Direct TV fraudulently withdrew $948.04 from my account on November 15, 2010. I did not authorize Direct TV to withdrawal any funds, nor did I have a contract with them, or was receiving services from them at the time they took my money. I originally contacted Direct TV in late April or first of May 2010 in response to an ad received through the mail. At the time the bundle was to be $86 for all the movie channels and the internet and there was no contract, I specifically asked that question and was told no, it was month to month. Upon installation the workers broke the meter box and left two satellite dishes in the yard and left cut wires exposed. I called Direct TV to complain about that, they took my information asked that I send pictures to an address, which I did but have never been credited or contacted regarding the complaint. The electric company had to replace the meter which they destroyed and bill to my account. Additionally when I paid the initial payment of $197.00 I questioned why I was given a price of $86, I was told that my account would be credited the difference. That was never done. I also called to complain that one of the receiver’s boxes was not working and we did not have cable on that TV, this was about a week after services were installed. I was told someone would come out to fix it; the first time that someone did come out was about after 3 or 4 calls later. They fixed the box so some channels would appear, but no less than three days later the same problem still existed and no channels were available. Again I called and was told someone would come out to repair it, they never showed up. I also complained asking that we get credit for the box since we were paying monthly for something that was not working. Again I was told they would credit the account, and again that never did happen, likewise they said they would fix the box, they never did. Furthermore the internet services which were supposed to be part of the bundle was never installed, was told on three occasions that they would be out to set it up, they never showed. There was a rebate as well that was part of the special they were running, although I filed online for the rebate, I was told that it never went through and therefore I would not be receiving a rebate. Each month I was charged $186 for TV only. Each time I called I was told my account would be credited, it never was. Therefore given the shady way business was conducted, the inflated cost and the lack of consistency with Direct TV, I canceled the service in late July/early August 2010. I was told I would need to return the boxes in the return package that would be sent to me. I did not receive a return package until November 16, 2010. At no time were they given authorization to debit my account for any amount. However on November 15, 2010 my account was debited $948.04. I had to go to the bank and file and affidavit to get my money back. My debit card had to be canceled and a new one issued, which I will have to wait 3-5 days to receive. The other bills I have pending will likely cause my account to be overdrawn because of this. At no time was it disclosed to me that they would ever charge my account for any reason, other than when I called in and made a payment over the phone. However, that was not the case when they stole this money from me. They used the credit card information they had on file from previous payments to commit fraud and take my money. Direct TV should not be allowed to take hardworking consumer’s money because they feel like it. I called to complain about this and demand my money back, at first they told me to call the bank because it would be quicker. Then we spoke with Jamal, a supervisor who said he could credit my account for $600.00, and that all of it would be credited to the account if we reconsidered having Direct TV for a service provider. Again this is unacceptable and we demanded that all the funds be returned immediately. The end result after a 1 hour and 20 minute conversation with several different people in customer service, Jamal agreed that the funds would be credited back to my account, but it would take a week or so and again suggested that I contact my financial institute because it would be quicker for them to do credit it. Given the history of deceit displayed by Direct TV it is highly unlikely that they will be crediting my account back. This has been a big hassle; my bank is making me wait while they investigate before they are able to return my money. Meanwhile I still do not have my money and the whole matter is unfair to hardworking honest consumers like myself. I do not have an extra grand to throw away to a company who clearly commits fraud. This should not be allowed!

Copy of e-mail sent to CEO of Direct TV
Dear Mr. Carey,

I am writing to request my early cancellation fee of $107 be waived. I have been a Direct TV customer for 1 year and 7 months. 12 months in to a 24 month contract by bill went up $27 a month. I called and tried to get service for what I paid the first 12 months. The only way to do that was to change my programming package. The new package included mostly kids channels, religious programs and shopping channels. I shortly changed back to my original package and paid the $27 extra each month. Last month I was contacted by Comcast and offered a bundle of internet, phone and television for the same price I was paying for Direct TV. I also did not have to enter in to a contract to get this price and it is guaranteed for 2 years. Being a single mother, I felt I had no choice but to switch. Your CSR were polite and helpful with cancelling my service. I was shocked when I received a bill in the mail for $107. I contacted the CSR and was informed I was being charged the cancellation fee plus tax. Apparently, when I got Direct TV, I had been informed that there is a cancellation fee of $450! Your company informed me that since I cancelled my service fairly close to the end of my contract I was only being charged $20 a month. When I explained to the CSR that I had no idea of these charges, she told me that agreed to them by paying my first bill. I do not agree with these business practices. How do you expect to maintain a good reputation or expect customers to return when you operate like this? I asked your CSR to waive my cancellation fee and she told me she could not. She informed me that if I did not pay the fee by the 26th of November I would be turned over to a collection agency. I am pleading with you to waive this fee for me. I am in no position this close to the holidays to pay your company $100. If you review my account you will see that I was a good customer and always paid my bill on time. I will include a copy of this e-mail on the web site complaintsboard.com and contact the BBB. I realize that, legally, I have no grounds and am at your mercy. I hope you will consider my individual circumstances. You may want to look at the above mentioned web site for ideas on how to improve your customer service. I appreciate your consideration in this matter and will be awaiting your response.

