Buyer Beware! We signed up last year for a promotional package(CHOICE) of 29.99 Month for one year, and were absolutely assured that when we suspended the service after 6 months at our vacation place in New Hampshire, the same promo would be good for the remaining 6months when we started up again this May. I gave our Master CArd number for the purpose of DircecTV checking our credit-worthiness, but always paid by check. We gave NO authorization to charge against our account. Our first bill this MAY had a basic charge of 59.99, and DirecTv denied that the promotion would extend after the winter service was suspended. They offered first a $50 rebate, then, on the next call a $ 150.00 rebate! I said that our original agreement was for a basic @29.99/mo. for 12 mo. and I would discontinue service if this wasn't honored. They then proceeded to charge a $250 fee against my Mastercard, for early termination of the contract. No matter that they didn't honor their agreement!
To top it off! This week, we received 2 phone calls from a sales representative who said that we were "old and valued customers" and we could sign up to DIrecTv for a $34.99 basic package for 12 months! Very interesting, I said, and would that continue if we suspended service for the winter? The first rep. put me on hold and checked with her supervisor - absolutely!, the answer came back. The second rep didn't have to check, and assured me the offer was good even with a break in service. Is this a scam, do you think?

Stay away from DirecTV! All I can say is damn the NFL! if it wasn't for the NFL sunday ticket I would have stayed with COX cable. My experience has been absolutely gut wrenching with DirecTV since I made the switch last week. Lets see, where to begin?

Part 1: The Call

OK It all started when I made that call last week to DirecTV to compare rates with COX, I asked the rep to price me DirecTV's best package with all of the premiums so that I could compare to COX's rates, the price was within a few dollars of what I was already paying so I told the rep that I thought I would just stay with COX, he then asked me If I like football to which I replied "Hell ya!" well, he says that he will give me the NFL Sunday ticket for free if I will sign up today! (I had been thinking about getting the NFL sunday ticket for a number of years) so I said OK, I will switch. The rep asks me when I would want it installed, I said "whenever" he said how about this week? I said that I was kinda busy this week, how about next week? he says, well I can have some guys out there friday to install it, it would be a good idea to go ahead and get it installed now incase they are too busy the next week so I said OK.

Part 2: The Installation

The guys show up Friday afternoon to get me hooked up, before they begin I tell them that I am going to have to leave for a couple of hours but my wife will be home so I walk them through a few things. Number 1. I had all of the rooms in my home wired with (2) coax cables each (1) RG59 and (1) RG6 (one for cable and one for satellite) I showed them the junction box outside where they could simply connect the satellite to the proper cables in each room and be done with it, simple! apparently not! I came home to find the guys packing up, I said goodbye. Well, later that evening I noticed that my broadband internet no longer worked (provided by COX) so I proceeded to troubleshoot the problem,.................................one thing led to another and I found myself in the attic, well guess what these A holes had CUT every coax cable in my attic and left them in a huge pile!!!!! why??? called DirecTV to complain, was told that these guys are contractors and DirecTV was not responsible and that I needed to contact the contractors. That is a problem seeing as I do not have a number to call these guys and DirecTV said that they could not give me a contact number.........is this really happening?...WTF!

Part 3: FREE NFL SUNDAY TICKET!!

OK, My DirecTV is installed on Friday.......Saturday, I get a letter in the mail from DirecTV thanking me for choosing them and to please review my order to make sure it is correct before the install takes place, If there are errors in my order etc. I need to call them before the installation takes place. Well guess what? I am charged for the NFL sunday ticket....that little lying SOB! I call DirecTV to get this worked out and I am told that the NFL sunday ticket is not free and that I must have misunderstood....NO i do not think so! It was not a misunderstanding! I was actually calling from my office at work and had 2 other people in my office at the time and I repeated the reps statement that the NFL sunday ticket was free numerous times to him and both people that were in my office easily recall this being said because I was sooo excited about getting something for free! I guess the sales reps can say anything they want to make a sale! what about the little statement at the beginning that "this call is recorded"? well, that is probably a lie too.

Part 4: ON DEMAND

Here we go, wife wants to watch a few back episodes of Rescue Me, so how does this ON Demand work? I mess with it, nothing....come to find out the receiver must be hooked up to the internet for on demand to work, maybe I should have thought of this...but I believe the installation guys should have explained this to me and actually hooked this up for me, I mean I would consider this to be part of the service that I am paying for, wouldnt you? well it isnt apparently, you have to buy more equipment from DirecTV for this to work and hook it up yourself. So after spending the entire weekend in my attic crawling around running CAT5 cable to each of my receivers I am connected to the internet! another 24 hours for the channels to download and I have ON Demand, ...kind of! I still do not have any of the actual ON Demand channels like, the premiums, FX etc. etc. I have spent over 2 hours on the phone with DirecTV reps trying to figure this problem and have gotten NO WHERE! The reps are not trained at all, they have NO idea how anything DirecTV related works all they can do is read what the script on their monitors show!! unbelievable experience!! I have been hungup on (disconnected is what the reps like to call it) I have been shuffled around to every department in the call center....THIS IS so frustrating!!!!!!! You have to watch a 5 minute video on using ON DEMAND before you can actually access it, which I did and what is really sad is after watching this 5 minute video I new more about ON DEMAND than the reps did!!!! they didnt even Know the correct channel numbers for the on demand channels! is this possible???? how can their customer service reps be this poorly trained?? who is running the show at DirecTV???? are you a freaking idiot???: my god!

Part 5:

I could go on and on about this experience but I am tired of typing and reliving this experience which is far from being over.....one more small note, when the installation guys hook up your equipment and are getting ready to split and you ask "do you have a list of channels or something you can leave me?" you will have a good idea of what you are in for when they answer, "No..you will have to go on the internet and print one off" Please do yourself a favor.......stay away from DirecTV!! NFL Sunday Ticket is not worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOTAL CRAP!

i just got off the phone with a supervisor at Directv who has informed me that a problem recording hd channels on their dvr is a common problem, one of which i have had for months. They tell me they will do nothing for me except report it to the engineers. the have no cure for the problem. they will not reimburse me, there is no upgrade that i can pay for. meanwhile, i have a "protection plan" that seemingly is not protecting me against this kind of problem. so in essence. i have an hd box which costs more. but if i want to record a program, i cannot record it in hd and watch it later. i am paying for a service that is not working and they do not know at all when it will work. they cannot fix it and don't know when it will ever be fixed.
very bad customer service. nothing offered to me to help the dilemma and technology has surpassed them apparently! they are still better then the old Adelphia, but that is gone and now Time Warner has taken its place. Good luck finding a company that cares!

