Here is the correspondence I have had with DirecTV over the past 2 days.
Hello, DirecTV:
I need some answers, please. I am totally amazed and disgusted with your customer service. Please forward this e-mail to a supervisor.
Today I called DirecTV and spoke with Levi, one of your customer service reps, inquiring about a move. He eventually told me that a move would cost us over $200 since this is our second move within 12 months. Where is that written in any documentation you gave us? I am not in possession of such documentation, nor did anyone tell me that, whether it be your installation person or customer service.
Then I told Levi to cancel our service. He informed me it would cost $289 to cancel since we would be breaking our 2-year contract. We were under no such contract of any kind.
I am totally shocked at your business practices. You seemingly make up rules arbitrarily as you go.
Levi then said he would "take $10 off a month for 6 months." I refused, saying that we have been loyal and good-paying customers. He then went on to say he would "split the difference with me." What is this about? DirecTV has no rules in place that you communicate to your customers. You just make it up as you go. Obviously, by Levi's offers, you can do what you want and there are no rules in place. Why do you try to take advantage of your customers?
Even when we signed up with DirecTV again in January, I was promised a $50 gift card if I signed up with a credit card. I was promised that gift card in 6 weeks. Five months later, I still had no gift card. It took several calls and e-mails to finally get that card sent.
When we moved in June and had our service transferred, unbeknownst to us, DirecTV started charging us for premium movie channels. Once again, I had to call to get reimbursed for those charges because I never authorized getting any movies.
Why would I be given a credit when I am due a refund, since customers pay for service in advance, if it is my intention to cancel service? I told him to issue me a refund. He said that would take 6-8 weeks.
This is so unacceptable. I am totally disgusted with DirecTV's lack of professionalism and unscrupulous business practices.
Nowhere in any documentation we were given did it say that transferring service is only good once per 12 months. This is a disgrace.
I am asking that you transfer our service for free. If you do not accommodate us, we will find service with another provider, because you leave us no alternative. However, I will not hesitate to voice my experience to the Better Business Bureau about your unethical practices, and to any other entity that can address my issues. We are hard-working, paycheck-to-paycheck people who are just trying to raise our family and make ends meet. I have spent endless minutes, if not hours, corresponding and calling DirecTV about such issues.
Again, please forward this to someone who can address these issues without the game-playing and runaround. Thank you.
Response (Jason H ID W2773) - 10/22 02:23 PM
Thank you for writing. Your email was forwarded to me in order to address your concerns with the cost of relocating your DIRECTV equipment to your new home. I tried to call you today at approximately 4:15 PM CDT to discuss this matter with you, but I was unable to reach you.
Our MOVERS CONNECTION program provides our customers with a service valued at over $300 per move. We offer it as a free service every 6 months. However, if you move more than once in 6 months, due to the costs we incur, we can only discount the service $101, making it a $199 fee. I hope this information is helpful.
I would also be happy to explain your programming commitment to you. DIRECTV significantly discounts the price of equipment and installations, so we ask you to keep your programming for at least 18 months for standard receivers and 2 years for DVR, HD, and HD-DVR receivers. Details about programming agreements and early cancellation fees are included in our advertising and point-of-sale materials. This information is also included in the confirmation letters sent by DIRECTV after you place an order for equipment and in the DIRECTV Equipment Lease Addendum, which is signed at the time of installation. For more information on programming agreements, please visit our website at directv.com/agreements.
While our corporate office responds to any inquiries that the Better Business Bureau forwards to us, I appreciate that you have given me an opportunity to respond to your concerns.
Sincerely, Jay H., W2773, DIRECTV Customer Service
Customer - 10/22 02:55 PM
No, nobody indicated any such agreement, especially 18 months' worth. I know I discussed this with the agent in January when we signed up again. We had already gone through a commitment/contract in recent years and fulfilled the contract. We went to Dish and then back to DirecTV. So your rep waived any contract since we had fulfilled one previously. I cannot believe you are not going to honor the verbal agreement your company representative made to me. If you are any type of reputable company, you should honor the agreements made by your personnel!
