DirecTV
reviews and complaints

I called about a problem, she said it would be resolved 10 hours from now at midnight, guess what, the next morning it was still not working.I called back to explain the problem, she didnt know how to fix the problem and so she simply hung up on me instead of taking the time to resolve it.I called back to talk to a superviser on hold for 43 min.She answered, I can not help you with the other employee because I did not have her employee number.She did not now how to resolve my TV problem after we talked for more than 20 min.Guess what. she hung up on me, YES the superviser hangs up on you, you know that this place has some real issuss. So here I am still my DIRECT TV is not working and nobody (2 employees and 1 superviser ) have no idea how to do there jobs, nor does it seem that even care otherwise she would simply call me back and say im sorry it seems that we were disconected, (she has my number), Why am I paying over 100 dollars every month for faulty equipment and no support PEOPLE I HAVE NO DIRECT TV AND THERES NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT .

My 90 year old parents had Directv for 21 days. I signed them up using my credit info. Directv lied to me and misrepresented their service to me so badly, that I would not believe it had I not heard it with my own ears. They lied about:

1. Their website and Dominic (customer rep) promised a free DVR. When it was NOT delivered I called about it 4 times and each person gave me a different story until the 4th person I spoke with finally told me that I did not request it during sign up so now must pay $179.00 with a $99.00 rebate.

2. Since my parents are 90 I drilled them about the contract terms and was lied to: " No contract. $20 max fee for canceling at any time"... actually they are trying to collect $20 for 24 months and I now have their personal credit company after me for $499.00.

3. The website and Dominic (customer rep) promised a rebate for a year from $55 to $35. However, The website rebate sign up page did not work. The phone calls made did not work
but, an email did work and after 14 days we received a card stating we had a rebate, but, the bill received still showed $55...so back to the phone.

This service was CX after 21 days because my 90 year old father could not operate the remote control and was unable to turn on the TV, Turn off the TV or to change the channel. Frankly I could not operate it either though my younger sister had no problem.

During that 21 days, I was on the phone trying to resolve the above issues a total of 8 hours. I was treated very rudely, was exhausted, frustrated and sick of dealing with obnoxious and unhelpful people.

If you deal with this company, record all your phone conversations.

I am off to hire a lawyer to deal with this mess...beware!

Direct TV installed 04/01/2009. Not satisfied. Canceled on 04/03/2009. Charged my account $416.29 for early cancel fee. In all the many calls to Direct TV did they say there would be this huge charge. Causing my bank acct. to overdraw. Filed a fraud claim, ordered a new atm/debit card, sent registered letter to direct tv. Found out direct tv can charge $500 if you move your service with them or customer dies! Don't buy Direct TV service unless you can be "joined at the hip" for a 2 yr. commitment.