IS THERE NO STAR IN HERE AT ALL??? BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY DESERVE. VERY BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE, ALL LIARS. I WAS TOLD MY CONTRACT ENDED AND NOW THAT I HAVE RETURNED ALL THE EQUIPMENTS TO THEM AND SIGNED UP FOR A NEW CABLE COMPANY BECAUSE OF THEY'RE BAD SIGNALS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY ARE NOW CHARGING ME OF AN "EARLY CANCELLATION FEE" BECAUSE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL RECEIVER WHICH WAS NOT WORKING AND THE TECHNICIAN HAD TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ABLE TO FIX IT, AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING THAT BECAUSE OF THAT REPLACEMENT THEY HAD TO RENEW MY CONTRACT FOR ANOTHER 2 YEARS!!!!! WHICH I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF AND ON THE DAY I CALLED TO ASK FOR A KIT TO SEND ALL THE EQUIPMENT, THE REP DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT EARLY CANCELLATION FEE!!!! CLEARLY, DIRECTV IS LOSING ALOT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THEIR BAD SERVICE, THAT NOW BECAUSE I DIDNT RENEW THE CONTRACT WITH THEM THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT I HAVE 2 MORE YEARS WITH THEM AND THAT THEY WILL BE CHARGING ME!!! DO NOT SIGN UP FOR DIRECTV UNLESS YOU LIKE TALKING TO STUPID UNEDUCATED NOT TRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE OF DIRECTV!

Directv is the most pathetic satellite tv service. Customer service representative are not well educated of the product and the services. They say something and do something else. They billed me for service call when I already had credit protection plan, because the technician made a mistake on the paperwork about the service which had been performed. In short, I am posting this review to let other people aware of the consequences if they ever think of switching to Directv cuz its not WORTH IT. Their customer service is so poor and they mislead innocent people and make money out of it. If you love your money then never ever THINK about DIRECTV. I am paying the price for it:((

I have had directv for over 5 years, and I just realized they have been overcharging me $5 a month for an additional receiver that I have never owned. Go Figure?? When I called them they refused to provide me with a flat out refund. Instead they offered to give me a credit over the next 12 months of $10/mos. They also offered an alternative where theywould waive one months bill, but if I disconnected my service they would reverse the bill waiver. I told them forget it, and to disconnect my service. Although it is my fault I did not catch the mistake (and trust me I am cheap) I think their customer service was poor. In addition everytime we have a storm or it rains I don't get any signal because it is always searching for the signal. For my $115/month I am going elsewhere.

I have been a DIRECTV customer for about 6 years. I switched from Comcast cable because I was tired of the constant outages and terrible customer service.

The original install wasn't a great experience. The tech was ok, but left without activating the service. He left a phone number for me to call to activate the service. DirecTV had computer problems that prevented me from activating the service for about 2 days.

About 3 years later I got the HD package and HD DVR. The DVR was awful, locked up frequently and took 5 minutes to reboot. Eventually through firmware upgrades the HD DVR has become reliable. It is pretty easy to use, but isn't as easy as a Tivo. It is disappointing that you cannot use an HD Tivo with DirecTV. I've read that Tivo and DirecTV are working on a new partnership, we'll have to see what happens.

The tech that installed the new dish for the HD service left a big mess, and that pissed me off.

As far as the picture quality and reception, I would say it is excellent. I have never had any weather related problems. I live in CA, so we don't get much snow, etc., but I've never experienced problems during rain storms.

The customer service is about what you might expect... ok to good. After a certain number of years they do give you a different customer service number to call which seems to get you to a person much more quickly then the number listed on the bill or web site.

I think that the service is a bit expensive when you start adding HD and premium channels, so you need to know what you package will actually cost after any promotional period ends. It really depends on how much TV you watch and how many channels you get as to whether or not it will be a good value for you.

They do give you little "anniversary gifts" like a free movie or a free premium channel for a month. It's not much, but it's something.

I have never had any billing issues. From reading some of the reviews here, I may be in the minority here. The only issue I've had is that I'm annoyed when they raise the rates.

So, I'm rating them good, because of the installation issues and ok customer service. The part that matters to me, the picture and reception are great. I'm sure that it probably depends on a number of factors like your location, etc. but for me it's been very reliable.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for sharing their stories. It is because of this site that I have decided NOT to even bother with Directv. I started doing my homework a few days ago and the reviews are overwhelmingly negative, not to mention that after speaking with DTV over the phone (just to get information) I was more confused than when I started (oh and they pressure you to give your SSN over the phone so they can do a "credit check" - I wasn't aware that a credit check is now a requirement to answer my freakin questions!!!) I have to say that I was already pissed at them after that phone call and I'm not even a customer yet..I can only imagine how bad it is once you're locked in. So, thanks again for sparing me all of the headaches and hardship you all have gone through. I will absolutely not be giving them my money! Cable service just shouldn't be this difficult!!!

After several bad experiences with DirecTV customer service, I finally had enough, and cancelled my service. The most frustrating part is, I liked the actual TV service- the lineup was good, the quality was good, the DVR was reliable and easy to use. They have a good product, but they screw it all up by having horrible customer service and extremely customer-unfriendly policies.

1. They promised on their website and on the phone that I would get free HD for 12 months. First 3 bills had a 10.00 charge for HD on them. Had to spend time arguing with them to get them to put the free service on the account. The free service that THEY OFFERED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE.

2. One month, they just randomly added a "Free Trial" of Showtime to my account. I never asked for, nor did I authorize ANY premium movie services to be added to my account. WHen I called them and requested they remove the "free" Showtime, the rep I spoke with absolutely refused to do so! He said "You will have to call back in a few months and get it taken off after the free trial is over." Excuse me? Who is the customer here???

3. I was pressured by a DirecTV premise technician to sign up for the protection plan. He stood in my living room and stated to my face that there was NO OBLIGATION and I could cancel ANYTIME. A few months later, when I canceled the protection plan, I was hit with a $10.00 cancellation fee, which DirecTV customer service very adamantly refused to adjust, even though their tech lied to me to trick me into taking the service in the first place. They seemed to think it was okay to lie to a customer, and that I should just pay the cancellation fee.

After all that, DirecTV lost my business forever. It shouldn't have been that difficult! Here's how they could have handled the situation better:

1. Deliver what you promise, without making a customer jump through hoops.
2. Do NOT try to trick customers by adding unsolicited "free trials" of premium services and then refusing to remove them when requested.
3. DO NOT LIE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. It is never okay to intentionally mislead or outright lie to a customer, as your premises tech did to me. Further, when something like this does happen, FIX IT. A charge that occurs due to a deceptive employee is not an opportunity to make money, it is an error that must be immediately and fully corrected. Do not attempt to negotiate over something like this.

I will never, ever do business with these people again. I will warn everyone I know to avoid this company. They ruin their otherwise good product with deceptive practices and unnecessary cancellation fees.

