On 4/24 we upgraded our DirecTV service. At that time I was told that there would be an additional charge of 69.99 per month to include HD-DVR service to our account.
I questioned this increase on 5/1 and again in 8. Both times I was told be DirecTV customer service that these charges were correct.
After more than a year of having a bill of more than $200 per month, I called DirecTV (yesterday 7/9) to ask them about decreasing our service, as the bill was too expensive. While I was speaking with them on the phone, I looked up their packages on-line so that I could clearly see their descrption of their services. I soon found out that they were billing us, not for the HD-DVR, but were billing us for two seperate viewing packages! They had been fraudulently billing us for more than a year this way! I told the customer service rep at that time that this is what I thought that they were doing. He put me on hold for more than 30 minutes, and came back to tell me that yes, in fact they had been billing me more than $72 per month EXTRA for 441 days! They in fact over-charged me by $1109.95 plus tax! I immediately asked that I be sent a refund check. They told me that I would have to wait on the line while this went to a supervisor. I was on the phone for almost 2 hours.
When the supervisor finally came on the line, she told me that she would have to call me back later that day, or by the next morning for sure with a final total of the check that they would be sending me. I never received that phone call.
I called back again today 7/10 after waiting to hear back from them. I was told to wait on hold while a new person researched the problem (they supposedly don't have any way of letting you speak with anyone who you may have spoken with previously). After holding with that person for more than 15 minutes, I asked again to speak with a supervisor as I was extremely unhappy. They cold transferred me to their resolution unit and told them that I was calling to cancel my service. I had told the original rep nothing of the sort.
The resolution unitl again told me that they agreed that there was a problem and that they would contact their "back office" to have the credit approved, and then after the credit showed on my account, then a refund could be ordered. I was told that this could take at least 2 weeks. I was not able to get anything in writing, or a phone call to confirm all of this.
When I asked if there would be any further compensation (you know a free month of service or such to help show us that they recognized their error) I was told that my compensation was to be patient and wait for the check.
After getting off the phone with them, I wrote both an e-mail and letter to DirecTV letting them know of my dissatisfaction with their service. I also asked that they change their policy so that others could not have the same thing happen to them.
I received a phone call back letting me know that because I did not notify them within 60 days of the issue with them double billing me (I guess the fact that I called and wanted to know what all of the charges were for does not qualify), that I was not able to receive all of the monies owed to me and would instead be getting 2 months refund or $145.00 for my problem. To me this means that they still owe me close to $1000.00. I was told again, that there is no one at the company for me to contact. I have to wait for a response to my letter sent by snail mail.
I feel that they not only commited fraud by billing me incorrectly (how can they not have a system that allows for services that they cannot possible provide to be billed?) but have also provided absolutely no customer service, as I cannot speak with any individual again, and each time I speak with someone, I get offered less compensation! I was even told this last time that there will be a "fine" for me if I cancel my service with them, as I am a month short of my two year term agreement!!!
Kir
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.
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