Last April, we bought a new HDTV, and in response to a special ad in the Sunday paper we called DirecTV for satellite service. Our service was to include 1 regular receiver and 1 HD receiver, and some months of free movie channels. I was told that this entailed a 1 year contract.
The reception has been pretty good and we only lost it once over the winter due to heavy ice/snow storm.
However, we have decided that most of what is on satellite is a waste of time and we now get our news on the internet and decided we can live with just local stations over antenna and watching movies.
I contacted them to find out exactly when my year was up, and they wrote me back and 'notified' me that because I had one HD receiver (they consider this advanced) that I actually had a 2 year committment. I said 'no way! I wasn't told this!'. By email, they referred me to their online 'agreement'. I wrote back and explained to them that I had not signed up via the internet, but over the phone, and that, to my knowledge I had only signed off on a form verifying that the agent had done the installation. I asked them if they had a copy of such a contract with MY SIGNATURE on it, or either a recording of a telephone conversation showing they informed me of a 2 year contract.
They avoided totally my request for a copy of my signed contract, and finally admitted it didn't exist, but that by accepting service I had, in their eyes, agreed to all terms published on their website!
I wrote back and told them that I would fulfill the 1 year contract they had committed verbally to, and that unless they could provide me with a copy of a signed contract, then their agreement became nothing less than a contract of adhesion which lacks full disclosure and is not binding (or even very legal).
People, remember, for their to be a contract YOU MUST SIGN IT, or either they must have a telephone recording of the conversation where they read the entire contract to you! Make them produce a signed contract and don't be bullied! If you knowingly agreed or they have such a contract, then you agreed and it is your responsibility to fulfill your obligations. But, realize that they could publish ANYTHING they want to on the internet, even AFTER you get your service, and according to them you'd be liable. Say they decided all of a sudden to make the cancellation charge $2000 and publish this. According to them, you would be liable for it! This is BULL!
Take them to small claims court and don't be shy! That is what I intend to do after my year is up and if they bill me a penny afterward!
Also, you will be hard pressed to find a mailing address for this company on their website. And I don't mean a PO Box where you mail your payment to. I'm 99% sure they don't post their mailing address.
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