Complaint Review: DIRECTV - COLORADO SPRINGS Colorado

I went through every employee at DirecTV and was told I was a liar when I said my equipment was PURCHASED -- my daughter purchased the equipment at Best Buy and I had the sales receipt, sales tax paid and not one shred of paper that said LEASED. However, when I got a call from DirecTV's collection department who not only decided to charge me for my own equipment but to try to charge me a termination fee, that was enough. I asked for the corporate address and the fax number and was told I could have neither. That was fine with me -- explain to the Attorney General why you are trying steal MY equipment and make me pay for a cancellation fee that was nonexistant. They couldn't. The collection went away and I got a nice letter from DirecTV and the AG's office telling me so. Don't let them walk all over you and attempt to make you pay for service you are not receiving.

The DirecTV website is an enormous wealth of information, and nearly every policy that DirecTV CSRs and customers are required to follow can be found there. All of the service commitments, penalties and fees, benefits and restrictions are available for viewing on the website, often (but by all means not always) in both legal and layman terms. if the search function does not seem to get you where you want to be, use the site map link which will display all of the categories (looking for Contract details?? look in the "legal" section) and you can navigate through there. I can only stress what Meredith has stated before. It is unfortunate, but many new hire employees struggle to convey ALL of the correct and accurate information, as the learning curve is one of the steepest I have ever had to encounter in my 35 years of life. And the steep leaning curve is made even more difficult when faced with angry or upset customers. All DirecTV CSRs are trained to explain the service commitment contract every time that services are activated or equipment is ordered, however sometimes that gets overlooked because of other factors, such as impatient customers, excitement, fear (yes we get scared of the people we have to talk to, hard to believe, but true), nervousness of possibly having a supervisor listening to the call, or making a mistake, and much more. I have seen new hires quit 10 seconds into their first call. The best piece of advice when contacting Customer Service is to remain calm. It is okay to be upset, but it is easier to get things done when the call remains civilized. If you even think you don't understand something, please ask them to explain it, and say that you don't understand it. We always face the possibility of having the call recorded (and we NEVER know which ones are) and if you tell us you don't understand and we don't explain it, we get in trouble. As with calling any customer service, hold times vary and are usually based on peak/non-peak hours similar to cell phone billing.. ie, if you call at 5PM right after work, chances are half the country is also calling, and there may be a significant wait involved. As CSRs, we understand this and appologize for it profusely, however, there is little that we can do about it, but by the same token, we can also see how long you have really been on hold, and also have monitors that display the current call queue, so exagerating only gives the CSR the "oh no, this is gonna be one of THOSE calls" signal. We are after all only human. I can guarantee with almost absolute certainty that the less stressed a customer conveys themselves, the less stressful, and more constructive the call will be. And as a final recourse, feel free to insist on speaking with a supervisor. And for the call that goes very well, please ask to speak with a supervisor and explain your satisfaction.. it helps the CSR through their day, and lets them know they are appreciated, and not just targets for frustrated customers. As Meredith and I have stated, it is not an easy job, and we are definately not paid enough. Hope this helps anyone have better dealings with DirecTV Customer Service.

If you are not getting service you need to write to the Attorney General's office in your state and the Attorney General's office in the state where DirecTV's corporate office is located. CC the Better Business Bureau and DirecTV. Do everything in writing. I don't know if this will assist you in getting out of your contract but DirecTV will have to explain why they are charging you are for a service you are not receiving.

