My DirectTV Nightmare!!!


My name is Dave Conaway and I signed up for DirectTV for the first time 3 months ago after rave reviews from my dad.I was told that my monthly bill would be $49.99 and that I would receive 3 months of Showtime and HBO at no cost.

I got my first bill and it was $85 so I called up DirectTV. They said that the $49.99 was after a online rebate that would take 6-8 weeks to process. So I was pissed but went online and signed up for the rebate.

A couple of weeks went by and no problems until the North Carolina summer storms starting rolling in. I lose the signal at the first threat of rain or the picture pixelates so bad programs are unwatchable. Then the DVR box starts shutting off when I turn on the TV and reboots which takes upwards of 10 to 15 minutes.

So once again I call DirectTV. They tell me they can replace the box at no charge but I will lose all of my recorded programs. So once again I am pissed and forgo having the box replaced until I can watch all of my recorded programs so I can then get a new box.

Then this week I get my bill and DirectTV is charging me like $30 some dollars for HBO and Showtime. I never ordered them. If my 3 months is up of free service fine but don't just start charging me for something I don't want.

At this point I am over the whole damn DirectTV bullshit and feel that not only have they not provided me with the service I was promised and expected but that they have tried to pull one over on me.

So today I call DirectTV and am very nice and professional and tell they guy I want to cancel my service. He is very polite and tries to troubleshoot the situation and save the account but I wasn't having it. Then he proceeds to tell me that DirectTV will be charging me $420 for breaking my contract.

ARE YOU SERIOUS!! DIRECTTV HAS NOT PROVIDED ME WITH THE SERVICE I WAS PAYING FOR AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY THEM $420 FOR NOTHING!!

So I politely ask to speak to his manager. The manager keeps assuring me he can rectify the situation and have a technician come out and fix everything and he would review my bill.I understand that his job is probably retention so I politely explain to him that there is nothing to rectify except the cancellation fee. After 10 minutes of him jabbering I finally say look are you going to remove the cancellation fee or what.

NO was his response.

Well DirectTV beware because if I have to pay ANY cancellation fee I will be screaming from the mountain tops. I will tell everyone I know not to do business with you. I will be filing complaints, writing letters, making phone calls, whatever it takes.Hope the money was worth it.

After moving and transfering my service OF MORE THAN 5 YEARS, Direct TV changed my package of channel selections without notice or authorization leaving us with NO LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS, NO LOCAL NEWS, NO LOCAL SPORTS OR WEATHER! This was done 4 days after installation! We are not happy and this is totally unacceptable. Direct TV refuses to cancel service without us paying a penalty. If Direct TV had held up their end of the deal there would be no need to cancel service.

Very poor service with a even worse attitude. They sell you one package and then change it without notice!

BEWARE, BEWARE, BEWARE!!!

tr

DO NOT! I REPEAT DO NOT sign up with DIRECT TV. We used their service for approximately three years and cancelled our service this past April. Yesterday, August 3, 2009, FOUR months after the cancellation, they billed our credit card 71.00$, for a PPV event that happened TWO YEARS AGO. According to them, they said we never paid for the event. We told them that our bill was always payed on time and there was never any indication that we did not pay for the event. I cannot explain how livid I was and still am. We told them it was unethical, and that we will be contacting the FFC and anybody else who will listen for this flagrant act otherwise known as STEALING!!!. These guys are scum. I will never do business w/ them again. EVER. Buyer beware!!!

Direct TV has a very poor service. I was adviced by Direct TV that there is not a charge for early termination fees because there is no contact or a commitment if I sign up. I just found out today that I can not cancel the service with them until my contact is over. I'm now stuck with them for 24 months. It's not a good business pracetice by misleading the consumers.

In this horrible recesion our family had the choice to eat or have our service cancelled. Of course we chose the latter. Only to find that Direct TV charded the card that I had on file with them back from the begining when they charge you the small fee to begin service. BEWARE they hide this information in the first bill that you receive. You agree by default to allow them to charge any money owed to them to this card. They charged my account 650.00. I am not sure what these charges were for. I assumed it was for the 325.00 I owed for the bill and the early canncelation fee, but I just received another bill for an additional 975.00 which includes a 320.00 early cancellation fee. Of course I am now in the negative in my account because the bank takes the highest amount against your account. I called to see if they at least would spread this amount over a few months and they said "sorry". I feel angry and cheated and most of all duped! I realize that I have to pay my bill but I never would of agreed to this automatic payment. In addition I have no idea as to how much more they are going to bill me. I had to change my debit card # to be assured they would/could not charge it again. I have never had any company ever do this before. Just BEWARE and always read every contract very carefuly and dont forget to read the backs of your bills either!