I wish I would have found this information earlier! Before I ever became their customer would have been ideal, but even a couple of months ago would have helped me...

I also am a victim of what I perceive to be not only unethical, but criminal, business practices, evidently performed numerous times to numerous people. I can't imagine how many others out their have also been 'ripped off' by directv.

I join the many here who have had their bank accounts wiped out for reasons unaware of until after the fact. For me, it has left me with such an extreme case of financial hardship I am in danger of now losing my home. It only takes one event like this when your income is so limited in the first place to completely leave you destitute.

I also had one of those guys who installed my dish during the winter months and when spring came I lost all signals (just as my installation guarantee expired!), and directv's response was 'not their problem' unless they could send someone out and I would have to pay for the relocation of the dish. I also had to either continue my monthly subscription or be charged cancellation fees. I wish I'd of taken the latter now, but at the time I paid for 3 months of service I didn't even have! I finally was able to find someone willing (not directv or one of their incompetent sub contracted installers) to move it for me for free.

Since as an individual customer you don't really matter to this company, I hope the power in numbers will and maybe we all can be compensated somewhat by bringing attention this unfortunately all too common corporate America way of conducting business.

In July of 2008 we canceled our service with Directv after 10 years. Our equipment was returned and due to billing errors I sent Directv $250.00 dollars that they later reported was not due to them. Directv continues to send us a statement each money letting us know that we are due a refund of $301.80. We have repeatedly called Directv trying to get our money back. We are assured that they will be sending our refund but it is now January 2009 and we still don't have our money back.There is no reason why Directv should hold my money for 6 months.

A representative from American Satellite Company explained that Dish and Direct were now working in conjunction with each other but if I signed with him, I would be treated as a new customer and therefore eligible for the package deals only available to new customers. I was quoted $34.99 and because of that, I agreed to switch to Directv. I was told that the total price would be $34.99 for 12 months which would revert to the normal price after that time. I was NEVER told that I would be stuck with this for 24 months and it is written nowhere on the paper I signed. It was NOT mentioned that there was an extra charge for the 2nd receiver. It was NOT mentioned that there was an extra charge for the DVR because it was included. My first bill arrived for $81.19. This is more than double what I was quoted. I tried many times to contact the American Satellite Company but they are unwilling to return my calls. I finally DID manage to get a person once but I was told that they don't deal with billing so I'd have to work this out with Directv myself. I called and e-mailed Directv and was met with stock answers of "this is our price" etc. It was almost a "bait and switch" technique that was used to sign me up, but that is child's play compared to being told the outright lies that I was fed. Had I been told the actual price, I wouldn't have switched.

I want nothing more than to be rid of Directv as my carrier. I signed no agreement saying that I would stay for any period of time nor did I agree to pay $460 if I decided that Directv was not for me. A contract indicates that there was "a meeting of the minds". This is not so here. I agreed to nothing regarding time. I was hoping that Directv would just let me go peacefully and be done with it. But even with a complaint with the BBB, they are unwilling to do anything.

I cannot wait for this 2 year sentence to be over. Their product is inferior to the one I had before, their customer service is a joke and they really do not care if their customers are happy with their product. All in all, Directv is one of the worst companies I've haad the displeasure of dealing with.

I took a day off from work to wait for DirecTV to show up between 8-noon. I received a call at 12:15 stating the installer would be there by 1. He showed at 12:45, asked me which rooms I wanted my two receivers in, and began installation. He drilled into my eaves and put the dish on the house, set up the two receivers, told me that he could not turn them on b/c the installation line was down (this was after making a phone call to someone), told me he has the numbers he needs in order to have my receivers up and running as soon as the installation line is working and left. I was never asked to sign anything nor given any other instruction on how to work anything.
Approx. 8pm that same evening I called DirecTV to inquire about the status of my installation. The customer service rep. told me that the lines were not down that day and he had no idea what happened. He gave me the number of the installer and told me to call to see what happened. I did and of course there was just a recording. An installer complaint was filed by me through the rep from DirecTV. About a half hour later I called DirecTV again to see if there was any way I could start the system myself. This time I spoke with a another rep who had a different story. She said the installer states in his notes that he is still on the premises...she checked further and said that the card was not programmed and that he must have been embarrassed to tell me that. She asked me for the model numbers of the receivers and told me that the standard receiver in the one room was working...oh? Ok, so I was to know that how?
The next day at 9am, I received a phone call from someone who claimed to be the installation people. The woman told me that my service was not up and running b/c I had a hold on my account. I asked what she was talking about and she said I hadn't paid my bill. I asked what bill since I didn't have DirecTV yet !!! She said she could not get my personal information but that's all she knew. I called DirecTV again. This time the rep told me that he would call the installer himself and then let me know what happened. I was put on hold and since I was at work, I couldn't stay on the phone forever to wait. The rep also told me that the installation lines were not down so he didn't understand either.
So one more time I call DirecTV. This time another rep tells me the notes say I cancelled my order. Of course I did not. I said I want to now ! He then said the installation company cancelled my order. He then told me that he will try to get ahold of the installers and that someone will call me when they figure out the problem. OR I could call DirecTV back and have them walk me through some steps that might work.
Meanwhile...my charge card has been charged...

