Independent profile — not affiliated with DIRECTV

DIRECTV

DIRECTV, LLC sells satellite and streaming pay-TV and, according to AT&T and TPG, has been wholly owned by TPG Capital since July 2, 2025. This page quotes DIRECTV's own cancellation, early termination fee, equipment-return, price-change and arbitration terms (opened October 6, 2026), summarizes the Do Not Call settlements of 2005 and 2009, the 2010 state attorneys general settlements and the FTC advertising case that ended in a voluntary dismissal with prejudice in 2018, and lists BBB, Trustpilot and ComplaintsBoard figures as displayed that day. USAComplaints.com has 4,037 archived posts naming DIRECTV, mostly dated 2007 to 2013.

COMPLAINTS3900
VERIFIED PHONE888-523-1538
LAST CHECKED2026-10-06
Write a Review Jump to complaints ↓
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints

3900 complaints on USAComplaints, including 1 published in the last three years.

EDITORIAL

Complaint Themes

Billing, unexpected or unauthorized charges (keyword match)Cancellation, early termination or contract-term fees (keyword match)Customer service and call-center experience (keyword match)Equipment, installation and service outages (keyword match)Channels, programming and local-station availability (keyword match)Sales calls, promotions or rebates (keyword match)

Each tag reflects a complaint's single primary theme (not every angle it raised), and complaints outside any problem theme — a positive report, or one later retracted by its author — aren't tagged. Counts may total less than the full complaint count above.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBB: 505 reviews, 4185 complaints
ComplaintsBoard: 16 reviews, 2194 reports
Trustpilot: 3180 reviews,
VERIFIED

Contacts

VERIFIED

Locations

TypeAddress
Headquarters2230 E Imperial Hwy El Segundo CA 90245
Mailing addressc/o CT Corporation, 1209 Orange Street Wilmington DE 19801
EDITORIAL

Cancel DIRECTV, early termination fees, equipment returns, billing and disputes: what DIRECTV's own documents say (checked October 6, 2026)

The documents below were opened on October 6, 2026: the DIRECTV Residential Terms of Service (effective August 19, 2026), the Equipment Lease Agreement (effective August 19, 2026), the Fee Schedule (effective June 25, 2026), the “Cancel your DIRECTV service” help page and the Contact us page. They are quoted so you can compare them with what a sales or service representative tells you. Most posts on this site about DIRECTV are dated 2007 to 2013, so many describe older offers and older terms.

Which terms apply. The Terms define three service types: Streaming App Only, Streaming App + Equipment, and Satellite, and many rules differ by type. The DIRECTV legal policy center also still lists a separate U-verse TV Terms of Service (also between the customer and DIRECTV, LLC) and notes that U-verse TV customers give notice by calling 800.288.2020; if you have U-verse TV service, read that document too.

Cancelling. Section 4.a of the Terms says: “Satellite You can call Us at 888.523.1538 and speak to an agent to cancel Your Service. If You are a customer in a state that requires it, such as NY, IL, or CO, You may click to cancel online.” For Streaming App Only it says a customer can chat online at directv.com or call 888.523.1538. DIRECTV's cancel help page lists chat and 800.531.5000 for cancelling, pausing or reviewing the package, and, as displayed on October 6, 2026, says for personalized cancellation: “Call 800.531.5000. If you get your DIRECTV service over the internet (no satellite dish) sign in and select "Cancel service".” Section 4.a of the Terms and the cancel help page therefore describe the online route differently for satellite and internet-delivered service; both are quoted here as DIRECTV's own statements. Section 4.b says: “Your cancellation is effective on the last day of the billing cycle in which You cancel” and “You will not receive a prorated credit or refund for any partial periods or Content You did not watch when Your Service is cancelled, unless prohibited by law.” Keep the date, time and name of the agent, and the confirmation number if one is given.