Just wanted to say, that I found this web site while researching Satellite TV providers - looking for the best etc. I read the review from luvloveluv. I have yet to have to interact with anyone from direct TV's call center, but I really LOVED her comments and wish more people would stick up for themselves. I worked for the government for 28 years processing disability claims. I had to abide by rules as well, and unfortunately, received numerous, countless insults and accusations simply because I was doing my job. I HATE dealing with the public - which I too am a part of. People can be so incredibly hateful and ugly when they don't get their way, and usually find it appropriate to lash out at whomever they can regardless of what the facts are. Good for you luvloveluv. Let em have it and if they don't like it, tell them to shove it!

Directv are nothing but liars, we had directv about 5 years ago and they were ok at first, then we started getting extra charges on our bill, and they would not explain them. I canceled and a year ago I got directv for my daughter, and she has had nothing but trouble with them from the start. ( I thought I would give them another chance). The service was ok, it was the billing that was the problem. They were adding extra charges and she had to move, so I had to cancel the service. They charged a big amount of money to cancel. I know a lot of other people who has had a LOT of trouble with directv. I will never use there service ever again. I would think they would treat there customers better so there wouldnt be so many bad reviews on Directv, but I guess they don't care about customer service.

By far the worst experience of my life! I was a new customer and signed up for the Family Package, well day of installation I turned on the TV only to find that the channels I was told I was getting were NOT THERE. So, I called and was promised the low rate of 34.99 for the next package up. A week later I get my bill, 65.00! I called to be informed that because I upgraded I was no longer eligible for the low rate! I have been battling with this MORONS for the past month! Don't ever expect what they tell you! The "reps", as they call themselves, are all obnoxious. They have yet to actually help me! Just don't do it. Go Comcast, I grew up with them, they weren't perfect, but they got stuff done!

This is the WORST SERVICE EVER.....DO NOT EVER ORDER DIRECTV FOR ANY REASON. We ordered the service July 2, 2009. The installer assured us that we had 30 days to cancel with no penalty. We called July 27th to cancel due to poor reception, sevice etc.... Well guess what, we have to pay $470.00 to cancel after only less than 3 weeks of service. SHAME ON DIRECTV. They will not even give us a break or give us a discount. I have the name and phone number of the installer but ofcourse Directv uses a third party. RIP OFF! RIP OFF! RIP OFF. I am forwarding an email to everyone I know about their service.

Outrageous Practice. Ir is amazing to me that DirectTV actually get away with this kind of practice. I gave DirecTV notification to disconnect my service as of mid-Night May 21, 2009 and send my final bill to my permanent home address in Houston, Texas. On May 28, 2009, not quite 7 days later with a weekend and a holiday in between I was referred a collection agency! I have this service for 8 months and have never late on a single bill (autopay). In addition to this outrageous billing practice, I was also harassed (via phone) numerous times by DirectTV over the next two weeks after I turned in my notice, telling me and asking me why I am leaving them and don?t I want to take their receiver to the next location wherever it is that I am moving to. Time after time, I told them, this service is for my home away from home while I am working in Utah once the work assignment ended, I on to the next location which is in another state and I have no idea what my living arrangement will be therefore I do NOT want to take their receiver with me. The next saga is on the termination charge for breaking an agreement I that did not know that I have entered (apparently, they strick some in the bills...just like your credit card company does and you are automatically enter into a contract by default!). I would do would cable before I deal with these people again.

Directv worst sattelite TV service in the whole wide world. Force customers to pay for service not
wanted,not used and do not care about.

Well the saga that is Directv.

Had the service for 2 years and decided it was costing to much so we cancelled. Everything was fine, they would send us shipping boxes for the receivers, but we never got them. Directv then charged our bank account $1,233.00 on June 12th 2009. We contacted them right away and was told due to not returning the receivers. They then sent us another set of boxes, which we did receive, bundling up our receivers and shipping them back next day. Directv got their equipment back confirmed by both Fedex and themselves.

We then was told we receive $1024.88 returned to our checking account in 4-6 weeks. Here we are at week six, nothing. I contacted a billing rep on Saturday July 18th, and was told that we would receive our money within 72 hours. Did I mention between the dates of June 15th (when they got their equipment) and July 18th, they also tried to charge us for 4 standard receivers we never had? Anyways, 72 hours.

Today, still nothing. I contacted them yet again and was told that it would take 4-6 weeks and wasn't much more that could be done.


I ask you, why is Directv holding over $1000 of my money for no good reason? Would they wait for payment from a customer for 4-6 weeks? I would never use these guys again, they are assholes and hopefully go out of business in the next decade.



Sidenote: We did enjoy their programming and rarely lost signal, even in rain. If they actually held up their part in customer service, I would recommend them, unfortunately I cannot do that in light of all this bullshit.

I have had Directv for 4 years now and love it! Never any problems. In fact if you TV goes out you can reset it yourself and its fixed. Not like cable.

i would not tell anyone to get directv they are crooks. if i was you don't get it go to dish they are the best you get more from them then directv dish will give you more for $. directv will make you pay for what you don't have. and they will say that they are right and you have to pay them, GET DISH NOT DIRECTV......DERECTV SUCKS

DTV will offer you whatever it takes to get you connected. After you are connected, they will (if you're lucky) send you a letter advising that you were not elegible for the things they offered, BUYER BEWARE!

I am a supervisor in a DirecTV call center for the customer service department.

First of all, I find it interesting how many people are insinuating that agents who work the phones for DirecTV are all sitting around with sinister smiles on their faces, rubbing their hands together as they gleefully break bad news to customers. That's ridiculous. We don't even work for DirecTV directly- we work for a call center who happens to have DTV as their client. I couldn't care less if DTV went bankrupt tomorrow, frankly. I bear no loyalties with them. I don't work off commission and I don't make a penny more if I refuse you a credit.

Secondly, when you call into a call center, you're not getting a bunch of yuppies in sport jackets in a high-rise office building answering. You're getting mostly college students and beyond-retirement age individuals. Yeah, we do get a "whopping" 5 weeks of training, but this isn't our career.. this is merely a crappy job that we have to get by for now. We enforce a policy that NONE of us agree with, but we do it to keep our jobs. I don't care HOW bad I feel for you, I'm not getting fired in this economy, because you want a $20 credit you don't qualify for. If you want to get around corporate policy and guidelines, take it CORPORATE.. don't call into a call center.

What it all boils down to is that DirecTV employees are just doing what they have to do to keep their jobs. I don't agree with DirecTV's crappy business practices either, but I have a policy to enforce and that is my JOB. My job is not to throw money at you because you've been a customer for two years and have to pay $99 to lease a DVR. Guess what, I had to pay for my DVR, too. I, too, am a consumer.

And for the person who had a hard time believing that even a supervisor couldn't locate an agent she previously spoke to.. DirecTV has hundreds and hundreds of call centers. I am a supervisor and I will tell you right now that you would have to write in to corporate with the agent's badge number. We can't even listen to a call that came from our own call center if it wasn't within the last 30 days. Sorry, but we do have limitations. We're not "lying."

