We ordered Direct TV service in late December. The first installation appointment they could give us was January 19, 2009. On that day, installation day, after during the previous week receiving no less than 2 emails confirming the installation, Direct TV called and left a voicemail on our answering machine that they would not be able to come out because they didn't even have installation crews in Washington State. Now, I ask you, why would they schedule an installation for a day that they didn't even have a crew? Because we had much work to do to removed old unwanted wiring and were planning on doing this at the same time as the installation, we had both taken the day off at a cost to us of $400 plus dollars. We called Direct TV and arranged another date of February 8, 2009. We were told at that time that we would be given a $100 missed appointment credit. The installer showed up with the wrong equipment. He spoke very little English and communication was very difficult. After explaining to him that we had ordered HD DVR's not just standard, his comment (rude) was 'What do you want me to do about it?' He said we should just continue with the installation and sort it out the following week as it was Sunday. We decided not to do that and called Direct TV immediately. The customer service person that I spoke with said that it was good that I called, because had I signed his form when he left, I was signing indicating that I was happy and what was installed was what I ordered. She sugessted that I stop the installation. At this point, because he had already torn out my Dish Network system, dish & wiring, I told her that I would be without television until they could get the correct stuff out to me and that this was unacceptable. She put in an escalated complaint, told me to have him finish the install, sign the paperwork and make a note on the paperwork indicating this. I did all this and she then rescheduled me an appointment for March 8, 2009 for another installer from Ironwood Communications to come out with the HD equipment and dish. I asked her about the missed appointment credit from January 19 and she said that she could not honor that because it had not been properly filed and there was a form that should have been filled out. This was never offered. We were just told that it would happen. There was some confusion as to whether or not I wanted to HD DVR's or one on this phone call and because I thought it was going to cost an additional $200, I said one. Then when I figured out she meant $200 total including the $99 I had already paid in December 2008 to get this going, I said, okay then two. She said she couldn't undo this but would make a note on the file that when I purchased a separate HD DVR from an outside source and called to activate it, they would then issue a $100 credit to my account and gave me a confirmation number. So, here we are present day (now 3 months after originally arranging all of this). March 8, I go to work, my husband is home on the couch. I get home from work at 2:00 p.m. (install scheduled for between 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. ). I asked him if he had heard from Direct TV or the installer and he said 'no.' I called to find out what the problem was and they said that the installer had been out and no one was home. MY HUSBAND WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR, but you cannot see our driveway from the house. The installer apparently called the landline phone, but because someone was either on the phone or it was busy, he just indicated we were not home. WE WERE HOME. HE DIDN'T GET OUT OF HIS TRUCK AND WALK TO OUR DOOR. I called on March 8 and spent 3 hours on the phone and had it escalated to 2 different supervisors. Finally the last supervisor told me that today, March 9, someone would call me by 8:30 a.m. to schedule a same day installation. No one called from Ironwood Communications. At 12 p.m. someone from Direct TV did call to find out if the installer had been out. My husband indicated that 'no, no one had been out'. He was told that they would call and find out what the ETA was on the installer but that they could schedule someone to again come out on Monday, March 10. My husband told that person that that was unacceptable because we had to go to work and we should not have to take off yet a 5th day for this. At 2:30 p.m. on March 9, I called Direct TV again and was given to yet another supervisor who said that we had indicated that we wanted the install on March 10 and that someone would be out. Finally, furious, I said to them to send me a box so I could return this equipment. She told me that I would have to pay A CANCELLATION FEE OF $400 because I had agreed to a 24 month service and because I had signed the installers paperwork on February 8, 2009 I was stating that I had recieved what I ordered, regardless of my complaint on that very day! Then she very sunnily informed me that my service agreement of 24 months stood and that I would be billed for $20 per month for the duration of the contract if I wanted me service cancelled. I don't know what else to do. I am not getting what I ordered. I ordered 2 HD DVR's and two standard receivers. I have missed or my husband has missed 4 days of work, I have been on the phone for hours and no one seems to want to make it right and then I find out I can't even cancel!?