Cancelling without a fee (as written). Satellite: “You can cancel Your Service at any time prior to the Installation of Your Equipment for any reason. If You do so, You will not be subject to the Early Termination Fee.” and “If You cancel Your Service after the Installation of Your Equipment, You will be charged an Early Termination Fee.” Streaming App + Equipment: “You can cancel Your Service within 14 days of purchase for any reason. You must cancel by 7 PM EST on the 14th day after purchase,” with no Early Termination Fee and a refund of the cost of service. Streaming App Only free trials: the subscription renews unless cancelled before the trial ends.

Early Termination Fee (ETF). Section 4.e says: “The maximum ETF is $480, prorated at $20 per month over 24 months,” with this example: a new customer with a 24-month commitment who cancels after 14 months would owe $200. For existing satellite customers who add or upgrade leased equipment, it says the ETF is $10 per month for each remaining month of the commitment. The Fee Schedule lists “Early Termination Fee Up to $480” and, for Streaming App + Equipment, “Yes for accounts established before 4/13/2025; No for accounts established on or after 4/13/2025.” Section 4.b also says a customer who changes the package may owe an ETF “if You agreed to a Term Commitment or failed to maintain the required programming package.”

Equipment. Section 5 says: “Before returning Equipment to DIRECTV, You must contact DIRECTV to disconnect Your Service or disconnect Equipment.” The Equipment Lease Agreement lists non-return fees per unit (DIRECTV receiver $45, HD receiver $45, Genie Mini $45, GEMINI $120, GEMINI AIR $120, DVR receivers $135) and return windows of 21 days from the cancellation effective date for satellite service and 14 days for streaming service, and gives 855.909.2242 for returns. It says: “Satellite customers: You own Your Receiving Equipment ... Receiving Equipment means the antenna, dish, mounting hardware, cabling into Your home.” The cancel help page says: “Each customer’s account is different. Your cancellation support agent will guide you through what (if anything) you need to return,” and lists: “We’ll prepay your shipping cost via UPS, Fedex, or US Mail,” “All outside equipment including satellite dishes is yours to keep” and “Cords, cables, splitters, switches, etc. are yours to keep.” DIRECTV's support article “Return or recycle your DIRECTV equipment” (read October 6, 2026, leased-equipment view) says there should be a return shipping label in the equipment's original packaging and, if not, an agent can provide a FedEx label; for a warranty replacement it says “No need to return the remote or power cord or HDMI cables.” Because the pages are written for different situations, follow the return instructions DIRECTV gives for your own account. Ask for the return instructions in writing and keep the carrier receipt.

Other fees named in the Fee Schedule (effective June 25, 2026). Regional Sports Fee up to $23.99 per month; TV Access or Lease Fee $7.00 to $10.00 per leased device; Advanced Receiver Service Fee up to $25.00; Activation Fee $49.95; Service Call or Dispatch Fee $99; Late Payment Fee up to $12.00; Returned Payment Fee up to $30; Supplemental Equipment Fee $49.00 per device starting with the fifth device. The schedule says DIRECTV “reserves the right to change, increase, or decrease these fees” and gives 844-265-6021 for questions. Section 7.h of the Terms says: “We have the right to change any of Our pricing, fees, or related charges. We can do this in Our sole discretion,” with notice to the email or mailing address on the account.

Channel changes, blackouts and outages. Section 2.c says: “We have the right to change, add, or remove Our programming packages, their Content, selections, prices, and any Service We offer,” that “In the event of a programming change, You have the right to cancel Your Service,” that DIRECTV “usually” gives 30 days' notice when the change is within its control, and that “If You cancel, then We may charge an Early Termination Fee.” Section 2.d says that for a long interruption within DIRECTV's reasonable control “We may provide a fair adjustment if You ask. This is Your only remedy and Our only responsibility in these cases.” Section 2.f says of sports blackouts: “We do not control blackout restrictions.” If a channel disappears, ask the representative to state in writing whether it is a programming change and whether an ETF applies if you cancel.