I wouldn't have even responded to this thread if I wasn't 23, living on my own, and in med school.. only working at DirecTV to get by until I start my residency.. and then to have people say these awful things about call center employees like we're a bunch of ogres just because we're forced to stand by the ridiculous policies... I love being called a bitch by complete strangers because DirecTV doesn't give us the ability to extend better offers to them. Take your problems up with DirecTV Corporate itself.. not its employees who they underpay and treat like crap to begin with.

I had a termination request issue with Directv. Got no positive response from a phone call so I got online and read some reviews. I didn't feel like I was going to get what I needed after reading so many negative reviews. However, I emailed my situation to Directv on their email site and received numerous prompt responses with a positive solution within several days.

This review can be added to the "plus" column for Directv. Their email customer service site was very willing to help me.

The advertised prices are about half of what you end up paying. The installer stapled holes into the baseboards and outside walls of my apartment, which I rent. The lease times are pretty ridiculous, and when you try to cancel they harass you into continuing your service with them. I think I hate DirecTV more than Charter.

Direct TV is a big rip off. I had Direct TV for 3 years. After 2 years my contract was up and I started having problems with my HD receiver. When they came out to fix my receiver, they replaced it with another one that I had to pay monthly fee, that was ok until I decided to cancel them and they charge me $320.00 for earlier cancellation fee. When the receiver was replaced they put me on a 2 year contract and was not told by the Techichian. Before you sign anything with Direct TV make sure you are aware of all the small prints. This Company is out get your Money anyway they can. I would not recommend this Provider to my worst enemy.

I have been a directv customer for 3 years until today. I called regarding billing issues and they pretty much told me deal with it because they are not going to fix the problem. I am now making the move to Dish network because of the scandalous nature of Directv.

After TEN YEARS of being happy with DirecTV, my 3 standard boxes began to require resetting constantly (TV's would just go black/quiet at random times). DirecTV changed their signal somehow and my old boxes couldn't handle it.

I called service and they agreed to send out new boxes for "free". Didn't mention a contract until I called last month. Yeah, I know about the "terms-of-service" pamphlet they send with the first bill that notifies you of a contract but by then it is too late.

An honest contract is one entered into KNOWINGLY by both parties. When a company resorts to these tactics to keep customers, WATCH OUT.

BTW, one phone rep said I shouldn't have incurred a contract for box replacement due to technical reasons and he would waive the fee (I had cancelled the service by then). Guess what, I'm being billed for the fee and even though that rep has an ID number in the file, he can never be contacted even by the supervisor (puh-lease!)

This company has a great product - why do they have to be so dishonest???

Directv Cust here.

First, they do suck at following through on offers you sign up for and any company where you can only deal with people over the phone is horrible. No way to talk directly to the person you talked to before. Further, even if you could, that cust rep wouldn't remember you anyway with all the calls they get in a day.

I saw a deal on PapaJohns.com where I would get $100 gift card to PJs for signing up. Also if I did auto-pay I would get a $50 Visa Gift Card. Had some Q's on services so I called the number listed. Was told I would qualify for the PJs offer if I signed up through that rep. Months go by, no GCs. Called, told they dont see a PJs offer ever. Ensue months of calls and escalations. Get a letter saying I don't qualify. Luckily have a DTV call center in my town and now a few managers there. Got that $100 credited to my account. Then never saw the $50 Visa GC. Same story, had to go to my friends again.

Now the good things.

I switched from my local cable provider (called Bresnan before and told them I could switch and get internet and tv from two other companies and be cheaper even after the new cust deals wear off. Was asked by the Bresnan rep where my customer loyalty was after she said couldn't give any deals. Edu my loyalty is that I am calling after 3 years of service to let them know I can pay less for more, no matter how loyal I am not going to pay $15-20 more for less)..moving on.

DirecTV has great services at a pretty good price. Live in the NW and with snow/storms have only lost signal once (had a ton of snow on my dish, wiped it off, all good). Lots of chs, can't beat the sports packs. As long as I don't have to call them I am happy.

Reading through most of your complaints I realize that 90% of you wouldn't be complaining if you researched your decision and read your agreement before hand. Word to the wise, don't ever expect someone else to relay info about anything to you and think it will always be 100%. Didn't you ever play that game when you were a kid where you sit in a circle and start with a sentence and by the time you make it around whispering into each others ears it comes out different?

Research your decisions. See what you want in writing. And to counter the next bit of complaining that the rep should be able to recite every offer/code/etc., I am sure I could catch you at your work and get you & a coworker to contradict each other on policy/rules/etc. Not every rep knows everything, and not every employee in the world is a good one, unfortunately.

And one last piece of advice, no matter how upset/mad you are don't go in screaming. For anything, regardless if it's DTV/whatever. From my days in the past as a cust rep for any size company, if you are a complete jerk right off the bat to me directly, I am going to go by the book and not bend the rules. Was a manager when I was younger at a large electronics retailer (prob know the one) and if a cust instantly was rude directly to me and insulting I was by the book. If the person acted like an adult, explained the frustration and situation (and I can handle being upset and showing it, but not being rude/insulting) I would bend/break rules all the time to make them happy.

Golden rule...treat others as you wish to be treated!!

**Damn, that was long....sorry**

geeze, I woudn't even give it one star, but you have to put something...WORST customer service I have ever run into. I was a Directv customer for over 5 years and decided to leave b/c every year their prices went up and up. I got an ad for AT&T Uverse in the mail right after they announced their price increase and decided that I was going to leave, best decision I could of made! After paying over $300 to get out of their contract and sending back the recievers I get a bill for 1 receiver, they stated they never recieved it...SCAM. Then the next SCAM...I get a bill in the mail after not having Directv for 6 months stating that I rented a movie on PPV. I called their crappy customer service and was told that I was billed for a movie I had watched on 7-31-06. So 3 years later I was billed for some movie I don't even remember watching! They stated that if your recievers were not connected to a telephone line that the data of a rented movie stays in the boxes access card until you turn in the receivers. I would not recommend Directv to my worst enemy...

Dont buy into the hype. The first 5 channels ore local, then 100 channels of nonsense advertising and future programming, then 50 channels of pay per view with the same movies on it, then 50 more channels of future programmimg and advertising, then 50 more channels of payper view x rated. I'm still looking for normal channels, think I found 5. The only thing on is hbo, cinemax and showtime and starz, but you have to pay for this. Seriously, compare the shows, don't get sucked into the number of channels, 955 are nonsense.

Long time customer of DIRECTV. Today I had a message to call them. They said I didn't pay my bill. I called my bank and the check to them cleared 2 weeks ago. I then called back and they told me I had to get a copy of cancelled check from my bank and SEND to THEM confirming THEY CASHED MY CHECK.

