Complaint Review: DIRECT TV

Below is what has transpired since writing Direct TV. When I canceled the service, the DirectTV representative commented that she doesn't see how I would be charged an early termination fee because of all the issues on Direct TV end.  Direct TV was contacted several times and given an ample amount of time to remedy the situation.  Direct TV service was choppy and the picture quality was very poor.  It was very similar to a stutter.  I kept having to reset the box.  When informing them of the quality of the picture, they attempted to upgrade my service further by trying to coerce me into purchasing multiple HD boxes throughout the home.  I refused to do so.  So this is when I contacted Verizon and they installed their service throughout the home in parallel with Direct TV for a trial period.  Once I saw the clarify and quality of the service.  I requested the Verizon rep to remove the Direct TV equipment.  Yes, they did offer HD upgrades, but only after I had installed the Verizon service.

Also, filing bankruptcy was a very difficult life event for me.  Due to a very lengthy divorce and being a single father of 3 children with 99% custody, I saw no other way out.  Drowning with my ex-wife's attorney fees and also my own, it was a great financial stress.  After doing so, I have been very diligent as always with my finances.  With this being said, it was difficult in repairing my credit score; and with this new inquiry, it has really damaged my credit score.  Now I have to start all over.  It is definitely a non-moral booster.  This has happened several times over the past 3 years since filing the bankruptcy.  So it kind of takes a toll on a person.

Below, you will find the correspondence between Direct TV and myself.  The representative even admits that I had a $56.40 credit prior to disconnecting my service.  I just can't see how a company can offer poor service and practically through a temper tandrum when the customer decides enough is enough. 

 
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Via Email(Monica J (ID 418662)) - 08/07/2013 03:55 PM
Dear Mr. Burley, Thank you for writing. I understand you are concerned about an inquiry on your credit report for your DIRECTV account. One of our top priorities is billing accuracy, so we do everything we can to make certain that our customers are fully informed about charges for their services to ensure a flawless billing experience. Your e-mail has been forwarded to me for review and handling. The years of training and knowledge DIRECTV has provided me will ensure that you receive the best possible and most accurate response for your concerns. I will be happy to assist you. I'm sorry to hear the sentiments expressed regarding our services. At DIRECTV we pride ourselves on the integrity of our business and its practices. Please note, Mr. Burley, that the outstanding balance due on your account was $403.60. Before your account was disconnected, your account reflected a credit balance of $56.40. However, since your account was disconnected before fulfilling the terms of your agreement with DIRECTV, an Early Cancellation Fee of $460.00 was billed. Upon review of your account, Mr. Burley, I do see that you were offered HD receivers to replace the Standard Definition receivers due to your concerns with the picture quality. I also see that you declined the offer provided and were informed of the Early Cancellation Fee charge. Because DIRECTV was not given the opportunity to resolve the issue that you were experiencing, the claim of unresolved signal issue is not considered a valid reason to waive the Early Cancellation Fee. I see that your DIRECTV account has been transferred to First National Collection Bureau due to outstanding balances due after the account was disconnected. Please note that you may contact the collection agency at 800-824-6191 if you have any questions or disputes. However, if you included the DIRECTV bill in your bankruptcy, a copy of the Notice of Bankruptcy must be mailed
to: DIRECTV Customer Service

ATTN Bankruptcy Claims

P.O. Box 6550 Greenwood
Village, CO 80155-6550
*Paperwork will be processed within 5 business days and the account will be
noted.
*All charges are valid and due until the bankruptcy is filed with the court.
*DIRECTV is not a public utility under bankruptcy laws and we are not
obligated to provide service. Please know that any legal action that you may choose cannot be addressed through this level of support.
If you choose to take any legal recourse, please forward all legal
correspondences to the following address:

DIRECTV Office of the General Counsel

2230 E. Imperial Hwy

El Segundo, CA 90245

Please be aware that we do not have a phone number, email, or fax number that we can provide for our Legal Offices. Additionally, Mr. Burley, to ensure your bankruptcy situation is addressed, your bankruptcy details must be sent to the Bankruptcy Claims address, as
bankruptcy claims are not handled by the Office of the General Counsel.
Thank you again for writing, Mr. Burley. I appreciate the opportunity to
assist you. Sincerely, Monica J (ID 418662)DIRECTV Resolution Specialist

P.S. Have a question? Anytime, any topic, instant answers -
support.directv.com The Answer Center provides you helpful information, 24/7, all at your fingertips.

Response Via Email(Cer Edward - 100402409) - 08/07/2013 05:38 AM
Dear Mr. Burley, Thank you for writing. I am sorry for the nconvenience you may have experienced about the outstanding fees on your account after you filed bankruptcy. We want to ensure you an immediate resolution so I have forwarded your email for special handling. A specialist will respond as soon as an agent is available. To save your time, you may still call us at 1-800-531-5000 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM local time every day. We also have professional and goal-oriented customer service specialists over the phone who will do their best to assist you. We respect your patience while we are
working on this issue for you, and want to reassure you that we are working diligently to get back to you as soon as we can. Again, thank you for writing. Sincerely, Edward E. - 100402409DIRECTV Customer Service P.S. Have a question? Anytime, any topic, instant answers - support.directv.com The Answer Center provides you helpful information, 24/7, all at your fingertips.

Customer By Web Form (Burley) - 08/07/2013 04:44 AM

My name is Mr. Burley, contact #: 760xxxxxxx. I ordered service from your company and I requested service to come back out and remedy the bad signal problem. The problem never got fixed. So I in turn ordered Verizon and I have never had a problem with their signal or any problem at all. I canceled the service less than two weeks of having the service. Now, I have an inquiry on my credit report. Another important detail, I filed bankruptcy and your company did not submit anything to the bankruptcy court. The case information is as follows: discharge date April 10, 2011; case #: 10-xxxxxxxx. Bankruptcy
attorney info is as follows:

Scott xxxxx
333 W. San Carlos St. Suite 1700
San Jose, CA 95110

Also it is important to note. If necessary to stop the harassing, I am willing to take care of this bill. If this is your solution, I respectfully request DirectTv's legal information to send correspondence.