Cancelled DirecTV after 2 weeks -- billing dispute

[swartzfeger]

All,

I won't go in depth about my original issue, which is covered in another thread. Long story short, had the H20 installed in hopes of receiving local HD soon but was disappointed with the HD quality compared to my previous service providers.

So I contact DirecTV today, and I had the option of keeping the equipment but taking the early cancellation hit ($285) or sending the equipment back, not incurring the early cancellation fee but paying $20 per receiver (total of 4) and eating the original equipment costs ($200 for the H20).

My question is this -- does anyone have any experience with DirecTV's billing dispute dept.? The basis of my not wanting to eat the $200 will be based on being sold a service without full disclosure from DirecTV (ordering HD, getting HD Lite, etc).

I've no clue whether I have any chance of having the original hardware cost waived or if I'm peeing in the wind here.

One lesson learned -- never sign up for a service without knowing 100% what you're getting up front (my fault, not D*). The bad -- and costly -- assumption on my part was that if I was disatisfied with the service within 'x' amount of days I could easily release myself from the contractual agreement (and also my fault, I mistakenly assumed the brand spankin' new H20 would be full HD and you'd have to pry D* out of my cold, dead hands).

Any advice for the billing dispute? Or should I chalk this up as a $280 mistake that I've made?

 

[iceturkee]

swartz,
i lost track of all the billing, equipment and picture quality disputes i had with directv. it's like when i was a supervisor in the navy and learned the importance of having an alibi file, with copies of all memos i sent my superiors. i have never dealt with a business as screwed up as this company. since i was always honest with them but they weren't with me, i told them they would never get another penny or future service with them.
yes, my credit is already really bad. and i'm on a fixed income, with one foot out of a nursing home. so if they don't want to work with me, i refuse to work with them.....plain and simple!!!!

 

[mikew]

You, most likely, aren't going to get D* to budge. I'd pay the 285 and see what I could recoup on E-Bay. It is too bad you can't give them a trial run and change your mind, but the problem is, they invest alot of money to get you started up (installer and EQ). Although they may feel your pain, they also have a bottom line to protect. HD Lite vs. HD won't get you anywhere with them or, if it went so far, a judgement against you. If you value your credit, you'll have to play by their rules.

 

[charper1]

Failure to read the EULA and provided research information that you must sign or e-sign to get service and hardware locks you in. Did you go through a 3rd party or DirecTV direct?

 

[swartzfeger]

You, most likely, aren't going to get D* to budge. I'd pay the 285 and see what I could recoup on E-Bay. It is too bad you can't give them a trial run and change your mind, but the problem is, they invest alot of money to get you started up (installer and EQ). Although they may feel your pain, they also have a bottom line to protect. HD Lite vs. HD won't get you anywhere with them or, if it went so far, a judgement against you. If you value your credit, you'll have to play by their rules.

I figured as much. I had considered ebaying the equipment, but at this point I don't even feel like looking at a D* logo or dealing with it any more.

I'll give the dispute letter a shot, but at this point I'm chalking up the $285 as a personal stupidity tax (there goes my beer budget for the next few months).

 

[swartzfeger]

Failure to read the EULA and provided research information that you must sign or e-sign to get service and hardware locks you in. Did you go through a 3rd party or DirecTV direct?

I went through a 3rd party (a prominent sponsor here). Once I contacted them about my disatisfaction with the service, I fell off their radar screen and they didn't respond to my queries. I called them today, and they more or less played dumb, said they didn't have experience dealing with a situation like mine and suggested I call D*.

 

[dragon002]

charper, it doesnt matter third party or not, he signed the contract and those are faxed to directv within 24 hours.

 

[charper1]

Oh I know I was just asking how he/she got the service. I would also tell him/her to not hold back on the sponsor's name in the posts, just be tactfull and explain the details of the transaction. Maybe Scott can help get it resolved.

 

[swartzfeger]

Oh I know I was just asking how he/she got the service. I would also tell him/her to not hold back on the sponsor's name in the posts, just be tactfull and explain the details of the transaction. Maybe Scott can help get it resolved.

Agreed, that's why I didn't name them.

Based on the misunderstandings (on both sides) of my original post/complaint, I didn't want this post coming off as a service/sponsor trashing by mentioning names.

 

[charper1]

Actually I said NOT to hold back, just be tactfull and maybe Scott can help out if possible.

 

[swartzfeger]

Oh I know I was just asking how he/she got the service. I would also tell him/her to not hold back on the sponsor's name in the posts, just be tactfull and explain the details of the transaction. Maybe Scott can help get it resolved.

Basically, based on the sponsor's reputation here on the forums, I decided to purchase an H20 ($200) and 3 regular SD receivers through them.

The first 4 scheduled installs never occurred; the first three I was never even notified that the installer wasn't going to show. It took three more scheduled installs to have all my equipment installed and working properly (a total of 7 scheduled installs).

The A9 Ka/Ku wasn't delivered to me, and unbeknownst to the installer was at their office, so the fifth scheduled install didn't have the dish itself installed.

