# 15 years of loyalty does not mean anything to DTV



## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years. 

Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.

Did not care that I have spent between 150-200 a month for 15 years. So I figure 27k I have paid in services but, could not help me out so I don't have to keep paying 50 bucks a month for something I did not order. Well we ended up scheduling a shut off date for 11/15. He told me I could write a letter if I did not like his solution. Wife does not want to loose TV while we get Dish Networks installed. I did not want to change but, they have gotten to big for their britches screwing a 15 year customer.

Not too mention I ordered a few more receivers a few months ago and the manufacture date is older then my boxes I have had for 3 years. I complained about that and got no where. Why do I order new boxes for new tv's in my house and I get older boxes then I already have. Geez. :nono2:


So I guess it is farewell DTV. Dish needs the customers and I am loyal. Do right by me and you got a friend for life. DTV does not care about me. 

So I guess I will try the other guys now.


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## Sim-X (Sep 24, 2009)

You do know we are coming into week 7 of football season? No offense but I can't really blame the guy for calling you an idiot. You are being unreasonable. They let you know months in advice that it is going to be auto-renewed and if your to lazy to cancel it, that's not DTV's fault. I'm not saying you haven't been a loyal customer or not paid your bill but come on. I mean you signed up for the service at one point and you have been using it for 6 weeks(or at least it's been on for that long), it's unreasonable to ask for a refund. If you were having technical problems or it wasn't working sure you have a case. You can't blame a company for your lack of intelligence. My work dreads customers like you.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Today, loyalty is little more than an illusion -- and if it does exist at all, it is at best a one-way street. I've been shopping at the same grocery for over 8 years now and not so much as a pound of bacon or a free pack of M&Ms. 

You've paid for service and I assume you've gotten what you've paid for. Don't expect anything more. Can you imagine 10 million customers asking for special consideration. Do the math.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

eastsidebuzz said:


> ....
> So I guess it is farewell DTV. Dish needs the customers and I am loyal. Do right by me and you got a friend for life. DTV does not care about me.
> 
> So I guess I will try the other guys now.


Yeah, good thing that Dish never treats its customers like this :lol:


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Why would it take you 6 weeks to notice that you had Sunday Ticket?

Knowing what happened to you last year why didn't you cancel it immediately?

Were you trying to get something for Free?

I have several things that Automatically Renew and if I don't want them I simply cancel them before they Renew!!!

Don't be Late on your Mortgage Payment or you will be Screwed and they won't play any prettier than Directv.


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## grog (Jul 3, 2007)

Yeah Dish is the answer to your Sunday Ticket issue. Really!

Since they don't carry it you can't be charged. :lol:

Oh... You won't get much FOX either. In a couple weeks maybe no FOX at all. 
But you might still be charged for FOX. That is Dish way of saying 'thank you'.

You won't get MSG or MSG+. Dish is not into sports. :eek2:


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## Dave (Jan 29, 2003)

eastsidebuzz,

Welcome to the forums. DTV customers are some times unforgiving of others. Now you can see by the answers given. DirectV has had major problems for years of overcharging and taken customers money for whatever reason they choose. It seems to DirectV's way of thinking the customer is always wrong. That's it, are way or the highway. Once again welcome to the forums and welcome to Dish Network.


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## Jeremy W (Jun 19, 2006)

Dave said:


> DirectV has had major problems for years of overcharging and taken customers money for whatever reason they choose.


In this case, there was no overcharging, and DirecTV "took" his money because he signed up for and never cancelled a programming package. They "take" my money in the same fashion every single month. I can't call them up and say "Oh darn, I actually meant to cancel my service back in August. I'm going to need a refund of everything I've paid since then."


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> 15 years of loyalty does not mean anything to DTV


Here's a scenario: Your employer has employed you for 15 years. Over that time you've done your work and they've paid you. Then, you're approached by another company and offered another job.

Do you owe it to your employer to turn down the other job? After all, your current employer has shown you 15 years of "loyalty".

This isn't to comment about the specifics of your particular case, which you outlined. You may or may not have specific points to make with regard to how their billing department deals with customer *in-general*. My point is simply that getting service and paying for it for 15 years is meaningless in context. Using meaningless, emotionally-laden language like "loyalty" to try to make the situation sound worse than it really is is disrespectful to the readers of your message.



eastsidebuzz said:


> So I guess I will try the other guys now.


And if you're a typical consumer, you'll be loyal to them until they do something that upsets you.


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


Y'know, I would actually go over and red some of the posts the Dish people have been posting lately with the loss of the Fox cable channels and soon, the Fox owned and operated affiliates. Many have defected due to this being the last straw, etc. Compare and contrast.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


You screwed up...not DirecTV.


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


time to move on

SCREW directv


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

domingos35 said:


> time to move on


Please do.


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> Please do.


u wish


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

This is a Post by "The Merg" relating to another incident but it fits your situationj also, "If you can't get the situation rectified through normal CSR channels, you can try contacting Ellen Filipiak's office ([email protected]). She is the VP of Customer Service. 

Generally, if an issue can't be resolved through normal channels, her office can help you out. However, please try going through CSR's first before contacting her office.".

It fits your situation so try contacting her office and politely explain the situation to her CSR and try to have them help you Resolve it. I contacted them and they definitely helped me twice.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

You might want to just suspend your DirecTV account while you give Dish a try. This way it would be easier to come back to DirecTV If you find that the grass isn't greener on the other side. Just a suggestion.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


There's a saying "the early bird catches the worm" meaning had you checked you account status frequently you would have caught the Sunday Ticket discrepancy and could have had it corrected. It was you who ordered Sunday Ticket and it was you who failed to cancle it under the "terms of agreement"! Are you as casual with your other monthly bills as well? In your own words you stated you got a bit "excited" during your phone conversation and "heated" the tone. Well you elevated the tension and like you the csr is human and has limits. As for the receivers as long as they are functional they will provide the service you want. Yes it's human to want the "latest" but I can think of no service provider (power, phone, gas, cable or satellite) who provide their customers with nothing but the latest version of equipment. You stated you are leaving DirecTV after 15 years and switching to DISH. That is your choice and I wish you well.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

DirecTV shouldn't have to fix anything. The OP would have received notice about the auto-renew well in advance and they had ample time to take care of the issue prior to now. The OP is at fault here.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

MysteryMan said:


> There's a saying "the early bird catches the worm" meaning had you checked you account status frequently you would have caught the Sunday Ticket discrepancy and could have had it corrected.


If they had checked their account AT ALL, it would have been obvious. Or if they had paid attention to the emails and such as well.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

He said he didn't order it and I don't have any reason not to believe him. DirecTV encourages use of auto bill pay and at least with my credit card I can see how a charge could be overlooked for a month and even if you don't overlook it you could still be five or six weeks into a Sunday ticket order.

My 77 year old father recently had Sunday ticketed added without his knowledge. He saw the charge on his bill of $62.99. He had only had only had DirecTV a couple of months when it was added. I helped him order DirecTV a few months ago and I help him use it. I visit every Sunday. He has a favorites list and we wouldn't have know the channels had been turned on. I called DirecTV to have the charge removed. They apologized and acknowledged they had no 'notes' for him having ordered it and said it would be credited within 72 hours. Well after a week it was not credited and then only credited after I wrote Ellen's office. Who knows had I not kept up with this then he may have been charged a second month and that would have really made things dificult. 

Search for my thread about all of the other missing credits and problems I have had with DirecTV.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


Noticed this is your first post here.

Welcome. 

One's length as a customer does not over-ride contractual obligations.

I've been a customer since 1996 myself...including NFL Sunday Ticket since it was first offered...but it still requires me to pay attention to notices, bill statements, and online notifications about my account and services.

Among 18+ million customers, *we* customers do have some level of responsibility to manage our accounts and services with DirecTV, just like any other account.

Each year, there are repeated notifications on NFL ST renewals and how to either renew or cancel. It can also be done online. Sorry you missed your opportunity to get it done prior to the deadline...I commend you on your level-headed approach, but you are also right - in order to operate any business successfully - rules are rules.


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## BKC (Dec 12, 2007)

Nothing seasonal should be "auto renewed"


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

gitarzan said:


> He said he didn't order it and I don't have any reason not to believe him. DirecTV encourages use of auto bill pay and at least with my credit card I can see how a charge could be overlooked for a month and even if you don't overlook it you could still be five or six weeks into a Sunday ticket order.
> 
> My 77 year old father recently had Sunday ticketed added without his knowledge. He saw the charge on his bill of $62.99. He had only had only had DirecTV a couple of months when it was added. I helped him order DirecTV a few months ago and I help him use it. I visit every Sunday. He has a favorites list and we wouldn't have know the channels had been turned on. I called DirecTV to have the charge removed. They apologized and acknowledged they had no 'notes' for him having ordered it and said it would be credited within 72 hours. Well after a week it was not credited and then only credited after I wrote Ellen's office. Who knows had I not kept up with this then he may have been charged a second month and that would have really made things dificult.
> 
> Search for my thread about all of the other missing credits and problems I have had with DirecTV.


Yes but how often did the OP check his bill? I check mine frequently and caught a error on this month's statement. I called and had it corrected before payment was sent.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

BKC said:


> Nothing seasonal should be "auto renewed"


Well, that's the decision they have made as a business and it isn't likely to change. I see no reason for it to either. They make every attempt to make the customer aware of it well before each renewal.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

BKC said:


> Nothing seasonal should be "auto renewed"


Perhaps, but that is the policy under the terms of agreement.


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## BKC (Dec 12, 2007)

They do it that way for more $$ from people like the OP that may not pay any attention. I bet it works out pretty good for them but it doesn't make it right.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

BKC said:


> They do it that way for more $$ from people like the OP that may not pay any attention. I bet it works out pretty good for them but it doesn't make it right.


