I noticed that my Direct TV bill was about $50 higher than it typically is so I looked at the details of my bill and noticed that they had incorrectly billed me for an add on service (NFL Sunday Night Ticket) that I had never requested... I hate football! So I called customer service and was told that since there was a free promotion happening when I joined a year ago and that promotion included the NFL football thing (which I never watched, by the way), that they automatically signed me up for this year! They claimed that they sent me a letter in June and I had 30 days to let them know if I didn't want it! Hello? Unethical business practice anyone? I then asked if I could get a refund and they said no. Then I asked if I could at least cancel the service so I don't continue to get charged and they told me that I had to continue to pay for several months for a total of $250!!! I asked if I could cancel my service altogether because I was so appalled that they were bullying me and they said it would cost $300 to cancel!! The good news? I supposedly got it resolved... but I will believe it when I see it. Here's what I did several hours later:

- I logged onto my account and searched their site for "regulations", "FCC", "complaints", "legal" etc. to try to find out the rules and what public agency governs their regulations. I wonder if they have a record of the searches you do when you are logged in... I suspect they do.

- I called the automated customer service and said the word "complaint" when the voice-activated system prompted me. Interestingly, my call was answered right away by a VERY polite agent (unlike the ones I talked to earlier in the day).

- The agent had a record of my previous calls and said that she would talk to her supervisor. She put me on hold for a few seconds and came back and said that they would not only cancel the service but would refund me the 2 months of charges within 24 hours!!! That was about an hour ago so we'll see. It will be quite a surprise if they do fix it.

I just thought I would post this in case anyone wanted to try my tactic.

We have received equipment for more than 2 weeks, no one called nor account was set up by anyone. Whenever we have called, customer service were not able to find record. After paying additional $27 they set up a account. Requested for installation, they offered service after 30 DAYS. We need to wait for 46 days to get TV running!

Very poor service!

I am so furious and upset with direct tv... not even sure where to begin. I have waited 2 weeks for service to be installed and have talked to 15 people (2 of which claimed to be supervisors) about all my problems. I was misinformed about the receivers that I had requested, misinformed about HD local channels being available in my area. I called and ordered a promotion for new customers switching to direct tv and was told that I didn't qualify because it was for existing customers only... not according to the brochure I received! I have been told different things by 15 different people.... asked to speak to a supervisor and you get transfered to spanish, placed on eternal hold, or hung up on all together. I have been waiting for 2 and a half hours now on a supervisor to call me back. Big surprise he didn't call like he said he would. I hate this company and will never never recommend it to anyone!!! Beware you don't get a thing that is promised to you by their ads, reps, or their supervisors!!

When I moved my Direct TV service from one home to another in March, 2006, I was told if I canceled within a year there would be a fee. When I canceled in August, 2007, I was charged that $100 fee. The reason was that one of their receivers quit working in the spring of '07. I called them and they sent out a repairman who offered to replace it. I was told the cancellation fee was based on the fact that the new receiver could not be canceled for one year, and it was not the service but the equipment that mattered. I was never informed of this, but was told it was in an online agreement.

It is ridiculous and questionably legal that a company will not furnish working equipment that is leased, and will tie in that piece of equipment to the original service contract.

In 2003 we opened an account with Direct TV. We were very dissatisfied and canceled our service. Then we were charged for something we shouldn't of been and refuse to pay. Keep this in mind, a week after we got our account my brother also got an account. When he called and gave his name and social security number their system kicked it out because he had one digit wrong. So it is suppose to be impossible to get an account if the social does not match the name. July of this year my husband was arrested on an old warrant for obtaining something under someone else's social. Come to find out our account had been in my husband's name but another man's social security number. After days and days of trying to contact someone we finally talked to a woman named Rebecca in their fraud department. She cleared the account of fraudulent activity but refuse to give a letter stating that it would be a liability because they cannot say for sure that my husband didn't do this on purpose. Even though their system is suppose to prevent something like this. If we wanted to obtain an account and make someone else liable for it then why in the world would my husband use his real name. Still have not got anywhere with them for a solution. Any suggestions would be great but the only thing we can think of is to hire a lawyer. Also if you ever get a chance to talk to Rebecca in the fraud department, find a really high bridge and jump off.