I could switch to DISH for a lot cheaper for the first 6 mos (HA), but would have to have agree to a 2 year COMMITMENT. And, my COMMITMENT to DIRECTV is not over until Jan 2010. But the cancellation fee for DISH is 12.00/mo whereas DIRECTV is $20.

All this drama just to click through the channels and find "Bad News Bears" the most desirable program.

What a scam. What other business can demand you promise to be their customer for 2 years? (Whether or not they treat you well).

My rating says it all. This DirecTV does not even deserve this star.

I took this DirecTV connection in Sams club. The guy who sold me the service offered a list of channels that made me happy. After the connection was made, none of those channels came up. When I went back to talk to that guy, he bluntly said that he never said those channels will come. He also gave me a flier of channels that I am supposed to receive but none of those channels come now. I also was promised of $10 discount for 12 months which did not show up in my first bill.

DirectTV is a big rip off. Please donot take this connection especially from Sams club.

DIRECTV DISHONESTY:

I was informed by AT&T that because I have a bundle of their services and they have an agreement with DIRECTV, that I was eligible for a discount on my satellite service. AT&T confirmed this, DIRECTV confirmed this. Their customer service rep indicated that I would start seeing the discount in 6 weeks on my bill. On that basis, I had them come to replace our aging DVR with a new one, which requires a 24 month programming agreement. As a long time customer, I had no issue, because I'm very loyal to companies that treat me well.

Today I called to check on the discount as it hasn't started appearing on my bill. I was told that the programming package I'm in isn't eligible for the discount. She then proceeded to try to upgrade me to the more expensive package to get the discount. I stated that I was told by AT&T and a previous DIRECTV rep that I was eligible. After speaking with a supervisor, she informed my that "misinformation has no value" and "I am really sorry, I wish our representatives would use all the tools available to them". She did offer a $5 credit per month for one year, but after stated that "after that, I can't do anything".

Essentially they signed me up for a two year contract and then changed the price. After doing a bit of research online, I see that DIRECTV uses this practice frequently, misinforming customers about fees and also not making it clear they are committing to a contract (I found out only because I asked, they did not offer the information).

Lesson Learned:
I made this committment over the phone, I didn't sign anything, so I had to take the word of the representative on what I was sigin up for. Next time I will have them mail me the agreement so I can review the terms, so that I would have a defense against this bait and switch.

BUYER BEWARE WITH DIRECTV

directv lies. when we sign the contract they told us the price will be locked. So we signed for 2years. But after 3months they began to charge HBO etc, for $36 a month. When we called them they just said that the credit they gave to us is over. So next time when you order Dirctv record your conversation or simply just use another TV company.

I've had DTV for about three years now. On average I have video/audio issues every 3 months. I resisted purchasing their service protection plan until recently. Over the past 4 weeks I have lost picture and audio 1 or 2 times daily requiring the receiver to be re-booted. After the initial 3 phone calls I finally consented to the service protection plan $6/month after I was told that any further issues would require a tech visit. Next phone call the explanation was it was a faulty software issue and a tech would not be able to fix the issue. I continue to have audio/video issues that require daily re-booting of receiver. In retrospect I would not recommend DTV. The faulty software issues combined with weather outages and loss of satellite signals make the increased price of cable worth it.

These people are unbelivable! the customer service is the worst... and it will end up costing you money. My old TV broke down so I got a new HD Sony for a great price. Over the air channels looked spectacular, directv's SD channels looked terrible. Since I am no expert on video equipment, I called customer service to see if an HD reciever (not HD service, 10 extra bucks a month!) would help due to the superior cable connections (HDMI vs S-Video on a standard reciever). They said no, but guess what? I was eligable for a free reciever upgrade! It was a standard reciever with the same S-video conection in the back but they guaranteed it would look better. They sent the reciever and it the picture looked no better than the old one... even if I 'adjust' the picture to 480 (or whatever it is). They charged me a shipping fee and told me I am now 'commited' for 12 months. I have been a customer for years. Since I was decieved about the reciever, I just wanted out of the commitment, nothing more. They refuse. They keep sending me an attachment on their policy. I keep telling them their customer service people contradict their policy. You will be hours on their customer service merry-go-round if you call and you will be lied to. Between the phone and e-mail, I have been through 9 seperate "Specialists" at directv. They only specialize in picking your pocket. I'm telling everyone I know and posting on every discussian board I can find. Stay away from Directv!

SCUMBAGS!
I wish i could give them 0 stars. they are unbelievable. i have never been lied to and taken advantage of so many times by one company.
they have repeatedly lied to me about my bill, charging my credit card after i had told them specifically to send me a bill and i would pay with a check (which they PROMISED they would do), just overall being awful to me.

NEVER EVER would i use directv again. i would rather not watch tv than go through these disgusting pigs.

Overall DirecTV is good. It has good picture, lots of channels, and the NFL Sunday Ticket and the NBA Package help a lot too. The only thing i dislike about DTV is the satellite sometimes would go out when it rained, but for the past half year, we havn't had that problem. it appears the newer packages are better.

The good: great channel line-up; great quality video; good value.

The bad: uncannily deceptive advertising; 'free professional installation' and 'we move you for free'

The details:

You know how a magician uses indirection to make you imagine seeing something impossible happen? Well, when I originally signed up, I got 2 HD receivers and 2 HD DVR receivers. I selected the top-of-the line channel lineup plus the NFL Sunday Ticket. Expected and paid a $10 HD service fee. Expected and paid a $6 DVR fee. Expected and paid a $5 x 3 per additional receiver fee. Expected to receive all channels in my package, when available in HD, to be in HD. That's what the advertising glossy brochure says. Well, there isn't fine print on the brochure of course, but the indirection is the *definition* of 'channel lineup'...IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE NFL SUNDAY TICKET channels. I had everything EXCEPT that in HD. Did the salesmen mention that? No. Did the installer mention that? No. I would have found out during the install, but of course there was no game on on Saturday. I only found out the day I went to turn it on and tune to an HD channel to view the game 'Not authorized'...HUH?

Now, after 30+ minutes arguing, the CSR did give me a credit towards the additional $99 fee to upgrade to the 'Sports Fan' *package* which provides the HD versions of the channels--if you ALSO have NFL Sunday Ticket. Yes, you need to pay for both--which is never mentioned of course. The brochure does actually indicate this when you read the fine print, but it is advertised as providing the 'view up to eight games simultaneously' feature...

The 'free professional installation' includes ONLY drilling holes in your EXTERIOR walls for cables. It does NOT include and fishing/wall drops. It does NOT include burying cables (they will 'wrap' your house in cable stapling it to the walls). Basically, anything 'pretty' will cost extra.

Now, just last year when installed, I received their top-of-the-line 'SWM'...'single wire module'. A single line from the Dish/LNB, to a splitter in the attic. A single line from the splitter to each of the four receivers--even the two HD DVRs.