...people who don't pay attention to numerous notifications or simply check their account for two years? Two years. Seriously.


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## BKC (Dec 12, 2007)

What the hell is this new car doing in my driveway? Oh, you signed up for AUTO renew three years ago when you bought your last one, it's in the terms of agreement you signed. :lol:


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

There's no accounting for non-accountability these days...


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

gitarzan said:


> He said he didn't order it and I don't have any reason not to believe him. DirecTV encourages use of auto bill pay and at least with my credit card I can see how a charge could be overlooked for a month and even if you don't overlook it you could still be five or six weeks into a Sunday ticket order.


He used to have Sunday Ticket. He never canceled it. Thus it's on autorenew.

I have no sympathy for anyone in this position.

Why?

Because the autorenew notice is on your bill starting *at least* in June if not May. There is *NO EXCUSE* to not know that you will be charged for Sunday Ticket starting in August or September and you have until the first game of the season to cancel. It's been that way for 15 yrs.

If this poster is someone that never checked their bills, well, that is his fault. I have a lot of bills on autopay or online billpay. But every month I still either get a bill in the mail or download and print my bill. No excuse to ever be charged for something you don't want.

I mean Sunday Ticket autorenew showing up on my bill 3 months before the season just might be a clue I am still signed up for it and need to call to cancel...ya know?


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## BKC (Dec 12, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> ...people who don't pay attention to numerous notifications or simply check their account for two years? Two years. Seriously.


Heck, I don't know or care. I just stated MHO that nothing seasonal should be renewed. All I want are the audio dropouts fixed and they can't handle that. :nono:


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

First, last year If DirecTV coudn't produce any physical or electronic evidence of the customer having placed the order then DirecTV shoudl have corrected the issue immediately. Espicially for a customer in good standing for 15 years. The customer seemed to give up as we wanted to keep DirecTV.

This year he missed the auto renew notice but catches within the billing cycle after the first bill. I don't think think auto renew notices makes much difference especially if the customer has auto bill pay. I have auto bill pay and I ignore most communication from DirecTV. I probably wouldn't notice except that I have now learned that I really need to watch my DirecTV bill due to numerous past mistakes.

DirecTV should still have notes in the customer account about the mistake that can now be referenced to see that the customer had not intention of wanting this service then.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

gitarzan said:


> First, last year If DirecTV coudn't produce any physical or electronic evidence of the customer having placed the order then DirecTV shoudl have corrected the issue immediately. Espicially for a customer in good standing for 15 years. The customer seemed to give up as we wanted to keep DirecTV.
> 
> This year he missed the auto renew notice but catches within the billing cycle after the first bill. I don't think think auto renew notices makes much difference especially if the customer has auto bill pay. I have auto bill pay and I ignore most communication from DirecTV. I probably wouldn't notice except that I have now learned that I really need to watch my DirecTV bill due to numerous past mistakes.
> 
> DirecTV should still have notes in the customer account about the mistake that can now be referenced to see that the customer had not intention of wanting this service then.


So you don't check your DirecTV bill...I take it then you don't check your monthly credit card and bank statements either and just happily pay them?

Sorry, but in today's world (or even the world of 20 yrs ago) you need to check your statements every month from every company you do business with. I just don't get why people are lazy about this. Billing errors or even identity theft occur all the time. But you'll never know if you never check your statements.

Oh well...


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

BKC said:


> They do it that way for more $$ from people like the OP that may not pay any attention. I bet it works out pretty good for them but it doesn't make it right.


There's another side to that coin. Automatic renewal is a courtesy that allows you uninterupted access to that which you signed up for.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

MysteryMan said:


> There's another side to that coin. Automatic renewal is a courtesy that allows you uninterupted access to that which you signed up for.


That's the intent for sure. There are plenty of other services that work the same way.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

BKC said:


> Nothing seasonal should be "auto renewed"


Auto renewal is better than a rate hike to cover the costs for additional CSR's that would be needed to field the calls. Also, people like that they don't have to call and renew.


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## VROBERT43 (Oct 21, 2010)

When you order a special package like nfl sunday ticket one year, but do not want the service next year, they automatically enroll you and you must cancel before the first payment comes due. No refund once past that date.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

eastsidebuzz said:


> *Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket.*
> 
> Some of you missed this statement. He states he had NFL Sunday Ticket applied to his account WITHOUT his authorization. The OP is responsible to check his bill. Ultimately this falls in his lap. But D* should have worked more with the OP to get this resolved. After all if indeed the OP didn't order Sunday Ticket, it was erroneously put on his bill.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Spicoli said:


> eastsidebuzz said:
> 
> 
> > *Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket.*
> ...


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Not sure if the OP had NFL ST that they ordered in years past and possibly last year was auto renewal? Its not very clear in the post. They did state it wasn't order last year, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he never ordered it. I know one thing, if it happened to me last year, I'd be checking my bill every month. So as others have stated, I have to blame the OP for not catching it.

On another post, you can cancel NFL ST all the way up to the first Sunday of the season. So you can cancel after making payments, but it has to be prior to the NFL ST season starting. If you made 2 payments prior to canceling, they issue you a credit for them.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

Believe me... I am all about personal resposibility. WAY too often people try to blame someone else for their problem. But assuming the OP really didn't order NST then D* should have worked with the OP a little more to fix the problem. In this situation there are many dropped balls, pun intended.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Spicoli said:
> 
> 
> > P.S. spicoli...hand me a slice of pizza please...
> ...


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

If something can cost less because is requires auto-renewal with manual opt-out, then I want that. Folks who don't like that can do without the service, as far as I'm concerned, before I should have to do without the advantage that the auto-renewal offers me. Their preferences shouldn't trump mine, and if my preferences are in line with the service provides than two-against-one wins, eh?


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Spicoli said:


> Believe me... I am all about personal resposibility. WAY too often people try to blame someone else for their problem. But assuming the OP really didn't order NST then D* should have worked with the OP a little more to fix the problem. In this situation there are many dropped balls, pun intended.


They probably should have offered the OP some type of credit. At least the $120 discount that many of us received after calling in about price.

The problem is that if someone starting watching the season and their team is miserable, they might decide they want to cancel. If word gets out that they allowed one person to cancel, then anyone that is fed up with their team would expect the same.

Probably the only way to prevent any future payments is to cancel service. Provided they have no commitment remaining. I don't believe they will bill the OP for anything that hasn't already come due. When my father-in-law passed away, we canceled his service and they waived the remainder of his NHL CI payments.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Spicoli said:


> No Shoes, No Shirt, No Dice! :lol:


Awesome...dude.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Awesome...dude.


All right Hamilton!


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

bonscott87 said:


> So you don't check your DirecTV bill...I take it then you don't check your monthly credit card and bank statements either and just happily pay them?
> 
> Sorry, but in today's world (or even the world of 20 yrs ago) you need to check your statements every month from every company you do business with. I just don't get why people are lazy about this. Billing errors or even identity theft occur all the time. But you'll never know if you never check your statements.
> 
> Oh well...


My monthly house payment bill, phone bill, internet service are fixed amounts and I usually do no open if I even get a paper bill. I do look at my credit cards online every two weeks when I pay them off. If a mistake is made I would probably catch it on my credit card.

If this were me and I caught the error within a billing cycle and DirecTV can not prodcue evidence that the service was actually ordered I would dispute the charge on my credit card.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

RACJ2 said:


> They probably should have offered the OP some type of credit. At least the $120 discount that many of us received after calling in about price.
> *
> The problem is that if someone starting watching the season and their team is miserable, they might decide they want to cancel. If word gets out that they allowed one person to cancel, then anyone that is fed up with their team would expect the same.*
> Probably the only way to prevent any future payments is to cancel service. Provided they have no commitment remaining. I don't believe they will bill the OP for anything that hasn't already come due. When my father-in-law passed away, we canceled his service and they waived the remainder of his NHL CI payments.


The only thing that I have a problem with D* over is if the customer never even ordered NST. Otherwise if it was ordered then it's the customers responsibility to make sure that it is indeed cancelled.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

gitarzan said:


> My monthly house payment bill, phone bill, internet service are fixed amounts and I usually do no open if I even get a paper bill. I do look at my credit cards online every two weeks when I pay them off. If a mistake is made I would probably catch it on my credit card.
> 
> *If this were me and I caught the error within a billing cycle and DirecTV can not prodcue evidence that the service was actually ordered I would dispute the charge on my credit card.*


That's a good idea and worth a try. Then DIRECTV and the credit card company can battle it out. The only problem he might have is if the OP ever ordered it and there is an auto-renewal policy in the agreement, they might lose the battle.

I check all my bills every month and my credit cards on line, multiple times during the month. You just never know when fraud or mistakes are going to happen.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

gitarzan said:


> If this were me and I caught the error within a billing cycle and DirecTV can not prodcue evidence that the service was actually ordered I would dispute the charge on my credit card.


But it would have been on your bill as a warning that it's coming up for at least 3 months.

Check your bills people...check your bills.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Spicoli said:


> Believe me... I am all about personal resposibility. WAY too often people try to blame someone else for their problem. But assuming the OP really didn't order NST then D* should have worked with the OP a little more to fix the problem. In this situation there are many dropped balls, pun intended.


So let's get in the CSR's shoes. You get this call 7 weeks into the season that "I didn't order this, I want a refund". So you look at the caller history and see...hmmmm...he did this same thing last year. Interesting. So thus a pattern emerges and I know what my first thought is...I don't care how much this guy cries about it, he's trying to pull a fast one...again.

And once again, 7 weeks into the season he would have had 2-3 months notice before the billing starts and at this point at least 2 bills where he would have paid for it. He's just NOW noticing this? Please...


