Complaint Review: Direct TV

As in this Rip Off Report of 2006 my services and contact with Direct Tv have been consistently bad.

First when I had Direct TV installed (last year) I had two questions for the REPS.  Was the NFL package included with my package every year or just this one year and would the professional installation be equal to Cox Cable.  On both questions I was told YES.

Lets get to the Install.  Just as in the link I give above, the Direct TV Rep installed the Dish on my roof then needed to move it some where else.  He arrived at 10 but took about 3-4 hours to install the dish in the wrong location.  So the Rep, After working for the allotted time at my house said he had to leave to do another call, but he would be back??????????  It didn't take a genius to realize he gets paid by the amount of installs and he was leaving me for a easier one.

He came back and finished at 5pm and worked until dark?  He finally installed the dish on my wall but over the wall, directly in sight of and right next to my neighbors front door and walk way?????  Of course my neighbor complained.  After looking at it, both my neighbor and I suggested he install the dish exactly as is but below eyesight of the walltop, (Exactly as the neighbor across the street has his installed, in eye view of the location we were in-not rocket science).  Which he did and got a fine signal???  As in the Rip off report above I now have the additional holes...  Except I have two sets of holes, one set on the roof and another on the side of my wall, at eye level to boot.

The Rep couldn't get the boxes to read from the SAT even though he said there was enough signal with his meter?  So he couldn't finish that night either and had to come back the next day.  He took the boxes home and set them up at his house?  The next day he brought them back and connected to my lines and they worked?

On to the wiring, he needed to install two new wires for the whole home service to connect to my modem.  The wires were not installed as Cox had; inside my walls?  Even though Cox has already fished wires in the same locations in both spots, another words it's a simple job, and easier then running wires around the house?  However he still ran his around the outside of my house in open sight and then drilled into the middle of my wall.  In both locations the holes and cables were at eye level on the outside and at about the 4' level on the inside.  No plates, insulation or caps were used.  

When I saw the holes and wires in the middle of my wall in the kitchen and living room (they were behind furniture, so I didn't notice right off).  When I did I called and complained.  They sent the same rep back to fix it and confronted me; as if I had done something wrong.  He said that's all they do for installation, they do not fish wires in walls?  Not wanting to confront this hot head I left that point for their call center and moved on to the location of the holes and lack of plates and calking?  I said I never saw wires/cables installed any where but at the base boards and certainly not at the 4' foot level referring to the inside.  He said he would move them lower but wasn't going to install plates or insulation.  I let him work and went in and called his office directly (3rd party) I asked them to send someone else, which they did.  At the same time he also phoned the company.  Someone there told him I was calling too, so he again confronted me and asked why I was doing that to him????????

When the additional rep arrived the wires were moved to a new location and plates were added as I requested.  Not wanting to be confronted again I let them leave and called Direct Tv, They gave me the additional phone # to the "Damage Claims Dept" of 303-712-5033, but nothing was ever done.  I wasn't even contacted?  

Last month I had to call to give a new CC for my auto bill pay as my card had changed.  I called spoke to a rep gave my new info and hung up.  I continued to get automated calls and emails?  Finally today I call again after receiving another.  The rep on the phone tells me they took my card info but didn't apply it to a bill or to my auto pay?  I guess the 1st rep just though I was giving her my info for the heck of it?  After a little game of back and forth with the Rep asking why that was done, she asks if I want to apply this new CC to the bill which is now 2 month's over due and to set up the auto bill pay now?????  

She already took my CC info too, what did she think I wanted and why did she also ask for my info if she wasn't applying it to my account?  Normal business procedure at call centers is for the REPS to never write down a CC.  Oh Yeah I am a Supervisor at a Call Center for another major international company.  OK still perplexed I said yes please and would have been happy there, but she felt a need to tell my how much the bill was, which she said is $260?  Again perplexed I said well OK I didn't ask that but why is it so high I thought my bill was $89 a month...  You guessed it she said well last month your yearly contract to use The NFL SUNDAY TICKET began charging for the new year?

I explained that I specifically asked if that would be part of the package always when it was included last year.  I asked if they honor what their reps say on the phone, they said they do not?  I asked for a supervisor who very rudely just repeated the same and refused to listen to my call at all, to even see if I was originally told what I said I was.  

She said it wouldn't matter they are not honoring it anyways and that's that.  I said so Direct TV's rep's lie to customers and then Direct TV doesn't honor what they say. I told her it sounds very much like a scam to me.  After going back and forth with the supervisor for about 20 minutes she admitted that was the truth and I ended the call.  Still with out satisfaction, but knowing that on a recorded call that supervisor agreed with me that Direct TV is dishonest...

I have photos of the installation issues, I suspect it is S.O.P. for Direct TV as is the lying to customers on the phone.  It didn't seem like an issue that surprised any of the reps or supervisors.

With everything available on the web now for free I think Direct TV will soon change their tune or be gone.  I watch all live sports, shows and movies on the web, and even record them for later use.  I also have programs that stream to my Roku what I download, which I then watch on my wide screen.  It's very easy and free with PLEX Server.  It won't be long until I cancel DirectTV myself~as a matter of fact it will probably be as soon as my wife sees this new bill...