We have been a Direct TV customer for 23 months. When we could not get high speed internet from them we decided to go to Comcast. Now Direct is saying I owe them $220 termination fee. I did have a break in service and paid monthly for 23 straight months. Direct is saying because we had to get a new receiver in January 2008 cause that receiver broke they are saying our 18 months would have started again in January 2008. We did not agree to this at the time we got the new receiver nor did any of the customer service representatives bother to let us know.

For all of us that are so pissed with Direct TV. Please contact the law firm named BELT LAW FIRM at 1-888-933-1514 for your Free Consultation or email them at [email protected]. This law firm is currently conducting a class action lawsuit against DIRECT TV. You can visit their website at http://www.class-action-litigation.org/direct-tv.asp.

In October 2008 we signed up for Direct TV service and were told we could cancel the service within 30 days without penalty if we were not satisfied. Unfortunately, we were not satisfied. We did not like the DVR feature but more importantly some of the channels did not broadcast to our televisions with the full screen, unlike Dish.

We cancelled the service within 30 days to avoid the cancellation fees. However, to our surprise we were billed $361.84 for service cancellation. When we called to inquire about this we were told we only have 5 days to cancel service to avoid cancellation fees. During another call we were told we had 15 days to cancel service. We received a different story every time. What we know is that when we signed up we were told we could cancel within 30 days, which we did.

Direct TV then placed the account with a collection agency that reported us to the credit bureaus. I don't like them screwing our credit, but I refuse to pay the liars at Direct TV. We are very happy with Dish.

They claim to be #1 in customer satisfaction? What a joke. The majority of their reps are extremely rude and they talk to you like you work @ Directv and should know what they are talking about? Are you serious? I am sick of them and I am not going to pay to be abused anymore.

This is a lesson in checking your statements closely. I almost paid my bill with an overcharge of $64.59 for premium channels that I have not had since July of 2009. I called billing and you guessed it I had to be transferred to another department&then I would be transferred back to billing for the adjustment? Are you kidding me? No he was serious.

Long story short I was transferred to a "specialist" and she offered me a 1 time inconvenience credit which was less than my overcharge or I could get $20 over the next 6 months? I wanted the 1 time credit because I plan to cancel my service. However, it should not have been called an inconvenience credit because there is no such thing so why call it that? I do not like a play on words or trickery.

I asked for a supervisor because of this reps confusing offers. I spoke with an unpleasant Ashley who told me we were on the same page about the overcharge credit but we weren't. I wanted to talk about the offer of trickery that is apparently how they attempt to keep their customers but I am not stupid and not going to fall for it. After she continued to be rude I asked who her manager was and she told me "nobody is higher than her"? When I inquired on canceling my service she told me "she would be happy to help me with that all she had to do was hit a cancel button".

Now I am pissed. I am shocked at the behavior of a supposed supervisor? I did not say cancel my service I asked about the procedure. They claim to have 1 million new customers in the past year so I guess they do not need me but I have been a loyal customer since 2003 and I have had 6 or 7 defective DVR's in that period. Talk about an inconvenience but I have remained loyal until now.

I do not care that they claim Dish has lost 180, 000 customers. Now they have only lost 179, 999 because I am done with Directv.