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

bonscott87 said:


> So let's get in the CSR's shoes. You get this call 7 weeks into the season that "I didn't order this, I want a refund". So you look at the caller history and see...hmmmm...he did this same thing last year. Interesting. So thus a pattern emerges and I know what my first thought is...I don't care how much this guy cries about it, he's trying to pull a fast one...again.
> 
> And once again, 7 weeks into the season he would have had 2-3 months notice before the billing starts and at this point at least 2 bills where he would have paid for it. He's just NOW noticing this? Please...


Goes to show there are indeed 2 sides to every story.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Not too mention I ordered a few more receivers a few months ago......................................................
> So I guess it is farewell DTV.


I sense another rant post when he goes to cancel and finds out about his termination fee.


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## lotboy16 (Apr 26, 2009)

I find it curious that the OP has not posted again since his first post on this thread. He must know he is in the wrong.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

lotboy16 said:


> I find it curious that the OP has not posted again since his first post on this thread. He must know he is in the wrong.


No way to know that....

But a 15 year customer making that post - his first post ever here - could be interpreted by some as a potential "hit and run" statement....

In any case... it would seem he got plenty of "advice" on how to handle things in the future.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

lotboy16 said:


> I find it curious that the OP has not posted again since his first post on this thread. He must know he is in the wrong.


It was a drive by posting.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> So let's get in the CSR's shoes. You get this call 7 weeks into the season that "I didn't order this, I want a refund". So you look at the caller history and see...hmmmm...he did this same thing last year. Interesting. So thus a pattern emerges and I know what my first thought is...I don't care how much this guy cries about it, he's trying to pull a fast one...again.
> 
> And once again, 7 weeks into the season he would have had 2-3 months notice before the billing starts and at this point at least 2 bills where he would have paid for it. He's just NOW noticing this? Please...


My point is, it should have been handled last year. D* must have some kind of authorization on file if he did order it. And if he didn't, it should have been resolved. The OP has obsolutely no excuse for what happened this year.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Spicoli said:


> My point is, it should have been handled last year. D* must have some kind of authorization on file if he did order it. And if he didn't, it should have been resolved. The OP has obsolutely no excuse for what happened this year.


I'm still waiting for that pizza... :lol:


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'm still waiting for that pizza... :lol:


O.K. But it will cost you "Uno nicklette". :lol:


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


Ok lets break this down again. Last year he has a "heated" conversation with DirecTV over his claim that he did not order Sunday Ticket. Then he states he payed for it anyway even though he claims he niether ordered or wanted it. Does that sound intelligent to you? We then fast forward a year later and the OP states Sunday Ticket is still on his account and through his own admission he waited too long to cancel it. He then states he already payed $150.00 for Sunday Ticket. People that's half the total price for Sunday Ticket when you use the payment plan. He waited that long before taking action? Does this guy ever look at a bill statement? Oh and once again another "heated" conversation with a csr that he admits to initiating! Hands the OP a crying towel. Enough said!


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> Well, that's the decision they have made as a business and it isn't likely to change. I see no reason for it to either. They make every attempt to make the customer aware of it well before each renewal.


tipical answer from a fanboy
in your opinion directv is never wrong right?:nono2::nono:


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

domingos35 said:


> tipical answer from a fanboy
> in your opinion directv is never wrong right?:nono2::nono:


Do you actually have anything to say about the topic? You usually do not, so my guess is no.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

domingos35 said:


> tipical answer from a fanboy


LOL, Hoosier205 is one of the last people around here that I'd call a fanboy.


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## lotboy16 (Apr 26, 2009)

So pretty much the OP was like a person throwing a piece of raw meat to a bunch of sharks and we ate it up like crazy lol


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

richierich said:


> Why would it take you 6 weeks to notice that you had Sunday Ticket?
> 
> Knowing what happened to you last year why didn't you cancel it immediately?
> Were you trying to get something for Free?
> Don't be Late on your Mortgage Payment or you will be Screwed and they won't play any prettier than Directv.


So maybe I did not explain it correctly. I did not order it. I am not trying to get something for free. Ok with paying the first 150 for not canceling it. But, being locked into it for the rest of the season when I clearly did not order it that is what I have a problem with. I am trying to stop the bleeding.

As for comments about why did you not notice it. I am not home on Sundays I am at the game schleping beer to help pay for my daughters cheer. Also our guide is set for the channels we watch. I can say we look at a dozen channels and that is it. So did not notice it was even working. Actually don't even know what channels it is on.

My direct TV is paid through my phone bill they have some deal with quest. School started, work and volunteering have been taking all my time. Did not go through the phone bill lately. but, did expenses the other day and saw the NFLST. It is only 50 bucks so I did not notice it. MY bad entirely. Not trying to get it for free just trying to get it stopped. But, to be swore at by a CSR that is huge.

Yes I know these forums are tough. Been here before but, could not remember the login so started over. Nice to see that I get 61 posts in one night with all sorts of opinions. came here to see what people think of Dish since that is my only other choice.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

eastsidebuzz said:


> So maybe I did not explain it correctly. I did not order it. I am not trying to get something for free. Ok with paying the first 150 for not canceling it. But, being locked into it for the rest of the season when I clearly did not order it that is what I have a problem with. I am trying to stop the bleeding.
> 
> As for comments about why did you not notice it. I am not home on Sundays I am at the game schleping beer to help pay for my daughters cheer. Also our guide is set for the channels we watch. I can say we look at a dozen channels and that is it. So did not notice it was even working. Actually don't even know what channels it is on.
> 
> ...


Think's DISH is having the time of their lives playing "The Last Tango In Paris" with FOX!


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

lotboy16 said:


> So pretty much the OP was like a person throwing a piece of raw meat to a bunch of sharks and we ate it up like crazy lol


Is this not why poeple post in these forums. It is like talk radio people getting blasted by the host. One caller blasting the last. I can take it. I made a mistake and did not notice the 50 bucks on my phone bill. Did not look at it closely. But in the notes it said that had an issue last year and did not want it last year and they did not remove the auto renew. Ok could have gone too the website and looked but, it is one of those it just works kind of things. As for the email reminders spam filter must have picked them up becasue I never got one saying that I had NFST coming. So I can take my lumps but, I think a 15 year customer should get some slack when you look at the years prior. Did not say I wanted it for free just wanted to get out of paying for the rest of the season since I did not order it.

And canceling my service which I did, they have been pretty sucky in their CS for awhile.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Is this not why poeple post in these forums. It is like talk radio people getting blasted by the host. One caller blasting the last. I can take it. I made a mistake and did not notice the 50 bucks on my phone bill. Did not look at it closely.


...and some of us commended you for taking a level-headed approach and also admitting your error. Hopefully you never again have that kind of experience.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Is this not why poeple post in these forums. It is like talk radio people getting blasted by the host. One caller blasting the last. I can take it. I made a mistake and did not notice the 50 bucks on my phone bill. Did not look at it closely. But in the notes it said that had an issue last year and did not want it last year and they did not remove the auto renew. Ok could have gone too the website and looked but, it is one of those it just works kind of things. As for the email reminders spam filter must have picked them up becasue I never got one saying that I had NFST coming. So I can take my lumps but, I think a 15 year customer should get some slack when you look at the years prior. Did not say I wanted it for free just wanted to get out of paying for the rest of the season since I did not order it.
> 
> And canceling my service which I did, they have been pretty sucky in their CS for awhile.


Like you I too am a 15 year customer of DirecTV. But unlike you I check my billing statements frequently. I had two billing errors with DirecTV this year. One in August and one this month. Both were resolved immediately after viewing my billing statements. Where ever you venture next "read" everything before you sign or agree with or the Chinese proverb "A fool and his money are soon parted" will haunt you!


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

bonscott87 said:


> Because the autorenew notice is on your bill starting *at least* in June if not May. There is *NO EXCUSE* to not know that you will be charged for Sunday Ticket starting in August or September and you have until the first game of the season to cancel. It's been that way for 15 yrs.


This is very true .. it's a $0.00 charge (with explanation) for at least 2 months, perhaps 3 before the charges start accruing.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

eastsidebuzz said:


> I think a 15 year customer should get some slack when you look at the years prior. Did not say I wanted it for free just wanted to get out of paying for the rest of the season since I did not order it.
> 
> And canceling my service which I did, they have been pretty sucky in their CS for awhile.


You should have called and asked for some other type of credit (not Sunday Ticket) .. If you haven't gotten one in a while, you almost certainly would have been able to get something $20/month for 6 months to a year perhaps .. Free HD with autopay (which you do) .. Maybe a free DVR. There are plenty of options and if you haven't taken any of them, then you would have had a good shot at something .. but stuck with Sunday Ticket.

Good luck in your adventures with DISH (assuming that's where you went). I know many people are happy with their service, but they have had many more service disrupting disputes with service providers over the years than DIRECTV has had.


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## Darcaine (Aug 31, 2009)

Dish scares me. From their crappy hardware, to their constant pissing contests with content providers, I don't think I would ever sign back up with them, even if they were the only option in town. I'd switch to OTA and IPTV full time if that were the case.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Jeremy W said:


> In this case, there was no overcharging, and DirecTV "took" his money because he signed up for and never cancelled a programming package. They "take" my money in the same fashion every single month. I can't call them up and say "Oh darn, I actually meant to cancel my service back in August. I'm going to need a refund of everything I've paid since then."


Nothing should be auto-renewed excpet the subscription for your programming package and that is month to month.

That auto-renewal is one reason I dropped Norton Anti-virus for several years. I still won't renew online. I just buy a new package and renew that way.

My life is too busy to have time to monitor everything on a monthly basis from worrying about something renewing itself unbeknownst to me.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Darcaine said:


> Dish scares me. From their crappy hardware, to their constant pissing contests with content providers, I don't think I would ever sign back up with them, even if they were the only option in town. I'd switch to OTA and IPTV full time if that were the case.