I am making a compalint about Direct TV. I signed up with them in February 2009. No problems with them at all. On September 8, 2009, I phone the Customer Care unit to tell them that I will phone in my payment on September 12, 2009. Septembeer 11, 2009, I was in the grocery store shopping, got in line to pay for the groceries. Items were rung up and I had a total of $77.00 grocery bill. I used my Visa (ATM) card to pay and my card read that I did not have any available funds in my account. I told the cashier to try the card again, because something had to be wrong. Nevertheless, embrassed and humilated in front of people of my card rejecting. I went to the nearst ATM to do an inquiry on my account. The machine told me that I was $583.00 negative in my account. Well, I hac to pay for the groceries with cash. thankk God that I had the funds with me to pay. I hurried home and turned on the computer to my banking account and saw that $771.80 had been taken out of my account by Direct TV. I was pissed to to all hell, immediately I phone Direct TV on September 11, 2009 aroung 10:00 p.m. and these were the things that I was told. I was told by Irish [protected] that sice I owed $131.00 and had not paid for August/ September, they thought that I was buying out an early contract, therefore they charged me $360.00 early contract agreement being broken, $255.00 for recievers. Again this should have never happend, because my call on 9/8/2009 stated that the bill would be paid on Saturday 9/12/2009. The Customer Care people were very rude and had no comapssion. Iwas told the they would take $117.76 from the $771.00 that I had on the books. I renewed that account on September 11, 2009 for I was told that would be the only way that I could get my money. After renewing contract, I was told that I would get my money in 8 to 15 business days. Still PISSED to the max. by this time is midnight and no money, I did not have $771.80 checking account but the bank paid $ 583.00 and I had the rest in the account. September 15, 2009 made a calll to inquire on the status, Then I was told that it would take 30 days, soon October 15, 2009 again I should have the money posted tin my account. I went over the last 4 digits of my Personal Checking Account. Time went by, they didnt put the money in my personal account, they put it in my account for Direct Tv, which was very misleading and diffrent accounts. I was apoligized to for the mis representation that I had been given but my money started to dwendle away. $654.04 went down to $572.25( a paymment was taken out of my money that should have been sent to me. Well, I got my paychcek taht is depostied directly to my checking acount each payday. Now I owed the bank and the bank ended up taking my whole pay that weck and I still owed the an additional $88.00 If Direct TV had been located in Birmingham, I would have been at he door the next day. I am mad as hell because I have never seen anything like this in my life. Now on 10/6/2009, I spoke with Kelsey and Alex(Supervisor) going through the whole process again. They told me that I was upgraded on 9/15/2009 and in 30 days from there which is October 15, 2009 I would recieve my money in my account. Broke, discussed and needing my money NOW! The 15th of October fell on Thursday, I waited to 10/19/2009, called and spoke with Michael [protected] and he told me that I would be getting back $508.76, I raised hell cause I had been lied too and made a fool out of. Michael evently transferred me to Supervisor Dominick, he stated as of 10/19/2009 no one had put in a request to put my money back onto my card. Then I asked how long would it be before I get my money, Dominick told me it would take 15 days. he calculated it to be November 9, 2009. I asked him if I didnt get the money then and 2 days later was time for a payment, whould they take the money away from me again, he answered yes, as long as your money is still and there is a cerdit on your Direct TV account, they would take more money out of my account. On November 9, 2009 it wil be 45days waiting for my money to be put back where they took it from. I am not guarateed as I was earlier my Kelsey that the refund request was submitted for $572.25 and that was promised and assured that is what I would get back. Now everything Dam thing is wrong cause my money is noe fading where I need it for my family.All Customwr Care and Supervisors that I spoke with about my problem, ended up being a liar. God does not like for his children to be used for nothing or nobody, Only Him. I will stay in the contract til the end, but at the same time if I'm asked about your company, I would say that dont get the service because it's a rip off and sucks. I will contacting my lawyer and Six On Your Side TV station, Consumer Protection Agency, Chamber of Commerece, Six On You side to let them know how I was treated unfairly about my money, when I'm a single parent(head of house) with 1 child in school. I guess you cant imagine working aLL WEEK AND SOMONE TAKE YOUR MONEY. I was charged overdraft fees for that trancsaction actions. I spent a total of Atleast 90.00 in NSF fees. It seems like Direct Tv company doesnt care about its customers, cause if you did, you would not have other registered complaint that are paralell. Once I get with the TV station/Rhonda Robinson, I'm sure we will have a story to tell on TV and you will be able to see a decline in your business in the BIrmingham Area. Never in my 52 years of life have I ever seen a company go into your personal account and take money from them, It took you less than 20 seconds to get the money out of the account, but it takes you ove 45days or more to put it back in B.S.!

Directv starting sending spam to my satellite receivers a few months back. When I called and asked for them to turn those notices off; they filed a trouble-ticket, but they didn't do anything. For the past few weeks now directv has been using giant banners within the guide to promote shows and different channels. These banners were used at first to inform customers that some channels were moving, but it has now turned into advertisements. Directv is making money from companies that want to promote a show and we the (Paying customers) are now having to suffer through this harassment! And just like the spam-notices, directv will not turn these notices off. It is only a matter of time before these banners are everywhere throughout the guide; promoting everything for foods to airlines. Because things like this don't just go away, companies keep pushing the limits of advertisements. This wouldn't be as big of a deal if directv was free; seeing as free services use banner-advertisements to make money, but our service is not free! It's almost $100 per-month! So now not only do I have to deal with banner ad's on the internet, but now I have to be harassed by them while watching the satellite tv that I pay for! These new advertising tactics are totally and completely unacceptable! What right does directv have in taking money from companies; just so they can market their goods through the channel-guide?! Since we have to pay for directv's services; then we shouldn't also be forced to deal with advertisements!