Sincerely,

Shelley X. XXXXXX

I AM DOING THIS FOR MY MOTHER SHE WAS USING DIRECT TV AND COULD NOT PAY FOR ANY MORE AND SHE CANCEL IT AND SENT THE STUFF BACK TO THEM WHEN SHE GOT HER BILL SHE WENT TO THE BANK TO SEE HOW HUCH SHE HAD AND FOUND OUT THAT DIRECT TV WENT IN HER ACCOUNT AND TOOK MONEY OUT WITH OUT HER KNOWN IT THEY DID NOT CALL HER TO LET HER AND THEY DID THIS THREE TIME`S AND SHE DID CALL THEM AND TOLD HER THAT THERE HAD TO GET THERE MONEY WHEN SOME ONE DOES THAT DON`T TRUST THEM THEY WILL TAKE EVERY THING IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT DON`T GIVE YOUR BANK CARD NUMBER OUT ON THE PHONE TO NO ONE MY MOTHER HAS LEARN A LOT BY DOING IT SHE WILL NEVER TRUST ANY ONE ON THE PHONE THAT IT TRYING TO SELL THING I AM DOING THIS FOR MY MOTHER BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT HAVE A COMPUTER

I have called several times about the sound dropping out on my a/v receiver. After having to prove the problem was not on my end, Direct TV opened an engineering ticket. I gave them more information than they needed and I ended the call.
When I called this morning to add additional information to the ticket, I was told that their system did not work like that. They had set out an "email" to engineering and they could not add any additional information. I asked to speak to a supervisor; I was shocked at what I was told on the phone. I waited for a supervisor on the line for over 6 minutes, only to hear a click which we all know to well, I had been disconnected.
Immediately called back and suffered through their IVR system to be placed in queue for 9 minutes before talking to a Technical Support Rep. I asked to immediately talk to a supervisor explaining that I had been disconnected. This representative immediately began to trouble shoot the problem asking me questions, about the ticket, not placing me on hold to get a supervisor. I finally got through to this woman that I had already done everything that she had suggested and that all I wanted to do was place additional information on a trouble ticket with engineering.
When she replied: "well we can't do that.", I kept my composure and again asked to speak to a supervisor, explaining that her response was what had prompted the call in the first place. After another 8 minutes on hold I was placed with a supervisor named Dan. Dan proceeded to listen to me for a few seconds, then interrupted me concerning the ticket process. He explained that the process was what it was, and that hey had told upper management about the problem over and over with no one listening to them. He told me that I would have to just deal with it.
I then asked for a credit because of the entire debacle with their customer service and was told I could receive a $5 credit for 6months. Dan and I argued for several minutes, not once did I hear that he or the company was sorry. What I did hear a lot of was how he was so sorry that I FELT that way. Dan finally had had enough; of my badgering and use of their own customer promise against him, that he said good bye.
Now I am sure ol' Dan thought that I had hung up when he said that, what I did do was place my phone on mute and waited for him to disconnect me. That did not happen and for the next35 minutes I got to listen to Dan and his colleagues BS their way through calls, disconnect calls ON PURPOSE, and show a real lack of respect for any Direct TV Customers!
I finally hung up on my end figuring I had tied up their line enough, at least as much as they had tied up my time. After I hung up, I decided that they only way to get through was to be the squeakiest of wheels. So I called back and asked to have information placed on my account a to how many sound drops had been experienced by me hour by hour. After my second call I was told the only way to fix the problem was to send me a NEW DVR. Which upon talking to ANOTHER supervisor turned out to be false.
So now every hour I watch Direct TV I call, suffer the brain dead IVR, and then suffer the mis-informed tech crew, and with luck get my inconvenience recorded onto their customer service system. I am hoping that at some point they will fire me and I can gt out of their insipid contract, or I will have enough inconvenience proof to get out of the contract for breach on their part. We'll see.
Bottom Line: Direct TV is as bad if not worse than the rest. They have a p.o.s. service culture that does not have to change, they can require a contract. You are nothing more than "$" to them so the less you pay the less likely they are to help you, and if it cannot be solved in a few minutes, they will disconnected your call or ignore you all together. "Direct TV we are not good because we don't have to be!"

3 linda reda November 12, 2010 at 7:02 pm
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This is by far the worst service, and customer service I have ever experienced. DTV has not been able to fix my service no matter how many times I call. I am disconnected. The protection contract is worthless cause even when they do fix the service it doesn’t stay fixed. DTV thinks that no one works for a living and all I have to do is sit around waiting to have someone walk me through the trouble shooting that I have gone through with, all too many times before. Once again out of 3 TV’s in the house I have one that works but the remote doesn’t. This is not rocket science guys….. What really pisses me off is that I can’t get any reduction in my fees when I don’t get the service I am paying for. I will proceed to start, continue, blogs and do whatever including filing FCC and BBB complaints. I recommend that anyone seeing this does not use DTV until they finally get some people that know what they are doing and get some people on the phones that know some basic business etiquite that when they disconnect from you that since they ask you in the beginning what your # is they actually have the brain to call you back. If I ran my business the way you do I would have no clients. Hey and you want to be paid promptly….amazing!
And AT & T I would suggest that you don’t align yourself with this crappy company.
Also there is never a deal for existing customers ---no matter how long you're with them.