Heres my story,
A few months ago I was shopping around for a different cable company. I had seen there was a lot of specials that directv had been advertising. So i decided to contact them and ask about their specials.
So 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 my package that I was thinking about ordering. I asked specifically, "What are local channels, if they are the local news chanells from the station down the street reporting on just the local stuff around my community, then I dont 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 but just not the local channels. Well I dont 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 had 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. Well, that was because I did not have NBC. Because I was not getting the major network channels that were specifically promised to me by the directv sales rep. I was already into 120 dollars for the installation. I immediately called up 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 takes 30-90 days for some people to decide if I can get them or not, and i may or may not get them. Thats ridicuous 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 the directv customer support through email to see if I can get my 118 dollars back for installation. I emailed them back and forth at least five different times, all responses apologized, basically admitting guilt, otherwise why would you apologize. They told me in order to get my money back that I needed to submit something in writing to their billing complaint/support department. I did that, and still have heard nothing. I had to box up their recievers and had a Fed Ex person come to my house and pick them up. The Fed Ex 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 dont 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 are area of people who got ripped off just like me and are sending there recievers back to dirrectv. WOW, I said. I cant believe that a company this large can get away with ripping off so many people the same way they are to me. There has to be a law against it.
Recently, I have recieved a bill for an additional 278 dollars that dirrectv wants me to pay them for my early cancellation fee, bringing the grand total of this rippoff to 396 dollars. Which as of this point, that 278 has not been paid, and is going to have a negative affect because they are now turning it over to a collections department. And I still have heard nothing from them from my written complaint to their billing department.
I have talked to a friend that currently has dirrectv, 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, its obvious that this large company has no integrity, and is taking money off 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 sell.
Obviously, according to the Fed Ex employee, this is happening all over the area.
Please help. I am writing this, hoping that someone out there cares enough so we can prevent innocent people from getting ripped off in the future.
How many people have gotten 400 dollars stolen from them from this company just like me?
Forrest
Bend, Oregon
U.S.A.
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