Crappy hardware? :nono2: Have you ever used it? I've never seen anyone posting about how slow their VIP series DVRs are. Or How they don't always take all the numbers when you try and change the channel like the complaints about the HRxx series DVRs.

Not mention their firsts. First integrated DVR and Satellite receiver. First HD DVR with sling, the Only HD DVRs that can record two satellite channels and one or two OTA channels at the same time. Not mention they use only DBS satellites for less rain fade. Can't get the Western Arc, maybe you can get the Eastern Arc. You might lose locals but you'll get everything else off of both Arcs.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> This is very true .. it's a $0.00 charge (with explanation) for at least 2 months, perhaps 3 before the charges start accruing.


I don't monitor my bills unless I see an amount that is too high. With more and more people going paperless for all their bills I see a problem on the horizon.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

MysteryMan said:


> Like you I too am a 15 year customer of DirecTV. But unlike you I check my billing statements frequently. I had two billing errors with DirecTV this year. One in August and one this month. Both were resolved immediately after viewing my billing statements. Where ever you venture next "read" everything before you sign or agree with or the Chinese proverb "A fool and his money are soon parted" will haunt you!


While visiting my folks last summer (2009), We got talking about their DirecTV bill and I happened to notice they were being charged for DVR Service even though they purchased lifetime DVR Service back in 2002/2003 time frame. Anyway, I phoned DirecTV for them and the matter was sent up to Case Management who called back a few days later and told us that something happened around late 2004 where they started to get charged for DVR Service by mistake and were entitled to almost 5 years worth of back credit. 
Here is someone who just assumed the bill had to be correct and never bothered to look at their bill. Had I not been there, they would still be paying for DVR Service today..


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

The real problem is that there are too many billing mistakes and services added that you did not subscribe to. I've seen it personally with myself and others. The hard ones to understand are the $10 mistakes that get buried in the bill especially when your bill is combined with phone and internet. 

Seriously, why do hd for life subscribers get charged $10 twice on their first bill for hd access and then only one $10 hd for life credit? Then why does it take a call to direcTV to get the $10 credited back to the account. Then why is it still happening to other new customers five weeks later? I've seen that happen as well. The mistakes i've seen have always been in favor of DirecTV. Funny how that works.

DirecTV has never offered me any concesions for their screw ups and I don't beg for them.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> I don't monitor my bills unless I see an amount that is too high.


Man, I wish I was that rich...


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## Newshawk (Sep 3, 2004)

fluffybear said:


> ...and the matter was sent up to Case Management who called back a few days later...


I think you mean Account Management. Case Management is for technical issues, Account Management is for billing issues.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

TBoneit said:


> I don't monitor my bills unless I see an amount that is too high. With more and more people going paperless for all their bills I see a problem on the horizon.


I've been paperless (and auto-billed) for years. I still check my statement online every month. Why wouldn't you?

If there's a problem on the horizon, it's with people/customers, not D*'s billing.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> I don't monitor my bills unless I see an amount that is too high. With more and more people going paperless for all their bills I see a problem on the horizon.


And this could end up being a mistake on your part. DIRECTV does do auto renew on most all sports packages. Many people actually like this. If you don't order sports packages, then you may not ever see the problem. The solution is to opt-out when the notification shows up on your bill. If you look back in the history of DBSTalk you'll find this same topic comes up just before NFL season every year. Those that no longer want the package are often annoyed that ST auto-renews, but I'm sure there are countless others (who don't post) that are quite happy that it does auto-renew.

I'd advise anyone that has DIRECTV to check your bill each month to make sure you are being charged for the correct services.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> I'd advise anyone that has DIRECTV to check your bill each month to make sure you are being charged for the correct services.


I wish they would post the bill online, email, whatever, BEFORE they take it out of your account. I get an email every month, saying Total Due: $0, because they take the money out the second the bill posts. Most other businesses send your online bill a couple weeks prior to actually debiting it.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Nick said:


> Today, loyalty is little more than an illusion -- and if it does exist at all, it is at best a one-way street. I've been shopping at the same grocery for over 8 years now and not so much as a pound of bacon or a free pack of M&Ms.
> 
> You've paid for service and I assume you've gotten what you've paid for. Don't expect anything more. Can you imagine 10 million customers asking for special consideration. Do the math.


Logic, common sense, and reason. A cogent argument and you are absolutely correct. Loyalty has absolutely nothing to do with either side of this argument.

Aside from the loyalty argument, IMHO, if the OP wants to cancel he should be allowed to and I think it's wrong of DirecTV to say no and forcing the rest of the payments on him. It seems to be an unreasonable policy to say someone can't cancel and must watch the rest of the season.

What if someone's family suddenly comes upon financial difficulties and they need to cut out down their DirecTV to the minimum and ride out the commitment to avoid the ETF? Should DirecTV be allowed to say no, you'll keep paying your current bill as is with no changes? While this scenario may not apply here how is DirecTV to know that and is it any of their business?

One could argue that since DirecTV terms and conditions say that a la carte sports packages will automatically renew unless canceled by the subscriber prior to the season in effect means that once it starts you have to pay for the whole season.

Conversely, one could argue that since it was canceled last year means it's canceled from then on. Not that is canceled for only this year but you need to call back and cancel each year thereafter.

One other thing that can be argued; how you approach things has as much to do with the outcome as does who's right and who's wrong.

Mike


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

TBoneit said:


> I don't monitor my bills unless I see an amount that is too high. With more and more people going paperless for all their bills I see a problem on the horizon.


It is bill on my Qwest phone bill and I did not notice the $50. I agree my bad on not noticing it. But, I should be able to stop it. That is the point. If I had asked for it then I am stuck for the season. I just realized it and should be able to stop it.

OK Just looked at the bill and there is season ticket 0$. So you are correct they did warn me but, probably would not have known what it meant. Would have had to call them to find out. But, still don't care I just want to stop it not refund the money I spent on something I never used nor know what channel it is on. Should be able to cancel it based on certain circumstances.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Davenlr said:


> I wish they would post the bill online, email, whatever, BEFORE they take it out of your account. I get an email every month, saying Total Due: $0, because they take the money out the second the bill posts. Most other businesses send your online bill a couple weeks prior to actually debiting it.


 Interesting ... I'm no longer on autobill (I am only on paperless) but when I was on autobill my card wasn't charged for around 2 weeks AFTER I got the notice. If one uses a debit card it's possible they authorized the payment on the billing date which puts a hold on the funds in the account right away.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

TBlazer07 said:


> Interesting ... I'm no longer on autobill (I am only on paperless) but when I was on autobill my card wasn't charged for around 2 weeks AFTER I got the notice. If one uses a debit card it's possible they authorized the payment on the billing date which puts a hold on the funds in the account right away.


The top of the first page of a bill shows due date and amount due with 'no payment due'.

There is zero chance to correct a mistake before you get charged for lets say a receiver that they charge you for that you returned or hd access that they charged you twice for. They keep your money for a month (or much longer) this way.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

gitarzan said:


> The top of the first page of a bill shows due date and amount due with 'no payment due'.
> 
> There is zero chance to correct a mistake before you get charged for lets say a receiver that they charge you for that you returned or hd access that they charged you twice for. They keep your money for a month (or much longer) this way.


Maybe I stated it wrong. My "auto-bill email" was received 2 weeks before the PAYMENT DUE date. My bill closed on the 25th, I got the notification of a bill due on the 26th and the payment would be taken on the 7th (or whatever) of the next month. I had two weeks to check it out before my Amex was auto-debited. Just like any other bill I receive whether it be from Amex or ATT by mail or email I got the bill 2 weeks BEFORE the payment was taken or due.

Now if you are talking about something like a charge for not returning a receiver that's another story. Never had that problem but my monthly billing debit was always 2 weeks AFTER email notification that the bill was posted.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

TBlazer07 said:


> Maybe I stated it wrong. My "auto-bill email" was received 2 weeks before the PAYMENT DUE date. .


My DirecTV auto bill pay is unlike any other bill I get. There is no advance notice of due date.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

Let me pose this question to those that don't look at their bills for whatever reason.

Do you check your paycheck when you get it to make sure there are no errors or just cash whats given or check your direct deposit amount?


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## fairsailing (Nov 12, 2009)

It was a full moon last night.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

gitarzan said:


> My DirecTV auto bill pay is unlike any other bill I get. There is no advance notice of due date.


Gitarzan is correct. The way they do autobillpay now, gives you absolutely ZERO time to correct an error before the payment is taken out of your account. This is why, with DirecTv, and ONLY with Directv, do I have them charge my credit card, rather than directly taking the funds out of my checking account.

In case of incorrect billing, this provides me with the options of: Getting DirecTv to credit the mistake back, or disputing the charge with the credit card company prior to making a payment.

I only do this, because its the only way to get the Free HD for two years. All my other accounts, are paid via electronic or paper transfers directly from my online banking account. Those that are the same every month, get paid automatically, those with varying balances get paid when I get the email with the amount due.

I fail to see why DirecTv cannot send the email a week or two in advance, showing your detailed billing, with a note that the payment will be drafted on your due date.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Davenlr said:


> I wish they would post the bill online, email, whatever, BEFORE they take it out of your account. I get an email every month, saying Total Due: $0, because they take the money out the second the bill posts. Most other businesses send your online bill a couple weeks prior to actually debiting it.


It only gets taken out the same day if you have it set up for payment by credit card. So if anyone wants it to come out on the due date, set it up to pay from your checking account. That will give you time to check your bill. For me, I use a credit card which gives me the option to dispute the charge. Haven't had to do that yet.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

RobertE said:


> Let me pose this question to those that don't look at their bills for whatever reason.
> 
> Do you check your paycheck when you get it to make sure there are no errors or just cash whats given or check your direct deposit amount?