I signed-up with Directv in June/July of 2007, when I begin my service with them. I was inform that I was required to make a DEPOSIT of $200.00, because of my credit score. I simple asked the Customer Service rep if I complete the service contract of one-year, will I get the deposit back. She then inform me that there is a $5.00 credit each month from that deposit that will be credit to my statement each month. So I asked again what every is left from that amount when my contract is up I am entitle to that amount. She told me yeah. Around mid-August of 2008, I call again telling customer service rep that I can not afford this service and to see if they can offer me something less. When I was told that I would be paying around $115 a month for basic cable. I proceed to ask about the beginning deposit I put down, if I was to cancel can I still get my deposit back. I was informed that after the last payment is received and equipment is returned, it will take 6 to 8 weeks to get my money. I was okay with that. So on December 1st, I canceled my account with them, I asked the question again just to make sure they would not change anything from what I was told earlier. The rep then said the same thing that once payment comes out of my checking account and the equipment is returned then I can get my deposit back. I asked if I could use the money that was there to cover partial of the last payment bill. I was informed no. They have to take it out of my checking account and then equipment has to be returned, then refund process starts. So I did what I was told, they took the money out equipment was returned. I received final bill stating that I do not owe anything. So I sent an email to directv and this is what it says" I canceled the service in November or December, they took the last payment out. I would like to know when will my refund of the deposit is going to be sent out. Please email me back with the information." This is what they wrote back to me." Thanks for writing. Let me inform you that under the terms of the DIRECTV Customer Agreement, when your DIRECTV service is canceled all outstanding charges are billed to the method of payment we currently have on file. The Customer Agreement is available online at directv.com/agreements. Please see the “Payment Upon Cancellation" section for more information. Please be note that with the payment of $154.52 on 12/07/08, you are account balance is now at $0. Thank you for your patience, and for giving us the chance to respond to your concerns." Which as you can see above this is the payment upon cancellation states: “You acknowledge that you have provided your credit or debit card account information to us. You understand that you will incur fees and charges as a result of your receipt and use of Service and/or Receiving Equipment, and may incur early cancellation fees and/or equipment non-return fees (as specified in any lease, programming or other service agreement you entered into in connection with obtaining Receiving Equipment). By giving us your credit or debit card account information, you authorize us to apply this method of payment, in accordance with applicable law, to satisfy any and all amounts due upon cancellation. You further acknowledge that you are required to maintain current credit or debit card information with us and agree to notify us whenever there is a change in such information, such as a change in the card number or the expiration date. “This has nothing to due with the amount I am currently asking about. They are stealing money and making it legal.

After I read the email I call Directv to ask about my refund, when I got to a customer service rep I was inform that I do not have a refund coming, the amount that I paid was a fee that is non-refundedable, but a credit that is still on my account that pay $5.00 a month until the money is gone. So now I am looking crazy. So make sure that I am not crazy I ask the rep let me get this right I am paying you guys $5.00 a month for nothing, the rep agreed. I was in amazed now, so I just hung up. I called back a couple of minutes later to speak to a supervisor, when the rep got on the phone they advised me that I still can not get the money back, talking to a supervisor will not change anything I was charged a fee not a deposit. So, I told the rep that I would like to speak to someone in charged, they put me on hold to find one. She came back and told me that the supervisor is on the phone and when she is done she will call me back. So I waited until I got home to call back. This time I am upset. I want to talk to a supervisor so I called back and the rep ask if I am calling back about the deposit. I informed him yes, He told me there is nothing that they can do or the supervisor can do I am not getting it back. So I asked the rep where does it state that at in your contract, he told me that it is a policy that have been the company from the beginning. I informed him that I want something in writing that justify this policy, he informed me that there is nothing in writing that they can give me. So, I asked for a supervisor, it seem as if the customer rep did not want to put a supervisor on the phone, so he comes back with the same story from earlier. That she is on the phone with another clnt and she said she can not do anything. I told the rep that when I called last time they told me the same thing, I do not need him telling her what I want but I would like to do so my self. When she got on they phone, she tells me she can not do any thing, if I have a problem write the payment dispute department. I asked if there is any thing in the contract, the policy, any thing writing that I would be aware of that states that I can not get my money back. She said no there is nothing, but what there is, is me accepting this over phone when I paying the deposit. I need to find a way to get this resolved because if they are doing this to me who else is they doing this to. They have a legal document in invisible ink, that they say will stand in court. If you can please help me because it's just not right.