I suggest everyone who has a problem with Direct TV put in a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, that can be our first start. You can do it on line and put in there address. I did mine tonight, if that doesn't work we need to come together and go a little further. Paying for a contract cancellation that you was not informed about is not right and money does not grow on trees. How can you expect someone to just give you free cakes with the prices of gas. Word of mouth is powerful so let's get it out there, so they can be stopped.

I am a DirecTV customer since Oct. 8, 2007, and I recently moved to a new rental home and brought my service with me. I was under a 12-month obligation with the company, which was the sole provider allowed to my apartment complex. On June 18, 2008, I spoke with a DirecTV representative to notify the company that I was moving to a new home and wanted to transfer my service. I asked if I would be extending my contract if I moved and he said no. He offered for me to get an additional receiver for $19.95 shipping and handling, and I asked if it would extend my service contract. He said no and referred me to the Equipment Lease Addendum page on the company's Web site. The section reads:

PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT. The programming package(s) must be maintained for a period of not less than (a) eighteen (18) consecutive months (for accounts with only standard receiver(s)), or (b) twenty-four (24) consecutive months (for accounts with advanced product(s)/receiver(s) digital video recorder (DVR), high definition receiver (HD) or high definition digital video recorder (HD DVR), including additional DIRECTV receiver(s)). After you have fulfilled your agreement to the required programming package(s), you are not obligated to continue your subscription to DIRECTV programming for any specific duration. Current DIRECTV customers may activate additional receivers with their existing DIRECTV programming package. THIS PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT IS SEPARATE AND DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT YOU MAY HAVE MADE WITH DIRECTV AND IS FULLY ENFORCEABLE UNDER THESE TERMS.

I read that to say I could activate a second receiver without extending my programming commitment. I asked the agent if that was the case, and he cited this portion: After you have fulfilled your agreement to the required programming package(s), you are not obligated to continue your subscription to DIRECTV programming for any specific duration. Current DIRECTV customers may activate additional receivers with their existing DIRECTV programming package.

He said that meant that I as an existing customer could activate an additional receiver without extending the programming package that was contractually bound through Oct. 8, 2008. I then agreed to rent another receiver for $5 extra per month.

When the installer finished activating my new receiver June 28, 2008, he handed me paperwork. I read it and came across the same wording. I asked if I was obligated to another 18 months and said I didn’t want the service if that was the case. He said no and said that section was not applicable because I was an existing customer. He said the terms of my agreement were whatever I was told on the phone by the agent.

On a subsequent call to customer service a month later, I was told by a nice agent named Chico that I was under contract for 18 more months. He transfered me to a resolution specialist named Whitney who said there was no way to verify my claims and I was bound to pay $30 a month for 18 months. Then, she said she’d get a supervisor but instead hung up on me. I called back, and an agent named Billy said I could write to the company or pay a $360 cancellation fee.

It seems to me that I should not be obligated to a commitment that I was twice told didn’t apply to existing customers. I specifically asked two employees, and they both said the additional receiver did not extend the terms of my agreement with the company. Verbal agreements are also binding, and it is their responsibility to make sure their employees know and explain policies.

I either have to pay a $360 cancellation fee or 18 months of $30 service ($540).

Here's my story, I've been a Direct TV customer for a little over a year and signed a 1 year contract. I was told by one of their representatives that I was already paying for HD TV channels so I should get a receiver since I have an HD TV. So I go to a local Best Buy and grab a new HD receiver, paid around $80.00 for it. (this is a LEASED piece of equipment that you don’t own but you still have to pay for it, and return it or they'll charge you again)

They TRIPPLED our monthly bill so we decided that we'd had enough and cancelled our subscription. We were past our subscription so we thought we wouldn't get charged. The next month we find that our checking account was negative over $200.00. When we checked our account we saw that Direct TV charged our checking account $355.92 with out prior authorization. We received no bill or notice about this. We were paying by check each month so it wasn't even an auto pay, but after calling and speaking to a manager he stated that when you first sign up for Direct TV you have to give them a credit card or checking account (for billing purposes) for this very reason and we renewed our subscription when we purchased (leased) the new equipment. He used the scenario that Cell phone companies give you a discount on their phones when you renew your subscriptions. I told him yeah but you own the equipment, with Direct TV you have to pay for equipment you don't own and still have to renew your subscription and return the item you paid for or they'll charge you again. My argument went nowhere and they'll never get any of my business or anyone I know ever again. I'm still filing a dispute through my bank.

I have been a Direct TV customer for one year, providing my 74-year-old father with Russian television since he cannot speak English and is alone at home practically all day. A few weeks ago, I moved, and called them on FRIDAY to tell them to activate service on MONDAY at my new apartment. And what do you think happens???? NOTHING!! So I call them on Tuesday to ask them what went wrong. And they say that my move has been "cancelled". OK... so anyway, when the technician finally comes, he says the southwest corner of my apartment building is apparently blocked, so the dish can't be installed. At this point, I'm just like "ok whatever, I'm through with Direct TV anyway!!! “ But the last straw was when the Direct TV costumer service tells me that I have to pay a cancellation fee of $112!!!

And now I'm looking at all of these complaints about Direct TV, and just, OMG!!! How are they getting away with all of this? Seriously, some one has to stop these guys.

While a monthly service payment for DirecTV service is due PRIOR to the actual billing period being over, when canceling services, a customer will have to wait six to eight weeks for a refund of any credit balance in the account.