Actually Nope. Auto deposit each month typically the same. Except my commission check. I realize when that is small and I make my sales guy get out there and sell more. Don't notice 50 up or down. Do notice 1k up or down. So did not notice this 50 dollars high.

But, when I notice my sprint bill being wrong they are nice polite and happy to keep my business. As a matter of fact as soon as I got done getting called a Trucken idiot by the CSR from DTV I called sprint and they refunded the month of service that was on one of my phones. They looked back at the records and saw I did cancel that phone the month before and was happy to help. They looked at the whole picture and fixed it. So kudos to Sprint for knowing how to keep a customer.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

RACJ2 said:


> The problem is that if someone starting watching the season and their team is miserable, they might decide they want to cancel.


My team is always Miserable. So that is not the reason.


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Did not care that I have spent between 150-200 a month for 15 years.


Why would they? You ALREADY paid it... welcome to corporate America.



eastsidebuzz said:


> So I figure 27k I have paid in services but, could not help me out so I don't have to keep paying 50 bucks a month for something I did not order. Well we ended up scheduling a shut off date for 11/15. He told me I could write a letter if I did not like his solution. Wife does not want to loose TV while we get Dish Networks installed. I did not want to change but, they have gotten to big for their britches screwing a 15 year customer.


First off, it sounds like you were too lazy/retarded/whatever to cancel it last year.

Second off, how does a package "accidently" get on your account? Sounds made up. I've been with DTV since 2002 and I've never had packages mysteriously appear on my account.



eastsidebuzz said:


> So I guess I will try the other guys now.


Honestly, DTV have been jerks to me in the past too, but what would they care if 1 person leaves? They have what, 17 MILLION? They wouldn't care if 10 people left... or 100... or even a 1,000. Hell, I don't think they would care about 10,000. They might start to get out of the easy chair at 100,000. They'd start to care at 1,000,000.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Newshawk said:


> I think you mean Account Management. Case Management is for technical issues, Account Management is for billing issues.


Did not realize there were different groups. Thank You for the correction!


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## bjlc (Aug 20, 2004)

this guy is a multi year member with D* and now has a problem and then suddenly appears hear.. uh... I don't think so..

I think that this guy is pulling your chains and corks with the music of Mozart in the background.. 

this is a troll , first , second, and third..


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## cariera (Oct 27, 2006)

Sorry to hear about your plight, Eastsidebuzz, I have been extremely happy with Directv's offerings for the last 8 years.

I think there is plenty of blame to go around - After your conversation/dispute with them last year about the NFLST, any good CSR should have offered to remove the autorenew of the NFLST for this year - obviously didn't happen.

After the fiasco last year, you should have been extra diligent to make sure the episode did not repeat itself this year - obviously didn't happen.

As many have noted, you need to check your statements. That darn NFLST charge starts showing up in July for heaven's sake. It's now October.

Directv is going to make billing errors. Well meaning CSRs, computer systems and their own procedures will not eliminate that fact. That's why checking your bill in a *timely* manner and pointing out errors is crucial. I have no doubt that if this was pointed out to them before the NFL season started, they would have removed and credited any NFLST charges.

So now we are at a decision point for you - Do you change services because you feel wronged? The grass may not always be greener, but it is your wallet and your vote that counts.

Do you keep Directv and bite the bullet?

Or maybe do you try to work with them. I would suggest talking to one of the retention CSRs and having a mild mannered, considerate and polite conversation with them. Explain the situation, how you feel about it and see if there is something that they can do to *retain* you. After all that is their job.

Not that my experience is any indication of what you might receive, but in 3 phone calls with them since July. I have been offered and accepted a $20 discount for 1 year, $10 off the sports pack for 6 months, $100 off the NFLST, free NFLST to go, and credit for 2 payments of NHLCI. I also have free HD for 24 months and have taken advantage of 2 of their website offers-$10 off Showtime/Starz for and free HD extra for 3 months (have done it twice). Now you might get different results, but my approach was to explain what I needed/wanted in a calm manner, never threatening to disconnect and see what they could do for me.

Kind of like on Pawnstars, when they ask the customer what they think the item is worth before making an offer. Let Directv tell you what they think you're worth.


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## cariera (Oct 27, 2006)

RACJ2 said:


> For me, I use a credit card which gives me the option to dispute the charge. Haven't had to do that yet.


This is a great point. Use a friggin' credit card for autopay - It's convenient, you get points or miles or $ back and if there is a problem the credit card company can deal with it.

It always frustrates me to hear of someone using a checking account or a debit card (which is not a credit card, no matter how shiny that Visa logo is) because if a mistake happens your money is already gone and you're trying get it back.


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## cwpomeroy (Aug 8, 2007)

You don't think the fact that you can order these services online. Have no option to order a single season vs a supposedly consumer friendly auto renewal. And cannot be unsubscribed online forcing you to dial in and navigate the menu tree to speak with someone who will undoubtedly try their hardest to talk you out of unsubscribing isn't all setup to separate you from your money? I only wish the cable and sat companies had more competition. This is what happens with near monopolies......


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## prospect60 (Aug 26, 2006)

eastsidebuzz

Right wrong or somewhere in between, please contact Ellen Filipak at [email protected] and if anyone can help/correct/explain/soothe she seems to be in the best position and has the best track record to help.

Explain the details calmly, include whatever extenuating circumstances you feel are needed, and usually things can be worked out. I guess with it included in Qwest bill there's still something that can be done.

If you stay with D*, make sure the auto renewal is removed immediately.


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## HDTVsportsfan (Nov 29, 2005)

bjlc said:


> this guy is a multi year member with D* and now has a problem and then suddenly appears hear.. uh... I don't think so..
> 
> I think that this guy is pulling your chains and corks with the music of Mozart in the background..
> 
> this is a troll , first , second, and third..


Calling someone a troll without knowing for sure is rude and stupid. Just because he has been a DirectTV customer for 15 years and doesn't know about an internet forum doesn't mean anything.

I only found out about AVSforums, TIVO community, and DBStalk a few years back becasue I was researching HDTV's and seeing what DirecTV had to offer. Outside of that I may have never had a reason to come here.

Maybe he's a troll....maybe he isn't....so since we really will never know lets leave the name calling out of it please. :nono:


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

HDTVsportsfan said:


> Calling someone a troll without knowing for sure is rude and stupid. Just because he has been a DirectTV customer for 15 years and doesn't know about an internet forum doesn't mean anything.
> 
> I only found out about AVSforums, TIVO community, and DBStalk a few years back becasue I was researching HDTV's and seeing what DirecTV had to offer. Outside of that I may have never had a reason to come here.
> 
> Maybe he's a troll....maybe he isn't....so since we really will never know lets leave the name calling out of it please. :nono:


Agree...its not about a person...its about a situation and how it was or wasn't handled. Let's keep it that way please.


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## bobcamp1 (Nov 8, 2007)

Autopay + paperless statements + unable to check bills monthly = disaster waiting to happen.

The bill said "Sunday Ticket -- $0". Does that mean he's subscribed or not? It could mean, "We offer it but you're not subscribed, so we're not charging you." Or maybe it's a loyalty reward? It's confusing the way D* does it. Why not just use plain English? "Note: Starting in September, we will start charging you for NFLST."

Also, he only missed one statement. It happens. People actually work for a living. And are not always home to check every single bill every month the moment it comes in. And NFL Sunday Ticket isn't cheap, so if you miss one statement the cost spikes quickly (bad pun).
Or maybe he suddenly got injured or sick, and was unable to look at the bills for a month. And his spouse doesn't know e-mail password or doesn't think to check because she is also busy and distracted.

Personally, I don't like autopay or paperless billing. E-mails get lost, spam blocked, or accidentally deleted. Paper copies are easier to hang on to, and anyone living at home can receive them. 

If you do autopay, use a credit card. Use one with a virtual account number, which allows you to set the maximum amount per month D* can charge you. Then if D* pulls a fast one, the charge for that month will bounce, you will be notified by the CC bank, and you keep your money while you fix the bill.

I think the OP's compromise was reasonable. CS swearing at him is totally unacceptable.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

HDTVsportsfan said:


> Calling someone a troll without knowing for sure is rude and stupid. Just because he has been a DirectTV customer for 15 years and doesn't know about an internet forum doesn't mean anything.
> 
> I only found out about AVSforums, TIVO community, and DBStalk a few years back becasue I was researching HDTV's and seeing what DirecTV had to offer. Outside of that I may have never had a reason to come here.
> 
> Maybe he's a troll....maybe he isn't....so since we really will never know lets leave the name calling out of it please. :nono:


Troll. That is so much nicer than the DirectTV CSR called me.  Been a member of AVSForum for 15 years, Tivo Community for 12 but, the last few years I have had non tivo's so I have not hacked these and the tivo forum was not as important.

People come to these forums becasue they have an issue or want some advice. Don't know why some people stay for 20k posts. But, I will stick around awhile until I get my problems solved or info I am looking for.

Not a Troll as far as I can see.
_
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[2] In addition to the offending poster, the noun troll can also refer to the provocative message itself, as in "that was an excellent troll you posted". While the term troll and its associated action trolling are primarily associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels highly subjective, with trolling being used to describe intentionally provocative actions outside of an online context. For example, recent media accounts have used the term troll to describe "a person who defaces internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."[3][4]_


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Davenlr said:


> This is why, with DirecTv, and ONLY with Directv, do I have them charge my credit card, rather than directly taking the funds out of my checking account.


