I too am a victom of Directv's contract scam. I have been a customer with directv for five years.I called to cancel reciently because of the cost of service for a additional room. I was told that because i've been suce a long and loyal customer they would give me a reciever and instalation for free.Only after installation, when I was presented with a new contract, did I discover the catch! I refused the new contract, so they fired off a email stating that i'm under contract with them anyway!Really?, So I called to dispute, and was told, too bad, the 24 month agreement you signed five years ago states that if you recieve new equiment you will be under contact again.And that if i cancel the service i will be charged a heafty penality to my credit card. This is obvisally a scam.If your thinking about Directv dont! Thier scame artists. Beware.

It is hard to be 65 and try to keep up with protecting my rights and my money. After months of unsoliceted mail, I succumbed and purchaced the whole ball of wax. The fast talking sales person assured me that I would need two receivers for 3 rooms as one would serve for two rooms.The person was also asking me for my SS#, I refused, we got around that. And so, they came, they installed, they left. I have two converters, two rooms. AND if I want the
service in the 3rd room, I must pay not only a monthly rental for the receiver, but 69.95 for installation. I protest, as after receiving email notice that the installation was for two rooms, (not three) I called and was assured that the 3 rooms would be installed. After much negoiation, they have decided to reduce this fee to 19.95. How good of them.
This is another "rope a dope" service, where all the rules are in fine print and if they can confuse you and get your money one dime at a time that is their goal. Beware.

We signed up for Direct TV. We were looking for a better price than what cable was offering. We called on a $29.99 per month special. We agreed to a plan that was 34.99. To make a long story short over 3 months they kept trying to jack up our pricing. The billing was never right and the final straw came when they insisted our monthly payment was $44.99 Month. We filed a complaint with the BBB and the FCC. We returned the boxes to Direct TV and the BBB and FCC did nothing. Direct TV even said there was no value in the complaints on this web site because it is not their web site..?? …We are still getting calls about an early disconnection fee of $180.00. We felt we did not owe them anything we would have kept Direct TV had they honored their original selling price of 34.99 a month. We feel this company did the Bait and switch routine. File your complaint with the BBB and the FCC and let’s get this company to do business the right way. What a scam.

I've been a customer for 5 years and recently moved to a new house and called and made appointment to have installer come out and install at new home well took a day off work to be here and the guy never showed. when I called to inquire as to where my installer was there was a message on the account that he had called from outside and since I had not answered he left. was it unreasonable to maybe knock on my door? I called again and asked if I could please have someone come by today and do the install and guess what? no show again their attitude sucks and I do not feel like they value their customers so I am switching to someone else now

I begin Direct TV service in June 2008, I should have ended my contract before it started; however, I ignored the signs and had the service installed.

The installation effort was a joke, it took three visits before a tech showed up with a ladder tall enough to reach the roof (16 feet). Go figure, it takes a real rocket scientist to understand you will need a ladder to install a satellite dish! The tech that showed up with a ladder was too big to enter the attic crawl space and fish the satellite wiring to the outside of the house; the building contractor tied off the satellite wiring on a roof support.

Too prevent yet another waiting period, I crawled into the attic and feed the satellite wiring to the technician. This is June in Florida so it was at least 110 degrees in the attic. After more than an hour of effort in the attic, I find out this tech is afraid of heights and was having an extremely difficult time trying to reach for the wiring as I was pushing it out of the roof eaves. Needless to say, I was not feeling any love for Direct TV as I crawled out of the attic soaking wet with sweat and itching from the insulation.
After the attic escapade, we know move into the house where the technician mangle the wiring in my structured wiring panel, leaves, the panel cover off, and the connection faceplate off in the family room. But hey! I have a nice HD satellite signal and picture on my TV!

With the installation drama over, I settle down to view a really nice HD display; however, it is only a day or two in I realize I cannot order PPV or TV on demand from my receiver. When doing so, the movie purchased displays with a large error 771 message in the lower right hand corner. I contact service and support and after nearly an hour with several different support agents and multiple receiver resets, I am informed that the PPV and on Demand features require a phone line connected to the receiver, I have only a broadband internet connection.

I was informed that broadband only should work, but they are having some technical issues with this configuration. I am told Direct TV is working on the issue and to try again later. I requested a case number and a notification when the issue was resolved. I was informed that I must call Direct TV back or simply keep trying the PPV until it works. Now this is customer service at its worst!
Over the next 18 months I make four additional attempts with customer support to resolve the PPV and TV on Demand issue with no luck; although Direct TV informs me the service should work with a broadband only connection. I estimate I invested 8 miserable hours of my time between the installation (in the attic) effort and troubleshooting (with uninformed robotic script feed customer service reps) thereafter to use a service promised, but never fully delivered.

In December of 2009 I call Direct TV to cancel my service as they were not able to deliver the services as per contract. It is at this time they request they send a technician out to resolve the issue. I informed them that I requested this level of support months ago and was informed that it would be a charge. I responded with a kind no thank you, as I had all of the Direct TV experience that I will ever desire in a life-time. I also explained my experience from day one install to the numerous attempts to have the PPV/On Demand issue corrected. I requested that they pass this to someone in the hopes that future customers would not have to experience what I had.

After canceling my contract Direct TV charged me with 170.00 cancellation fees, which against my better judgment paid, just to get Direct TV OUT OF MY LIFE! However, approximately three weeks after I turned in the receivers, I was presented with another charge of 41. 82! I called to find out what the charges were for. This was the final straw! Come to find out the receiver never communicated back to Direct TV the PPV/On Demand request made. These were the movies that ran with the large error 771 in the bottom right corner! None of these were ever watched because of the error message.

Explaining this to the Direct TV agent I called basically feel on deaf ears! I sent the bill back to Direct TV with a lengthily letter explaining the issue in detail. This morning 2/27/10, I find a charge in my checking from Direct TV for 41.82! I will certainly dispute the charge with my bank and will now join the campaign to inform everyone I can by all means available how poor of service Direct TV provides and their near criminal business practices.

Jules Walker
[email protected]