What it boils down to is an employ that only gets paid about $9.per hr didn't do the the job that they get paid to do . Every employ of DTV is supossed to go over the commitment with every customer . Any employ that does not abide by Directv's policys will get fired. As with any company there are a few bad apples in the bunch that haven't been weeded out . Not to mention the high turn over rate on employs , in fact if Directv would pay better wages then maybe the turn over would not be as high . The fact is there is so much to learn about DTV it took me about a year to feel that I could do my job , or should I say give acurate information to every customer . So with so many new employs it leaves alot of room for human error. I still remeber the first call that I took , it wasn't pretty ! I hope this will help clear any questions about chrges ect.........This is straight from the DTV web site it is the commitment that every DTV customer agrees to when they become a DTV customer . PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT. Within 30 days of provision of DIRECTV equipment to you, or on the date that the professional installer has installed or is prepared to install your DIRECTV equipment, whichever is sooner, you agree to activate each and every DIRECTV Receiver ordered by you or provided to you with any DIRECTV base programming package (valued at $29.99 per mo. or above); Jadeworld; or, any qualifying international service bundle, which bundle shall include either the DIRECTV BASIC programming package (valued at $9.99 per mo.) or the DIRECTV PREFERRED CHOICE programming package (valued at $29.99 per mo.) together with any WorldDirect international-language service. DVR service activation ($5.99/mo.) required for DVR leases; HD Access fee ($9.99/mo.) required for HD Receiver leases; and, both DVR service and HD Access fee payment required for HD DVR leases. In certain markets, programming and pricing may vary. DIRECTV PROGRAMMING AND PRICING SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT. The programming package(s) must be maintained for a period of not less than (a) eighteen (18) consecutive months (for accounts with only standard receiver(s)), or (b) twenty-four (24) consecutive months (for accounts with advanced product(s)/receiver(s) digital video recorder (DVR), high definition receiver (HD) or high definition digital video recorder (HD DVR), including additional DIRECTV receiver(s)). After you have fulfilled your agreement to the required programming package(s), you are not obligated to continue your subscription to DIRECTV programming for any specific duration. Current DIRECTV customers may activate additional receivers with their existing DIRECTV programming package. THIS PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT IS SEPARATE AND DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT YOU MAY HAVE MADE WITH DIRECTV AND IS FULLY ENFORCEABLE UNDER THESE TERMS. MONTHLY LEASE FEE. For a new DIRECTV customer, you will be charged a monthly lease fee in the amount of $4.99 per 2nd and each additional receiver leased by you in your household. For a current customer, you will be charged a monthly fee in the amount of $4.99 for each receiver leased by you in your household, unless you replace all of your owned-equipment with leased equipment, in which case, the monthly lease fee will be waived for the 1st receiver. Applicable taxes will apply. LEASE FEE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. CARE OF EQUIPMENT. You are responsible for the loss of or any damage to the DIRECTV equipment that you have leased from DIRECTV. You shall have no right to sell, give away, transfer, pledge, mortgage, remove, relocate, alter or tamper with the DIRECTV equipment at any time. DIRECTV PROVIDES YOU THE DIRECTV EQUIPMENT AS IS, AND MAKES NO WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE DIRECTV EQUIPMENT PROVIDED TO YOU. ALL SUCH WARRANTIES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED. DIRECTV IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RELATING TO THE DIRECTV EQUIPMENT PROVIDED TO YOU. In the event the DIRECTV equipment you have leased from DIRECTV does not operate, contact DIRECTV at 1-800-531-5000. CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR FAILURE TO ACTIVATE PROGRAMMING OR SATISFY YOUR PROGRAMMING COMMITMENT. If you fail to activate all of your DIRECTV equipment in accordance with this Equipment Lease Addendum, you agree that DIRECTV or an authorized DIRECTV Retailer may charge you a fee, as liquidated damages, of $150 for each receiver that is not activated. If you fail to maintain your minimum programming commitment, you agree that DIRECTV may charge you a prorated fee of up to $360 for standard receivers and up to $480 for advanced products/receivers (e.g., DVR, HD, HD DVR, etc.). RETURN OF DIRECTV EQUIPMENT. If you cease to be DIRECTV's customer for any reason (whether voluntarily or involuntarily) or if you decide to disconnect/cancel/terminate your DVR service or HD Access fee (if you are leasing a DVR or HD Receiver), you must call DIRECTV within seven (7) days after the termination of your DIRECTV programming services, DVR service or HD Access fee, as applicable, to (i) make arrangements for DIRECTV to pick up all your DIRECTV equipment; or (ii) obtain information from DIRECTV necessary to arrange for a ground or air freight service to pick up and deliver all of your DIRECTV equipment to DIRECTV. You acknowledge that the DIRECTV equipment belongs to DIRECTV and the DIRECTV equipment, including the access card inserted into each receiver, must be returned to DIRECTV in good working order, normal wear and tear excepted. In the event that all of the DIRECTV equipment is not returned to DIRECTV within thirty (30) days of the termination of your DIRECTV programming services or is damaged when it is returned to DIRECTV, you agree to pay DIRECTV the sum of $55 per each DIRECTV standard receiver; $200 for each DIRECTV DVR Receiver; $240 for each DIRECTV HD Receiver; or $470 for each DIRECTV HD DVR Receiver that is not returned to DIRECTV or that is damaged when it is returned to DIRECTV as compensation for a portion of the expenses incurred by DIRECTV in establishing your account and providing you the DIRECTV equipment for your use. Visit DIRECTV.com or call 1-800-531-5000 for details. ARBITRATION. You and DIRECTV agree that both parties will resolve any dispute arising under this Equipment Lease Addendum, the DIRECTV Customer Agreement or any other addendum thereto, or regarding your DIRECTV programming service, through binding arbitration as fully set forth in the DIRECTV Customer Agreement.