As a new nurse, I moved to Pueblo, CO for my first job, where I did not expect to stay for more than 6 months. At the time DirecTV seemed like the best deal for the money at $29.99/month, so I signed up. I specifically told the representative that I would not be in this town for more than 9 months and that I had no idea where I would be next.
I was told that to get the $29.99 deal I had to do something online with a coupon. I was unable to pay for high-speed internet and was not allowed to use the internet for personal business at work. I tried three times with my very low-signal, unprotected Linksys connection, and each time I was unable to complete the transaction. Meanwhile I was paying $60/month for my service.
After three months of night shift work, I finally adjusted to the point where I had occasional bouts of daytime wakefulness and the ability to conduct business during normal business hours. So I called DirecTV to activate my "coupon" by phone, since I had not been able to do it online. I was told the coupon had expired. I asked nicely if they could issue another one, as I was paying them $30 a month more than the initial agreement. The sales rep then became very rude and said the coupon had expired, I would not be reimbursed for the overcharging, and she could not help me. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told to write to an address in Greenwood, CO.
Enraged, I switched. I have used them in the past and been very happy with them. Once that was hooked up, I called DirecTV to cancel my service. At that time I was told I would need to return all the equipment, no problem, and that I would be assessed a $300 early cancellation fee for breaking the 18-month contract. "What 18-month contract?" I never signed an 18-month contract and had no intention of doing so.
So now I have returned all the equipment except the satellite dish, which no one has told me what to do with. DirecTV is demanding its $300 pound of flesh and I refuse to pay it. This company and its representatives misrepresented their product throughout our dealings. Their sales people, both male and female, were consistently rude, patronizing, and condescending.
I'm ready to go all the way to fight this, and my advice to consumers is to stay away from DirecTV.
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