Well, I bought a newer semi-custom home. Called and setup an appointment on the 'we move you for free' advertisement. The new house already has a home-run configuration with all the rooms wired with RG6 to a central box--and two additional lines from the exterior into the central box. One of those is being used by the high-speed internet. I thought...cool...all ready to roll.

Well, hold on there...here's the kicker: The tech arrived, and NO. He needs to run FOUR cables from the dish to a splitter. He needs to run TWO cables from the splitter to each of my HD DVRs. All of this needs to be done on the exterior of the house because it is a flat roof--no attic to even DO fish/drops if I'd WANTED to. HUH? Called Directv. Yep. The SWM, etc, is ONLY provided on NEW installations. I could pay an additional $150 for a new SWM at this location. 'Sorry sir, that is only provided for NEW customers.'...

I opted to go to the old house and crawl around on the roof and in the attic--tear apart the 'old' dish and provide all the components to the technician. Luckily, he was willing.

I had no problem with them until I went to cancel the service. After being with them for almost 10 years, they can't tell me how much my final bill is going to be and I won't know until they charge the credit card I have on file. Excuse me, but we've paid each of our bills for the last 10 years of service and they won't trust us to pay our final bill as we have each of our other bills? They will automatically charge your credit card or debit your bank account, but they won't allow you the common courtesy of looking at your bill first before it's paid. What kind of nonsense is that? I'm trustworthy enough to pay a bill each month except for that last one. That's the one where they take their money without you even looking the bill over. I've never ever had a company do that to me before and I'm not happy about it.

DO NOT EVER get directv, they will scam you out of money every which way they can. If someone dies, they want a copy of the death certificate, then they'll waive the early cancellation fee. wow thanks. That is low. They have zero sympathy for its customers. trust me, go somewhere else. They've let their business go to hell.

I am a Directv customer service representative. Upon joining the company, we were offered free programming after 90 days of employment. I've exceeded my 90 days and will not, under any circumstance, use Directv. Not even for free. I wish I could personally contact each and every customer and apologize for any inconvenience. I understand your frustrations.
But one thing I'd like to comment on is the way consumers act with us on the phones. We know you're angry and you want your problem resolved. Our system and policies change almost DAILY, without warning, so please be patient with us. I know not every representative you speak with will be courteous and meet your every need but it is very hard to assist a customer who has done nothing but verbally assault you for 15 minutes when they don't get their way.

That being said, here are some tips for the future and/or current Directv customers:

- Firstly, if you're 10 minutes from walking out the door to go to work, or take your child to school, don't call. Call us ONLY when you are HOME, and have more than just a few minutes to spare. We have to go through a very specific process with each call, and I know I personally am not going to let myself get fired because you're about to miss your hair appointment. And if you're at work, we can't troubleshoot your problems with you if you're not in front of your television.

- You aren't under a "contract". Directv refuses to use that term. It's considered a "customer programming agreement" and unfortunately, there's no way around it. You know the fine print 99.8% of people don't read, and hastily sign their names over? That's you signing your "customer agreement." You should have paid more attention. No matter how much you rant, rave and complain, you're screwed for 24 months. You could talk to every supervisor, they'll tell you the saaaaame thing.
(And, no, there is no direct line to the President of the company so please stop asking.)

- So, you bought your receiver from Best Buy. And they told you that you OWN it. No. You don't. It's still considered a "leased receiver" as if you purchased it through Directv. If you deactivate it, it comes back to us. Just a heads up.

- If a representative tells you that you cannot speak to someone else, demand their Internal ID number. That is a lie, and if a customer demands to speak with a supervisor, as a rep, we are REQUIRED to locate one for you.

- If you're looking to upgrade your receivers, be aware you will be locked into ANOTHER 24 month commitment. Even if you are already 13 months into a commitment, from the day that new receiver is activated it starts ALL OVER again. If you're going to purchase an HD receiver, be aware there is a $10/mo charge. A DVR receiver is $6/mo. Also, there are additional receiver fees, which are $5. For example, you have 4 receivers in your home. 2 standard, one HD and one DVR. You're paying $5 for three receivers. (You don't pay monthly for your primary receiver) That's $15. And then you have your HD fee of $10. And, your DVR service charge of $6. That's already $31 just in receiver fees. Sometimes, if the customer is in a rush, or call volume has been high it's very possible the CSR may forget to mention that. They (shouldn't) deliberately withhold that information from you.

- Sure, you're a "loyal customer". You've been with Directv for ten years and paid every bill on time. No, you can't get your programming cheaper. The new customer prices are for NEW customers. There is literally no way around it.

- If you order a premium service (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz, Sportspack) if you cancel within 30 days there is an early cancellation fee of $10. If you order one or more of those, for God's sake keep it for the 30 days.

- Okay, so you talked to "Jessica". No, you can't speak with "Jessica" again because there are THOUSANDS of Jessica's that work for Directv, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I know in my call center specifically there are over 20 Jessica's. Good. Luck.

- NEW CUSTOMERS: If you want your new customer price, submit your rebate. Your first 1 or 2 bills will be normal price, your discounted price starts the day your rebate is processed. Say you activate on June 5, and your rebate doesn't go through until July 12. You are required to pay full price for your first month's bill, but from July 12 of this year through July 12 of next year, you'll be paying the discounted price.

- YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED LOCALS IN ALL AREAS. There are parts of the United States that simply do not, cannot receive locals. It's all based on where the beams are located. Submit a waiver for Distant Networks if you are not eligible for local channels.

- AS FAR AS INSTALLATIONS GO: Not every technician is selfish and out to take your money. However, some are. If a technician tells you that a custom installation is required and you have to write a check to them personally, DO NOT DO IT. Call Directv IMMEDIATELY. Custom installation fees are to written by check or money order to the name of the exact Home Service Provider your technician works for. I have had several technicians try and pull a fast one on the customer's. Thankfully they were smart enough to call and double check before actually writing it to Joe Smith for $250.

- Please, consider having the Protection Plan. It's $5.99/mo but covers the cost of replacement receivers and/or remotes and offers free service calls. Our equipment is not guaranteed to work forever, and having that option REALLY saves you in the end.

I don't agree with a lot of Directv's policies or their business ethic.
However if you guys would actually ask probing questions before getting your service, or pay attention to that fine print, you could have saved yourself both time AND money. (Maybe save some of your sanity.)

If cable is available in your area, I highly recommend staying with cable and avoiding satellite companies all together.

Please please please be patient with us when you call. I know the automated system is pointless and doesn't work half the time. No, I can't fix it. I know you told the IVR your number was 555-555-5555, but it repeated 555-555-5551 back to you. It's broken. Just keep pushing 0 until you get a CSR.

