DirecTV
reviews and complaints

Direct Tv sent my account to afni collections after I had a 0 balance but sent me a new balance after equipment was recieved saying that there were stored changes on the card that they did not bill me for, enough thou the rentals were from 3 years ago. I disputed with Directtv to at least provide statements showing that I rented those. Recieved it, sent a check out 1/2011 to the address Directv stated on the Directv letter. My check has not been cashed. 4/22 /2011 recieved a call from afni, informing me that my check was recieved and a batch of checks were lost because they went to the a wrong address. They want me to send another check, but informed me to not stop payment on the old one because they realize it will cost me something. I was not satisfied with sending a new one if they lost my first one. I agreed to send a new one immediately, however needed to recieve a fax stating that my other check (I offered to provide a check #) would not be cashed. They said absolutely not. I had 2 options send another check or remain in collections. I informed John Buttitta I was not satisfied with that and needed to speak to his supervisor, he refused to transfer me several times and hung up on me.

I am getting really tired of my DirecTV cable service. Besides that I'm paying $40/month for about 8 channels outside the regular broadcast channels (half of which suck anyway), they just recently stuck me with a Protection Plan for a minimum of 12 months. I made a service call and was told that because it was my first time, the fee would be waived. Now I go to look at the bill and yes they waived the fee, but they stuck me with a Protection Plan. I call and the lady says they have notes indicating that they informed me about the Protection Plan and even sent me an informational email (LIES!). She said they normally waive the service call fee by putting on a protection plan for at least 12 months.

The only reason I haven't cancelled the service is because of the kids channels that you can't really find on the regular local channels. And it feels like every month they raise the 2nd receiver fee. It was $4 until very recently, now it's $6.

I mean we're not talking about very much money here, but I just severely hate being bamboozled.

Thanks for listening.

I signed up for direcTV service on a promational deal that is a two year contract. The first year at 29.95 per month and the second year at 69.95 or so a month. The problem i have is that in order to get that price you have to apply for a rebate from them online. So thats what I did or at least I thought I did. Now they are saying I did not apply for the rebate within 90 days and I don't get the promised promational rate I have to pay full price and I would have to pay 400.00 to cancel their service. They are the worst company I have ever delt with they just say we have no record of you appling for the rebate and now you have to pay full price and they wernt even interested in what I had to say about it. The reson I switched from Comcast was to try and save some money on my TV bill. But now itis going to cost more for less service and terrible customer service. Stay away from DirecTV!

I ordered directv and was approved for the best products. They ran my credit and charged me a processing fee of 21.84. I was setup to be connected in two days. The day of connection and was called and asked what relationship was I to a person that had a previous account with them and I told them and what did that have to do with me? Well because that person had also lived at the previous address I lived they were denying me service unless I pay her bill? I could not believe that I was being held responsible for her account and then on top of that they refuse to refund my processing fee.. And I am worried that they may charge my bank account for her bill. Is this legal?

I cancelled my service with direct tv. Little did I know that cancelling a service was going to create such a headache! I went to pay bills and saw that Direct tv charged my credit card over $900 that I never authorized. I immediately called my bank and disputed the charge and then I called Direct tv. The first person I talked to told me that they could do that because I signed a contract. I informed him that I NEVER signed any kind of contract with them. He then proceeded to tell me it was verbal. In what court does verbal stand up in? I asked to speak to a mgr and got some idiot that claimed to be the mgr. This guy was worse than the first one. He told me that they could charge my card with out authorization. ? I never agreed to any of this and then he hung up on me! This is the worst company I have ever had to deal with. Generally when you cancel something you get a final bill and you pay the final bill. I never authorized them to keep my credit card on file. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!

I am a new customer to Direct Tv. I was sick and tired of Comcost high cost. Switched to direct tv based on their $29.99/month solicitation. Howver since I have switched to Direct Tv it been nothing but hassel. You have to submit a request for rebate. It takes 6 to 8 weeks! to process your rebate.in the meantime they will charge you a much higher monthly rate. When you sign up there is no mention of this rebate which makes not sense to anyone but to them.. Their customer service agents are in Phillippines and all they can tell you is that are sorry without doing anything about anthing.. Stay away from Direct Tv. I am hoping for a class action law suit by a smart attorney..

