Wednesday, January 21, 2009

TV Disservice



Does anybody have TV Direct? They think they own the planet. Their word is gospel and if you cancel the service, they will be taking the payment out of your credit card or automatic bank withdrawal, if you have your account set up with them that way. This is the Gospel, according to James, who is employed by TV Direct. I don’t have mine set up that way, thank God. It’s back to the Bundle deal. Quest, TV Direct and DSL internet provider have a package deal. I called and ordered the service a year ago through Quest. Quest does the billing for all three services. It’ such a garbled up sloppy bill, it would take a Philadelphia lawyer to untangle it. There about eight pages to the bill with both sides being filled up with fees for this and fees for that. Here a fee, there a fee everywhere a fee fee. I was promised a 15 dollar discount per month, the day I signed up. I have never received the discount, even though I called month after month and each month I was told it was being corrected and would show the credit as well as the correct charges on my next bill. They finally decided to shut me up by telling me it was a rebate and I was supposed to do something on line and submit it and since I didn’t do that it was no longer available and it is just too bad. I don't know if anybody is intelligent enough to figure out how to make the correction of if they need the money that bad. I decided to go with another service, which is Charter Cable. Now we’re back to another bundle, if you take all three services, they will not charge an installation fee. I agreed to take all three and stick with one company that owns all three services. After they came and they installed everything, I called TV Direct to cancel my service, and was told that I had an agreement; it was a two year obligation. I never signed anything to that affect. I ordered the service over the phone and all I signed for was the work order when the men came out and installed everything, I have read every word on the work order and there is not one word about it being a two year contract. When I asked about the so called contract, he told me it was included in my first bill. I already had the service installed by the time I received the first bill, so when did I agree to a two year contract. Now I am told they can cancel the service, but there is a early cancellation fee of $240.00. Of course if you refuse to pay it, they can ruin your credit. I would never have signed a two year deal on a utility service. I was 79 when I ordered the service, and I could very well be residing in a nursing home next week or residing in a Memorial Park before the two year contract is up. He finally gave me an address I can write to, to dispute it. Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? I think they need to be sent to Boot Camp.



6 comments:

Jimh. said...

You know, Grandma...I think they are out to get us. I am about fed up with large corporations and their little extras. And the run arounds they give us are...well, not nice.

The Raggedy Girl said...

How frustrating. We have Charter and except for the fact that it costs more per month than the payment I made on the first home I bought it really works well. Just keep phoning and complaining and they will back down. They have to show you a contract.
Roberta Anne

Lois said...

Granma, ask to speak to the person's supervisor. And don't stop there - keep going up the ladder.

You can also contact the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint.

E said...

Welll...I use to work for DirectTv in Oklahoma. They usually don't really tell you or send you a contract. Since you got service through a third party it will be tricky. The third party is the one who was to disclose that when they installed it. You can win. I do know that. I have seen it before. They will tell you the contract was in exchange for "free" equiptment or whatnot. The Address is what they give you when they do not want to deal with it on the phone. You will need to talk to a sup once it is billed and make sure you tell them you are disputing it. If you gave your soc # at activation or when you called to sign up for the bundle, that is when the terms were to be disclosed "verbally". They don't need it in writing anymore. :( You can call back before it is billed and talk to a sup. The info will be on your account pretty quick. I don't know if any of that helped, but good luck.

2Grandmas2 said...

Ever try to get away from AOL? It's just as bad. I finally had to cancel the credit card (and so did my brother) I was using to pay AOL, in order to get them to stop charging me. It was larceny.

Hope you get this sorted out soon~

Sandy

Diane said...

Ohhhhh, Grandma, I so feel your pain! I haven't had the run-around with DirecTV YET, and pray that never comes. However, I have had it with AOL. I had to threaten to sue them in order to get them to stop billing my credit card and to reimburse me for the erroroneous charges they had already billed. It seriously took over a year to get it straightened out! You can win this battle! Don't let them pawn you off to some snail mail address. I agree with some others, demand to speak to the supervisor and keep demanding until you're at the top of the food chain, even if it means going to the CEO!!! BTW, LOVE you blog!!!

Diane