If directv is going to continue this, then they should lower the cost of all their subscribers service fee's. It's not fair that directv gets to make extra advertisement money, and we don't get anything in return but to be annoyed by seeing these ad's! Or better yet directv can just get rid of the banner advertisements! No one likes banner ad's; especially when those ad's our part of a service that we have to pay for!

We went with Direct TV from cable and when we signed up they said we would have all the channels we originally had plus extra channels. To make a long story short, in Kenosha, WI, you lose all the Chicago channels. That would be channels 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13 which means today we are not watching the Minnesota / Pittsburg game. We do have the option to record it for $40.00. U-verse has these channels but Direct TV doesn't so buyer beware. There is no contract which is what they stated to us. I will be testing that theory tomorrow.

Debbie

They say 4 rooms free, no they make you pay five dollars for each room after the 1st. The say lock in low value for a year, no they raise it after 3 months and say you can always downgrade. Try calling them and complaining, they will hang up on you, they will not let you talk to a head manager, they say they can't put you on hold but then they will for hours if it suits them, but if you say you'll wait they hang up on you. The charge 10 dollars not 5 dollars for the HD DVR, so don't believe them. They also will charge you one month in advace for their services, and if you don't stay with them for more then two years they will charge that credit card they make you give before they will accept you as a custome and that fee is around 400 dollars. They get so tangled in their lies one person will tell this lie then another with another when you questioned the first. Don't mkae that studpied decision, they aare awlful! They espeically don't care about returning customers and customer referrals.

I cancelled my service with direct TV because I signed a 2 year agreement with Dish Network in September 2008. I sent back the Direct TV equipment and received the proper credit. In March of 2009 my Direct TV had reinstated my account and charged my verizon phone bill (thats how I paid Direct TV in the past)...I called Verizon and they directed me to call Direct TV to fix this problem. Spoke to a rep from Direct TV who said that my account was cancelled and everything was credited and it will reflect on my next Verizon phone bill. My april phone bill came and now it had $247.00 in charges from Direct TV. I called Direct TV and was told it was a mistake and my credit would reflect on my next phone bill. So I continued to see this charge month after month on my phone bill and only paid for my phone and internet services. Last week the phone company disconnected both my phone and internet services until I paid this outstanding balance of $247.00 plus a reinstatement charge. Afraid that these false charges would ruin my credit and I needed my phone and internet, I had to pay it.

When I first found out about my phone being disconnected I started e-mailing Direct TV (6 total) My complaint to them: I cancelled my service in September of 2008 because I signed a 2 year agreement with Dish Network. Direct TV's reply was that I only suspended my service for 6 months and never cancelled my account. Now why would I send back all my equipment only to have my service reinstated?...With NO EQUIPMENT! WTF? They claim to have sent me e-mails explaining this and that I agreed to all of this...and this is completely false! I requested phone records with me agreeing to only suspend my service...this is so wrong! I have no words for how this makes me feel because it is such ### and now I am out $247 + and Direct TV has no intention of paying me back...

I am just now, finding out that I am under a 2 year contract with Direct Tv. Not including the fact, that when we set-up the service they said that we could have a bundle package with Embarq and receive a small credit. Yes, we are receiving the small credit but it is NO where close to what we could be receiving with the Embarq bundle package. I was still told on a conversation today (Oct 12), that Direct Tv is combined with Embarq. If this is possible then how is it that Direct can not tell you what type of service you have with Embarq and vs. I asked to speak with a supervisor, and was then told that there supervisors do not answer or accept calls from there customers. I'm sorry. I find that to be poor management skills. I thought that is why they receive the big bucks, because they are to have more knowledge or these situations. Anyway, I would like to not be in a contract with Direct Tv due to misrepresentation, so that way I may be able to have a package deal with Embarq.