I purchased DirectTV through a roadshow set up at Sam's Club about 18 mos ago, and was told I would get everything I had on cable cheaper with DirectTV. Although the original system was installed and appeared to be functioning pretty good, I found out later, after several tech's were out, that there were problems.

First they had put in the wrong distribution box so the signals were generally weak and did fade in and out periodically. Next there was a problem with the antenna having some electronic part that had been recalled for some reason. Third they had to come out and realign the antenna and then found the options had never been set up correctly so I wasn't getting the right guide. (I actually rarely watch that particular TV). These were relatively minor but the worst thing is I only got 1 HD capable box and with cable I had HD on all units. I don't know how many other people got ripped off with this scheme. It will cost me over $500 dollars to get back what I had with cable. I keep gvetting the run around from both Sams and DirectTV so will have to go to court!

Art

It started out with commercials about an obnoxiously rich man with an insultingly thick Russian accent. I daresay this has gone too far. Not only are the commercials objectifying to women, showing half naked models acting obediently enslaved, but dramatizing a foreign accent in a way that would be clearly insulting.
All sexism and discrimination aside, the real issue here is the website for the Russian petite lap giraffe farm. Seriously. http://www.petitelapgiraffe.com/index.php
Ignoring the purposefully destroyed English written to sound like broken Russian accents, the website advertises a farm for the miniature giraffes which the commercials feature. It has a supposedly live webcam to show the giraffes on the farm. All over the internet, there are countless accounts of those who have been fooled by the seemingly realistic website, but others who dug deeper found that the website is linked to DirecTV. The fraudulent site also features a history of the giraffes, some pictures, and a magic button to sign yourself on the waiting list of 800, 000+ to order a giraffe.
This would be a great advertising campaign if it weren't so deceiving. There are absolutely no disclaimers on the site. Not one. They even took the time to have a button to translate the page into Russian. And look! They have Facebook and Twitter involved now. As if the commercials weren't enough.
I searched the entire site cover to cover myself, and the only proof of it not being real is the little unholy Copyright mark in the bottom right hand corner of the page.
My point is to say that this was made too realistically. I, and many others, went a bit of time our lives thinking that there is actually a farm somewhere in Russia breeding tiny giraffes. This is an insult. I am very upset at DirecTV's campaign of sexism, ridicule, and fraud.

It is now 2011 and Direct TV is still lying, cheating, and stealing money from people throughout this nation. It is unfortunate that laws in this society allows big businesses like Direct TV to ge away with this type of shady business dealings. I believe Direct TV is threatening their employees jobs if they do not lie to customers to get sales. Not one time when I was conned was I informed that the equipment that comes with the service is what locks you into a two year contract. Then when you find out, they tell you you had 24 hours to cancel service. In order to cancel I would be charged a $460 dollar cancellation fee. Direct TV this is a warning. We as the people will come against you. The law won't help us, but we can help ourselves by not paying your DirectTV bill. Join me and let's send a message to Direct TV.

Beware! My checking account debit card had expired in Oct. 2010. I made payment arrangements to pay my past due bill plus the next month's bill on Nov 11, 2010. On or around November first they debited over $367.00 from my account. I called to have the charge reversed. I was on the phone for over 3 hours demanding and speaking to supervisors and supervisor's supervisors. I explained my main point--I already called on Oct. 26, 2010 to set up arrangements to pay Nov 11th. This was so I could pay my mortgage. What good does it do to have satellite TV if you can't pay for the roof over it? I had to contact my bank and file a fraudulent charge claim and get it reversed--which really worked! Apparently making payment arrangements with those clowns is as binding as scotch tape on the space shuttle. Beware! There will likely be another comment on this board when I once again, call the clown college and dispute all the charges on my account. Why get charged for NFL Sunday ticket when your service is cut off. What a bunch of "igits."

