- Report: #45690
Complaint Review: DirecTV - Baltimore Maryland
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
DirecTV
PO Box 830032 Baltimore, MD 21283-0032 Baltimore, 21283-0032 Maryland, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-942-2788
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
DirecTV Customer Service Fee hidden costs! Automated phone call tells you to contact customer service! deceptive company Baltimore Maryland
Let me first say that I like DirecTV. I have proclaimed its outstanding features over cable and rabbit ears for ages. But this is the first time I have been ashamed to say I advocate DirecTV.
Today, I received an automated phone call telling me to contact DirecTV's 800 number regarding the credit card I have been using to pay for the account.
My husband's credit card number was stolen, so we cancelled it. I placed my credit card on the online bill pay preferences site for DirecTV, but evidently missed the cutoff time for their automated processing system to catch the change. Therefore, my first card's payment was rejected. This is why I received the call.
I called the 800 number to straighten things out. I spoke to a very friendly representative who told me that the new card had taken effect and that the funds were withdrawn this morning and the bill had been paid. Whew! No problem, right? WRONG.
The friendly service rep then told me that a one-time fee of $5.00 would be withdrawn on my next bill for using their 800 number for customer service. WHAT? But I only called because the automated phone call I received at my home TOLD ME TO!
I typically deal with my billing online anyway, so I would not have called this 800 number to speak with someone if I hadn't received a call saying I needed to. Secondly, I was not informed by this automated call that I would be charged a service fee to have someone tell me that my bill was paid, when there it was on my online statement for DirecTV (which I saw while I was on the phone with the service rep). The automated service did not note that I should use the website instead, if I preferred (which I do prefer), nor that I would be charged.
I wrote a letter to DirecTV using their CONTACT US link on the website. I'm hoping for the best. Maybe others won't get $5.00 taken from them unwittingly. Update to follow.
Sarah
Fort Meade, Maryland
U.S.A.
Today, I received an automated phone call telling me to contact DirecTV's 800 number regarding the credit card I have been using to pay for the account.
My husband's credit card number was stolen, so we cancelled it. I placed my credit card on the online bill pay preferences site for DirecTV, but evidently missed the cutoff time for their automated processing system to catch the change. Therefore, my first card's payment was rejected. This is why I received the call.
I called the 800 number to straighten things out. I spoke to a very friendly representative who told me that the new card had taken effect and that the funds were withdrawn this morning and the bill had been paid. Whew! No problem, right? WRONG.
The friendly service rep then told me that a one-time fee of $5.00 would be withdrawn on my next bill for using their 800 number for customer service. WHAT? But I only called because the automated phone call I received at my home TOLD ME TO!
I typically deal with my billing online anyway, so I would not have called this 800 number to speak with someone if I hadn't received a call saying I needed to. Secondly, I was not informed by this automated call that I would be charged a service fee to have someone tell me that my bill was paid, when there it was on my online statement for DirecTV (which I saw while I was on the phone with the service rep). The automated service did not note that I should use the website instead, if I preferred (which I do prefer), nor that I would be charged.
I wrote a letter to DirecTV using their CONTACT US link on the website. I'm hoping for the best. Maybe others won't get $5.00 taken from them unwittingly. Update to follow.
Sarah
Fort Meade, Maryland
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Freddie
Huntsville,Alabama,
U.S.A.
phone transaction fee
#2UPDATE Employee
Wed, April 09, 2003
The reason you were probably charged the fee was for the 1 time payment over the phone. That would be the only reason you would be charged $5. We never charge anyone for just calling especially if we prompted them too. A lot of times if you dispute the charge and say you were never told about it then they can usually credit the fee back to the account. But from what you said it sounds like it was for the 1 time payment over the phone if i understand what you said correctly. You obviously wont be charged that once the recurring payment starts back up. The only time you would be charged this fee is if you were ordering ppv through a live person or making any payments through a live person. We used to charged the fee for changing programming but we dont anymore. If you use the automated system for any of the above mentioned tasks, it would be $1.50. But like you said, you can do all this online at no extra charge.