I cancelled my Direct TV subscription because they were not able to provide with the service that the promised me when I signed on for the program. They also deducted my balance due from my bank account with even giving me the oportunity to pay the final bill and without notice. They claim that the service is not effected by weather, at least that's what I was told. To the contrary..I kept losing my signal everytime it rain, or there was lighting in the area, or snow got on the dish. In there recent tv commercial they show some guy with a clear clen signal during a hurricane of all things. I sure he lost the signal shortly after they stopped filming. I had them come out and relocate the dish but the tech said the line of reception for the dish was limited to where it was presently located...on the top of my 42 foot high roof. I gave DTV ample oportunity to correct the problem, and tolerated the interuption in service far beyond the bounds of fairness. I spoke directly with a "supervisor" and explained why I was cancelling the service. I specificly told him that I liked DTV but if they can't provide me with an uniterupted signal that I couldn't continue the service. I also asked "Dustin if there was going to be a cancellation fee and he told me NO. But of course there was one...$60.00. I then went to their website to file a billing dispute complaint as I was told to do. In a follow-up phone call I was then told that leaving a complaint on the website wasn't going to work, and that I had to "write a letter" and was giving the DTV addresss. My next step if I don't get immediate satisfaction on my "early disonnection" refund is to file a complaing with the NY State AG and the FTC.

Rember: " Only on Direct TV"

We started my direct tv service in september 2007. The agreement required a purchase of 24 consecutive months’ service. We stayed loyally with direct tv for about 25 months regardless of the increasing bill amounts and even the charges by their mistakes. On oct. 3, 2009 I called direct tv to cancel my service. I was offered that each month I would get about $20 discount and the $5.99/month fee for protection plan which I have never purchased could be canceled without a penalty. We had waited for two years to be able to cancel the direct tv service that had ripped us off ever since we signed in with them. I was very determined to terminate the miserable service that we had to put up for so long. Knowing that there was no way that they could persuade me to stay with them, the representative told me that they would charge me $240 early termination fee for one receiver that was replaced a year ago. We replaced the master bedroom’s tv with a hd lcd tv. Therefore we requested to replace the regular receiver with a hd receiver. We were charged a total of $21.60 for shipping/handling and tax for this hd receiver. The regular receiver was returned to direct tv.

Where did this penalty come from? I was told the fine was based on the hd receiver that we had in service for only 12 months. When we started a new receiver, this equipment requires a service of consecutive 24 months. What a reason? I have never been informed or required to sign or orally agree to renew my service to another 24 months from the date of replacing a receiver. We subscribed the service with 4 receivers. We disconnected one in aug. 2009. We have never added a new service. The 24-month agreement was completed. How can direct tv still charge us for any early termination fees?

I have been charged $44.99 per month since july 2009 for a subscription service (Nfl sunday ticket) I did not order. They refused to credit the money and said I will be charged for 3 more payments and she will not cancel the service. I said I did not order this. They said that when I signed up for directv a year ago that this package was included for free and that it was up to me to cancel it if I did not want it. To my knowledge I never order this and I was not aware that I had to cancel this since I did not order it. I do not receive paper bills and failed to notice this on my statement on the directv web site until now. I am waiting for someone named mathew from directv to call me back who is apparently the next one up in the chain of command at directv. I am requesting assistance on getting this money credited to me.

I will incur a cancellation fee if I cancle now, but I will do it if this issue is not resolved to my satisfaction.

I was offered NFL Ticket by Direct TV for $59.99 a month for 5 months. I went to record the Vikings/Lions game on 09/20/09 on the NFL Ticket HD channel. I went to watch it & no picture. I called them the next day only to find out the package they offered me didn't include the HD games, this wasn't explained to me. It's an additional $100 for the HD games. After finding out somebody I heard on the radio got it for $50, I called back on 10/04/09. I webt thru 3 supervisors & nobody would help me. I jusgt wanted to be met half way & get the HD games for $50, but no go.

16 Reasons to Stay Far Away from It

For the past year and a half, I've owned two high definition recorders and one standard def receiver and here's what I found:

1. Appointments are often either not kept, or when they are, are late. Phone calls are commonly not returned. Repeated attempts to resolve problems are futile. Some representatives are as pleasant as the Borg.

2. If DirecTV physically damages your audio video equipment on installation, they refuse all responsibility, refusing to pay for repair costs (after initially agreeing to do so and firing the tech). I'm out several hundred dollars in replacement costs for equipment the installation tech damaged.