Good luck <3

DirecTV was unequivocally the worst experience that I have ever had with any product or service. It’s hard to believe that such a company can legally operate while employing the deceptive business practices that I encountered throughout the 17 month term of service that I had with them. Once they have you, there is no way out. If you request to cancel service due to their deceptive billing practices, failure to honor agreements/promises or evasive customer service and unresolved problems, they will threaten you with a huge termination fee for canceling early.

I cannot believe how many hours (probably days if you add them all up during my 17 months of service) that I spent on the phone & emails in good faith trying to give DirecTV the opportunity to honor the promises & agreements they made. However, despite all this effort, I was met time and time again with extremely evasive customer service that will drag out an issue (no matter what it might be) for as long as they can in what appears to be a tactic to wear you down into just giving up.

A perfect example of this the $50 Visa gift card that was promised at the beginning of service for enrolling in auto bill pay. They initially told me it would take 4-6 weeks to arrive. After a couple of months I called to check on the status of it and was told that it wouldn’t be sent until after three billing cycles had passed. A couple of months later I was then told that they never had any Visa Gift card offer. In future phone calls I spoke with managers and representatives who said each time that the issue was being sent to a special “escalation department”. However there was never any type of response or resolution.

I requested several times to just credit my account for $50 in lieu of the Visa Gift Card and they said they couldn’t do that. Finally after 10 months and countless phone calls I said that I was going to cancel my account. They immediately threatened me with a $250 early termination fee if I did so. Then they put me on hold and said they would credit my account for $50 (even though they said this couldn’t be done in the countless phone calls over the previous 10 months).

When I signed up for DirecTV, I specifically indicated that it would be for RV use. At the recommendation of the DirecTV rep, I ordered a mobile tripod for an additional $50 that could be used for this purpose. I was told that the local channels would be available wherever I went. That, however, was not the case. I was later told that I needed to pay a significant additional fee to receive local channels. When I said I wanted to cancel because I couldn't get the local channels that they promised and I was paying for, Directv again threatened to charge me with a huge early termination fee.

I finally had enough and told Directv at the end of 2008 that I was going to cancel my account regardless of any termination fees. They transferred me to the “retention department” and offered me a price of $34.99/mo that was locked in for the remaining 12 months. Wanting to avoid the termination fee I agreed and thought the problems were over. I asked the representative to put notes on my account regarding the offer in order to avoid any issues in the future. The next month they debited my checking account for $42.99. I called DirecTV and referred them to the previous offer and account notes. They said they saw the offer and put in a request to correct it but it would take 7-14 days. Then the next bill came and it was for $62.99. I called again and they still hadn’t corrected the first error and were about to debit my checking account for $62.99. They said they would send a request to the now mythical “escalation department” but it would take another 7-14 days. When I called to follow up they said that $62.99 was correct and they didn’t see any offer of $34.99 from the retention department. After several more weeks and many hours on the phone & email and they still refused to acknowledge the offer that was made even though the first representative confirmed the notes were in my account.

I decided at this point I needed to handle all future correspondence in writing. So I sent an email to customer service and said that I was cancelling my service and would file a complaint with the BBB. In subsequent replies they first said they would charge $42.99, then $37.99 and then $39.99. It was different with each representative and each reply. They still refused to acknowledge the first offer of $34.99 notated on my account and even refused to acknowledge the $37.99 that I now had in writing. I finally had to cancel auto bill pay to prevent them from arbitrarily debiting my account for unauthorized overcharges.

For anybody that hasn’t gone through this process and is wondering why not just cancel service and then refuse to pay the early termination fee? The answer is Directv has your debit/credit card on file. Within days of cancelling service, they will charge your card for the termination fee without any type of bill, authorization or notification. In my case this was a debit card linked to my checking account. Poof…$139 in cash was gone without my knowledge. Fortunately I had enough cash to cover the charge. But this could easily have resulted in some hefty overdraft and returned check charges.

When I requested that they refund the charge, they referred me to the customer agreement that says they have the right to charge your card without notice for termination fees. Apparently, DIRECTV believes that it is acceptable business practice to actively evade any promises/agreements made with the customer, but fully expects the customer to keep paying for their “service” or suffer the consequence of a huge early termination fee.

Please do yourself a favor and stay clear of this company. No matter what “special offer” they have at the time and no matter how good it may seem, they will do everything within their power not to honor it. You will end up spending many frustrating hours on the phone, usually with no resolution. And if a resolution ever does come, it will often take months of continuous follow-up in order to make them honor their agreements.

I signed up for Directv through AT & T and was never told there was a cancellation fee. I am disabled and moved out on my own for the first time in over 10 years. I had Directv installed and then after a few weeks of health problems realized I could not make it on my own. I was forced to move back to an assisted living home that was already equipped with Directv. I called Directv only to be told it would cost $460 to cancel, I don't have that kind of money being a disabled person, I'm sure most people don't have an extra $500 laying around. I was told the only way to dispute was to send a letter which I did. I received an obviously standard e-mail reply stating I'd have to pay. I have no recourse other than to tell EVERYONE about this experience. PLEASE PLEASE stay away from Directv!!

I have been a DirecTv customer for 6 years. After six years, our bill has steadily risen. For our "anniversary gift" of loyalty, we received 3 months free Showtime and a $3/mo increase. Turns out, our gift is a promo that is going on right now, and quite honestly, who wants Showtime? Anyway, that was a freebie so that's not why they got rated bad. I recently recieved a bundle offer from my phone company that included Dish network. I was a little concerned because of reviews I have seen. We called DirecTv to find out what our cancellation fees would be. They did not offer anything for us to stay, and told us our contract was until July, but there would be no fees if we cancel. So, we had Dish installed today ( a savings of $65/mo, more channels, and and extra DVR). I called DirecTv and was told there was a $40 cancellation fee and "sorry someone told you that....no you can't speak to anyone else...nobody can adjust your contract". They also informed me that if I would like, they could bundle my Tv with a phone and internet of my choice, which would make my satellite bill $48 instead of the $90 it had been. So, not only did they lie when we called them, they went all these years without even offering a bundle. What a waste of our hard earned money all these years!

I have been a installer for directv for 4 years. i can tell you from experience the customer service reps are morons for the most part. just today i spent 2 hours on f in phone with 3 different reps telling me they needed some ticket to activate this customers account and it would take 3-5 days to do so. they mess the f in orders up about 60% of the time then the customers wonder why we dont have the right equipment. i dont know if they treat you guys like shit as much as they do us or what but if they do i understand the attitudes. as for customers you need to remeber i am the one who knows who to properly install this shit not you. dont fuckin argue with me and tell me you want this or that. i will decide that not you. remeber when you want all this extra stuff done that i will charge you or i will not do it. and fuckin directv needs to tell customers yes a standard install is free but there are stuff the tech will charge for if it is custom. the sad part of this is all techs would agree with me but there all stuck here because there are no jobs with the way the economy is.
Showing 1 Comment

You just gotta love these corporations that force us to buy their crappy hardware, then lock us into multi-year contracts that are open-ended for their price increases. What a scam, but what can you do? They are all obviously in wink-wink league with each other.