Billing questions and disputes. Section 7.e says: “If You have concerns about Your statement, contact Us immediately at www.directv.com/support or call Us at 888.523.1538.” Section 13 requires individual binding arbitration or small claims court, with a class-action and jury-trial waiver (see the FAQ below). Before an arbitration, a written Notice of Dispute must be mailed to “DIRECTV, LLC c/o CT Corporation, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801,” and the Terms give 60 days to try to settle (Section 13.e). That process is separate from a complaint to a government agency.

Outside complaint routes (current pages). The FCC's Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Center (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov, read October 6, 2026) offers “File an informal consumer complaint / Tell your story”; the FCC's phone number is 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322). Its “How the FCC Handles Your Complaint” page says: “The provider is required to respond in writing to the complaint within 30 days of receipt of the complaint.” The FTC's ReportFraud.ftc.gov takes reports about companies and business practices but, the FTC says, “does not resolve individual consumer reports.” Your state attorney general's consumer-protection office and the BBB also accept complaints. Telemarketing calls can be reported to the FTC and the National Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov).

EDITORIAL

Government actions: Do Not Call settlements (2005, 2009), state attorneys general settlements (2010), FTC advertising case (2015 to 2018)

The actions below are summarized from the government releases and court records linked in the source note. They are allegations, settlements or procedural outcomes exactly as those documents describe them; none is a rating of DIRECTV today.

FTC and Department of Justice Do Not Call case (December 2005). The FTC announced on December 13, 2005 that DIRECTV “will pay $5,335,000 to settle FTC charges that, since October 2003, DIRECTV and companies it hired to promote DIRECTV programming have been violating the Do Not Call (DNC) provisions” of the Telemarketing Sales Rule, calling it “the largest civil penalty the FTC has ever announced in a case enforcing any consumer protection law” at that time. The Department of Justice filed the complaint and stipulated settlements in federal court in Los Angeles at the FTC's request; the proposed order barred violations of the Rule and required DIRECTV to terminate marketers it knew or should have known were cold-calling without written authorization, with monitoring requirements. The FTC release describes the settlements as proposed stipulated orders; a later FTC release (2009) calls the result “a 2005 court order.”

FTC Do Not Call case (April 2009). On April 16, 2009 the FTC announced proposed settlements in which DIRECTV agreed to pay $2.31 million for violating the Rule and “a 2005 court order,” based on prerecorded calls its telemarketer InTouch Solutions placed in August and September 2007 to consumers on DIRECTV's own internal Do Not Call list; the telemarketer and its principals agreed to a $115,000 penalty. Comcast settled a separate case for $900,000 in the same release. The FTC release adds that, with the 2005 payment, DIRECTV agreed to pay “a total of more than $7.6 million for Do Not Call violations.”

State attorneys general settlements (December 2010). On December 15, 2010 the Illinois Attorney General announced, with 49 other states and the District of Columbia, a $13.25 million settlement with DIRECTV over how its offers were marketed. The release says the attorneys general received complaints alleging that DIRECTV did not clearly disclose the price and commitment term, enrolled customers in additional contracts (including when replacing defective equipment), did not clearly disclose the automatic renewal of a seasonal sports package, and offered cash back but provided bill credits. Under the settlement DIRECTV had to disclose material terms, replace defective leased equipment free of charge except for shipping, stop requiring a new contract for a simple replacement, and notify customers of a cancellation or equipment fee at least 10 days before charging it, among other terms; the release said eligible consumers with unresolved complaints on file could be considered for refunds. Connecticut's release says DIRECTV “agreed to cease all such practices and comply with consumer protection laws” and would pay the states $13.25 million for legal and other costs. The same day Washington's attorney general, who the office says was the first state to sue DIRECTV a year earlier, announced a separate settlement to be filed in King County Superior Court with a $1 million payment to the Attorney General's Office for legal fees, restitution for consumers and better advertising disclosures. The pages read do not say whether DIRECTV admitted or denied the allegations.

FTC advertising case (2015 to 2018). See the litigation section: the FTC sued in March 2015 over advertising of promotional prices, the 24-month commitment and the early cancellation fee, and the case ended on October 22, 2018 with a dismissal with prejudice after the court had found the FTC failed to prove its claims about non-website advertisements.