4 months ago I called in to direct tv about getting a package. I was quoted $46.00 a month if I used the automatic withdrawal for payment from my account. They came to install it and at the end was charged $53.00. They gave free 3 months promo on starz and showtime never stating you had to call and cancel. This month they took $88.83 from my checking account. When I called in trixie told me I was wrong and that I didn't have more taken from my checking account. Hello you idiots! I know what comes out of my checking account. I got mad and swore at her. I asked for a supervisor and she hung up on me. Not when I swore-but when I asked for a supervisor. They took the channels off and did not put difference back into my account. They gave a credit. I have auto payments coming out. Beware! Do not recommend these crooks! Oh - and trixie first tried to tell me it was an increase to provide me better service. I signed a contract locking them into a price. Apparently according to trixie they can increase it for better service. I told her if that was the case and we were locked in I could change my mind at any time. I don't trust these guys at all!

Let first say direct tv customer service is the worst! I recently moved from my old house where i had direct tv as a provider for my tv. On febuary 26 i contacted direct tv and disconected my service. I was told that i had an early termination fee, which i was aware of but willing to pay. They istructed me that they would be billing me for 221.18. They also told me that they would be sending boxes via fedex to ship the receivers back i received the boxes and did exactly what it insturcted me to do. On march 10 i received a bill stating that i owed 105 and some change, i contacted direct tv and they told me dont worry about that bill that they would send me a updated bill with the full amount to disregard the 105 bill. I received the upodated bill on march 15, 11 for 221.18. It said due upon arrival. I pulled the check book out and paid the bill by the end of the week. On march 23 i received a bill saying paid in full nothing due. Today i was checking my bank account and they had debit my account for the 221.18 on march 19, 11 and had cashed the check that i had sent them on march 24, 11. I contacted direct tv and told them that i need my money back they instructed me that it would be six weeks at the earliest to receive my refund by mail. I have bills coming out of my account and they said nothing we can do sir. I am so pissed off right now i can hardly type. They instructed me if i had any over draft fees from this that they would pay it. They gave this fax number if anyone else can use it [protected], she said to include direct tv account number and a good number to be reached at and put attn: finance department. It pissses me off so bad that they can debit without authorization and then even deposit one of my checks and then they wont debit it back to my account. I hope this will help the next person shy away from them as a provider, they have the worst customer service. I have been a customer with them for over 6 years never late and i get short end of the stick . So plea to anyone please dont go with this provider to me customer service is a big thing to me and i hope it is to the nexzt person.

Been with Direct TV over 2 1/2 years and it is terrible when you have to wait on the line for a supervisor for over an hour and not get good customer service nor incentives for being a valued customer, but it's amazing when they want your service they would do anything to get you but nothing to keep you... I was just displease with this supervisor nonchalant attutide ... the customer service rep was more pleasant than the supervisor Suzanna... WOW! I would not recommend Direct Tv...

My e-mail address is [protected]@aol.com
[protected]@triad. Rr.com

To whom this may concern

There is got to be something that can be done about people doing business like this.

To the best that I knew how I have tried to explain below what went on with this matter, I am a 62 year old man with a heep of medical problems only receiving ss disability but have enough fight in me to help go after these crooks my wife done all this over the telephone except for the man coming out and installing the service and the only thing she signed was the installing sheet that we received no copy of I am enclosing my statement below please respond back to me.
Thanks
Mike lee

