I called DirecTV in October 2007 because they were charging me a $4.99 fee for a service plan on my receiver which I never signed up for or authorized. They had been charging me this fee since December (they just added it to my account). I get my bill automatically deducted each month so I wasn't opening my statement (which I agree was stupid). They originally told me that they could only credit up two months but then when I pressed the issue to the point of mentioning who knows how many peoples accounts they have added this fee to they decided to go ahead and credit the entire amount. I had already been thinking about switching to AT&T so when this happened I decided to make the switch when my contract was up. I asked the representative to see when my contract was up and the representative told me December 11th. The representative even notated on my account that this conversation took place. So I signed up for AT&T to be installed December 6th and planned to cancel my DirecTV account on/around the 11th. When I called to cancel they told that there would be a $67.01 fee because my contract was not up until 2008. The representative did not say that it would not be up for another year and a half or 2008 at any point. When I asked to speak to a supervisor it was greatly discouraged and they kept telling me that there was nobody I could speak to that could do anything to help me. The final person I talked to regarding this issue told me that it doesn't matter what the representative told me it was my responsibility to know when my contract was up. Originally I was not trying to get out of my contract but just get through it. I took the steps to call and find out when my contract was up but even though they gave me the wrong information DirecTV still would not only not let me out of my contract but would not even meet me partial way to come to a compromise because of the miscommunication. The supervisor actually told me because they had credited my account for the $4.99 fee that they had already done enough for me (this is the same fee they never should have charged me) and there was nothing else he could do. So I set my account up for cancellation and paid the cancellation fee.

DirecTV then sent me two boxes in the mail to mail my receivers back. The boxes did not come with any due by date and my statement did not have a due by date on it. So after a month DirecTV charged a $319.35 fee to my Visa card. I wasn't overly upset about this because it had been a month. So I called DirecTV to make sure that when I sent the boxes back I would see the credit to my card and the woman assured me that I could still return them and get my money back. I sent them back to DirecTv on 1-29-8. I did not see a credit to my visa card as of 2-5-08 so I called to make sure that they had received them. The representative said they had and that they credited my direcTV account. I asked her why they would credit my DirecTV account when I had closed it and why the money didn't go back onto the card they had charged. She said that it always goes back to the account but I could request to have a check sent to me but it would take 6-8 weeks. Now this makes me mad they can charge my card without any warning but they can't put the money back onto my card that they charged. This does not make sense to me. This seems like a very wrong business practice and they should be required to return the money however it was taken out. She told me that there was nothing that she could do. So I asked to speak to a Supervisor again. I waited on hold for about 10 minutes (which isn't that bad, could have been worse) and then she came back on and said they could do a Urgent Refund Request which would credit the money back to my card but could take up to 8 days. I told her that was fine and to go ahead and process the request.

I am submitting this letter because everything is extremely shady with this company from charging my account with out approval, to not standing behind what their representatives, and then telling me there is not way to put the money back on my card and then coming back with this Urgent Refund Request. DirecTv should be investigated for how many accounts they have added that fee to without approval.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerly,
Kristen Eppler.

Find me a DirecTV installer whose paycheck hasn't randomly been butchered (aka, "charged back") without any explanation and I'll show you a phantom. THEY DON"T EXIST! Imagine working 7 days a week sometimes 16 hours a day (because folks will obviously DIE it they don't have TV and will take their complaint to the highest level if someone isn't at their house at 9:00 p.m. - cuz that's the only time they can be home ... EVER); your work is labor intensive (installers MUST have a 40' ladder) and potentially life-threatening (electrocution, falls from ladders and/or roofs, dog attacks, etc.). After waiting up to four weeks for a paycheck, it arrives with hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars deducted from it. No explanation. No warning. You've just donated three weeks of your time to Rupert Murdoch! How long would you continue working for that company?

Here's what most folks don't know. If you call DirecTV with a complaint or question about your programming, billing/charges, equipment, etc., things completely unrelated to the actual installation, they charge back the installer. These charges are completely random, ranging anywhere from $75 to $150 or more. If you cancel your service before the contract expires, guess who they charge? They charge you for early termination AND the installer. DirecTV has certainly devised the perfect profit plan!

And you wonder why there seems to be a shortage of qualified technicians/installers. Only a complete moron would continue to work for a company that may or may not pay them. And to all the crazy customers out there (you know who you are)... when your installer is finishing up your custom installation (which, by the way, the DirecTV sales rep assured would be performed completely free of charge) that took over three hours and now he's late for his next scheduled appointment, just remember this... you got if for free and he did it for free.

I signed up for DirecTv in August of 2006. I was told on the phone that I would have a one year contract and that I would own all of the equipment at the end of the contract. I have had their "works when it wants" service for one year and 5 months, and I still don't own the receivers. I called DirecTV and they told me that I received a copy of the contract, with my first bill, stating that the receivers are lease only, and I never received anything but the bill every month. I was also informed that I have an 18 month agreement, not a year, like I was told when I ordered the service. My 18 month contract should be up this month, but according to DirecTV, it's not up until April, because I added another receiver, which I owned. According to them, adding a receiver that I owned, was upgrading. I was told that if I wanted to keep the receivers, that I have had for almost a year and a half, I would have to pay $150.00 for each one. I am also getting charged for a receiver that I got from my mother, which was paid off. I have never received or signed a contract with them, but they claim that I made a verbal contract when I ordered the service. I have contacted them, and I received an e-mail back pretty much telling me too bad and deal with it. I was told that just before I got my service in August 2006, they changed their policy and made it so that you could only lease the receivers. You could own them, only if you paid $150.00 per receiver. I called them two days ago and all of a sudden their policy changed back to owning and not leasing. So, for a just a year, you had to either lease them or pay for them. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau and my attorney regarding the matter. I have played my last game with DirecTV. All of their employees are incompetent, including the supervisors. I am telling everyone that I know not to take Directv. Their service sucks, when it actually comes in. If my husband farts too loud, I get a black screen on the TV. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!! I don't understand why there isn't a class action suit against them. If there was, I would be in on it, in a heartbeat.

DirecTV through AT&T Home Entertainment in my apartment complex has not been upgraded, so I have no options to get HD Programming. AT&T Home Entertainment and DirecTV cannot tell me when the system in the apartment complex will be upgraded to allow HD programming and my complex only has a contract with DirecTV, so Comcast cannot provide service to the complex. I thought new legislation was supposed to allow me to choose my cable TV provider in apartment complex, but DirecTV is the only option and they cannot tell me or the complex manager when the system will be upgraded. My apartment complex's owner is suing AT&T HE / DirecTV for not upgrading the system because they are losing business because people won't move into an apartment that does not allow any options for HDTV. Some units that have balconies facing south can choose another satellite carrier for HDTV, but other units such as mine can only get cable TV through the system in the apartment complex that DirecTV and AT&T Home Entertainment operate. I am frustrated to say the least. Wish I could get Comcast.

Direct Technologies in Dallas, NC contracts for Directv and they refuse to pay me the $3000.00 owed to me for working for them. The owners Jessica Long told me I was getting my money back in October 2007 and Stacy Long her husband will not pay me. He has a criminal record for being a thief. If I had known this when I was hired then I would not have worked there. This is a low life scum bag company. Please avoid them totally. They will rip you off!!!