Why? Don't you have a credit card with perks? I pay zero bills directly from my accounts, because I'd rather do it with my CC and get points or miles or cash back. Paying directly out of my account gets me nothing - plus when charging it to a credit card, I'm not actually paying it for another 30 days.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

No points or miles (never fly anyway). I chose to use a CC issued by the bank down the street (local) with 12% fixed APR over the nationwide banks with the higher interest rates. I thought about using Discover and getting the cash back, but I charge so little, it wouldnt really be worth it.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Dang, you should look into it. So far this year alone, I've received $1200 cash back a couple of plane tickets, and a bunch of various other points. I never even look at interest rates as I haven't carried a CC balance in over 20 years.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

spartanstew said:


> Dang, you should look into it. So far this year alone, I've received $1200 cash back a couple of plane tickets, and a bunch of various other points. I never even look at interest rates as I haven't carried a CC balance in over 20 years.


I pipe mine to my qwest bill. Saves me 10 bucks then that goes onto my costco Amex and that gets me 3% cash back. Unfortunately this snafu with the NFLST has cost me 300 so all savings and rebates out the window. Always pipe your bills into rewards cards and get something back. :grin: Just pay better attention then this person did.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Been a member of AVSForum for 15 years


Not possible.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

Hoosier205 said:


> Not possible.


I beg to differ it is possible. They have been around as long as Direct TV. _
Copyright ©1995 - 2010 AVS Forum.com, Inc_
_Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd TiVoForum._

But, I just went and checked and I joined AVS in 2001 so guess not 15 so I stand corrected. And also I was wrong about tivo forum that was 2003. But, it is possible my math was just wrong. Thought I had joined before I moved to this house but, according to my login's I guess I didn't.

So are you a longer standing member then I am at those forums?


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## sgd1201 (Oct 15, 2010)

domingos35 said:


> time to move on
> 
> SCREW directv


Domingos, the fact is both providers are very similar. Funny you read my recent experience with Dish treating me poorly as a 10 year loyal customer and all you could say was that I must not be telling the whole story..... Yet here you say Screw Directv???? Do you work for Dishnetwork or are you just a one sided idiot?


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Agree...its not about a person...its about a situation and how it was or wasn't handled. Let's keep it that way please.


To be fair, while I agree that this isn't about the person, it is not just about a specific situation, either. Much of what is going on in this situation is societal.

From the one side, our society has decided, very clearly, that trading off service quality for a lower price for consumers and higher profit for investors is not only a valid, but preferred approach. Examples of this are plentiful, going far beyond just the subscription television market: Travel and hospitality, books, groceries and household supplies, even education and health care. I cannot think of a single sector of the consumer economy where consumers don't reward the company that charges less, even while providing less.

From the other side, our society is rife with entitlement mentality as the standard _modus operandi _of the consumer. We rarely read the terms and conditions for the products and services that we buy, and when we do, or when they're brought to our attention, we discount them figuring "they'll have to do things differently for me". We seek for every exploitation and abuse that benefits us and we figure we can get away with, and then act with outrage when we're thwarted or caught. And we often consider our patronage as a blessing we bestow on product and service providers, without any care or concern about whether serving us actually makes them any profit. I am reminded of this aspect most acutely in recalling how incensed 2G cellular phone customers were when their service providers started charging them more than 3G customers were charged, even though, at the higher price, they still were not providing the same level of profit as 3G customers.

So, no, this isn't just about this situation. While it isn't about the person, for sure, it isn't just about this situation either.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

bicker1 said:


> To be fair, while I agree that this isn't about the person, it is not just about a specific situation, either. Much of what is going on in this situation is societal.


Not really.

It's about a business practice/policy, and how its executed. Nothing more.

Societal? That's waaaay overthinking it.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> I beg to differ it is possible. They have been around as long as Direct TV. _
> Copyright ©1995 - 2010 AVS Forum.com, Inc_
> _Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd TiVoForum._
> 
> ...


That forum itself was launched in 1999. Just pointing that out. How long you have been a member at any forum matters little, if at all. Not sure why you even mentioned it in the first place.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

eastsidebuzz said:


> I beg to differ it is possible. They have been around as long as Direct TV. _
> Copyright ©1995 - 2010 AVS Forum.com, Inc_
> _Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd TiVoForum._
> 
> ...


"and the beat goes on"......Doesn't check his DirecTV bill, doesn't check his Sunday Ticket status, doesn't check his AVS status......"and the beat goes on"!


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

eastsidebuzz said:


> I pipe mine to my qwest bill. Saves me 10 bucks then that goes onto my costco Amex and that gets me 3% cash back. Unfortunately this snafu with the NFLST has cost me 300 so all savings and rebates out the window. Always pipe your bills into rewards cards and get something back. :grin: Just pay better attention then this person did.


Its good to hear that you do use a credit card to earn cash back. Although, unless Quest has a special deal with the Costo Amex card in your area, you are only earning 1%. I have that card and you only earn 3% on gas and restaurants, 2% on travel and 1% on anything else. Since you don't check your DIRECTV bill, you might not be checking your credit card bill close enough.


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## cwpomeroy (Aug 8, 2007)

"bicker1" said:


> To be fair, while I agree that this isn't about the person, it is not just about a specific situation, either. Much of what is going on in this situation is societal.
> 
> From the one side, our society has decided, very clearly, that trading off service quality for a lower price for consumers and higher profit for investors is not only a valid, but preferred approach. Examples of this are plentiful, going far beyond just the subscription television market: Travel and hospitality, books, groceries and household supplies, even education and health care. I cannot think of a single sector of the consumer economy where consumers don't reward the company that charges less, even while providing less.
> 
> ...


Dude, the terms and conditions that came with a nail I bought at home depot was 11 pages long.....

Just kidding. Kind of...


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

cwpomeroy said:


> Dude, the terms and conditions that came with a nail I bought at home depot was 11 pages long..... Just kidding. Kind of...


You absolutely have the right to use *THAT* as basis for your decision to not make the purchase - and no one can fault you for doing so. You're *correct* that often the terms and conditions are so long and detailed that it represents work to read and understand them, and so your choices are to either do that work, do without the purchase, or make the purchase anyway accepting the terms and conditions without reading and understanding them. In the latter case, if the terms and conditions run against you, you accept that as a cost of failing to protect yourself by reading and understanding the terms and conditions going into the purchase.

See the point? The fact that its hard work doesn't relieve you of the obligation (to yourself, in this case). It means that if you decide to ignore that obligation, you maturely accept the consequences of your decision, rather than trying to fault someone else.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> Man, I wish I was that rich...


Nothing to do with being rich, More like when the Cable bill comes in with basic cable plus Highspeed Internet + Boost (Up to 30Meg speed) which should be $75, as long as it is $75 I know i is OK.

Same with the phone bill if it should be $67, Note to self - get rid of DSL service, and it shows $67 when I go to pay it I can presume it is right.

Same with my Satellite TV bill.

When the amount is wrong I pull out the fine tooth comb. I get a Bank balance email 6 days a week so I can monitor that. None on Monday since it is for the previous days business and the bank is closed on Sunday.

I'm not careless with money, I just do not have loads of free time to scrutinize every bill.

Fortunately I've managed to pay down my bills. I have two credit cards left with enough in checking to more than pay them off. $8 or $ hundred total owed. Yes I could pay them off but I prefer to keep them in use with minimal balances to keep them happy.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 18, 2006)

TBoneit said:


> Fortunately I've managed to pay down my bills. I have two credit cards left with enough in checking to more than pay them off. $8 or $ hundred total owed. Yes I could pay them off but *I prefer to keep them in use with minimal balances to keep them happy*.


To keep _who_ happy?


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## SledDog (May 6, 2007)

Boston Fan said:


> To keep _who_ happy?


Credit card companies routinely cancel customer accounts that are inactive or have no balance. I've had that happen a few times over the last year. I only found out when the cards expired and I did not receive a new one.

To solve that, I use my credit card and gas card once a month to keep them active.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

SledDog said:


> Credit card companies routinely cancel customer accounts that are inactive or have no balance. I've had that happen a few times over the last year. I only found out when the cards expired and I did not receive a new one.
> 
> To solve that, I use my credit card and gas card once a month to keep them active.


It's not that they have no balance, but that there is no activity. I pay off my credit card every month in full and have had that card for 18 years now.

However, another card that I used sporadically and then stopped using was eventually closed by the credit card company for non-use.

- Merg


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Gotta watch out now too, lots of the "free" cards are charging a service charge if you dont use them for a year.


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## Boston Fan (Feb 18, 2006)

SledDog said:


> Credit card companies routinely cancel customer accounts that are inactive or have no balance. I've had that happen a few times over the last year. I only found out when the cards expired and I did not receive a new one.
> 
> *To solve that, I use my credit card and gas card once a month to keep them active.*


Exactly - you _use_ it. But there is no need to carry a balance and pay interest every month to "keep them happy".



The Merg said:


> It's not that they have no balance, but that there is no activity. I pay off my credit card every month in full and have had that card for 18 years now.


I do the very same thing.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

Use it to pay your bill and pay it off is the best way to do it. You get points, miles or percent back. When I book my air tickets I have to do it with my miles card. Costco is Costco card etc. Just figure out if it make sense for you.


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## Joe Diver (Oct 12, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> DirecTV shouldn't have to fix anything. The OP would have received notice about the auto-renew well in advance and they had ample time to take care of the issue prior to now. The OP is at fault here.


Exactly. I receive notice of renewal for NHL Center Ice every year and usually just ket it auto renew....but this year I cancelled well within the window because I saw the Fox issue coming and knew I'd probably be dropping Dish. No problems canceling CI.


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## josetann (Oct 2, 2006)

I must be in the minority here. I don't scrutinize every single bill/statement/etc. I do keep tabs on my bank accounts, check those multiple times a week. When paying a bill, if the amount is about the same as the previous month's, then I just pay it. When I make a change to my account, I check right away to make sure it was done properly, then check again when the next bill comes out.

If I just happened to notice a $0 charge on my bill (for something like NFLST), I'd probably just ignore it. I've seen plenty of $0 charges before (whether for something like VOD, free movie channel, thanks for being a loyal customer, whatever). God forbid that something came up and I missed the actual billing of such a package, find out about it shortly after, and the CSR says I'm SOL.