—

03/17/2011
I called direct tv in feb. To have m y service disconnected due to poor service, and my finances and they did not cut it off at that time but today I got this bill that said I was past due showed my prevs. Balance of $137.05 –showed a disconnect fee for $15.00 - showed an early cancellation fee for $300.00 for a total of $477.21.
Well I called the local office and explained to them I was never told there would be a early cancellation fee they said that it was in my contract well I don’t even remember getting a contract as this was done over the phone well they could not help me, so I looked up who the pres/ceo was got his phone # as [protected] called and some lady answer the phone I first asked for the ceo she said what could I do for you he is not in but if you have a problem that is my job.
Well I begin to explain to her what had happen that they had cleaned my bank acct out plus cost me a nsf fee as there was not enough money in bank for what they got I had already asked them several months ago not to take any more money out of my debit card and they agreed not too but they did, she said I am so sorry to hear that but let me see what I can do for you said can you hold, I said yes after a few minutes she came back to the phone and said sir I done some research on your acct and everything is on the up and up but I did notice where you called in feb to have it disconnected and they did not do it so I am going to refund $11.00 for that and I am going to refund the $15.00 disconnect fee since you did call in but as far as the $300.00 I cannot help you there as that is our company policy well some more things where said and she finally said that the only way we could refund the early cancellation fee would be if you reconnected back to direct tv I was happy about that I said could I go to a cheaper rate like the $29.95 rate and she said sure you could I saod ok let’s do that, she then said ok can you hold for a moment I said sure, so she came back a little later said that for them to do this that I would have to pay what is past due then this is where she started doing what they are trained to do: she said that since they have got the money that I will not have to pay anything to get reconnected and there would be a little money left over for future bills, then I said ok but the $300.00 plus would go back into my acct at the bank so my bills would get paid right she said no sir you will not be getting any money it will go into your direct tv acct then I got upset I said lady that does not help me one bit on what I am trying to do and I told her you know that I said I needed the money to go back into my acct for bills I had coming through she said sir I am sorry you misunderstood me, but, I said but nothing lady I did not misunderstand one single word then I told her you are playing the same games with me that all the direct tv complaint sites say about you guy’s then I told her lady my past due bill is only $137.05 if you take away that amount from the $396.00 you took out of my bank acct that would leave $259.00 that would be refunded back into my bank acct. Then she said sir you not understanding me you have a early cancellation fee, I said wait a minute lady you said you would waive that if I came back to direct tv, she said sorry sir you are so right but you also have a disconnect fee, I said wait a minute lady you said you would also waive that, she again you are right so I need to do some refiguring so she can back and said sir after refiguring everything you will have $86.00 credit on your direct acct. Listen to what she is saying here she is still trying to confuse me but I am hanging in there with her she then tries to say the last time she came back to the phone sir you are forgetting about the return of the equipment as soon as we get that you will then get about $180.00 back once we get that at our warehouse I then got very upset and I said lady will you please just take a breath and listen to what you just told me, I said you just told me that I owed for the equipment, well how would I owe for equipment if I was not going to return it as we both agreed that I was going to get reconnected she tried to get out of that but just got herself deeper in a hold, I said lady it is time for me to go I have been on this phone for over two hours with you and to break this thing down, I told you what I needed from you— you said the only way I could get it would be to come back and get reconnected—i agreed to do that, then you started putting me on hold while you spoke with your boss and or tried to figure out what to tell me next— each time it was something different— but to top it all off lady your finally attempt to screw me you tell me that I am owing you for equipment lady that blows my mind why would I owe you for something that we have agreed to reconnect she just said nothing then I just told her lady I tell you what I am going to give you my e-mail address and give you a chance to go to your boss man or who ever makes the finally decisions and get them to refund my money that you guy’s cleaned out my bank acct and now has me in very very deep crap or I can promise you that if I do not hear from you by this afternoon I will see an attorney tomorrow this is not a treat this is a promise. She said ok but we are not allowed to e-mail so I need a number to call you if we make a differ decision so I gave her my son’s number.

Wow I see everyone has issues with direct tv - why are we letting them do this to us? Is the word not out that they cheat people. I can't believe they are still in business. Direct tv has been sending me "no payment due" billing statements for several months that say they owe me 32.75, when I called them and told them to send me the refund, there was some "mistery" charge that cost exactly what my refund should have been - wow imagine that! They of course will not refund my $$. They are bad business and I hope whoever is reading all these comments is smarter than I was and decides to purchase their tv entertainment service elsewhere.

