DirecTV Billing Hell
Both Traci and I are football fans, and happen to not like any of our local teams. The teams we do like (such as the Bills and the Saints) happen to be typically bad enough to not make the national broadcasts. Hence for the past several years, we've been getting the NFL Sunday Ticket from DirecTV.
The service is fine... I've never had any issues weather related, and I've experienced heavy rain and snow while watching the games.
HOWEVER, the same thing cannot be said about customer service and billing at DirecTV.
To set the stage, let me first inform you that the account is not actually in my name. Starting a couple of years ago, DirecTV no longer allowed people to subscribe to only the NFL package. They were forcing people to sign-up for regular service in addition to the NFL package.
Anybody that had previously subscribed to the NFL package, however, was grandfathered in and allowed to continue this practice. A friend decided that he was no longer going to get the NFL package, and told me that I could have (purchase for a very good price) his equipment, and use his account to get the games.
Our deal is that I call sometime in August, and ask DirecTV to activate my equipment for the season, and bill the credit card already on the account. I ask DirecTV to charge the card the ENTIRE amount one time, up front for the whole season, rather than their preferred method of monthly billing. I then send my friend a check for this amount, and the deal is done.
Up until this year, things have worked smoothly.
Starting this year, DirecTV has decided to turn my service off at the end of each month (Sept., Oct., Nov.) because of an "overdue" amount.
September and October, while frustrating, were easily fixed. I called customer service, and had them look at my account. They would see I was paid in full, and they would turn the account back on.
This past weekend, however, was different. My frustration level was well ABOVE normal. The lady I spoke with was literally the most imcompentent CSR that I have ever spoken with.
In her defense, back in late September, DirecTV decided to bill my friend's credit card again, but this time for only half of the total price. His wife noticed this, and my friend called DirecTV to ask for a refund of this amount -- this happened the first week of October.
Turns out they refunded the TOTAL amount (the day after he called in), and not the 2nd charge (half the amount). Subsequently, Yes, I did owe them money, but it wasn't my fault.
However, since the credit card used to pay for this account is not mine, I didn't have access to the statements to see what had happened.
My only source of information was what I knew had happened (I asked that the full amount be charged to the card in August) and what this REALLY incompetent CSR was trying to figure out. Since then I had spoken to DirecTV at the end of every month asking that they turn my account back on, and at the beginning of November asking them to activate a second box for my brother (told them it was a box in my bedroom). I even asked the rep helping me add the box "Is my account paid in full?" "Yep."
It was so bad that Traci got uncomfortable enough that she went up stairs to get away from me as I was speaking with Customer Service. She told me she had never seen me so mad.
I got the account turned back on, and as it turns out I think I confused/bullied them enough to give me my service at a discount of what I actually should have paid -- though in my defense I didn't realize this until the following day when I was able to speak with my friend and figure out what went wrong where.
We'll see what I do next football season. I might not be a cable employee then, and might actually need television service from somebody. Unfortunately, DirecTV has me by the short and curlys with their exclusive NFL contract.
I, however, have the knowledge that DirecTV has no way of physically tracking where boxes on the same account are actually located. They could be in the same house (their assumption) or in a different state. They just don't know.
The service is fine... I've never had any issues weather related, and I've experienced heavy rain and snow while watching the games.
HOWEVER, the same thing cannot be said about customer service and billing at DirecTV.
To set the stage, let me first inform you that the account is not actually in my name. Starting a couple of years ago, DirecTV no longer allowed people to subscribe to only the NFL package. They were forcing people to sign-up for regular service in addition to the NFL package.
Anybody that had previously subscribed to the NFL package, however, was grandfathered in and allowed to continue this practice. A friend decided that he was no longer going to get the NFL package, and told me that I could have (purchase for a very good price) his equipment, and use his account to get the games.
Our deal is that I call sometime in August, and ask DirecTV to activate my equipment for the season, and bill the credit card already on the account. I ask DirecTV to charge the card the ENTIRE amount one time, up front for the whole season, rather than their preferred method of monthly billing. I then send my friend a check for this amount, and the deal is done.
Up until this year, things have worked smoothly.
Starting this year, DirecTV has decided to turn my service off at the end of each month (Sept., Oct., Nov.) because of an "overdue" amount.
September and October, while frustrating, were easily fixed. I called customer service, and had them look at my account. They would see I was paid in full, and they would turn the account back on.
This past weekend, however, was different. My frustration level was well ABOVE normal. The lady I spoke with was literally the most imcompentent CSR that I have ever spoken with.
In her defense, back in late September, DirecTV decided to bill my friend's credit card again, but this time for only half of the total price. His wife noticed this, and my friend called DirecTV to ask for a refund of this amount -- this happened the first week of October.
Turns out they refunded the TOTAL amount (the day after he called in), and not the 2nd charge (half the amount). Subsequently, Yes, I did owe them money, but it wasn't my fault.
However, since the credit card used to pay for this account is not mine, I didn't have access to the statements to see what had happened.
My only source of information was what I knew had happened (I asked that the full amount be charged to the card in August) and what this REALLY incompetent CSR was trying to figure out. Since then I had spoken to DirecTV at the end of every month asking that they turn my account back on, and at the beginning of November asking them to activate a second box for my brother (told them it was a box in my bedroom). I even asked the rep helping me add the box "Is my account paid in full?" "Yep."
It was so bad that Traci got uncomfortable enough that she went up stairs to get away from me as I was speaking with Customer Service. She told me she had never seen me so mad.
I got the account turned back on, and as it turns out I think I confused/bullied them enough to give me my service at a discount of what I actually should have paid -- though in my defense I didn't realize this until the following day when I was able to speak with my friend and figure out what went wrong where.
We'll see what I do next football season. I might not be a cable employee then, and might actually need television service from somebody. Unfortunately, DirecTV has me by the short and curlys with their exclusive NFL contract.
I, however, have the knowledge that DirecTV has no way of physically tracking where boxes on the same account are actually located. They could be in the same house (their assumption) or in a different state. They just don't know.
posted by Rich B | 10:23 AM
1 Comments:
It's a shame that you've had these issues. I subscribe to DISH and shortly after getting their service, I began working there. I have to say that DISH does look out for the best interest of the customer. With DIRECTV, you will pay about 16% more for the DVR service and 8x's more for the sports packages. DIRECTV has received an "F" by the Better Business Bureau for false and misleading advertisements. I can tell you first hand that I am happy I am with DISH Network because the value I get plus the money I saved has made my experience a good one.
*Danielle
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