But, to have their so called customer reps--some people maybe should be kept away from the public?--when they post rude, petty and nasty little flames aimed at any of us over-paying customers, when they call us a bunch of whiners with shitty attitudes who deserve as much grief as they feel they have a right to give us, when they simply do not do their jobs well--even after a whopping five weeks of training--that sucks!

DirecTV Sucks? I don't know. When it works, it rocks. When it stops working, then it's really the lousy service "outsorce" techs that do or do not suck.

Again, perhaps self-proclaimed service reps who go online and flame at their customers should be kapt away from the public. It's just bad business to piss us off more than we already might be.

Out!

I am a customer service rep with dtv and at the end of the day we have a buisness that we have to run!!! Alot of you customers fail to understand that and call with all thw whining and the complaining of price increases and wanting to know why we charge so much!! The economy is the first thing that I would like to mention.. in case you have noticed dtv isn't the only company that has raised the prices..if u read ur customer agreement before getting activated u will be well aware of our policies and prices..it is not our fault that 95% of u ppl refuse to do so. it clearly explains about lease agreements cancellation fees..e.t.c..I have dtv at home and never had a issue..services are great prices are reasonable for what i have and i am satisfied. And word of advice if u call customer service,billing,technical with a shitty attitude ur gonna get shitty service..treat others how u wanna be treated..give respect to earn it u'll be suprised of what you can get if u ask the right way










































5

This company is amazingly incompetent. I have had service for ever and i've always hated it but never bothered to look elsewhere so now that i do I call to cancel. I schedule a future cancellation date to avoid a mid month fee and the idiots cancelled my service the next day, so i called to asked what happened and according to them it cancelled as of the date i called to terminate so i told them can you adjust it so it terminates and they WANT ME TO PAY A RE_CONNECTION FEE. what kind of crap is that. Im am telling all my friends and any one who wants to hear that the customer service at directv sucks and their employees are useless and incompetent. Dont ever get directv they find a way to screw you.

What can i say they suck. Orginally signed up with them in November. Everything was fine with them for the first three month then all hell broke loss. After the three month trial was up, we kept having problem with so called payment adjustments. These payment adjustment were always for 39.75 each month. They were never included on the actually paper bills just on the online balance due. Was given multiple excuses which never seemed quite right. So today the special customer finance people called and told me they needed me to pay an additonal 119.25 on the past due balance. Never mind the fact that we just recieved Mays months bill due 5/15 for $89.68. I told them I was not going to pay it because my bill said differenetly. Poof they shut off the service before I had a chance to hang up the phone. So I called backed. Was told that the rep was wrong and the actually amount due was 121.96. She then said that the last payment has been returned NSF from the bank. Jumped online and looked at the bank account, nope the 121.96 was paid and cleared my bank on 4/16. The nice part of Key banks online bill pay service is that all checks are sent certified and can not bounce. The rep told me I had to go to the bank and get a notorized copy of the bank statement. I said that was going to be kinda hard at 8 pm. She said she would check to see if I could fax just a copy of the online bank statement and was told no they needed notorized copy. So I said ok fine, I guess I could live for one night. She then said it would take 7-10 business days for them to research and credit the payment. I said so I am going to be with TV for that long? A long drawn out pause and she said yes. Can I just pay the this months bill tonight and we can work on this in the mean time. The answer was NO. She need the whole amount May's bill of 95.25 plus the 121.96. Then came the kicker, she said I am sorry but since we have this NSF check, she could only accept a money order mailed to the payment address. What about a credit card. No, you could charge it back against us. I lost it. Asked for a supervisor. Got this idiot MATT on the line and explained the situation. He basically said his hands were tied. I put the SOB on hold and called the bank in a three way conference call. Brought Matt back online while the numbers were dailing and got to online banking. Told them I need the following information about the 4/16 payment. Matt listened as the CSR told him the check number, payee, dated paid, and the amount, Chris said if you want the front and back she could fax it right then. Matt then said it has to be notorized. Chris told him it that she could not notorize it because she was a not a notary. Told Matt to go F himself, Chris was still on the line and was totally floored by the little azzhole. Guess they lost two customers tonight as she said she had them and was amazed by their tactics. So I called back to cancel the service all togther. The first person was totally amazed and sympathic but then said I would have to pay a cancellation fee because we still had 18 months left on the 24 month contract. She then said I had to pay it before they could officially cancel the service. i told them I had no intention of paying any fees. She said that I signed the lease and was obligated. I told her to get a copy of the lease, she did not have it. I said the only problem is that lease was in my name but I never signed it. She said you had to at time of installation. I told her I was out of town and that my wife had signed it. She said, she signed it and therefore we can collect the early termination fee. I promptly responded that unless they had a notorized power of attorney, my wife can not legally sign a lease in my name, therefore the lease was void. She says she can not offically cancel until all monies are paid. I told he fat chance in hell of that happening now and I will be seeing you in court.

Long story short, this whole ordeal lasted for three hours and nothing was solved.

I wish you had a negative number. This company is terrible and unethical. Their advertising lures you in, they do not tell you the whole story, and then slap you with fee after fee until the price skyrockets. Today, AFTER drilling holes in my home and disconnecting my cable, I was introduced to the fact that I had to purchase a "protection" package to cover service fees. Unbelievable! Especially after spending more than an hour on the phone at the time I ordered, trying to make sure I had covered all the bases.

THEN, to cap it all off, I was told I will be subject to a major cancellation fee if I refuse the service. So, I am trapped for 2 years. Avoid this company at all costs. No way it is anything but a rip-off.

BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY:

Directv used to be a great company, the best in customer service. Sadly, they are now down there with Comcast. They keep adding more fees, rates go up, and quality of service goes down.

Be aware that you are paying for service calls for maintenance of their equipment -- that's right, you pay for equipment and they retain ownership of it. I paid $300 for a HD DVR in 10.2007 & was still charged a monthly rental fee. If anything goes wrong with their equipment, you will pay a fee for a service technician to come tyo your house.

I recently cancelled them after a combination of a rate increase and a windstorm that blew my dish out of its precise alignment prodded me into comparison shopping. I am saving $30 a month now with Verizon FIOS service. Note that Directv wanted $75.00 to align my dish. I tried to do it myself and it is no longer possible with HD service -- you need specialized equipment.

Back to my DVR that I paid $408 for (including monthly fees). When I cancelled I had to return it. I could have bought a Tivo HD for less than that. And to add insult to injury, I was charged a $62.00 early cancellation fee. After 10 years of being a customer.

I called, complaining about the fee, and was told by a courteous customer service rep that it would be refunded within two days. I now realize that he was lying to me to get me off the phone. In my latest call, I was told that the fee is legitimate, even though I never signed an agreement. They also refuse to send me that agreement.