Yeah, I treat direct deposits the same way. I figure the amount each shift would pay. Multiply by the number of shifts. If the DD is close, then we're good. Honestly, the only issues we've had with a DD, the agency contacted us first (i.e., they know that they should have been billed for more hours; it gets corrected and either gets paid on the original DD day, or the week later).

That said, I do sit down about once a year and scrutinize every service we have. Go line by line on each bill, figure out what we really need and don't need. Even keep track of the channels we watch, and mark them on a channel list (they're marked as Must Have, Really Want, Kinda Want, and Eh).

Anyways, I'm going to side with the OP on this one. I know from experience that things can get added to your bill without your consent. If you've ever called in to change your long distance package, remember having it verified by a third-party? That's because reps used to just change people's long-distance willy-nilly because they were paid a commission for each one. Sprint used to (perhaps still does) pay reps a commission for upselling certain services. Wouldn't be surprised if DirecTV does too (even if they don't, it probably affects your stats, which can directly affect bonuses/raises/employment). Point is...it could have been added without the OP's consent. We don't know that for sure. Regardless, I think it's very wrong for a company to say that you're stuck with something once you were billed for it once, with no known way to completely opt-out at that time (it sounds like the OP saw it on his bill last year, called to complain, they said tough; he gives up...only to find out that since he didn't/couldn't cancel last year, he was automatically signed up again this year!). And if the months of warning the OP got were really a $0 line item that stated Sunday Ticket...with nothing indicating the actual amount that would be billed in the coming months...I don't see how that's much of a notice (note that I've never subscribed to Sunday Ticket, so I can't verify how it'd show up). I'd only blame the OP for missing the extra $50 on the first bill.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

After DirecTV credited my fathers account $77 for a month of NFL Sunday ticket and another $10 mistake charge. He has to wait for his next bill to get his money back, no two bills cause his current monthly charge is well under $77. It is wrong for DirecTV to credit the account for their mistakes for large amounts and make the customer wait to get his money back. Large billing mistakes should get refunded to the customer credit card.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

"gitarzan" said:


> After DirecTV credited my fathers account $77 for a month of NFL Sunday ticket and another $10 mistake charge. He has to wait for his next bill to get his money back, no two bills cause his current monthly charge is well under $77. It is wrong for DirecTV to credit the account for their mistakes for large amounts and make the customer wait to get his money back. Large billing mistakes should get refunded to the customer credit card.


That is pretty much standard procedure for a lot of recurring billing situations. Typically refunds are only handled when a customer has cancelled service

They can/should give him a bit more than just his money back for the charge. To cover interest and inconvenience. I see they did that.


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## gitarzan (Dec 31, 2005)

tonyd79 said:


> That is pretty much standard procedure for a lot of recurring billing situations. Typically refunds are only handled when a customer has cancelled service
> 
> They can/should give him a bit more than just his money back for the charge. To cover interest and inconvenience. I see they did that.


What do you see that they did? Nothing as far as I can tell. It took an email to Ellen's office to get the NFL charge refunded afer being told by a supervisor it would be corrected. I helped my father order DirecTV to help him save money.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

Someone from CS called today and they do not like loosing a 15 year customer over a few bucks. They solved my issues and even, apologized for all this with agreeing to replace one of my Referb boxes that would crash and take out the Whole house service from time to time. Have tried several times to get them to replace it to no avail. They stressed that they can't do a refund on this type of service but, there were other things they could have done.

They have also flagged my account so there will never be another auto subscribe. That is a good thing so I never have something like this again.

Very nice lady wanted to make sure that all my issues were cleared up. She definitely took care of the issues.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Someone from CS called today and they do not like loosing a 15 year customer over a few bucks. They solved my issues and even, apologized for all this with agreeing to replace one of my Referb boxes that would crash and take out the Whole house service from time to time. Have tried several times to get them to replace it to no avail.
> 
> Very nice lady wanted to make sure that all my issues were cleared up. She definitely took care of the issues.


How about that for some good news!

Great.


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## BKC (Dec 12, 2007)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Someone from CS called today and they do not like loosing a 15 year customer over a few bucks. They solved my issues and even, apologized for all this with agreeing to replace one of my Referb boxes that would crash and take out the Whole house service from time to time. Have tried several times to get them to replace it to no avail. They stressed that they can't do a refund on this type of service but, there were other things they could have done.
> 
> They have also flagged my account so there will never be another auto subscribe. That is a good thing so I never have something like this again.
> 
> Very nice lady wanted to make sure that all my issues were cleared up. She definitely took care of the issues.


Good deal! So it looks like they can place a "No Auto Renew" on an account..... Interesting.


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## eastsidebuzz (Oct 23, 2010)

BKC said:


> Good deal! So it looks like they can place a "No Auto Renew" on an account..... Interesting.


I think it is more of a note telling them "this guy does not check his bill so don't auto him he gets upset". 

Oh and they have really soothing music when they put you on hold when you are upset. It is way better then the advertising hold music they have. So tell them you are mad and you need that music before they put you on hold. There must be a red button they use or something. :grin:


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Someone from CS called today and they do not like loosing a 15 year customer over a few bucks. They solved my issues and even, apologized for all this with agreeing to replace one of my Referb boxes that would crash and take out the Whole house service from time to time. Have tried several times to get them to replace it to no avail. They stressed that they can't do a refund on this type of service but, there were other things they could have done.
> 
> They have also flagged my account so there will never be another auto subscribe. That is a good thing so I never have something like this again.
> 
> Very nice lady wanted to make sure that all my issues were cleared up. She definitely took care of the issues.


It would be nice if this thread were "flagged" so it doesn't auto renew itself the next time the OP fails to look at his billing statements and has another issue!


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

josetann said:


> I must be in the minority here. I don't scrutinize every single bill/statement/etc. I do keep tabs on my bank accounts, check those multiple times a week. When paying a bill, if the amount is about the same as the previous month's, then I just pay it. When I make a change to my account, I check right away to make sure it was done properly, then check again when the next bill comes out.


I think this is all well-and-good -- and to be clear, I don't do more than you do -- but the point is that *if* we make the decision to operate this way, then we take onto ourselves the blame for something being on our bill for months that perhaps we didn't want to pay for. If there is an added service there that you don't want, the first month, then complain - surely. And they should fix it. But after that, it is on us - it is completely our responsibility because we didn't report it the first month, and therefore we pay for our lack of diligence in this regard. We don't expect the service provider to make up for our laziness.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

And now, an important reminder from the AARP on satellite tv practices:


> _"Check every bill closely. The sooner you detect billing inaccuracies, the better. If your account is set for automatic charges to your credit card or bank account, check its statements."_


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Nick said:


> And now, an important reminder from the AARP on satellite tv practices:


Thanks.

One would have thought this was common sense...but a reminder is no harm/no foul.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Good deal. But CHECK YOUR BILL next July/August at least to make sure the ST renewal isn't on there again.


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## josetann (Oct 2, 2006)

bicker1 said:


> I think this is all well-and-good -- and to be clear, I don't do more than you do -- but the point is that *if* we make the decision to operate this way, then we take onto ourselves the blame for something being on our bill for months that perhaps we didn't want to pay for. If there is an added service there that you don't want, the first month, then complain - surely. And they should fix it. But after that, it is on us - it is completely our responsibility because we didn't report it the first month, and therefore we pay for our lack of diligence in this regard. We don't expect the service provider to make up for our laziness.


I pretty much agree, but my main gripe with DirecTV in this case, is there is NO way to stop the Sunday Ticket subscription (short of canceling service altogether) if you missed the charge on the first bill. So if you don't catch it until the second bill, you're SOL...they get to keep charging for the rest of the season.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

Actually, you have up until the start of the season to cancel. Usually they will have charged you once or twice for the package before the season starts. They usually won't credit the money back to your credit card or checking account, but they will issue you a credit to your DirecTV account if you cancel before the season starts.

At least this was my eperience last year. I noticed when I checked my Discover card statement that my DirecTV bill was around $60 higher than normal. Checked my DirecTV bill and noticed that Sunday Ticket had auto-renewed itself. I was laid off at the time so I could not afford to keep Sunday Ticket. I called in and cancelled, they CSR tried to give me a couple deals to keep Sunday Ticket but I explained that I was laid off and he cancelled it and issued a credit to my account for the $60. He also gave me some other freebies to help me out since I had been laid off.


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## wmb (Dec 18, 2008)

OK, so looking at this thread and the risk of having something on your account you have to remove before paying for it... what about loyalty gifts?

I got the GSN Game Lounge for some inconsequential period that I never use. Now, I have this thing on the account, which BTW, I can not remove because its a free gift. Just tried on line. no can remove.

So, at the end of the period that I forgot, I run the risk of having to pay for something I have negative interest in.

So, in a few months here is the call: me:"Hi, take GSN meh! off my account and credit my account for the charge." Them: "No can do, it was on your account." Me: "But you put it there and really didn't want it." Them: "Tough." Grumbles all around and no one happy.

Complaining thread starter followed by flames. 

Is this a prescient view of the future?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

wmb said:


> OK, so looking at this thread and the risk of having something on your account you have to remove before paying for it... what about loyalty gifts?
> 
> I got the GSN Game Lounge for some inconsequential period that I never use. Now, I have this thing on the account, which BTW, I can not remove because its a free gift. Just tried on line. no can remove.
> 
> ...


Loyalty gifts are automatically removed.


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## Brennok (Dec 23, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> One would have thought this was common sense...but a reminder is no harm/no foul.


This thread reminded me how my father called me the other day to ask if he accidentally got my bill also even though I left DirecTV a couple years ago because his was so high. I told him of course it was due to his Sunday Ticket renewal after verifying online.

