Email to: Chase Carey, CEO DirecTV, now Larry Hunter, Acting CEO
A few months ago I emailed you about trouble that I had in getting my DirecTV service moved on March 20, 2009. I was without service for 3 weeks and the process of getting my service moved was an exercise in extreme frustration. Though I had been repeatedly told that I would receive credit for the time I was without service, I believe a review of the actual billing will show that I actually paid roughly double the usual charges during period I had no service.
Now, I should have emailed you about that then. But I suppose you get paid to hear from angry customers, and it was more important for me to simply enjoy life. However, my frustration with your service has been increasing and today hit the point of an explosion!
A month or so ago I had contacted your customer service department via the website, http://www.directv.com.uy because it appears you now offer DirecTV plus and HDTV here. The website was unclear about the prices and I just wanted to know the cost so I could make a purchasing decision. I have yet to hear anything, so I guess your company has little interest in upgrading customers and earning more revenue. It would really be quite simple. Give me a couple of prices so I could make a choice (or not). Of course those prices should just be on your website so that process is even easier. I think "easy" would equal more money for you!
Again, the lack of response wasn't much of a reason to write another email or waste my time on the telephone just so you could make a sale. I mean isn't the purpose of TV to be lazy?
However, today there was a drastic change. When I left my apartment at 12:00 to enjoy a nice lunch out, there were a couple of guys from DirecTV at the door. At first I thought they must be here for someone else in the building. However, they informed me that they had come to REMOVE my receiver and antenna!
That seemed quite odd to me. Apparently, according to them, the reason for this removal was that I hadn't paid the bill! I told them that I had and they seemed to just accept my word and leave. I supposed that if I hadn't paid the bill, the service would have been stopped long before anyone came for the equipment.
I checked my credit card statement for the last 90 days and show these payments:
- August 28, 2009 DIRECTV- SUSCRIPCIONES MONTEVIDEO $52.79
- July 29, 2009 DIRECTV- SUSCRIPCIONES MONTEVIDEO $51.21
- June 30, 2009 DIRECTV- SUSCRIPCIONES MONTEVIDEO $50.88
That reflects the bills I have received and paid. So, I'm confused if it was my desire for a more expensive service, or paying for much of the 3 weeks I didn't have any service that inspired your company to want to remove my service completely?
I am also now concerned because the credit card that is charged every month for the service expires at the end of September, 2009 and I haven't any idea how you plan to update the information in your system.
Please let me know if you actually intend to remove the equipment so an appointment can be scheduled; and so I can dispute the charges with my credit card company for the service not provided in March/April and the amount I have paid in advance on the current/next bill.
If you don't actually intend to remove the equipment, please send me a written apology for the harassment at my door today, a proper credit for the time I was without service during my move, how you plan to update my credit card information, and a price proposal for DirecTV Plus with my current plan and what my options and prices are for HDTV. I would appreciate this to be communicated to me via email and/or written correspondence. I do not wish to be interrupted by a telephone call.
cc: URSEC Defensa del Consumidor
Notes:
*The current, acting CEO of DirecTV is larry.hunter@directv.com
*DirecTV called me and left a message saying they made a mistake and that they would call me the next day and tell me that. I'll still waiting for prices to upgrade my service.
