I called direct tv and ordered a four room installation with one of the receivers to be HD. We got the total choice package. She said we would get free Show time and free Hd for the term of our one year contract. So I asked her what my total bill would be each month. She said 49.99. Then I asked her again "you mean my total bill every moth would be 49.99?" She said yes plus whatever tax, about 1 or 2 dollars more and you will have to give us a credit card # and a 99.00 charge for installation would be charged, but you will get refunded for that. Ok great, sign me up. It took three months to get my 99.00 refunded and I was being charged for three extra receivers at 4.99 each which put me at about 71.00 a month. After hours of talking with someone they waived 2 of the receiver charges and I agreed to pay for one. Now my bill is 56.00. So about three months ago my bills stopped coming to the house and they called and said they were going to interrupt my service. They said the bills were being sent to my e-mail. I never authorized e mail billing. So I checked but most of the bills were being thrown into my spam folder. My contract was to be up on jan27 2008 so i called today to cancel after that and they tell me I have a two year contract because I got an HD receiver. They said I would have to pay an early cancellation fee (a couple of hundred dollars. Nope I said I wont pay it. Check your quality assurance tape that you recorded on jan 25 2007 and you will clearly hear your rep telling me I had a one year contract. I hooked up a great antenna and am now getting 14 channels of HD that blows away satellite HD and the best thing is its free. Feb 2008 is the deadline for broadcast networks to stop analog broadcasting. Every thing will be in digital. I getting NBC CBS ABC FOX the CW channel and many public broadcasting channels for free. No more satellite bills. Their programming has really gotten crappy any way.

I hope someone at Direct TV who is responsible for customer service and for contracting out service calls reads this. I have NEVER had so much trouble getting something done as I have had this past 2 weeks, since I started with this service. I began by buying a TV at BEST BUY and signing up with Direct TV. Installation was on 12/19 and it was satisfactory.

The very next day, the HD DVR began constantly blinking out and resetting, and this went on for 2 days. I called for service and an appointment was made for 12/22. I waited and the tech never showed. I called to find out what happened and was told that the appointment was canceled because I was not home! When did he come?, I asked. It doesn't say, was the response. There was no notice of a visit left at my home. I was home the whole time and no one rang my doorbell.

I rescheduled for 12/27 and by this time, the HD DVR box is dead. Nothing. I awaited during the scheduled time, 4-8pm, and even called DirecTech to verify that someone was coming and was told yes, he should be there around 7pm.

At 8:50 pm, I called and was told that the appointment was canceled. Why? I asked. No reason, was the response. I became livid as I realized that I had no hd service to my brand new home theater setup and I was realizing that it wasn't going to be easy to get it. In fact, I still had no idea how difficult it was to become.

I assured the phone rep that I was very unhappy and that I wished to speak to someone who could get me service first thing Monday am. He told me that there was no one who could do that. I had to wait until 1/2 between 4 and 8 pm to get service. I asked how was I to know that someone was going to show. He said that he guaranteed that someone would be there. Make the appointment, I said. (It should be noted here that the only reason I went and got all this stuff was so that I could watch all the great College Bowl games coming up this past week in High Definition Digital Direct TV! Maybe next year.)

One hour ago, I called DirecTech Southwest to verify that my appointment for tomorrow was still good. The girl told me that the appointment had been canceled. Why?, I asked. No reason, she said. Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on with this outfit? I am ready to take anything that says DirectTv on it and blow it up. I called Direct TV back and talked to *****. He said he was assigning my "case" to someone who can get things done. First thing tomorrow that person will call me and take a personal interest in my case and resolve the issues which are deemed unacceptable by DirectTV.

If they are unacceptable, why are they happening? Is there anyone in charge over there? Who is getting paid to ensure that customers are getting the service they are willing to pay for? I don't want my a** kissed. I want some HD service for my new TV and I'm not getting it. To sum up, I am not getting HD service, for which I have ALREADY received a bill. I have scheduled THREE appointments and ALL THREE have been canceled for no apparent reason and I was NOT NOTIFIED. I have been shuffled from phone person to phone person with no resolution and no reason to believe that this will be resolved anytime within the next week. I would recommend to anyone reading this who is considering subscribing to this service to seriously reconsider. If I had known any of this going in, I would have stuck with COMCAST.

BTW, I did do troubleshooting on the thing, like resetting and unplugging and checking and rearranging wiring. I call DirecTV tech support and was told by a lady there that the problem was with my TV! Thanks a lot!

A few months ago, I switched from cable to DirectTV and signed a 1 year contract. However, a little over a month I became a subscriber, my landlord ordered all tenants with DirectTV to removed dish from roof. He said that DirectTV is fully aware that they needed to ask me for an authorization from him before installing the dish. Since I had never had satellite before, I didn't know about this letter. So, I canceled with DirectTV and told them that I would not pay early termination fee since I didn't chose to terminate service, but was rather forced to do so because of their treachery. On 9/4/07, I called DirectTV to inquire about pre-paid boxes which they kept sending to my home address instead of my job address as I requested at keast 3 times and were returned, the rep. informed me that I owed them $83.28 and they were going to refer me to collection. So I thought it pertained to unpaid bill and gave him my credit card info not wanting to mess up my credit which I've so much to maintain in good standard, including my retirement funds. But then, I realized I had paid final bill in May and had unsubscribed prior to that, therefore, I shouldn't owe them. When I questioned the rep., he told me charge was for early termination fee. I've been trying to get my money back since then, but with no success. They are even blaming me for not having the letter. I want to know how was I supposed to inquire about something I had no clue was required. Because of this, my blood pressure is now sky high and I can't either sleep or eat. I feel I am on the verge of a breakdown.

Beware people!

When we left Comcast, the service rep said "You'll be back within 6 months." And was he ever right. There were several items promised when we ordered the service that have not been delivered. I have really been lied to about what has been mailed, provided on a bill etc. and none of it has come to pass. The last issue was that we were going to receive a coupon book of 12 certificates for 12 free pay per view moves. I have called 6 phone numbers and the last rep told me to call a number that "is no longer in service." The switch was not worth all of the headaches.

Direct TV has been calling our phone number which was assigned to us as of April 2006 trying to collect a debt from a gentleman with the last name of Kline who apparently owes them money and had our phone number previously. The last call was this morning at about 8:30 .

We are a customer of Direct TV and have even threatened to switch companies if they don't stop. The calls stop for as long as a month then start up again. We get both the automated calls leaving a number to call and calls from individuals in the collection department.

How and where can we file a formal complaint to whatever agency governs this activity? We pay our bills and are not personally in their "collections data base".