He never gets a copy of his bill so I finally just put him on autopay because he always called me to deal with them.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

<rant>I still don't get the not checking your bills thing, it's just plain dumb (no offense). And to those that say you "don't have time"...you don't have 5 minutes a week to check your bills to make sure all is ok? Most of my bills do not get mailed to me anymore but I get an email when the statement is ready. I click the link or just go direct to the web site of said bill and print it out or at least glance at it. It takes no time at all and you keep on top of your finances. In the day and age of easy identity theft I would think spending a few minutes a month to stay on top of things would be just common sense.

Anyway...done with my rant.</rant>

Glad all worked out for the OP.


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## Brennok (Dec 23, 2005)

I definitely agree. It is something I have always been pretty anal about.

I can't really blame my father though. In his case everything goes through his accounts payable department so everything gets reviewed. One day years ago he just stopped getting a DirecTV bill. It was still set to paper, but just stopped coming so I put him on autopay. To this day he doesn't even get a notice that his bill is available. It is almost like his account has been set to no notifications if that is even possible. I have tried calling multiple times usually when dealing with other issues for him and they say everything looks good on his account and everything is correct.


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## rahlquist (Jul 24, 2007)

bonscott87 said:


> Good deal. But CHECK YOUR BILL next July/August at least to make sure the ST renewal isn't on there again.


You know its always good to check your bill but I have to put my hand up here and say Whoa.

My wife was a DirecTV billing CSR through a 3rd party contractor for a while, at some point we started getting Sunday Ticket free, now mind you I watch about 1 football game a year, its the one with the funny commercials and the pg 13 halftime moments so I don't need nor did I use Sunday ticket. Eventually my wife left D* and we went back to paying for things so we canceled Sunday ticket. But my wife warned me, remember to check every month to make sure it doesnt sneak back on because she had fielded calls from folks who claimed to have canceled and had it come back the following year.

Sure enough the next year I had Sunday ticket! We had NEVER ordered it, it had been added as a freebie to our account, we had canceled it before she quit and it still magically came back, there is something dirty about that. Period.


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

josetann said:


> I pretty much agree, but my main gripe with DirecTV in this case, is there is NO way to stop the Sunday Ticket subscription (short of canceling service altogether) if you missed the charge on the first bill. So if you don't catch it until the second bill, you're SOL...they get to keep charging for the rest of the season.


Even so (and as PP mentioned, it isn't quite like that, but even if it was), if those provisions are unacceptable to you, then don't ever accept them. Do without any and all services that have terms and conditions that you object to, or that have provisions whereby the terms and conditions could change-up on you without right to opt-out at that time (an exceedingly rare circumstance, but even then, you have total control at the start to never opt-in in the first place).


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## pistolpete52 (Sep 3, 2010)

It was his fault for not cancelling ST. But, that's no reason for a Directv CSR to call him a "bleeping idiot". If that was the case, that CSR should have been fired on the spot.


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## bobcamp1 (Nov 8, 2007)

bonscott87 said:


> <rant>I still don't get the not checking your bills thing, it's just plain dumb (no offense). And to those that say you "don't have time"...you don't have 5 minutes a week to check your bills to make sure all is ok? Most of my bills do not get mailed to me anymore but I get an email when the statement is ready. I click the link or just go direct to the web site of said bill and print it out or at least glance at it. It takes no time at all and you keep on top of your finances. In the day and age of easy identity theft I would think spending a few minutes a month to stay on top of things would be just common sense.
> 
> Anyway...done with my rant.</rant>
> 
> Glad all worked out for the OP.


Sometimes I cannot check my bills before they are due. If I'm away for work, I simply don't get them and cannot log in to my e-mail account to check them. I can't use my work PC, and using a public computer to check them is asking for identity theft. Besides, when I'm traveling for work, the last thing I'm thinking about is the DirecTV bill. It's usually about the presentation I'm going to give or just gave.

Ironically, clicking on the link in your e-mail is a good way to get your identity stolen. You should log in by using a Web browser shortcut.


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

bonscott87 said:


> <rant>I still don't get the not checking your bills thing, it's just plain dumb (no offense). And to those that say you "don't have time"...you don't have 5 minutes a week to check your bills to make sure all is ok? Most of my bills do not get mailed to me anymore but I get an email when the statement is ready. I click the link or just go direct to the web site of said bill and print it out or at least glance at it. *It takes no time at all *and you keep on top of your finances. In the day and age of easy identity theft I would think spending a few minutes a month to stay on top of things would be just common sense.
> 
> Anyway...done with my rant.</rant>


Except for the part in bold above I agree with everything you say


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## bobcamp1 (Nov 8, 2007)

bicker1 said:


> Even so (and as PP mentioned, it isn't quite like that, but even if it was), if those provisions are unacceptable to you, then don't ever accept them. Do without any and all services that have terms and conditions that you object to, or that have provisions whereby the terms and conditions could change-up on you without right to opt-out at that time (an exceedingly rare circumstance, but even then, you have total control at the start to never opt-in in the first place).


That's silly. The OP didn't subscribe for NFLST, hence there were no provisions to accept. I expect all companies to not charge me for things I never signed up for. I also expect them to fix any billing mistakes. The burden in this situation is on D*, not the customer. These are the terms that D* accepted when I signed the contract, and is most likely the law in every state.

Having said that, if D* has tried to steal $300 from you every September, that's a good excuse to cancel service with them. (I hope for the OP's sake this doesn't happen for the third time).


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

bobcamp1 said:


> Sometimes I cannot check my bills before they are due.


Me too, but again, that just means that we're taking the blame for mistakes and such onto ourselves. It is our own decision to complicate our lives with discretionary bills such as for subscription television.



bobcamp1 said:


> That's silly. The OP didn't subscribe for NFLST, hence there were no provisions to accept.


I don't believe that that is necessarily the case. We're only hearing one side of the story, and a lot of people refuse to acknowledge that there are ways to accept things other than putting their signature on a written contract, again as reflection of their reluctance to be personally accountable for their own actions. I think it is just as likely that that's just a rationalization, similar in context to your earlier claim that you "cannot" check bills before they're due. I think a lot of American consumers try to avoid personal responsibility by claiming that they can't - they can't insist on getting the terms and conditions in writing before they enter into an agreement, they can't read them, they can't understand them, they didn't remember them, their dog at them, etc. It's often just rationalization for the unwillingness to take personal responsibility.



bobcamp1 said:


> The burden in this situation is on D*, not the customer.


I know you want it to be, but that doesn't mean it is. I think that that is the default assumption that too many American consumers make, again as reflection of their own reluctance to be responsible for their own actions.



bobcamp1 said:


> These are the terms that D* accepted when I signed the contract, and is most likely the law in every state.


Again, I don't believe that just because a poster says it. Consumers can say things and do things with relative impunity from accountability for omissions and other deceptions. And generally, terms and conditions outline a period of time during which you can contest charges.


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## cariera (Oct 27, 2006)

bobcamp1 said:


> I also expect them to fix any billing mistakes. The burden in this situation is on D*, not the customer. These are the terms that D* accepted when I signed the contract


Not quite, these are the terms that you accepted:

_(e) Questions About Your Statement. If you think your statement is incorrect or if you need more information about it, contact us immediately. We will try to resolve any complaints you have as promptly as we can.

You must contact us within 60 days of receiving the statement in question. Undisputed portions of the statement must be paid by the due date to avoid a late fee and possible reduction or deactivation of Service._

Directv agreement, 2 (e).

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/conte...Id=P6470142&DPSLogout=true&_requestid=2855417


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

Thanks for posting that. It helps keep the discussion accurate and to-the-point.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I thought this was interesting in a similar situation on Sunday Ticket.

http://consumerist.com/2010/10/directv-ceo-answers-eecb-on-a-saturday-evening-promises-help.html

And the update
http://consumerist.com/2010/10/read...mes-through-geets-him-200-service-credit.html


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

Yep, looks like they took care of it even though it was his own fault.


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## bicker1 (Oct 21, 2007)

However, will folks generally view that as the company going above-and-beyond with regard to customer satisfaction (which is precisely what it is) or rather look at it with a jaded, entitled eye, and fail to give them that credit?


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## brainwaver (Jul 8, 2008)

eastsidebuzz said:


> Last year I had conversations with DTV heated about not ordering NFL Season ticket. So they told me it was to late to cancel it. I told them I did not order it and did not want it. I paid it and life goes on. Been a customer since 1995 did not want to sever the relationship after 15 years.
> 
> Fast forward this year and I find out I have it still on my account. but, I waited too long to stop it apparently. So I said ok I have paid 150 already I don't want to keep it and keep paying for something I did not order. They could not help me and said that I had to pay for the rest of the months. Now clearly I did not order it and had issue last year but, its my fault. I got a bit excited on the phone. Never nasty just heated. I was talking to retentions and asked for a supervisor and the Lenard told be that he could handle it. After 3 demands for a supervisor he went to put me on hold to get one he said "Trucken Idiot" as he put me on hold. Now he did not mean to say it thought he had me on hold but, he did say it. OMG great customer service he provided. Supervisor (Reggie) was not much help either. Told me rules are rules.
> 
> ...


Did no one even catch this?? If he just got more receivers a few months ago wouldn't that automatically start a new 2 year agreement, hence sticking him with ETF's if he had canceled??


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

brainwaver said:


> Did no one even catch this?? If he just got more receivers a few months ago wouldn't that automatically start a new 2 year agreement, hence sticking him with ETF's if he had canceled??


I caught it. If you look back you'll see I havn't given him much sympathy.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

brainwaver said:


> Did no one even catch this?? If he just got more receivers a few months ago wouldn't that automatically start a new 2 year agreement, hence sticking him with ETF's if he had canceled??


Several people caught it, including me.



spartanstew said:


> I sense another rant post when he goes to cancel and finds out about his termination fee.


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