dear directv, how stupid can you get?

Jun 14

Posted by: Rachel in: blog, me myself and i, ramblings, rants

How stupid is there?

So as you know, we moved here at the end of April.  2008.  Rewind a few weeks before that and you could hear me steaming over the phone with DirecTV about them automatically debiting our final bill from our bank account.  The bank account we used to pay our bill online.  On time.  Every single month.  The bank account that allowed them to save on paper and postage every single month of our service.  Yes that one.  Apparently there’s some little footnote w.100.97 in the original contract that says they can charge the final bill to your credit card if one has been provided (you know, like when you do them the favor of paying online), even though our “contract” ran out in March of 2007 and we continued to keep the service for another year (it was the only choice where we lived, one mile outside city limits, but don’t think I didn’t beg Time Warner to extend there service 20 houses further).

Anyway, I told them in no way, shape or form did I wish to “way you move” my service on over to my new address.  I was in line for Time Warner like teenage girls at a Hannah Montana concert.  And I told them that.  “May we ask who you plan on using for TV service?”  Well not that it is any of your damn business, but Time Warner Cable.  They are cheaper, they are better, and they don’t go out every time a bird craps between my satellite and the southern skies.  So after much persistance, they finally took no for an answer, I pitched a tantrum about the final bill thing, got transfered to 17 different people, and solved absolutely nothing.  So they automatically drafted their final payment and we went our separate ways.  They even sent a “bill” about a month ago stating that I owed $0.00, because there is postage and paper well spent.

So imagine my surprise when hubby brings in a DirecTV envelope.  Another bill!  Just as I’m ready to call these people up and tell them they are killing the rain forest with their $0.00 billing statements, I notice that apparently I watched two pay-per-views!  The Fog and Saw 2.  What are we on now, Saw 8?  No don’t remember watching Saw 2 after canceling my service two months ago.  So I give them a call, and the lady proceeds to tell me that I watched these movies in April and May of 2006.  Yes 2006.  I think I actually laughed out loud on the phone.  And I may have said, “You’re kidding me right?”  And a few other things such as, “Can you snail mail the dispute a charge information because I don’t even feel like writing it down right now,” and “Well never mind then, I just won’t pay it at all.  Byebye!”  I just hung up on her.  She was trying to tell me all this BS about how I ordered it with the remote, thus it is stored on my receiver until the end of time, or I cancel my service, which ever comes first.  And also that I ordered it from the bedroom TV, which I absolutely know to be untrue, as we never used that TV (Caleb was sleeping in there, no I didn’t watch Saw 2 with my one year old) and sent the receiver back after the first few months.  She claims that pay-per-views ordered with your remote don’t get downloaded onto their system until they get the receiver back, so I guess I could have ordered them on a regular basis and never paid for them, then gotten a bill for a few hundred dollars upon moving?  Yeah, okay.  But if I still had my paper statements (that DirecTV feels the must send, again with the rain forest people!) from 2006, I could look back and see that I wasn’t charged for the movies then.  DirecTV, if you are reading this, this is the reason why your customers leave.  Think about it.  And you can go ahead and write that $8.54 off, because I won’t be sending it!

Comments

3 Responses to “dear directv, how stupid can you get?”

    Julie
    June 15th, 2008 6:08 pm

    Wow! They sure can be annoying, can’t they! I’ve been on the phone with our cable company so many times I know the number by heart. Thankfully, (lately) it’s only been to pay bills and no more mistakes and things.

    Amber
    June 16th, 2008 7:34 am

    That is so infuriating!!!! I hate corporate America. I got a sprint bill that charged me three times for the same dumb fee that I don’t know the purpose of in the first place. I called them and the lady took it off with no questions asked. Very suspicious. How many people have they done that to that don’t even look at their bill?!? My blood pressure is rising just talking about it!

    Val
    June 16th, 2008 2:49 pm

    UGH! I got a call from them a couple months ago telling me I owe a back bill from over two years ago! We bought a new house, and canceled our directv when we moved.

    The woman asked me if I could pay it over the phone. I said no, send me a bill.

    You know what….I never got one! Nothing.

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