The sources checked on October 6, 2026 did not turn up an FCC consent decree or a newer FTC or state attorney general action against DIRECTV, LLC; this page does not claim none exists.

EDITORIAL

Company background: entity, ownership by TPG, the terminated Dish agreement and 2026 carriage disputes

DIRECTV's Residential Terms of Service say “DIRECTV,” “We,” “Our” and “Us” mean DIRECTV, LLC. The BBB profile for DirecTV, LLC lists its headquarters at 2230 E Imperial Hwy, El Segundo, California 90245 (a BBB-listed address) and an entity type of limited liability company; BBB's page data lists the business as started on 1990-10-31 and incorporated on 2002-07-24. DIRECTV describes itself as having “been at the forefront of entertainment for nearly three decades” (company statement).

Ownership. On August 2, 2021 AT&T and TPG Capital announced that they had closed the transaction forming a new company named DIRECTV: AT&T contributed its U.S. video business for preferred units and a 70% interest in the common units, and TPG contributed about $1.8 billion in cash for preferred units and a 30% interest. On July 2, 2025 AT&T announced it had “closed its previously announced transaction to sell its entire remaining 70% stake in DIRECTV to TPG Capital,” and TPG said that “DIRECTV is now a wholly owned portfolio company of TPG Capital.”

Dish transaction (2024). EchoStar's Form 10-K for 2024 says that on September 29, 2024 it and DIRECTV Holdings, LLC (“DTV”) signed an agreement for DTV to acquire the equity of DISH DBS Corporation, which operates EchoStar's pay-TV business, and that “DTV terminated the Purchase Agreement effective at 11:59 pm ET on November 22, 2024” because the DISH DBS exchange offers were not consummated, with “no termination fee or other payment” due from either party. No new signed agreement between DIRECTV and EchoStar was identified in the primary sources checked on October 6, 2026.

Recent company statements (DIRECTV newsroom). DIRECTV's newsroom lists a May 31, 2026 item titled “Scripps Pulls 54 Local Stations from DIRECTV After Seeking Record Retransmission Consent Rates” and a July 13, 2026 release, “Scripps Local Broadcast Stations Return to DIRECTV,” which says a new multi-year agreement ended “a five-week blackout affecting millions of customers across 36 Nielsen DMAs” and quotes DIRECTV's chief content officer on carriage disputes (DIRECTV's characterization; the broadcaster's position is not quoted on that page). A July 1, 2023 DIRECTV post said another broadcaster, Nexstar, was “demanding more than double the current rates” (company statement). Section 2.f of the Terms says DIRECTV does not control sports blackout restrictions; the Terms do not describe a credit for broadcaster blackouts other than the “fair adjustment” language quoted above.

EDITORIAL

Complaint record: USAComplaints posts, BBB, Trustpilot and ComplaintsBoard, reported separately

Posts on this site. USAComplaints.com has 4,037 approved posts linked to DIRECTV: 3,900 whose offender field names DIRECTV itself (DirecTV, Direct TV, Directv Inc and misspellings) and 137 linked as non-primary because the offender field lists DIRECTV together with another business (for example Qwest, Verizon, AT&T, Mastec or an installer). The 3,900 posts are dated 2000 to 2025 (2000: 2, 2001: 3, 2002: 11, 2003: 18, 2004: 22, 2005: 21, 2006: 59, 2007: 200, 2008: 662, 2009: 816, 2010: 594, 2011: 515, 2012: 618, 2013: 345, 2014: 11, 2015: 1, 2018: 1, 2025: 1) and are posters' accounts that this site has not verified. Of 4,778 candidate posts that mention DIRECTV in the offender field or title, 339 were not linked (look-alike names, other businesses or products such as televisions, individuals, or advertisers) and 402 were removed after review because the text is machine-rewritten and unreadable (283), repeats another post (110) or contains no complaint facts (9).

Using keyword matching on the 3,900 posts that name DIRECTV itself (a post can match several topics), the counts below are posts mentioning each topic; some posts are favorable and old offers described no longer apply.

