As an individual with a mathematics learning disability I've gone through a local organization called "Rep. Payee" to budget my expenses for me. This organization is used by several people in my hometown and the surrounding suburbs. I present them with my utility bills and the amount of money that they tell me I need.
At this point these good people place that money into a checking account and pay the utility costs of their clients out of that fund. I began using this system in August.in October that year Directv credited the entire amount of said check into only one account.
The check, as the two previous, was for one amount and bore an attachment specifying how that amount was to be divided between the two clients of the program.
This attachement specified two seperate amounts, two seperate names, and two seperate account numbers. Just as all previous and subsequent payments from this organization to Directv have always had.
In October Directv informed that my payment for that month was late and fees were now attached. The Rep Payee program became involved at that point with the cancelled check that they had recieved proving the account had been paid.
Three months of phone calls from myself and the payee program followed with Directv insisting on no knowledge of the payment. When finally they did acknowledge the cancelled check they informed us that the entire amount had been credited to the other individuals account. When my representative asked why she was informed that they "did not accept payments made in that manner" and that the other individual owed more money than I did therefore his account was chosen to credit.
We tried, we really tried. Phone call after phone call and supervisor after supervisor to get this corrected. All the while, being on a very fixed budget, I could in no way afford a double payment so I continued to pay the regular monthly charges and never-ending late fees. All under the impression, given by Directv I might add, that this matter was under investigation.
After several more months of no contact we tried again. This time being told that Directv would in no way rectify the situation. That the money was now lost to me and that I would just have to pay the entire amount owed, with late fees, or lose my service.
I have cancelled my subscription to Directv and have a competeing satellite provider coming next week to install their services free of charge. The set up fee generously waived because they can use the existing Directv equipment that I now own. This matter and all paperwork (yes we saved every bit of it) have now been turned over to the Federal Bureu of Consumer Protection. They will be investigating and Directv will not recieve one thin dime more from my limited resources.
So, please, if you are considering satellite t.V. Go with anyone but Directv. Their customer service is negligible at best and they apparently have no qualms about misappropriating your money.
Ruth
Indiana, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.
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