Billing
Complaint
Phil
Country: United States
Ms. Jill LaVigne
Vice President of Direct TV, Office of the President,
PO BOX 6550, Greenwood Village, CO 80155"
Dear Ms LaVigne,
I live in Indianapolis Indiana and have a lake home 1 ½ hour’s south in Nineveh, Indiana.
On Friday December 14th 2007 Direct TV installed a dish at my lake home on Saturday December 22nd I returned only to find it not working.
I called the tech department they tried to send a signal to the box but didn’t work they scheduled an appointment for a tech to come out on December 28th two weeks after the in
itial install. (Should have recognized this as a sign of things to come.)
I took off work drove the 1 ½ hours down there, no one showed up. I called and was told sorry, we scheduled it on the wrong day we will have to reschedule.
I told them I was going to Florida Dec 31, 2007 and would not be back until some time in March 2008. They told me no problem! When you get back just call and we will schedule someone to come right out and take care of the problem and also assured me no charges would be assessed until it was in working properly.
I returned from Florida on Thursday March 20th 2008 only to find a bill past due in the amount of $163.30.
I called Friday morning March 21st 2008, the first two hrs on the phone was transfer, hold, disconnect, callback, transfer, hold, disconnect call back, transfer hold, disconnect, callback and so on.
I called again in the afternoon another 1 ½ hours on the phone, transferred from one to the other, four disconnects only to start the story over and over and over and over and over again.
Finally a lady told me she would get this straightened out and credit all the charges, but I would have to pay $79 for a service call since my instillation was out of warranty.
I said absolutely not, she said ok then do you want to cancel and I said yes!
Let me out of this nightmare.
I was put on hold and once again disconnected. Called back on hold for more than 45 minutes transferred from one department to another finally talked to Employee #412811 in the disconnect department.
Relayed for the ( have lost track now of how many times I have told the same story), she asked if I would hold and see if she could straighten this mess out. After another 30 minutes, (now 4 hours later) she waived all the previous charges and was not going to charge the $79 fee and she called the local installer and scheduled an appointment for the next morning at 8:00 am.
I thanked her for all she did and asked to speak to her supervisor to tell him what a good job she did. He told me she was a good employee and he appreciated my taking the time to tell him what she had done.
8:00 am sharp the tech was there and within 30 minutes had it up and running.
End of story? Not by a long shot.
That Saturday afternoon I received a call from a Debt collector representing Direct TV wanting me to pay the $163 dollars.
I informed him he should contact Direct TV that it had all been straightened out, he said if I didn’t pay they were prepared to take this to the next step.
(I assume that was jail or worse)
I told him I was done and he wouldn’t get off the phone finally, I hung up on him. Later that evening I get another call from the collection company this time a woman with the same story and more threats.
Sunday 6:00 pm in the middle of prayer on Easter Sunday at the dinner table with my family and another call from Direct TVs debt collector.
What kind of a person or a company that would allow a debt collector to call someone on the most holy of days is beyond comprehension.
Now I am beyond mad, I call Direct Monday March 24th 8:00 am when I returned to Indianapolis only to enter my number and be told I still owed the $163 dollars.
After (7 ½) hours on the phone, (I have requested the cell phone records to prove it)
15 different people shifted from one to another on hold for more than 6 of the (7 ½) finally a supervisor told me apologetically she would cancel my service, but It would cost me $363.00 to cancel.
But If I would stay as a customer she would waive the now $83.24 down from $163.30 of which $20 dollars was past due( all previously waived) and we could start over.
This predatory practice is beyond belief. WE HAVE CREATED A PROBLEM FOR YOU, AND WE WANT YOU TO PAY US TO GO AWAY.
I am 61 years old and have been in business for more than 40 years, never have I heard of a company that practiced such predatory tactics on the public with no regard to trying to solve a problem they have created. Just pay us to go away.
Well as you can imagine I have turned this matter over to the Attorney General of Indiana, The Better Business Bureau, the FCC along with the web address of complaints on the internet about Direct TV and my Attorney with Instructions to pull my personal credit report and if this is on my credit report to file suit immediately.
I have also sent a copy of this letter to Time Warner and a copy to Letter to the Editor of the Indianapolis Star.
I hope it gets published to warn unsuspecting people about getting into this trap.
I would be totally ashamed as CEO if my company was spread all over the internet with such flagrant disregard for there customers.
It looks like you would try to build good will after the $5.4 million dollar blunder you suffered and page after page of complaints on the internet about your company’s business practices. Shameful!
I have cancelled my Direct TV as of March 24th and will return your boxes. The lady told me she will bill me for the $363.00 and if there was a credit card of file they would debit it immediately.
( I think its called insult to injury ) but sure made me feel good.
Now they are not asking, they are going to take my money.
I feel for all the trouble you have caused me, at the very least you should return my initial deposit with an apology. We will see which avenue you choose.
I have wasted a full day today and many hours dealing with this matter. It is absolutely ridiculous that someone would have to take precious time and go to such lengths when common sence should prevail. Again Shameful!
Every business has problems from time to time.
It’s how you handle them that defines you as a company and sets you a part from your competition.
Sincerely,
___________________________
Phillip Garrison
Vice President of Direct TV, Office of the President,
PO BOX 6550, Greenwood Village, CO 80155"
Dear Ms LaVigne,
I live in Indianapolis Indiana and have a lake home 1 ½ hour’s south in Nineveh, Indiana.
On Friday December 14th 2007 Direct TV installed a dish at my lake home on Saturday December 22nd I returned only to find it not working.
