Complaint Review: Direct TV

After canceling Direct TV and sending their equipment back they took out without permission nor notice $681.55 from my checking account. We are a family of 5, my husband a Seriff's Deputy and myself in EMS. This withdrawl meant our means of food, gas, and house payment was gone with overdrafts from automatic payments coming. The actual bill itself for Direct TV was approx. $150 +/-. When contacted they stated it was apart of the aggreement upon install of the new equipment that they have the right to take out the money and additional fees. Their additional fees being a service agreement/fine for cancelation and equipment in the amount of $531.55. When asked to produce this signed contract they could not and their equipment was sent back via Fed-Ex as thier request with a tracking number. When first contacted about our cancelation their was no mention of any of these fees nor the possibility of them being taken out at any time. I am appauled a company can simply go into your account and take out what amount they deem fit with no regards to any individual or their family. What is our rights in this? Upon the third attempt at rectification it was stated that the equipment fee would be refunded after receipt and if a letter was written regarding our cancelation then a partial would be refunded as well of that fee. How is a average family suppose to simply get over $681.55. We live paycheck to paycheck, now we are in the red and will keep going into the red because of overdrafts and late fees for bills such as a house payment that cant be completed. Even if we do get some of the money back it is going to take a long time to receive it and even longer to make up what we lost. At this time I'm terrified, what am I suppose to do for food and gas to work? TV watchers beware, even Cingular (AT&T) wouldnt stoop this low and their contact agreements are very well made known.

Carrie
Owensville, Missouri
U.S.A.