Complaint Review: Directv

Directv failed to honor monthly agreement of $86.48 for first 12 months

History:

Looked at http://www.costco.com/directv.html
Called the number to get details and order service:

The number answers as “Welcome to Directv”… (no third-party mention, etc)
I spoke to a Directv representative.

I informed them that all I wanted was the minimum package that would give me Fox, HBO, Cinemax, Stars and Showtime. I was told the only package that had that was PREMIER.

We agreed that I would get the PREMIER package for the 24-month contract. We went into detail about the monthly cost and what deal I would get. The person on the phone offered me the 24-month package as follows:
12-months @ $86.48 per month, followed by $129.99 for the following twelve months inclusive of ALL channels including HBO, etc.

I reiterated back to the representative that I understood that I was getting the package as mention above (I was very very specific about exactly what I was getting and what the terms were), and he said that that was correct. I asked if there were any other charges, and he said no, that would all be locked in. I told him that I agreed to that deal. He then took all of my information and credit card details, and arranged for the installation.

In January I was double charged for the monthly fee. Once on Jan 16, and then again on Jan 20.
At the end of February I saw that the bill went up $47.00 per month.
After more than three hours on the phone I was told that I was mistaken, and that the premium channels were only free for the first three months. I was adament that the representative and I were crystal clear on the terms, and that I had asked him to repeat them back to me so there would be no ambiguity.

The Directv Supervisor (one of many I spoke to) then told me it was a third-party company I had ordered the service from, and Directv wasn’t responsible for any bogus deals they made. I then directed him to the number on the website which answered as “Welcome to Directv”. There is no indication that this is a third party company.

I wanted my original deal as was agreed to, and I wanted the additional charges per month refunded. Various supervisors said they would not honor that deal, but would offer me a lesser package for $86 per month. I refused this as that was not part of the original agreement made on the phone.

I asked if all calls are recorded, and the Supervisor said “yes”. I said just listen to the original call where the deal was made, and you will hear for yourself the entire agreement and what I was promised. The Supervisor informed me that they are not allowed to play back calls as it is against privacy laws.
I asked who I could talk to at a higher level than the Supervisor to get my original deal. The Supervisor stated that I would need to write in directly, and that the only way to listen to the calls would be by a subpoena from a court.

The Supervisor said that if I wanted to cancel the entire deal he would allow me to and I wouldn’t be charged $360 for the early termination fee. I told him that I would consider whether I wanted to write in, or terminate the agreement and call back. I asked him to put the agreement in the agreement in the notes which he did. When I called to cancel they said no despite the notes.
Summary
1. Directv didn’t stick to the original agreement we made
2. They double charged me for a month
3. They told me I ordered the service online when I ordered it over the phone