We relocated to San Antonio and rented a house from my ex-sister in law, who was being relocated herself and could not sell at that time. For the past year since we arrived, we had Time Warner but were unhappy with it, so we decided to change to Directv.
We searched online, found a package we liked, and placed an order. Directv ran my credit and approved me for service, but I was required to pay a $300 deposit. Against my better judgement, I paid it.
I was pleasantly surprised when the installation was scheduled for the very next day. The technician came, installed the service, and we were pleased.
THIRTY MINUTES after he finished, the TV went blank and displayed a message that it could not identify the receiver, telling us to reset it or call customer service. We reset it several times without success, so we called customer service... and that is where our nightmare started!
The representative who answered told us that my ex-sister in law had held Directv service while she lived in the house and had left an unpaid bill. After the account was created, they discovered we were related through a former marriage, and in order for US to get service, her bill had to be paid. We explained that we should not be responsible for someone else's bills, since her balance was not our fault or doing.
We were so upset by their stance that we said fine, then return our deposit, because we would not pay someone else's bills to get service. This made no sense at all. They refused, but suggested we ask our bank (we had paid with a debit card) to reverse it. The bank said it would need something from Directv stating that they would release the money. Of course, Directv will not give that.
We then chose to have them apply the deposit to my ex-sister in law's balance, and we would collect it from her ourselves (her debt to US)... They would not do that either.
The online sign-up never stated that the deposit was non-refundable. It said we could get it back at $5 a month if our account stayed in good standing for 12 months... How could we manage that when WE are held liable for another person's account just because she was once married to my brother??? The customer agreement does not mention security deposits either.
What really tops it all is that they took our money, THEN decided before the installation was completed that we would not get service, and they LET the installation go ahead WITHOUT telling us. Had they told us beforehand, perhaps they would have HAD to refund the money, but they allowed the service to be installed... and then used that against us!
I cannot understand how they can treat people this way... and apparently with no logic behind it!
So now we are out $300 and have no service!
1. WE did not cancel our service, Directv did, 30 minutes after the installation!
2. We are not the ones who failed to pay the bill
3. Directv is holding our money and applying it to nothing, not even my ex-sister in law's account. We owe nothing that would justify withholding it, and they will not return it to us.
I hope this has not happened to anyone else... but at the same time I hope it has, because I need to know what I can do to fix this. I know my ex-sister in law does not have the money to pay it, but I am now out $300 too, and I did nothing wrong.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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