Signed up with DirecTV 02 under a 2yr commitment. Got an HR-21 HD DVR & an SD Receiver.
The HR-21 was always acting flaky. If you changed the channel and went up 2 channels, it would skip back 5 channels. It would not record scheduled shows for no reason, and randomly the local channels would be out of sync with the audio. Just really crazy stuff. After putting up with this for about a year and constant calls to DirecTV's Tech Support, the decision was made by DirecTV to replace the HR-21 HD DVR.
In 02 (a year into my 2 yr commitment), DirecTV sent a tech out to replace my HR-21 HD DVR. The tech came out and stated that they have been having a lot of quirky issues with the HR-21's. He replaced it with an HR-23 HD DVR, stating they no longer had HR-21 or 22's available. He had me sign a work order stating I received the replacement receiver & he was taking the defective receiver with him.
While all this was going on, my frustration with DirecTV had been brewing for some time. For some reason DirecTV cannot seem to get the local channels in my area in HD. They have them in SD, but not HD. However, DishNetwork has had them in HD for quite some time! I was told by DirecTV it was because they had to wait until the next satellite was put up or the local stations would sign the retransmit agreements (which made no sense, because they were already retransmitting in SD).
I finally decided to just cancel my service with DirecTV & switch to DishNetwork. I would get more than I currently had, and it was going to be about $20.00 less a month, even after the promos expired.
I called DirecTV to cancel and was told I would be subject to the Early Termination fee of up to $400.00 depending on how much time was left on my commitment.
I had 10 months left on my commitment. So here's my logic: I took $400.00 and divided it by 24 months, which is $16.67. I then multiplied $16.67 times 10 months and got $166.70. I had just paid my bill for April and was told by the rep that the $82.18 from that would be applied to the ETF. This would make my ETF $84.52.
About a week later I checked my account online, and it stated that I owe $440.48 Due Immediately & is past due. I called DirecTV and spoke to a rep about this.
I was told that the reason I am being charged $440.48 is that I disconnected my service before my commitment was up. I told them there is no way I should owe them that much for an ETF. I went through the above with the rep.
The rep stated that when the tech was sent out in 02 to replace my defective HR-21 HD DVR, that reset my account to another 24 months!!!
I told them that is not correct at all. I stated that I did not activate a new receiver or upgrade. I told the rep that this was a replacement by DirecTV's telephone tech support because they couldn't fix it over the phone. I then told the rep that I also had been paying for the Protection Plan the entire time.
The rep agreed with me and assured me this was being sent to the Investigations Dept. I was told I would be contacted in 7-10 business days and was instructed to write a letter detailing everything to the Billing Disputes Dept.
I was never contacted by anyone at DirecTV about this. Then, out of the blue, I got a bill in the mail for $440.48 for ETF. So I wrote a letter to Billing Disputes on 04/21. Again, I was never contacted by DirecTV.
On 05/01 my checking account was debited $440.48 by DirecTV for ETF. I immediately called DirecTV and spoke to a rep.
The rep told me the same thing about my commitment being reset to another 24 months when the defective HR-21 HD DVR was replaced. I again disputed this, stating that they are the ones who made the decision to replace it as defective, not me, and that I was under the Protection Plan the entire time. I was told that the Protection Plan only saves me from having to pay for a new receiver, and I wasn't being charged for a new receiver; I was being charged for disconnecting 2 months into my new 24-month contract.
So I disputed this with my bank, and they are dealing with it now. But this is a big-time rip-off! It is completely outrageous to secretly reset someone's contract for having a Protection Plan covered receiver replaced due to a defect. It is also outrageous to charge $440.48 for ETF! Even if it was accurate that I had 20 months left (which I didn't; I had 10 months left), that still would be $333.40, not $440.48!
Complete and total fraud in my opinion!
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