# Can someone explain DirecTV billing to me?



## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

A few of you posted in my earlier thread about cancelling here: http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/206270-scheduling-service-to-be-cancelled-in-advance/

Despite a few objections, i went ahead and called on Wednesday. 7/10 to cancel on the end of the day Thursday., 7/11. The next morning (7/11) , my service had already been turned off. I called them up and told them that they cancelled it too early, I wanted service through the 11th, not until the 11th. They turned it back on for the rest of the day, and it was turned back off the next morning, Friday, 7/12. I specifically asked it to be turned off at the end of the 11th since it was my last day of the billing period, and because my cable installer was coming out the morning of the 12th.

The first bill below, I had one HDDVR, one HD receiver. I added HBO and changed my package on the 6/23, then turned off the DVR, and whole home on 6/30. I finally asked for service to be cancelled on the 11th. Maybe I'm having trouble understanding these bills, but it looks like they billed me for one day of a partial month (7/12). I tried to explain that I asked for service to be turned off on the 11th, not the 12th, but he said the new billing cycle actually starts on the 11th. I'm not saying he's wrong, but that he did a poor job explaining why there was a final bill at all, since I had already paid for service through 7/11.

Can anyone explain this so I can understand?


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

They charged you for the day that you turned it back on.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

That's what I don't understand, I had already paid for service through the 11th on the first statement. Even if it was for only one day, it shouldn't be almost $11, more like $3 or $4


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## MarkG21 (Jan 4, 2010)

It looks like they charged you for the free 12 months hd credit for 1 month. Was that a retention credit you received? From my understanding, they can recoup up to 3 months of retention credits. I may be wrong about that though.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

I've been getting that credit ever since Dish started offering free HD. There was a thread here suggesting that everyone call in and requesting that credit. I don't think I had to go through retentions to get it.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I have a feeling they had credited your account for turning it off, and then had to recharge you for turning it back on.


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

Just something billing related I found out today:

If DirecTV charges back an entire months billing to your charge card on file, the charge back will NOT be in your online account records.

I had a charge back, never looked over the correct charge card statement for the credit as I assumed it would be notated on the DirecTV billing page so I called.

CSR was supper friendly and explained that and I did get my credit. He said I was not the first to notice charge backs are not listed on the billing page.

He also fixed my bum (even though it wasn't) email address on my account records so they can keep sending statements online, even though they hadn't missed any because the wrong email address they had was actually the correct one. And the website wouldn't let me change it to the same thing it already is.

:eek2:



Congratulations to the OP for the biggest mess on a bill I have ever seen!


SALUTE!!


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## kaminar (Mar 25, 2012)

Probably should have just dealt without tv for an entire day. I know, heaven forbid. Better luck next time.

-=K=-


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## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

kaminar said:


> Probably should have just dealt without tv for an entire day. I know, heaven forbid. Better luck next time.
> 
> -=K=-


Probably, but that's not the point. They're the ones who turned it off at the wrong time in the first place. I just wanted to get the service I already paid for.


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## joed32 (Jul 27, 2006)

Everyone told you not to set up an early turnoff date and to wait until you actually wanted it turned off but you couldn't wait. Then when they turned it off early as many here said that they might you had them turn it back on again. Your impatience cost you a few dollars but you did learn a valuable lesson. You asked for advice when you already had your mind made up as to what you were going to do. I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

Yes, in hindsight, I probably should have listened to you guys. But if we could ignore that for a second, can anyone actually explain whether or not I was billed correctly?

They screwed up, and it's my fault. WTF


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

It is not worth it to try to figure it out, especially since there are so many line items to look at and compare.
Call them and have them explain it to them,
or,
just pay it and take it as a very cheap lesson learned.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

The guy yesterday tried to tell me that even though my bill would say "start 6/12 - end: 7/11" that period did not actually include the day of the 11th. He said the 11th was the start of the next cycle. I asked why the next bill said "start 7/12 - end: 8/8" He said he didn't know why, but that the end date is actually the beginning of the next cycle. If he had a reasonable explanation as to why there were charges this month at all, I would have no problem paying it. He couldn't/wouldn't do that.

It's not about the money, it's the principle


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## Joe Tylman (Dec 13, 2012)

To me it appears the discrepancy is because the credit on your 6/13 bill for HD Access is from 7/12-8/13. On the 7/15 statement you can see the credit for it was reversed. You were credited on your 7/15 bill from 7/12 - 8/7 so you were not charged for service on the 12th.


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## woodardhsd (Jan 19, 2009)

Joe Tylman said:


> To me it appears the discrepancy is because the credit on your 6/13 bill for HD Access is from 7/12-8/13. On the 7/15 statement you can see the credit for it was reversed. You were credited on your 7/15 bill from 7/12 - 8/7 so you were not charged for service on the 12th.


Thanks, I hadn't noticed that. I knew they billed in advance, but didn't know they billed that far in advance. Not sure why they bill for service for one period, but the credit (on the same bill) is for another month. I'm going to try to call again and get a better explanation

Edit:
I actually got a reasonable explanation this time, the CSR said it was for the partial month charge for HBO. I had turned that on on 6/23, and it was on until I cancelled service on 7/11. I don't know how the first CSR didn't catch that.


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