV, and to this day, do not. I never received any notification of "pending programming activation", or interim statements, making me aware of compiling fees.

No matter how many times I tried to explain that I would have never allowed charges to add up, that until I started receiving bills in the amount of 164.17 in Sept. of 2007, did I even know this was an issue, I was repeatedly told "we have a notation that you were aware". I called in September of 2007 to be sure the account was canceled. I began disputing the charges in late fall of 2007, and in January of this year, received the letter stating that the charges remain valid, and therefore, should be remitted.

And really, while the money is an issue, almost worse is the most insulting, offensive tactic to repeat over and over "I understand, BUT..." as your representatives did today. If someone understood, I wouldn't have spent 2 hours on the phone while my baby was cranky and crying, and my neck got wrenched while trying to prepare lunch and simultaneously handle this matter, while being told each supervisor on up the ladder was going to be harder to convince to even take my call. Oh, and then the endless time on hold. Hearing the cheery lady tell me how great Direct TV is and how simple simple simple it is to sign up, and get what I really want in total entertainment. Really. Someone should really explain how difficult difficult difficult it's going to be if you have unexpected circumstances derail your plans to to be able to enjoy fast-forwarding and rewinding live TV for a contract minimum of two years. Also, you really should just tell your representatives to say, "tough shit sherlock", because that's really what they think. And honesty, while potentially brutal, is always so much easier to swallow. Or if they do care? Then give them the power to choose who they may think they might help out.

My dealings with your company over the last few months are exactly what all "The Man" jokes are about, and why we, who are not The Man, really love to hear stories about how somebody finally got to stick it to Him. Big corporations who play all that "we care about you, our customer" jazz on their automated phone systems, where it is nearly impossible to get a real, live human (and who does finally answer, is questionable, here) while we languish on hold, just waiting to ultimately be told we, and our case, don't amount to one tiny ant crap.

So yes. I am disputing the $80.17 in assumed satisfactory service. And you may decide I have not one child-clung-to leg to stand on, but I just couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't one person in all of Direct TV who might just have the power, the cajones, and maybe even the kindness to say, "Hey, we're sorry for all the trouble, the time, and effort. Somewhere, clearly there was a misunderstanding. Here. We'll take care of that, for you."

Wow. Wouldn't a little of that go a long way.

Very Unsatisfied,
A.T.

Replaced a receiver that was receiving free Playboy TV, after 2yrs Hi-Def service was up I decided to drop their service, after calling in to cancel service I was told because I received a new receiver that re-obligated me to another 2 yrs service, so for reporting free programing I get penalized for doing so, and charged an early termination fee. Guess I should have said nothing, as a customer you get treated like nothing. Free programing I guess you shouldn't report, can't beleive Direct TV just turns their heads to someone that does what is right.

Direct TV is AWFUL. I have never been a customer, and even I have had a bad dealing with them. I recently decided to have cable installed in my home, since coming up in Feb. 2009 everything will be digital, so I decided it was better just to get some sort of cable or satellite service now and not have to worry when that time comes. Well, I was comparing prices online since I can't afford too much ( I'm a 21 year old college student, living on my own in an apartment) And anyways, Direct TV seemed to have inexpensive services. So I decided to give them a call.

I spoke with a somewhat rude person, who first told me that I'd have to pay the first month of service upfront (okay, sounds reasonable). But then claimed they needed a 200 dollar installation fee !!! 200 dollars ?!?! Then said that I'd have to pay an extra 75 dollars because of the complex where I live. Okay, I've seen plenty of satellite dishes hanging off the sides of the buildings and people's decks.

I was like, NO, I am not paying 275 dollars for some installation fee. And I hung up.

I called Time Warner Cable who didn't charge me any sort of installation fee and the only money they asked for was the first month of service when they came to install. Which was absolutely FINE with me.

Direct TV SUCKS. I've heard horrible things about them since, from a few people who I've told my story to.