Direct TV charging $450 cancellation fee after service was sporadic and they could not fix it

You posted in the Stream Forum, but it seems you're a satellite customer. I'll move this post to the correct Forum. 

Thank you.

DirecTV has never had a 14 day cancellation window. Theirs has been 24 hours from install before the 24 month service agreement is secured. The early cancellation fee (ECF) is valued at $20 for each month remaining, so probably that would be $460 for 23 full months remaining.

Techs don't remove the existing dish. This is to prevent against leaks. If the dish actually was 30 years old (so approx. 1995), it would be MPEG-2/SD-only and couldn't be used. So the dish should be a lot newer.

Equipment not compatible with your Wifi? Huh? Unless there is something unusually special about your router's WiFi then the secondary perks from being internet connected should be just fine.

The extremely poor service you mention from day 1 does not make sense. The tech claiming not compatible with your WiFi is suspicious. I would call DirecTV back and request a Field Service Request (FSR) for a supervisor's 2nd opinion.

You can also try for some guidance here on the technical issue. Please include model numbers of boxes, full details of issue (symptoms, error messages, troubleshooting tried, etc.). Sometimes we can direct you to a fix or at least narrow down what a (good) tech should check.

Not sure when in the 1990s maybe 1995/6 DTV was installed but we got H receivers with TiVo for recording and a slimline dish.

Thanks for the response. Re: satellite dish age, house purchased in 1999 & it was there.  Yes, it seems like no one should have problems day 1 or within days / a week of installation.  DirecTV contract assumes the customer actually has a working TV during the entire time since installation (10 days/6 working days). Forgot to mention that the TV would go blank several times a day. It became worse & is out every hour or so (requiring equipment reset). I agree it is incredible the tech stated there was likely a problem w/equipment not being compatible w/the hi-speed internet. YET, did nothing to change out the equipment. 

In any case, the contract does not clearly state that the customer has to endure no service, no offer of a credit and then the hassle of having to pay a cancellation fee for service that was never provided.  The breach of contract is with DirecTV -- they failed to response in a timely manner despite hours on the phone with multiple people. We escalated to get an appt (scheduled, 4/30 w/no concern we had sporadic to no service). 

Again, thanks everyone for letting me vent.

I understand there is not a way to escalate to corporate office (by email or address) other than being on the phone for hours and transferred multiple times.   If you have any information on how to escalate to the corporate office, I'd be grateful.

You can file a BBB complaint online.  DTV gives a 90 day warranty on new installs and service calls so any problems can be addressed before there are service call fees.

Of course you need a TV to get service.  No tech I've seen takes 6 days to install a residential system.

Thanks so much.  Very helpful.

And make sure you calling DirecTV itself, not a local business/Authorized Retailer number. That way everything is on record and not dealing with a 3rd party seller sending their own tech to stay off the radar.

If house purchased in 1999 with pre-existing receiving dish, and you only now got DirecTV using that dish, I would question the condition of the connections and alignment of that dish. If it condition of it and the LNB is good (from proper testing), then fine still using it though I would expect an alignment would be needed after that many years. But, with the WiFi non compatible statement I wonder if tech was just trying to be out as quickly as possible so was cutting corners.

Yes they have an option to provide a Time Without Service credit, depends on the exact situation on what charges get adjusted for that. Though perfect ongoing service is never obligated per the nature of satellite service, they have that 90 day worry free guarantee. So if a tech has to go out within that window for the same issue there should not be a service call charge.

They will do what they can to fix any challenges and provide any adjustments to the bill to an extent. But ECF being waived generally only happens if a service agreement renewal was erroneous or you moved and they couldn't get the needed line of sight for service at the new place. So if a new dish is actually needed (or perhaps just the LNB, the "eye"), then it should be done along with any new cabling needed.

If over the phone requesting a 2nd opinion on the install doesn't work, I agree go with a BBB complaint. With what you've explained, I have my doubts on what that tech did.

My DVR has been locking up for a week. Every time I click on a show. So I finally called them today and they had no idea what they were doing. They finally had me reset the Genie 2. Once it came back all of my shows, future recordings, teams etc. etc.  favorites we all gone. 

I'm livid, and they do not care. 

it’s as if I factory reset it. All of my apps are all still there and logged in. I wish they’d just migrate me to stream at this point. I’m actually considering dropping them after today’s mishap. 

Resetting the Genie2 with the red button or unplugging it doesn't delete anything, all it does is remove power to the CPU.  There may be a problem with the hard drive that caused it to delete things.  DTV sat and DTV streaming are separate services so you have to cancel DTV then subscribe to DTV streaming or DTV via internet.

@Detfan1984 

A red button reset and unplugging power for a minute (power cycle) are not a factory reset. You have to go through a variety of menus to do a full reset to factory defaults. A power cycle will dump the guide data, so that has to download again (including info from On Demand if internet connected) but that's it.

If after a reset or power cycle your recordings were not showing, because on that and it locking up it sounds like your hard drive may be going on. You would need to have them do a warranty replacement ($19.95 delivery, covered if you're paying for the protection plan).

There is no "migrate" to DIRECTV STREAM as it is another provider. Technically you could have both. So if you want it and only that, you would have to call DirecTV and cancel and separately sign up for DIRECTV STREAM. That is all up to you.

(Though a few months ago you commented you had already moved to STREAM. So looks like you already are aware of the process).