DirectTV
Receivers Sold on eBay Claimed by Company, Contract Extended

We joined DirecTV in October and moved up to HD in November. We had 'purchased' our standard receivers, so we believed they belonged to us, and the installer told us the same. DirecTV later claimed he had given us wrong information and that technicians do not have that kind of detail. I wondered whether they did not speak for the company.
I sold those receivers on eBay. The buyers then emailed me to say that when they tried to activate them, DirecTV stated it was the owner.

I spent an hour on the phone with a representative and then asked for a supervisor, but I was told I would have to wait on hold for about an hour. The representative also relayed what the supervisor had said: that I could talk to as many supervisors as I liked and would still have to pay. If he had time to speak with her, why not with me? Terrible customer service.
So a supervisor was out of reach. I admit I should have read the fine print of the contract, but I think DirecTV exploits the trust of its customers. I assumed that buying a receiver meant owning it, yet it turns out that 'purchase' only means leasing.

At sign-up, why did the representative ask whether I wanted to lease or buy the receivers? And why did I 'buy' them and also pay a monthly fee?

I have even heard that a receiver bought at Best Buy is still only leased. This is a shady and deceptive practice. Also, when our HD receivers arrived in November, two years were automatically added to our contract, and nobody told us. That is awful. They should be ashamed. If you work there, find a more respectable employer.

Company: DirectTV
Country: USA
State: Colorado
City: Englewood
Address: PO Box 6550

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