Moved into a new home last April, called Directv (unfortunately).Installer came, installed satellite dish (wrong one-not HD), had to go get the correct HD dish. Installed and I signed what I thought was the "work order". Have been so dissatisfied with the service, channels, pricing, etc. Have tried to end contract, am told when I signed "work order" signed a 2 year contract. I would never do that kind of thing knowingly. Will cost stupid dollars to get out of contract. After beng told by local people that they didn't know where I could get a copy of my signed contract and being told they have no information for their corporate office, even though I asked where the customer service people get their payroll checks from (and was told, "I just cash them, I don't look at them"), I then got off the floor and recovered from my laughing fit. I then researched and found the corporate office in Segundo, CA. After 4 hours total time..got through to the corporate office
NOTE THE NUMBER: 310-964-5000. Their address is: 2230 East Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 90245-0956 and the President & Chief Executive Officer is Chase Carey, Executive Vice President is Bruce B. Churchill, Executive Vice President of Legal is Larry D. Hunter. On the Board of Directors is a past CEO of Verizon, a Executive Vice President of Freddie Mac, a retired Senior Officer of Citigroup and the Chairman and CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Very interesting for future possible class action suits! I talked with some "executive secretary"..she said they "do not archive the "work order" which is only thing I signed. I asked then how do they know I have anything. She said the installer tells me that the contract and terms are on the back of the work order. I said that never happened, she said well, it did. I said I guess you are telling me that I am lying...She then said, well, "it's also a verbal contract"...I pressed for a hard copy of signed "work order/contract"...was told I can't get one because they don't have it! I ended my conversation because it was obvious they don't know anything at their corporate office either.
HUMMMMM, am thinking, this does make me think a class action suit might be up for the doing. I will not pay to get out of a contract I never signed, they have no "proof of purchase" and I will encourage everyone who might read this to talk to someone at corporate office and tell everyone they know...don't get DIRECTV!
I will give back equipment, they can sue me...or whatever...and I will also pursue legal action.

I've been a loyal DirecTV subscriber for about 6 years. Always the premium package, HD DVR, etc. Never a complaint (other than the fact that it took the techs about 4 trips to get me setup properly). I started subscribing to DirecTV when it seemed that the local cable monopoly started rapidly declining with respect to customer service.

Several years into my patronage (2005) I decided to try the NFL package. It was OK but, by the end of the year, I wasn't really watching it that much so when DirecTV called to try to sign me up again I declined. Fast forward to 2008, we've been looking for ways to cut a few household expenses. As I went through the old bank statements (we have auto-pay for just about all bills) I noticed that my DirecTV bills had gotten as high as $200 / mo. I knew that the premium package cost around 100 bucks. I know there are a bunch of taxes and surcharges, etc but I figured there was no way those fees could be as much as the service itself.

I get on the line with a customer service person to try to figure out whey the bill is so high. He's going through the charges and the last one he mentions is the NFL package. I tell him I don't get the NFL package and he reiterates that I do. I ask him what channel it is on - when I go to that channel there is a message with a number of where to call to subscribe. The guy tells me that I signed up in 2005 (true) and that in 2006 they sent me something saying if I do NOT want to subscribe again in 2006 that I must check a box. They proceeded to charge me for all of 2006, 2007 and 2008! Furthermore, he had the onions to tell me that DirecTV had a "policy" of not refunding NFL package subscribers who had been duped. I, of course, informed him of MY POLICY of not letting anyone steal my money. And MY POLICY is the only one that matters. Several more calls, several more supervisors (some of whom were idiots and some of whom were appauled by the story but who claimed to be powerless to do anything).

First, and most obvious, you don't sell a service by telling someone that they have to say "no" to avoid it. You can GIVE me whatever service you want - but you only have the right to get paid for the ones that I ask for.

Second, I had trusted DirecTV enough to put them on my auto-pay list. No paper bills, save the environment, etc etc. It just goes to my bank account and I hit "pay" each month for all of my bills. So DirecTV can pull this shenanigans on just about anybody that uses modern banking and doesn't keep a close eye on the bill from month to month.

After demanding my money back (almost $800!!!) I stopped paying them my monthly bills. Everytime someone called my house about payment I wouldn't let them get their scriped questions out - I just asked them about the status of my refund. They always get off the phone perplexed.

Well, they just shut off the service. So I've talked to my best friend who is an attorney and he said this will be a no-brainer lawsuit. He said that, if I am lucky, they will also report me to the credit bureaus (which will appear malicious to a judge) and will make my suit too large for small claims court. So, a little longer to wait but more hassle and money for DirecTV to pay.

It just stuns me that this company would take a long-time, loyal, premium customer and treat them this way. Not only have they lost my revenue stream forever, there are going to pay legal bills (theirs and mine) and have me bad-mouthing that company forever. By the time this is all said and done I'll bet this little stunt costs them $75, 000 of undiscounted cashflow. Maybe a drop in the ocean to them but so stupid. So stupid.

