Here is my story.
A few months ago I was shopping around for a different cable company. I had seen there were a lot of specials that DirecTV had been advertising, so I decided to contact them and ask about their specials. I called DirecTV and a customer sales rep was on the phone with me, and he told me I would not get local channels with the package I was thinking about ordering. I asked specifically, "What are local channels? If they are the local news channels from the station down the street reporting on just the local stuff around my community, then I don't need them." I specifically asked the sales representative if I would be getting NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox. The representative told me that I would be getting those channels for sure and that the only difference is that I would be getting ABC West and ABC East, for all the major networks. He explained that they would be coming in on two different feeds. "Big deal," I said, "but as long as I get those channels, then I am all for signing up." But I wanted to clarify the rumor that I had heard from someone else that they did not get the major network channels. He told me that you get the major network channels, just not the local channels. Well, I do not watch much local programming anyway.
I signed up, and two days later they came out and hooked up a satellite to the corner of my house. I then cancelled my old cable provider. I waited around the house for four hours while they hooked it up and drilled extra holes in my sheet rock, since they had to install some different type of hookup.
The next day I was surfing the channels and could not find the playoff sports game that was supposed to be on NBC. That was because I did not have NBC. I was not getting the major network channels that were specifically promised to me by the DirecTV sales rep. I was already into $120 for the installation. I immediately called DirecTV customer service because this was impossible. I explained exactly what I have just told you to the customer representative. She told me that I could not get those main channels in my area, and that I could get them but I have to apply for them, and that it takes 30-90 days for some people to find out if I can get them or not, and I may or may not get them. "That is ridiculous," I told her. I specifically asked the sales rep before I signed up about this, and he lied to me just to make the sale. She apologized over and over, but there was nothing she could do, so I disconnected my service immediately. She told me to contact DirecTV customer support through e-mail to see if I could get my $118 back for installation. I e-mailed them back and forth at least five different times, and all the responses apologized, basically admitting guilt; otherwise why would you apologize? They told me that in order to get my money back I needed to submit something in writing to their billing complaint/support department. I did that and have still heard nothing. I had to box up their receivers and have a FedEx person come to my house and pick them up. The FedEx employee asked me what I thought about Directv. I told her briefly about how they promised me channels and I did not get them, so I cancelled. She told me that they are telling that to everyone in the area to get them to sign up, but they do not let people in our area get major network channels. She said she is getting boxes from people just like me on a daily basis in our area, people who got ripped off just like me and are sending their receivers back to DirecTV. "WOW," I said. I cannot believe that a company this large can get away with ripping off so many people the same way they did to me. There has to be a law against it.
Recently, I received a bill for an additional $278 that DirecTV wants me to pay for my early cancellation fee, bringing the grand total of this ripoff to $396. As of this point that $278 has not been paid, and it is going to have a negative effect because they are now turning it over to a collections department. And I have still heard nothing from them about my written complaint to their billing department.
I have talked to a friend who currently has DirecTV, and he says that they told him the exact same thing, but he just kept it and gets by without the major network channels.
To me, it is obvious that this large company has no integrity and is taking money from common folks in large numbers.
What could I have done differently? I specifically asked them if I was going to get those channels. I was lied to by their representative just so he could make a sale. Obviously, according to the FedEx employee, this is happening all over the area.
Please help. I am writing this hoping that someone out there cares enough that we can prevent innocent people from getting ripped off in the future.
How many people have had $400 stolen from them by this company, just like me?
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