I called the tech department they tried to send a signal to the box but didn’t work they scheduled an appointment for a tech to come out on December 28th two weeks after the in
itial install. (Should have recognized this as a sign of things to come.)
I took off work drove the 1 ½ hours down there, no one showed up. I called and was told sorry, we scheduled it on the wrong day we will have to reschedule.
I told them I was going to Florida Dec 31, 2007 and would not be back until some time in March 2008. They told me no problem! When you get back just call and we will schedule someone to come right out and take care of the problem and also assured me no charges would be assessed until it was in working properly.
I returned from Florida on Thursday March 20th 2008 only to find a bill past due in the amount of $163.30.
I called Friday morning March 21st 2008, the first two hrs on the phone was transfer, hold, disconnect, callback, transfer, hold, disconnect call back, transfer hold, disconnect, callback and so on.
I called again in the afternoon another 1 ½ hours on the phone, transferred from one to the other, four disconnects only to start the story over and over and over and over and over again.
Finally a lady told me she would get this straightened out and credit all the charges, but I would have to pay $79 for a service call since my instillation was out of warranty.
I said absolutely not, she said ok then do you want to cancel and I said yes!
Let me out of this nightmare.
I was put on hold and once again disconnected. Called back on hold for more than 45 minutes transferred from one department to another finally talked to Employee #412811 in the disconnect department.
Relayed for the ( have lost track now of how many times I have told the same story), she asked if I would hold and see if she could straighten this mess out. After another 30 minutes, (now 4 hours later) she waived all the previous charges and was not going to charge the $79 fee and she called the local installer and scheduled an appointment for the next morning at 8:00 am.
I thanked her for all she did and asked to speak to her supervisor to tell him what a good job she did. He told me she was a good employee and he appreciated my taking the time to tell him what she had done.
8:00 am sharp the tech was there and within 30 minutes had it up and running.
End of story? Not by a long shot.
That Saturday afternoon I received a call from a Debt collector representing Direct TV wanting me to pay the $163 dollars.
I informed him he should contact Direct TV that it had all been straightened out, he said if I didn’t pay they were prepared to take this to the next step.
(I assume that was jail or worse)
I told him I was done and he wouldn’t get off the phone finally, I hung up on him. Later that evening I get another call from the collection company this time a woman with the same story and more threats.
Sunday 6:00 pm in the middle of prayer on Easter Sunday at the dinner table with my family and another call from Direct TVs debt collector.
What kind of a person or a company that would allow a debt collector to call someone on the most holy of days is beyond comprehension.
Now I am beyond mad, I call Direct Monday March 24th 8:00 am when I returned to Indianapolis only to enter my number and be told I still owed the $163 dollars.
After (7 ½) hours on the phone, (I have requested the cell phone records to prove it)
15 different people shifted from one to another on hold for more than 6 of the (7 ½) finally a supervisor told me apologetically she would cancel my service, but It would cost me $363.00 to cancel.
But If I would stay as a customer she would waive the now $83.24 down from $163.30 of which $20 dollars was past due( all previously waived) and we could start over.
This predatory practice is beyond belief. WE HAVE CREATED A PROBLEM FOR YOU, AND WE WANT YOU TO PAY US TO GO AWAY.
I am 61 years old and have been in business for more than 40 years, never have I heard of a company that practiced such predatory tactics on the public with no regard to trying to solve a problem they have created. Just pay us to go away.
Well as you can imagine I have turned this matter over to the Attorney General of Indiana, The Better Business Bureau, the FCC along with the web address of complaints on the internet about Direct TV and my Attorney with Instructions to pull my personal credit report and if this is on my credit report to file suit immediately.
I have also sent a copy of this letter to Time Warner and a copy to Letter to the Editor of the Indianapolis Star.
I hope it gets published to warn unsuspecting people about getting into this trap.
I would be totally ashamed as CEO if my company was spread all over the internet with such flagrant disregard for there customers.
It looks like you would try to build good will after the $5.4 million dollar blunder you suffered and page after page of complaints on the internet about your company’s business practices. Shameful!
I have cancelled my Direct TV as of March 24th and will return your boxes. The lady told me she will bill me for the $363.00 and if there was a credit card of file they would debit it immediately.
( I think its called insult to injury ) but sure made me feel good.
Now they are not asking, they are going to take my money.
I feel for all the trouble you have caused me, at the very least you should return my initial deposit with an apology. We will see which avenue you choose.
I have wasted a full day today and many hours dealing with this matter. It is absolutely ridiculous that someone would have to take precious time and go to such lengths when common sence should prevail. Again Shameful!
Every business has problems from time to time.
It’s how you handle them that defines you as a company and sets you a part from your competition.
Sincerely,
___________________________
Phillip Garrison
Comments
My e-mail address is >> hblake@columbus.rr.com thanks again
My e-mail address is >> hblake@columbus.rr.com thanks again
How can Direct TV go into a person's account without authorization when you checked the one time only box???????? Does this seem criminal?????????? And how can Direct TV take money from your account when the customer hasn't gotten the bill for the service???????????? Can anyone help me with this matter. Please email me at kpnconway@aol.com
STAY AWAY FROM DIRECT TV - YOU WILL BE SORRY
THE FTC NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS COMPANIES BILLING PRACTICES - DO YOU HEAR ME FTC??????????????
refund #986955 fascianog@rogers.com
refund #986955 fascianog@rogers.com
refund #986955 fascianog@rogers.com
Did you ever receive and answer from this person? Were your problems resolved? I'm in a similar boat and trying to find someone who can help.... DirectTV is one big nightmare.