I had been with directv for 10 years prior to moving to cox cable. During the 10 years I was never late on any payments and for which they expressed that I was a wonderful long term customer and they were sorry to see me go when I cancelled my service. Also, during this time I never had our phone line connected to the services so ppv services could not be ordered without directly contacting them via their on line ordering or via direct telephone conversation. I also had never in the entire 10 years ever ordered any pay per view services via their on line ordering or via phone. After I had cancelled my service I dutifully sent them back the 3 cards out of the receiver boxes. Upon receipt of my final bill I noticed 2 charges for ppv movies. I called them and they explained to me that it was for two movies from november 2002 and june of 2004 that was attempted to be accessed but they weren't viewed since there was no phone line attached to the receiver to be able to download the movie. They refused to remove the charges even though the transaction was never completed. Mind you that these charges are 7 years and 9 years past the date they were attempted to be accessed. All I have to say is beware to all directv customers; when you turn in your receiver cards you may have ppv access attempts saved onto your receiver cards that they will bill you for. Thankfully mine was for only two ppv the charges for which they can choke on.

To get the special nfl package last fall I had to enroll in auto-pay. The past five statements I received had a due date of the 24th.In february I went on-line on the 16th and paid using a one-time payment option with a real credit card so my debit card would not be used. This was fine, no problem. My march statement showed no due date becuase they processed the auto-pay payment on the 10th, the same day they created my statement. After 3 phone calls, supervisor and manager request I learned that when I used the real credit card "on-time" they put it on-file as my auto-pay card. There was no due date because they said credit cards are charged in-advanced, debit cards processed 10 days before the next statement. How can this be right? How can they change the due date from one billing cycle to the next without any notice? I never authorized re-billing on the one-time card.

Dealing with the billing issues is one thing but the way I was treated was just a joke. I spoke with 2 csrs, one supervisor and one manager. No-one was authorized to make any changes to my account and the manager directed me to their "investor" section of the webpage where I could file a complaint with the president of the company. She (The last manger) said if I still have a problem, contact my credit card company and dispute the charge. I am so sorry I signed up with them for two-years!

I cancelled my direct tv account to switch to fios and had long since been finished with the two year contract. They then billed me $450 for the equipment eventhough I sent it back promptly. They admit they received it on time etc. And are giving me the run around about needing to wait 6 to 8 weeks for a refund. I've received two mails from them that say I have a credit of $450, but that is worthless to me because i'm no longer a customer of theirs because I switched to fios. Again, I was no longer under that initial two year contract because I had been a customer for about three years or so. I highly doubt that i'll recieve the refund when the 6 to 8 weeks have elapsed. This is ridiculous that I should have to wait this long to find out that they're just going to give me the run around again! Do not sign up with direct tv unless you never ever intend to cancel from them.

I have been a Directv customer for nearly 10 years. However, after constant rate hikes and horrible customer service experiences, I decided to make a change.

I cancelled my Directv service in December. I was told by them that I would have to send back my leased receivers and that they would be sending boxes and pre-posted labels for me to do so. I received the boxes on Thursday, a full two months after cancelling my service. I was on vacation until Saturday, but planned to return the equipment today.

I was reconciling my bank account on Saturday and noticed a charge from Directv. They had debited my checking account for $750.00, without my knowledge.

I was concerned. So, I called customer service. They informed me that the charge was for the equipment that I had not returned. Apparently, they used the debit card on file that I used every month to pay my bill, to debit my account. I was told that part of my contract agreement allowed them to do so to cover unreturned equipment.

The boxes came on Thursday, but they debited my account on Friday.

I shipped the receivers first thing this morning. When I returned home I called customer service again to inform them that the equipment was on the way and that I would be expecting a complete refund. I was then informed that as soon as they received the shipment the refund would be processed. It would take about 6-8 weeks for me to get a check from them.

So, Directv has my $750, which I did not know they were taking. It took them one day to get the money, but it will take 6-8 weeks for me to get it back.