3. Incomplete satellite dish installations, such as failing to replace an air vent screen thus allowing birds to nest inside your house, may occur. Expect black handprints on your walls.

4. Promised credits never materialize on the bill.

5. None of the equipment is guaranteed beyond 90 days; your choice is to either pay for an ongoing monthly service plan or the full cost of the repairs/replacements/dish realignments.

6. All too frequently the receiver must be reinitialized using the reset button; this takes 10 to 20 minutes, so if you are intending to watch a program, you're out of luck.

7. The remote is not ergonomically designed, with the buttons being unlit, very stiff and difficult to use for anyone with a joint disorder (and if you don't have one to begin with, you may by the time you've finished using this remote). Unless you hold the remote number keys down just the right amount of time, either the number will not register or it will be repeated (e.g., pressing channel 2 may result in channel 22). However, pressing and holding the up or down arrow key buttons does not result in cycling through a menu; instead you must press repeatedly to arrive at your selection. Response to commands is very slow. Unlike other remotes, this one is not at all forgiving if you do not point it directly at the receiver and TV. (Although one is located directly above the other, they may or may not turn on/off simultaneously.) It is white and dirties easily. On the plus side, the rubberized back keeps the remote from slipping around.

8. Only one channel is available from local stations that broadcast multiple channels. For example, the local PBS station broadcasts one hi-def channel and three standard definition channels, but only the former is available.

9. The audio and video are not always in sync; sometimes resetting the unit helps, sometimes not.

10. Changing channels is not instantaneous, in fact, not even close, taking 4-11 seconds.

11. Sometimes when the DVR requires resetting, previously recorded programs are not available.

12. Although you "purchase" the DVRs at $200 each when initiating service, you don't really own them and must return them to DirecTV or be charged once again for them.

13. Attempting to record only the new episodes of a series does not work if the same episode appears later in the day or the next day. The DVR will record multiple copies of the same show, unnecessarily using hard disk space.

14. At times, there is no reception when it is snowing; perhaps this is a problem with Dish TV, as well.

15. They nickel and dime you to death with extra charges (e.g., more than one receiver, HD reception, equipment maintenance). The ultimate charge is far more than the advertised cost.

16. They bill for premium channels not ordered and then state since the channels were available reversal of the charges is not possible.

*** DirecTV is quite possibly the worst cable/satellite provider on the planet. In summary, if you don't mind shoddy & poorly designed equipment, missed appointments, and unethical behavior, you'll probably be delighted with DirecTV (the picture truly is terrific). However, given the overall inferior quality of its equipment and practices, DreckTV might be a more accurate appellation for the company.

*** If you already have the misfortune of being a DirecTV customer/victim and experience similar problems, it might be useful to contact the Better Business Bureau and your state's Consumer Affairs Division in the Attorney General's office, describing their predatory practices.

I subscribed to directv gamelounge and they have alot of technical problems and I can't get on the games to play because they are down for hours and hours every week. I don't want to cancel, but I would like to be compensated for the hours i've lost in playing and I spend 8 hours, more or less, every day and I don't think it's fair to pay for something I can't use. I'd like some of my missed hours let's say about 20 hours a week credit to my account. I pay for something and expect to be able to use it. I'd like partial payment refunded. I believe I started using gamelounge in june of 2009.

Thank you for your service.

