Recently I have noticed that every few months my DirecTV bill would increase. This was due to various factors including price increases, rebate expiration, and promotions expiring. Only this morning I discovered something disturbing.
Apparently DirecTV added a 3 month "trial" subscription to premium channels when I moved my service last year. Once the trial expired they began to bill me. Since their rates seem to change frequently as well as the factors mentioned above, I really didn't notice. It is only when the most recent spike in my bill happened that I really took notice and investigated.
As a rule, I do not EVER accept "free trials" when I have to cancel at the end of the trial to avoid being billed. I just don't want to mess with it. As such, I never would have agreed to such a "promotion." I guess the DirecTV agent decided that I must not really meant to decline, because it was added. At the end of the "trial" period, they began charging me $24/month.
OK, so I should have been looking more closely at my bill each month, but with their "ebills" it just isn't practical like opening an envelope and reading the piece of paper inside. Lesson learned, no more ebills. Additional lesson - do not trust any company to be ethical in their business practices.instead, assume that they are ALL corrupt and will bilk you out of whatever money they can.
There should be legislation against this type of practice. If you want to offer a "free trial" it should expire at the end of the trial unless the subscriber asks to have it continued. The practice of "free trials" that do not expire, but rather start billing at the end of the trial, should be stopped.
DirecTV will lose my business and I am suggesting to all who will listen to cancel with them ASAP.
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