DirecTV
Collection Calls Over $118.26 After Admitted Billing Error

In Feb. I switched from Direct TV to Comcast. I paid my last bill and shipped all the equipment out by FedEx overnight service. In Mar. DTV charged me $118.26. I called DTV customer service, and a guy said, "We made a mistake. We found the remote controls (they were packed in the same boxes with the black boxes). You don't need to pay." I contacted my credit card company to dispute the charge, and the result was that no payment should be made. Later I got a statement from DTV telling me it took the charge off my "account".

However, in Apr. I got a bill of $118.26 again. I thought the bill was printed before the billing department got the information. Yet in May I got a letter of collection from Direct TV's collection department. I called customer service again and talked to a supervisor, who pulled out all the history information, apologized to me, and told me that it would not happen again. But in early June I got another bill of collection.

Again I disregarded it, thinking eventually Direct TV would talk to one another and know what they are doing. Last week I came back from a trip and got a message from 800-379-0847. I called but got no one. The number called again through the weekends. When I picked up the phone, no one was on the other end. This morning, 6/30/08, I got calls from this number again. I picked up the phone to find no one.

So I called again, and a man told me it was Nationwide collection agency, collecting $118.26 for Direct TV. I told him DTV made a mistake and for 4 months still has not done a thing, and then sent it for collection! DTV is insane! But the agency called me in the next hour 5 times. I talked to a rep and asked her to document the conversation and look at the history of billing. She was shocked at how confusing the whole thing was.

I also contacted Direct TV customer service 9 times through the day, even through lunch with my 9 year old son, trying to sort things out. I requested a supervisor to speak to and was told one would call me in the "next 2 to 4 hours." Now more than 6 hours have gone by and I have not gotten one call back from a supervisor. Only one rep did.

She took her time to explain to me that in May the billing department credited my card. Then they sent me a letter of collection. I have never gotten a single explanation in any form except letters of collection and calls. My family life is disrupted, my whole family is upset, and DirecTV is ruining my credit! I am paying with my time and my credit for Direct TV's irresponsible mistakes!

DirecTV should compensate me for all the time I have spent talking to them! DirecTV should apologize to me and my family for their poor, careless service. Today, 3 out of 9 customer reps hung up on me. I would like Direct TV senior officers to read my complaint and get it resolved. Those lazy, rude, careless, irresponsible employees should be disciplined.

Company: DirecTV
Country: USA
Site: directv.com

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