We ordered Direct TV on Dec 1st for our new home in Yorktown. The company policy is that we will not be charged for installation until after the install is complete. Installation was scheduled for the 12th. We were charged on the 1st. (Issue 1).
The Direct TV installer arrived late on the 12th. Stated that he had the wrong equipment, but he would install what he had and come back tomorrow to install or replace the correct gear. (Issue 2) After 4 + hours of tracking mud through the house he stated that he was having some issues and customer service needed to speak to me. He also stated he could not burry the cables underground in the front yard because the ground was too hard. (Issue 3) When I got on the phone with customer service, they told me if I accepted the order or let the technician continue today that it would cost an additional $100 for the tech to come back out and give me the correct order. I of course did not agree to this and asked for my options. My options were to ask if the tech could come back tomorrow. He would have to stop work today, or schedule another appointment for install 10days from now. (Issue 4) Being in a new house with 3 children I asked the tech if he could come back tomorrow. He said yes and we agreed on 9am Sunday. The tech showed up about 1045. (Issue 5) Claimed he did not know the local office was closed on Sunday and had to drive to another location to get the correct equipment. I shrugged and he began working. After 2 hours another Direct TV installer showed up. I was never introduced to this new tech. Both men proceeded in and out of the house, tracking mud and dirt. Another 3 hours passed and no TVs were working. I asked the original tech if there was any progress and he said no.(Issue 6) He stated he called Direct TV several times to get a "waiver" but was not granted one. He claimed he did not understand why it was not working but it did not. We agreed that he should pack up and I would call Cox. (Excellent service from Cox by the way.) The tech packed up his gear. Told me I had to speak to customer service again confirming we were closing the order. When he left my phone rang and customer service was on the line asking if I had canceled my service. I said no, you cannot get it to work so the tech packed up and left. I confirmed I would be refunded my installation charged of $93.40 and life moved on.
The next morning I noticed a poll sticking out of the ground about 2 feet high. (Issue 7) I felt this was a clear danger to the children and called Direct TV for assistance. During our 1.5 hour conversation, they informed me the poll was mine to keep as a gift from Direct TV. It was their policy not to remove the poll or dish after installation. I informed them I had no dish, no install was completed and I am calling my insurance agent and local paper to report the dangerous issue. A supervisor was then convinced and sent the same tech out the next morning to remove the poll.
On the 19th, 7 days later, 18 days after being incorrectly charged, I noticed I had not received my credit in my bank account. I called Direct TV. They told me I had service. After several minutes of ensuring them I had no service and no equipment, they stated the order was never canceled and they would do so now. I would receive my credit in a few days.
On the 22nd of December while checking for my credit, I noticed a pending charge from Direct TV of $452.68. (Issue 8) I again called Customer Service. The Agent verified my account was closed and that I have a Zero balance, it was clearly a mistake and I would not be charged. Install credit is still on the way.
On Dec 24th I was charged the $452.68. This put a big damper on buying Christmas presents. It being the Holiday’s I waited till Monday the 28th to call Customer service again. The agent said I was charged this money as a penalty for canceling my service. I spent the next hour reviewing the details that he was reading on my account. He agreed there was a big mistake made and put me on hold. When he returned, he stated there was no one in his center that could authorize the credit due to it being the holidays. I explained to him that this was border line criminal and I need a resolution. Direct TV was now holding over $500 of mine. He said he would escalate to a case manager and they should call me back in two hours. That was 11am. I heard nothing.
9 am today Dec 29th I called and asked to speak to a case manager. The agent was adamant about resolving my issue and again read line by line the notes in my account. She said she had to put me on hold to discuss with her supervisor. When she returned, I was told that my Install credit takes 5 to 7 days. I stated that you read to me the tech called and canceled the order on the 13th, how many days is that? She said, the time does not start until the 19th when I called and reminded them. As for my “cancelation” charge, Direct TV’s process is to review the case which takes 8 to 10 business days from today. I demanded to speak to a supervisor. I was put on hold several more times until a supervisor “Alex” was on the line. She asked was I calling about the $452.68, installation fee. I asked her to take a minute, read the notes in my account and return to the phone when she is empowered to resolve my problem quickly as your hold message states. She put me on hold for at least 10 minutes. When she returned she repeated, like a robot, the same response I got from the agent. I asked to speak to someone higher and I explained this has affected my families Christmas and that I am in no way at fault here. I asked that she use her position and call someone to get this addressed. She repeated the same. I asked what was the 8 to 10 business day review for? She stated is was to determine if the system could not be installed due to line of sight issue or some other technical issue. I asked how that concerns me. She hung up.
I waited 20 mins and called again to Customer Service. Victoria employee ID 428637 answered. I asked, what is the highest level of escalation I can get in her call center? She stated it was the floor supervisor and her supervisor was named Claudia. I asked to be escalated. She politely asked if she could understand the problem. I asked her to read my account info as I was tired of explaining. I got the hold message again. Several minutes later she returned and said the supervisors could not help me as my issue had been escalated and someone would call me in 8 to 10 days. I asked how this was just or helping me. I also asked, to ensure I was clear, if Direct TV was not allowing me to speak to a supervisor. She stated that is correct, they cannot speak to me because the issue had been escalated. How can I file a grievance with an employee, was my next question. I explained that the last supervisor “Alex” was rude, unhelpful and hung up on me. She stated there was no such way to do what I was asking. Then I asked for a copy of the file that the notes were written in. I wanted to be sure I had the correct quotations when I got to the local news agency. She again put me on hold. Returning briefly, she stated she could not give me that, but could give me the tape number of the conversation with the supervisor. I wrote that down. I asked for the address of the President, which she gave to me. I said she was the most helpful of all Direct TV agents I had spoken to. She apologized for the issues and our call ended.
I am still without any credits. Christmas gone and Direct TV may charge me something else, who knows. They seem not to care. They seem to have a take the money first, then figure out if it was owed policy.