I finally scheduled the switch from DirecTV to AT&T Uverse. It will happen on Friday, March 6th which can’t come soon enough. For the past two years I’ve been stuck with DirecTV at the house. Man, that company sucks!
It started out OK, because they were really interested in getting my business. But then they started adding on charges for additional boxes in the house. And they were slow about getting the thing installed. And once the service guy finally got there, he wanted to install new hardware in my walls because he wanted a “premium” connection or some crap like that. I told him no, just plug the stupid thing in and hit “On”.
After about 2 hours, we finally got the TVs working and my phone starts ringing. Every day for a freakin week someone from DirecTV called.
“Welcome!” – got that already from the sales person, the accounting person, and the install guy.
“Thank you for being a customer.” – that too.
“Are you satisfied?” – after 2 days? I guess so.
“What can we do to improve?” – stop calling?
“I know you are a new customer, but do you want to buy this stuff too?” – no, if I wanted it I would have ordered it 48 hours ago!
Finally, after a week of calls, I get the “are you a happy customer” question again for the five dozenth time and I say “I’ve had a call every day for a week. Quit it.” The lady says “Well, you are just part of the DirecTV family now.” And I respond “Lady, I don’t even talk to my blood relatives this often. I sure don’t want to talk to you.”
So the call volume really dropped off after that. But I still get a call once a month asking me to buy Cinemax and HBO. Why? So I can see the same movie for three weeks at a time and pay you an extra $25 per month? No deal. Of course, it takes about four “No deals” each phone call before my message hits home. I really feel sorry for those telemarketers, because they are just trying to hit some quota or something. Even their responses are read directly off some screen, and they all sound bored out of their mind, so I’m not mean to them. But crap, quit calling!
Last year some time we had a big thunderstorm and our HD receiver went out. I don’t know if it was lightening creating an electrical surge, or wind knocking out the power or what, but the HD receiver was a gonner. So the next day I call direcTV and waste 30 minutes of my life on hold listening to their exciting upgrades for valued customers. Hey DirecTV, hire some more bored telemarketers to answer my phone call!
Anyways, They want me to pay $300 for a new receiver, so what can I do? I pay the thing and get it in the mail a few days later. We’re back up and running.
Things went like that for the past few months, until we get a call last week from AT&T Uverse. We decided to switch because it’ll consolidate a few utility bills for phone, internet and TV. And in the long run we’ll be saving $30-40 a month. Why not.
So today I call DirectTV (who sucks, by the way) to cancel my service. They tell me that I will have to return all my boxes, which is fine. But I tell the dude that I bought one of those for $300. He says I paid that as a “lease agreement”.
What? B.S. I told him it wasn’t explained to me. I was told I had to “purchase” a new box. And that’s what I did. In fact, you want to know what else is crap? DirecTV was screwing me from both ends because I paid the $300 lease, and then they charge me each month on my bill for 3 leased receivers.
This is a screenshot from my February bill. They already charge me for each of the boxes I have in my house, so how can you call the $300 a lease fee when it’s already here and I pay it each month? Bastards.
Of course, one of the $4.99 charges is credited back. Of course it is! They have to provide at least one box because you can’t just plug the satellite right into the TV! Thanks for nothing.
There’s even a class-action lawsuit against DirecTV about this.
So at the end of my call today the guy said he was sorry I was cancelling and that if I ever wanted to reconnect, just call back.
That aint happening because…
DirecTV, You Suck!
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Oh my gosh. They sucked you in too, huh? I have to agree that DirecTV’s “lease” agreement is the worst idea ever. I hope everyone leaves them for AT&T or DISH or Verizon. Even broadcast would be better after the DTV switchover.