Not only that, your company does not fully explain or advertise all the little hidden traps you set for your customers. You do know that is deceptive advertising. All you advertise is that if there is a move, you leave the dish and take the remote and receiver with you, and DirecTV will set you up at the new location. You do not openly advertise the fact that there is only one paid move for a 6-month period. Nonetheless, if there is nothing you can do in that regard, then explain to me why your company rep tried to negotiate with me, first by saying he would take $10 off for 6 months, and then by offering to split the cost. You pick and choose whom you are going to make deals with, and there is no set policy enforced. We are forced to move due to a company relocation; we did not choose to move.
If you are not going to honor any of my stipulations above (moving us for free or releasing us from the contract you say we have but did not agree to, free of charge), then I want to be reimbursed for the time and effort I had to spend waiting on hold to get your mistakes cleared up. You added premium movie channels to my account without my consent or authorization and then billed me for it. Not only that, I had to demand that I be reimbursed for something I did not order. You promised a gift card within a certain timeframe, and that too was not delivered until 5 months later, after I had to contact you by e-mail and phone several times.
I have been forced to spend countless hours trying to get your mistakes resolved, so now I want to be reimbursed. You give us our free move and we will call it even. I know you can do that because your company rep, Levi, offered me several "deals." Obviously you do not have any set policies enforced, so please do not insult my intelligence by telling me to read your company programming agreements. I will be awaiting your response.
Response (Michael Y ID U8843) - 10/23 10:57 AM
Thank you for writing. In reviewing your account, I see that we provided you a MOVERS CONNECTION at no extra cost on 06/04/08. You are only eligible to receive one MOVERS CONNECTION installation at no charge over a twelve-month period. The cost for a second MOVERS CONNECTION is $199. We are able to offer a discount with a $10 programming credit for six months; however, you are not eligible to receive a second MOVERS CONNECTION within a twelve-month period at no charge.
If you are interested in setting up a MOVERS CONNECTION order, please call us at 1-866-929-8668 and a specialist will be happy to assist you.
DIRECTV significantly discounts the price of equipment and installations, so we ask you to keep your programming for at least 2 years for DVR, HD, and HD-DVR receivers. If you cancel your service or do not maintain the minimum programming requirements, we may charge an early cancellation fee.
I have reviewed your account and I see that you activated equipment on 01/10/08 and at that time you agreed to a 2-year programming agreement. Please be aware that your first MOVERS CONNECTION did not extend your programming commitment. If you do not maintain the minimum program requirements, you are subject to an early cancellation fee being charged to your account. We feel that this fee is valid and we are unable to remove it.
For more information on programming agreements, please visit our web site at directv.com/agreements. Please be aware that we are not able to reimburse you for the time you have spent on the phone.
Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely, Michael Y ID U8843, DIRECTV Customer Service
You say you are "unable to remove it" (in regard to fees). Then explain to me why your customer service rep offered me a couple of different options: $10 off for 6 months, and then he offered to "split the cost." Explain to me your policies and how there is no consistency among your agents. I want you to provide me with the signed copy of that agreement, because I did not authorize a 2-year agreement! I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. You are totally unscrupulous and should be ashamed of the way you conduct business.
I want an explanation immediately as to why your agent did not follow your company policy and made me several offers. You do what you want. There is no policy in place. He followed no guidelines, and you should uphold your original agent's agreement with me that we had no contract.
Send me my copy of the signed agreement you speak of. I did not sign anything to that effect, so I need proof. You cannot provide it because it does not exist, and you know it.
I want out of the so-called agreement at no charge. You have consistently mishandled me and my account, adding charges I did not agree to, and you sit there and try to nickel-and-dime me even more. What right do you have? You have caused me endless aggravation by charging my account with bogus charges and fees. You owe me money for the time I had to spend fixing your mistakes.
I want out of this "contract that doesn't exist" at no charge. You at least owe me that much. I have paid my bills on time every month. I put up with your mistakes nearly every month.
We are going through a financial crisis and having to move on top of it. The stress is terrible. I cannot even believe you will not right your wrongs by canceling our service at no charge. We do not owe it.
So that is the correspondence. I have filed my complaint with the Better Business Bureau and hope to get some type of resolution. At this point, I just want out from having them as our service provider. They lie, misrepresent, and routinely add programming to your package without telling you. Beware of DirecTV. If you are a subscriber, be sure to read over each bill with a fine-tooth comb.
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