I signed up with AAA and was told the entire installation was free. I specifically asked for a ground pole installation, and the lady told me no problem. When the installer called to let me know he was on the way, I asked him if he had the equipment to install the pole. He said no problem, he had it. BUT it was going to cost $75. I explained that it wouldn't be free in that case.
I called DirecTV to complain and was told it is a standard charge, but it is up to their installers whether they charge it or not. After spending about 20 minutes on the phone, the customer service rep and his supervisor let me cancel. I called back, totally amazed that they let me cancel. The guy on the phone apologized but said yes, it is true.
The installer showed up and got belligerent because I didn't call him to tell him I had canceled. I told him I had told the call center to call him, that it wasn't my problem, and that I was not a customer anymore.
I sent in an email and complained. I got a call back and was told that they would credit me the $75. I said I was okay with that, but I had issues with being committed if I signed up and received such poor customer service. The guy on the phone said no problem, he could renew my old account, which I canceled in 2004, BUT I would lose the AAA deal of $10.00 a month for 24 months. I said I don't want to lose $240, so let's just do the AAA deal. He said, "oh just call the sign up number and go through the process all over again." Can you believe I need to re-sign up and he can't do the AAA deal? I said if that is the case, I probably won't bother.
I sent another email saying okay guys, I want to do it, but I don't want to deal with the sign-up process again. If you can just click a button and make it happen, sign me up. A "customer advocate manager" called me back and we talked. He told me there is no way I can reuse my tenure since I am getting new equipment. I said okay, I understand, that makes sense. He said okay, but since I was a customer sometime in my life, no matter how long I have been gone, I am not subject to the AAA deal. He even said that account review would have recognized that I was a previous customer (I mentioned this when signing up originally). I asked him if they were going to come and install me and then, after the fact, tell me I am ineligible for the AAA offer. He didn't really answer. So now, instead of arguing over a stupid $75 pole, I am fighting to save my $240 service credit for the next 2 years! The guy just will not bend and won't honor the original deal.
He even had the audacity to tell me he answered directly to the CEO, Board and Shareholders when I asked if there was a manager of his I could speak with. He said he couldn't offer it because he needed to make them money. I then asked him if the AAA deal was so good that everyone who signed up with it was costing this company money. Again no response, and I wasn't eligible. So now the $75 pole that they will credit me is going to cost me $165.00. The problem is that they promised a price, promised a free installation and lied on both accounts. When you call them out on it, they just stonewall you to the point where you start to lose credits and it starts costing you money.
The sad part is I want the service, but apparently my ruffling of feathers has caused me to be blacklisted. As a side note, I found an email address that apparently goes to the same customer service group. They responded that no one will discuss it any further and that our company's position on the issue hasn't changed.
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