The 6th scheduled install was problematic because the dish did not include stabilizer arms (and as we know, the A9 is a monster and usually requires them).

Upon arriving home -- I could not make it there for the 6th install because I had already left work 5 previous times for missed installs -- I discovered I was completely disatisfied with both D*s HD and SD quality.

A few days after the install/activation, the sponsor contacted me via e-mail confused because some of my SD boxes were listed as being registered to someone in Nebraska (I live in Scottsdale, AZ). The sponsor never followed back up with the issue with me.

I decided to 'cool down' for a week because of the extremely poor install experience, the HD/SD quality, and the 'Nebraska' registration issue. I figured I would let things cool for a week to see if my HD/SD judgment was incorrect. It was not. The HD feed was clearly HD Lite, I wasn't happy with it or the SD.

I contacted the sponsor three days ago, politely explaining issue -- didn't make demands, didn't froth at the mouth or make threats -- I very politely and civilly asked how I should go about resolving my issue, how to send back the hardware and how to discontinue my service. I made no demands asking for refunds or anything else.

The sponsor didn't respond.

Their lack of response was deafening, because when I was a customer they were extremely responsive and helpful during my install fiasco. As soon as I turned into the typical 'problem customer', I felt as if I had fallen off their radar screen and was being ignored in hopes that I would 'just go away.'

I called the sponsor today, explaining the situation -- again, being polite/civil. Without trying to read too much between the lines or getting into subtext, I felt the sponsor basically held their cards close to their chest and maintained they haven't had an experience like this before. They basically said "Call DirecTV, we can't help you."

I called DirecTV, and they gave me the option of keeping the hardware and eating the cancellation fee, or sending back the hardware for $20 per box and eating the original cost of the H20 ($200).

I then headed here after the DirecTV call, posting my tale of woe.

Thanks for any advice...

 

[swartzfeger]

Actually I said NOT to hold back, just be tactfull and maybe Scott can help out if possible.

oops, sorry, my bad -- I misread.

If Scott wants to private message me, I'll give him the sponsor business name and the names of the two gentlemen I dealt with. I'd rather not mention them in case there's a resolution or partial resolution. I'm not looking to besmirch/smear anyone's livelyhood, I'd just like to have a resolution where everyone can walk away satisfied.

 

[charper1]

Just to ask, have you not applied or received your $200 rebate yet?

AND I was under the impression that the return of hardware was supposed to be with a DirecTV provided RMA(s) and pre-paid postage carton(s)? Others please correct me?

 

[swartzfeger]

Just to ask, have you not applied or received your $200 rebate yet?

AND I was under the impression that the return of hardware was supposed to be with a DirecTV provided RMA(s) and pre-paid postage carton(s)? Others please correct me?

I had almost submitted the rebate, but after the first night it was apparent I wasn't happy with the service so held off.

And yes, according to the DirecTV rep today, they will be sending me pre-paid postage cartons. She also supplied the address for the billing dispute department.

 

[charper1]

Is there any law stating that you are not able to get the rebate if you return? Seems you are still owed the rebate for participating in the promo; that way you come out "all square"; no hardware, no contract, no return costs, no out of pocket, and now no DirecTV.

 

[dragon002]

schwartz,

what service did you use before that was providing "true HD" , in your opinion? because LEGALLY there is no such animal as HD-LITE.

 

[swartzfeger]

Is there any law stating that you are not able to get the rebate if you return? Seems you are still owed the rebate for participating in the promo; that way you come out "all square"; no hardware, no contract, no return costs, no out of pocket, and now no DirecTV.

According to the DirecTV rep, no -- I'm not eligible for the rebate.

I will re-read tonight when I get home -- the printed copy I have is too small to read the fine print. But from what i can glean from the rebate, I don't see anything explicitly stating I can't take part of the rebate because of early termination.

 

[swartzfeger]

schwartz,

what service did you use before that was providing "true HD" , in your opinion? because LEGALLY there is no such animal as HD-LITE.

When I was with Cox, I was able to capture HD through the firewire port to my hard drive (ie, non protected channels, not HBO, etc). Recordings from DiscoveryHD and HD Net were clearly 'full' HD. [edit: through the firewire port of the Cox-supplied Scientific Atlantic HD receiver]

While this is subjective, it's also clear the service I had with Dish (actually, still have, because I never cancelled) was also 'full' HD, with the exception of a few channels. The difference -- at least on my set (46" CRT) between E* and D*'s HD is like night and day.

 

[charper1]

Man Dish must be something really great since I dumped them back on 12/05. I tried them for 12 mos side-by-side with my 10 non-stop DirecTV service and it surely wasn't night and day, and I have seen the Voom additions as well; but I would get that $200 via either DirecTV billing resolution or the rebate.

 

[dragon002]

yeah dish is really great, my bro lives in chandler or gilbert az, he got rid of cox , said it was crap. he loves directv as does his ex.

schwartz, re-enlist with dish, do us all a favor.

btw,, how did you firewire dish?