In april 09 my dvr receiver went out, I had a good hd receiver that was installed with my system in january 09. The only way to contact them is one 800 number which takes at least 15 or 20 min of going thru there automated system no matter if it applies to your problem or not. This is so not a good way to treat your paying customers. After many many phone calls and them blaming my tv, being told the system is updating and I would have to call back after being on the phone with them for 1 hr, getting disconnected and put on hold, they shipped me another receiver not even close to being as nice as the first one. It did not work more calls and tries to get this receiver working, finally they sent a second receiver and it would not work. I said this is not going to work what are my options and they said I could purchase a service contract for $5.99 month and cancel after two months and get charged $10 cancellation fee or pay $45 for a service call. I purchased the service agreement (Rip off) and they made an appointment. Tech showed up and said the receiver was not on my account so he could not swap it out and the only way to get it on the account was to activate it and it would not ever activate because it was the wrong receiver for my wiring. He spent 2 hrs on his cell phone trying to get his work order fixed so he could swap out the rec that they shipped to me. They just kept saying they knew I was shipped the receiver but it was not on my account as activated so they could not do anything. I kept calling after this trying to get someone to get this fixed and each one said they were going to escalate it to mgr or the account will get updated only to find out that it still is not on the account and they can't do anything. Finally tech serv said they would write on work order to technician to replace the receiver and scheduled another apt sunday 8:00 to 12:00 at 4:00 pm the tech called and is running behind and would be two more hours I ask him if he had a receiver and could he swap it and he first said he could update the wo and then said he would call back and I talked to him two more times and finally he could not. While I was waiting on the tech to call me back another person called me to reschedule the apt and did not even know about me still talking to the tech. One hand does not even know what the other is doing. Still not fixed and the next cs person told me he could not send me a box to send wrong rec back and if I did not send it back eventually I would be charged, crazy. I have sent emails and get a nice email thank you for contacting direct tv no help never here again after 3 emails. Then all of a sudden I get a call and the man says he is going to send me a dvr that will work and call me back to see if I get a return box with it. I did receive the dvr and no return box. I called 800 # again and got a really helpful man who got it working and took all the numbers off my wrong rec and told me that the rec was on someone else's account and the card id was on a different persons account must have gotten mixed up in recycling the receivers and cards and did not get wiped out. He took all information down and said he would send me a return box so I will not get charged for the receiver that is not on my account. This has been ridiculous and I have spent over 24 hrs total on the phone with different people at direct from different states. I am under a contract so I can't do anything but put up with this until I can get out of this contract and go somewhere else for cable. I still have the wrong receiver and it remains to be seen if I will get to return it but if they try to charge me for this it is going to be bad. This was all their mess up and I should get free cable for at least a month for all the trouble and all they keep saying is I am sorry you have had this problem. I don't know if this is the norm but that is what happened to me. I could not get anyone high up that could help nor could I get anyone thru email. No way to get in contact with a manager to help. I am paying a lot for this service and have been treated so badly and all I get is i'm sorry!

After being with Direct TV for 5+yrs and consistent problems one after another it culminated when their receiver went out and we ere without TV for 5 business days before they could send a repair man.
Once he arrived, he proceeded to say the reason we have been having problems (after installing a new receiver) was a poor installation when the roof dish was originally installed by DirectTV.
We have all channels and the very expensive NFL package and you know what they offered for our being without a TV for a week and numerous previous other outages owing to their poor installation?...$10.00...yep, ten bucks. These guys just don't understand that the "heard will be herd" and we'll go to all lengths to illuminate their poor customer service.

I have the total choice package and the employee of directv has said that i'm grandfather into that package so the way i see it they cann't take any channels away and leave the price the same but there employee says they can take channels away anytime from me how is that when you are grandfather in this company i been with over ten years now and i'm being treated like this I say everyone that is a directv customer should leave them and go to another company which I'm going to do I don't care if i lose a little money from this but i have the right to speak what i want cause i'm an america that cares about others not a company all they care about is the mighty dollar.

Dear Direct T.V,
Sept 24th 2009
On 12/16/08 I ordered h/d television after purchasing an h/d/ TV. At this time the installer showed up with a huge dish to place on my house and said in addition would need to run more wires. I then told him to forget the h/d/ service realizing it was becoming a huge project. Note I have been a direct TV. customer for almost 10 years between my last two homes and always enjoyed the service. On this day of the h/d installation the installer asked me if I wanted to “upgrade” my dvrs for free. I said sure since it wasn’t going to cost anything and did it not realizing that I would now be locked into a contract for another year. I was never told by him or direct TV about the contract extension.. Why would I be locked in even if I switched over to h/d or upgraded my dvrs? I never needed to upgrade in the first place since the ones I had were purchased many years ago and worked fine. When I cancelled the service in September I was told that I would have to pay a termination fee of 300 dollars because the contract was now extended until December of 09! Customer service was also nasty about it and told me “too bad you’ll have to pay!” I feel as a loyal customer for years and never being told upfront that I was fooled into a locked contact. If I knew this was going to happen why would I commit for another year? (I never would have) respectfully I am asking not to be charged a termination fee regarding this matter.

Sincerley,

John and Ann Marie