Direct TV
HD Channels Stopped Working and Contract Extended Without Consent

My DirecTV HD channels no longer work. DirecTV tells me that I need to pay for a service call or buy their monthly service agreement before they will fix their faulty equipment. I asked them to just shut off the service and quit charging me the extra $10/month. They told me that in order to do this they would need to recover their HD equipment, give me non-HD equipment and extend my service agreement for another 2 years. I am sure there is another service charge involved, but I didn't bother to ask.

About 4 months ago one of their receivers failed. It was less than a year old. They told me the failure was a known problem they have been having with my model. They sent me a new one and told me there would be no charge. After I sent the old one back, they sent me a letter indicating my service agreement had been extended another 2 years because I had equipment replaced. I called them about it. They said it wasn't necessary and the extension would be removed.

When I called them yesterday about the new HD failure, they told me my contract had been extended despite what their employee had told me, and that there was no way for me to change the new extension without terminating my agreement and paying cancellation fees.

Why does this company now sound like a Mafia protection scam? Their equipment fails, then the only way to fix the service being paid for is to extend the contract. Considering the rate of failure of their equipment, this could go on forever.

Company: Direct TV
Country: USA

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