First Fraud
We were contacted by a Directv agent in 2006. We were building a new house in a new neighborhood development, and they had special offers for this area. We listened to the offer and were told that DTV would be launching 150 HD channels within 3 months of our install. Of course, this never materialized. We called them for at least 6 months or more after the system had been installed, asking when these HD channels were going to be launched. Each time we called, we got the standard "3 more months" and "they're coming, I promise." However, we purchased a $5000 HD television to take advantage of this wonderful viewing experience. To this day, April 18th, we still have nowhere near the 150 channels promised, and they are not available.
In the meantime, I have had 3 HD receivers quit on us. One died within the first two weeks of the install, the second about 6 months later, and now the third freezes all the time, and when it is working the audio is behind the actors' lips. It is terrible, and the Directv HD receivers are the worst technology I have encountered. They used to be manufactured by RCA, and those were great, but now they make them under their own brand, and they are as terrible as Directv customer service.
Fraud 2
Disgusted, and 2 years past my initial install, I decided to call it quits with DTV. I called to cancel. After some of the worst technical support and customer service I have ever encountered in my life, they finally sent me over to retention. This department is completely useless in my opinion. They were rude, they were inconsiderate, and they were uninformed. The frustration a person feels when trying to talk to them is just unreal. I wanted to cancel, and they tried to give me free HBO for 3 months. I told them that even if they gave me free service for a year, I would still cancel.
I have spoken with 10 or so retention specialists, and all of them came back with the same standard reply: "You're not out of contract yet, so we are going to charge you an early termination fee." Of course, I begged to differ, as politely as I could, since I had in my hand the date of the install and the initial service for the install. However, they informed me that each time they replaced their defective Directv-branded leased receiver, which they charge me 5 dollars a month for, they added a year or two to my initial 2 year contract obligation. They said that I had agreed to these extensions when they sent me the first replacement HD receiver two weeks after the initial install. I told them there was no way I would ever have agreed to extend anything regarding my Directv account or contract, and that I had never signed an additional agreement stating this claimed extension. They then told me I had also agreed to an additional two years when the second receiver died. Again, never. Would I have fallen for that?
They still told me I would be charged and responsible for the early termination fee. I asked to speak to a supervisor, who came on the phone and said the same thing, and that there was nothing they could do about it. I was furious. I have not been that upset in many, many years. It really was the most unscrupulous, deceptive thing that has ever happened to me. I felt conned and ripped off. I have been hung up on, transferred to nowhere, and spoken with clueless people who asked what my problem was too many times to even begin to document.
Finally, they sent my complaint to escalation and told me I would hear back from them shortly. Days go by, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Every day I got at least 3 calls from Directv, but it was customer service wanting feedback from my call to Directv. I told them the same thing each time: that in my opinion Directv is terrible, and that I am filing a complaint with the Attorney General's Office in the State of Tennessee and also plan on being part of a class action suit brought against this company for what I feel are fraudulent and deceptive practices.
I have spoken to a law firm, www.wtwlaw.us, which currently, as of this day, has a class action suit filed against Directv regarding the HD receivers. They informed me that they had something else in store for DIRECTV regarding fraudulent customer contract extension practices. I suggest anyone experiencing the same nightmare I have gone through contact them and ask to be part of this possible upcoming class action suit. I believe they are collecting names.
For the record, for me it is not about the money. It is clearly the principle of the matter. Big companies take advantage of the little guy every day. DTV's customer service is a tangled web of inconsistent information, with one employee saying one thing and the next saying something totally opposite. It is the worst in my experience. I would never do business with them again. Ever!
Finally, I had to comment on the person from Directv who posted here, in response to the person saying there is a high turnover of employees at Directv. I have this to say.
First, you have taken the position that someone earning 9-10 dollars an hour will not do the job they are being paid for or just does not care. I beg to differ. If Directv were such a great place to work, and it placed ethics and professionalism in regards to the customer and employee needs, they would have a lot less employee turnover and tons more satisfied customers.
Second, invest more in your employees' education and retain them. This would build a better, more informed employee and lead to more customers for life.
Third, try simplifying obligations for customers. A 24 month contract is fine, but it should mean 24 months, and the customer can opt out if they choose after it is done. If you have worked very hard and offered great service at competitive prices, the customer will not want to cancel the service. It is a pain to set up with someone else, and it is a hassle. I do not want to. But the trend, according to numerous complaint forums online, is that customers are being charged cancellation fees even after their initial contract has expired, and in cases where service cannot be connected in remote locations.
Having employees fraudulently extend contracts and hold fees over a customer's head to force them to stay will bring a business down. It will never get a referral from me or any person I know.
Do good business, and business will be good to you!
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