  • Billing, unexpected or unauthorized charges (keyword match): 2,186 posts
  • Cancellation, early termination or contract-term fees (keyword match): 2,448 posts
  • Customer service and call-center experience (keyword match): 1,889 posts
  • Equipment, installation and service outages (keyword match): 2,144 posts
  • Channels, programming and local-station availability (keyword match): 1,166 posts
  • Sales calls, promotions or rebates (keyword match): 543 posts

External profiles, as displayed on October 6, 2026 (not combined with the post counts above).

  • BBB profile for DirecTV, LLC, El Segundo, CA (Headquarters): rating A+; BBB Accredited (BBB page data lists accreditation 2025-01-01); “4,185 total complaints in the last 3 years” and “1,078 complaints closed in the last 12 months”; 1.12 out of 5 from an average of 505 customer reviews.
  • Trustpilot (directv.com): 3,180 reviews, score 1.3, 211 reviews in the last 12 months; the star split shown is 5-star 2%, 4-star under 1%, 3-star 1%, 2-star 3% and 1-star 93%; the profile is shown as claimed (July 2023); Trustpilot notes DIRECTV has not invited customers to review recently, so reviews may not be representative, and that it has not replied to negative reviews. Trustpilot's page also carries an AI-generated summary that is not repeated here.
  • ComplaintsBoard (a separate website): 2.0 overall from 16 reviews and 2,194 complaints, page marked updated October 1, 2026; the page offers a “Claim Your Business” button.

BBB, Trustpilot and ComplaintsBoard are volunteer-submitted, uneven samples of customers; their figures, our archive and the government records above measure different things and are not added together.

EDITORIAL

Lawsuits: FTC v. DIRECTV (dismissed 2018) and the Biddle v. Disney settlement for DirecTV Stream subscribers

Federal Trade Commission v. DIRECTV and DIRECTV, LLC (N.D. Cal. No. 4:15-cv-01129-HSG). The FTC filed on March 11, 2015. The court's August 16, 2018 order says the FTC contended that from 2007 to the time of trial DIRECTV failed to adequately disclose in its advertising that the introductory discounted price lasts 12 months, that a 24-month commitment applies, that cancelling early carries a fee of $20 per month for the remaining months, and that a free premium-channel package must be cancelled within three months to avoid charges; it also alleged violations of the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act on DIRECTV's website, and the FTC sought $3.95 billion in restitution. The case was tried to the court without a jury from August 14 to 25, 2017. After the FTC rested, DIRECTV moved for judgment on partial findings, and on August 16, 2018 Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. granted the motion in part: the order says “the FTC failed to prove a violation of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act as to any of Defendant's print, television or electronic banner advertisements,” while it deferred judgment on the Section 5 and ROSCA claims based on the website until the close of the evidence. A ten-day bench trial was reset for October 29, 2018. On October 19, 2018 the FTC and DIRECTV filed a stipulation that the action “should be dismissed with prejudice,” with each party bearing its own fees and costs, and the court granted it on October 22, 2018. No money payment or injunction appears in the stipulation or the order.

Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company (N.D. Cal. No. 5:22-cv-07317-EJD). This is a federal antitrust class action by YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo subscribers against Disney. DIRECTV is not the defendant. The settlement website says a $50 million ($50,000,000) partial settlement has been reached with Disney, which “denies any wrongdoing,” for the YouTube TV Settlement Class and the DirecTV Stream Settlement Class (people who purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription, including DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now and AT&T TV Now, from April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2026). It says the claim form deadline and the exclusion deadline were September 8, 2026 (both passed), the deadline to object is December 1, 2026 and the final approval hearing is January 14, 2027 at 9:00 a.m.; the administrator (Epiq) lists 1-877-704-2517 for recorded information. The docket shows an order of March 31, 2026 preliminarily approving the settlement. Payments, if approved, are pro rata by subscription length.

This page does not list every private lawsuit or arbitration involving DIRECTV; other consumer class actions against DIRECTV were not reviewed in full on October 6, 2026.