In the meantime, I have offered DirecTV to be part of my prayer of the month club. With the economy being down I figured some companies might like people to say a prayer on their behalf. The price is a little steep ($10, 000 subscription per year) but if they feel they don't need the service they can always write me a letter telling me that they explicitly DO NOT WANT to subscribe. Until I get that communication from them I can only assume that they want to join the prayer network. My policy is to enforce all debts on firms that do not affirmatively decline membership. That seems fair, right? At least THEY think so...

If your looking for a Satellite or cable provider stay way from Directv. I have them for one reason and one reason only and that is the NFL Ticket. The day another provider carries this packages you can find my Directv satellite on the nearest interstate!

Today I find out I no longer have ESPN2 in HD in the package that I currently order even though I've had this in HD for over a year! After speaking with numerous people I was told that the it was removed because of the lack of viewing ESPN2HD by all the viewers who order this package. So basically they decide what you can or can not watch and can change it at anytime they want to. It really doesn't matter what you initially sign up for and what you pay for.

I have had Directv since they came about and I have had nothing but issues with them. When you call you get transfered to person after person and spend hours on the phone only to find out there is nothing they can do. When you ask them who is in charge of Directtv and how can you contact them, they don't know and just give you to their supervisor. The supervisor is of no helpand won't tell you who's in charge either. Oh and try calling back and speaking to the same person you just spoke to. NOT A CHANCE IN HELL!!!

I have had techs out to my house time and time again from my dish falling off the roof, to the HD DVR receiver having to be replaced and losing everything I had recorded, or to figure out why I'm watching the cartoon network when I'm supposed to be watching ESPN.

Directv could care less about you. I have 8 receivers and I subscribe to the most expensive package they have. They have no loyalty to the customers that have been witn them forever. When I went from 4 receivers to 8, They want to charge me for each new receiver. If I was a new customer I would have gotten all those receivers for free!! They offer these great deals for new customers but offer NOTHING in return to customers that have been with them since day one!! I have 1 receiver in my house that is so old that the techs don't even know what to do with it. Instead of upgrading my receiver as the technology advances as a good company should do, they are forcing me to purchase a new one for $70.

Bottom line is Directv only exists because they have the exclusive rights to the NFL Ticket. If other providers were to offer that package directv would go under. It is the ONLY reason why I put myself through this. If you don't believe me, research it for yourself and you will see I am not the only one who feels like this.

So basically I'm screwed and Directv could care less. I expect no response from Directv just like all the other e-mails and letters that I have sent in the past. Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY FROM DIRECTV!!!

Long story short... we decided to switch to direct tv and try to cut our bills back each month. Boy were we wrong!! First they installed the incorrect equipment, we called two separate occasions to try to get this fixed (since they sub contact the installation process)and they have no record of either my husband or I calling to get this fixed. So by the third attempt to get this fix, (only 2 days have past) they wanted us to pay extra to get the correct equipment installed. So my husband asked if we canceled today would we get charged a cancellation fee. The supervisor said NO. So we canceled the account. We sent the equipment back to direct tv. Well.. 5 days later direct tv takes $460 out of our checking account. This is 9 days before x-mas. Needless to say that was our christmas money for the kids. I called direct tv and they stated that the account will get credited the $460 and the money will get put back on our debit card within 8 days. It has been 3 weeks and still no money back, so I called to get the status of the refund and now they are telling me it takes 6-8 weeks to get our money back. I talked to a supervisor and said that the last supervisor stated that it would be 8 days, she said well they gave you wrong information. I stated that, that has been the case for the past month and I just want my money back. She said there is nothing else she can do.

I've caught directv numerous times overcharging me, doublecharging me for pay per view, and pretty much lying to me about my account activity and the steps they were taking to make corrections.

Their customer service is horrible, unless you tell them you want to cancel. Then (and I have nothing against people with accents) talk to someone you can understand, and they promise you the world, only to find out you have to babysit your dtv account and credit card account to make sure they (and they almost never get it right on the first call) do what they say they're going to do.

Recently, I charged $55 for a payper view even in HD to my debit card. I had people over for a party, then the screen says "technical difficulties" (which I understand can happen). So, I call them up, explain to them (they should already know about their own technical difficulties) I couldn't watch what I already have been charged for. So they said they fixed it and gave me a $10 credit on my account for the "inconvenience". Long story short, I end up paying $110 plus tax for something I had to watch alone the next day. Of course the time spent on the phone should be considered.

When I log into dtv, and I want to email them regarding this type of thing, I have to enter my personal info from scratch in the email form. The subject selections for the email are too general, so you wonder where the email is going. So either way, you're wasting your time calling, or emailing them.

Yes, I am a VERY unsatisfied customer of dtv for over 5 years, and it's getting to the point where I will go with cable, or dishnetwork.

My .02 about this company.