EDITORIAL

Is DIRECTV Legitimate?

DIRECTV, LLC is the provider named in its own Residential Terms of Service and Equipment Lease Agreement, is listed by BBB as a limited liability company at 2230 E Imperial Hwy, El Segundo, California, and, according to AT&T's and TPG's July 2, 2025 releases, is wholly owned by TPG Capital after AT&T sold its remaining 70% stake. The BBB profile shows rating A+ with BBB Accreditation, 4,185 complaints in three years and a 1.12/5 customer-review average; Trustpilot shows 1.3 from 3,180 reviews; ComplaintsBoard shows 2.0 from 16 reviews and 2,194 complaints (all as displayed on October 6, 2026). Government records show two FTC Do Not Call settlements (2005 and 2009), December 2010 settlements with 49 states, the District of Columbia and Washington State over marketing and cancellation-fee practices, and an FTC advertising case that ended in a dismissal with prejudice in 2018 after a partial ruling for DIRECTV. These facts are reported separately and are not combined into a rating or verdict.

PUBLIC RECORD

Court & Public Records

CaseAuthorityDatesTypeOutcomeSource
Federal Trade Commission v. DIRECTV and DIRECTV, LLC (advertising of promotional price, 24-month commitment and early cancellation fee; Section 5 and ROSCA)
Docket 4:15-cv-01129-HSG		U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (Oakland), Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr.
DismissedDismissed

The FTC sought $3.95 billion in restitution. After a bench trial (August 14 to 25, 2017), the court's August 16, 2018 order granted DIRECTV's motion for judgment on partial findings in part, saying the FTC failed to prove a Section 5 violation as to non-website advertisements, and deferred the website-based Section 5 and ROSCA claims. On October 19, 2018 the parties stipulated that the action “should be dismissed with prejudice,” each party bearing its own fees and costs; the court granted the stipulation on October 22, 2018.

Source
Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company (federal antitrust class action by YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo subscribers; DIRECTV is not a defendant)
Docket 5:22-cv-07317-EJD		U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose), Judge Edward J. DavilaFiledFiled — no final outcome recorded

A $50 million partial settlement with Disney for the YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream settlement classes was preliminarily approved on March 31, 2026 (per the docket). Disney denies wrongdoing. Per the settlement website, claims and exclusions were due September 8, 2026, objections are due December 1, 2026 and the final approval hearing is set for January 14, 2027 at 9:00 a.m. FuboTV plaintiffs have not settled with Disney, according to the settlement website.

Source
CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Related Complaints

Names this company in a role other than the primary subject — not necessarily current or complete.

VERIFIED

Company Relationships

  • Owned by: TPG Capital
  • Affiliated with: AT&T Inc.
EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cancel DIRECTV?

Section 4.a of DIRECTV's Residential Terms of Service says satellite customers “can call Us at 888.523.1538 and speak to an agent to cancel Your Service,” and that customers in states that require it, “such as NY, IL, or CO,” may cancel online. Streaming App Only customers can chat online or call the same number. DIRECTV's cancel help page gives 800.531.5000 (as displayed on October 6, 2026). Cancellation takes effect on the last day of the billing cycle, with no prorated refund unless the law requires one, and an Early Termination Fee or equipment non-return fee may apply (see below).

What is the DIRECTV early termination fee?

Section 4.e of the Terms says: “The maximum ETF is $480, prorated at $20 per month over 24 months,” for new customers under a 24-month Term Commitment; the example given is $200 for cancelling after 14 months. For existing satellite customers who add or upgrade leased equipment the ETF is $10 per month for each remaining month. The Fee Schedule (effective June 25, 2026) says the ETF applies to Streaming App + Equipment accounts established before 4/13/2025 and not to those established on or after that date. Satellite customers may cancel before installation without an ETF; after installation, the Terms say an ETF is charged.

How do I return DIRECTV equipment, and what is the non-return fee?

The Terms (Section 5) say to contact DIRECTV to disconnect service or equipment before returning it. The Equipment Lease Agreement (effective August 19, 2026) sets non-return fees of $45 for a DIRECTV receiver, HD receiver or Genie Mini, $120 for GEMINI or GEMINI AIR and $135 for DVR receivers, per unit, and return windows of 21 days (satellite) or 14 days (streaming) from the cancellation effective date. It gives 855.909.2242 for returns. DIRECTV's cancel help page says satellite dishes and cables are yours to keep and that it prepays return shipping where equipment must be returned. Keep the tracking receipt.

Can DIRECTV change prices or remove channels, and what can I do?

Section 7.h of the Terms says DIRECTV has “the right to change any of Our pricing, fees, or related charges” in its sole discretion, with notice to the email or mailing address on the account. Section 2.c says it may “change, add, or remove Our programming packages, their Content, selections, prices”; the customer then “has the right to cancel,” but DIRECTV “may charge an Early Termination Fee.” Section 2.d says a long interruption within DIRECTV's control may get a “fair adjustment if You ask,” described as the customer's only remedy. DIRECTV's July 13, 2026 release described a five-week blackout of 54 Scripps stations that ended with a new agreement (company statement).

Does DIRECTV require arbitration?

The Residential Terms of Service (Section 13) say disputes must be resolved “individually in binding arbitration or small claims court with limited exception” and include “a waiver of class actions and jury trials.” Either side may choose small claims court instead of arbitration. Before an arbitration begins, a written Notice of Dispute must be sent (DIRECTV, LLC c/o CT Corporation, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801), and the Terms give 60 days from receipt to try to settle. The Terms also contain a rule for 25 or more similar claims filed through the same or coordinated counsel. The older U-verse TV Terms of Service also contain an arbitration provision. A complaint to a regulator is a separate step.

What happened in the FTC lawsuit against DIRECTV?

The FTC sued DIRECTV in March 2015 (N.D. Cal. No. 4:15-cv-01129-HSG) over advertising of promotional pricing, the 24-month commitment and the early cancellation fee, and sought $3.95 billion in restitution. After a bench trial in August 2017, the court's August 16, 2018 order granted DIRECTV's motion for judgment on partial findings in part, saying the FTC failed to prove a Section 5 violation as to the non-website advertisements, and deferred the website-based claims. On October 19, 2018 the FTC and DIRECTV stipulated to dismissal with prejudice, each side bearing its own fees; the court granted it on October 22, 2018.

Who owns DIRECTV?

AT&T said on July 2, 2025 that it had “closed its previously announced transaction to sell its entire remaining 70% stake in DIRECTV to TPG Capital,” and TPG said DIRECTV “is now a wholly owned portfolio company of TPG Capital.” From August 2, 2021 until then, AT&T held 70% and TPG 30% of the common units. EchoStar's Form 10-K says DIRECTV Holdings, LLC terminated its September 29, 2024 agreement to acquire DISH DBS Corporation effective November 22, 2024.

Is there a settlement for DirecTV Stream subscribers?

A $50 million partial settlement in Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company (N.D. Cal. No. 5:22-cv-07317-EJD) covers people who purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription (including DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now and AT&T TV Now) from April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2026. The settlement is with Disney, which denies wrongdoing; DIRECTV is not the defendant. The settlement website says the claim and exclusion deadlines were September 8, 2026 (passed), the objection deadline is December 1, 2026 and the final approval hearing is January 14, 2027 at 9:00 a.m.; the administrator lists 1-877-704-2517.

Where can I file a complaint about DIRECTV?

Start with DIRECTV at the numbers and chat link on its Contact us and cancel help pages, and keep records. The FCC's Consumer Complaint Center (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov) takes informal consumer complaints (phone 1-888-CALL-FCC), and its page on complaint handling says a provider “is required to respond in writing to the complaint within 30 days of receipt.” You can also report a company or an unwanted telemarketing call at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (the FTC says it does not resolve individual reports), contact your state attorney general's consumer-protection office, or file with the BBB.