CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

CIR Engineering · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 2:18 am Post subject: I hate DTV

So this just showed up in my email from DTV:

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:10 am Post subject:

Hi Craig,

Man, I'm honestly surprised that you're so unhappy with DirecTV. DirecTV pretty consistently beats Dish on customer satisfaction if you look at the third parties like JD Power and not at the satellite companies themselves.

Everybody is pushing paperless billing. It's horrendously expensive to send out paper bills nowadays. Practically every one of my credit cards, I have to say "no thanks" every time I go to login on the web. Second of all, no won't "never see a bill", because DTV sends you an email right to your inbox every month the day they bill you.

I've gone paperless billing on all my non-tax-related stuff, and I'm the better off for it. The mouton of paper is just that much smaller.

If you really want paper bills, then call them and ask. I've always had very good luck with their phone customer service. If you wine about price increases (industry standard), they'll usually give you a premium or two, or comp you for HD for six months. I've been a customer for over ten years, and I've never seen anything that I'd consider deceptive our out of line compared to standard industry practice for wireless/cable/sat/telco. In fact, of all the services I've paid for over the years, I'd say DirecTV probably sucked the least of all.

There's no doubt it's expensive, but then they all are. Cable is even more. From my research, Dish was negligibly less expensive, but it was because you were getting less. The hardware always used to be crap on Dish and DirecTV was excellent. I think now they're pretty comparable.

What are all these lies you've been told? I don't think I've ever been lied to about anything in ten years.

Cheers,
SC

jeffslife · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4181 Location: ohio usa

SCREW DTV ! They are liars and thieves.

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:02 am Post subject:

jeffslife · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4181 Location: ohio usa

REALLY ! DTV tried to extort money from me years ago. There was a electronic part billed to my credit card that DTV claimed had a secondary use of hacking satellite signals. They wanted several thousand dollars or said they would put me in federal prison. SERIOUSLY! I told them to go f*ck themselves. It was ugly for awhile. They are extortionists. I know you wont believe this but its true.

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 3:06 pm Post subject:

It's not that I don't believe you as much as it's impossible to believe. How the hell could DirecTV have any access to information about what you've purchased on your credit card?

The only two ways that DirecTV could have gained access to information regarding your purchase from a third party, would both be by court order. They would have to subpoena either your credit card company, naming you (highly unlikely), or a vendor's records (highly likely).

I actually have a little first-hand knowledge in this area. DirecTV was having a lot of trouble with signal theft in the late-90's, and they were aggressively going after the vendors of hardware used to program the access cards. An acquaintance of mine was in the business of selling illicit DirecTV cards.

This acquaintance of mine got in trouble in exactly the way I previously described. He was buying cards, card readers, extenders, etc. It wasn't what he was buying that was the problem; it was who we bought them from. When the source got raided by the feds, his contact info was in the seller's database, and he got the unfriendly contact, too. It's been a long time, but my recollection is that he admitted to no wrongdoing and was able to settle for a smaller amount than what they asked. He got off easy, IMHO.

What "electronic parts" could you have possible purchased, and from whom, that would have put you in their crosshairs? DirecTV's legal attacks were very targeted, only at vendors who were in the business of selling specifically access card equipment, and marketing it as such, so I don't see how you could have possibly been caught in the crossfire. You'll have to excuse me and understand the whole thing sounds very shady from here.

SC

CIR Engineering · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 3:40 pm Post subject:

jeffslife · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4181 Location: ohio usa

I bought something called a V board from a company in Canada for a friend. The only credit card he had was American Express and they didn't accept that card. I don't know what all happened and what is was all about. I was told by my attorney that I had nothing to worry about as it was DTV basically running an extortion scam. Believe it or not I don't care, I know the truth.

mp20748 · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:02 pm Post subject:

Yes Craig, get away from DTV. And don't be surprised when the send you a bill saying you own them. You're going o have to pay for something, they just ain't gonna let you leave without saying you own them for something.

They're the worse of them all. The way they do business will have you thinking you're dealing with the mafia.

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:55 pm Post subject:

Question for you guys: Do any of you like your current satellite, cable, wireless, or telco provider?

It's an honest question, and I'd like to hear the answers. I'll wait to give my answer.

SC

jeffslife · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4181 Location: ohio usa

I have dish and it could be better but its still the best value out there. No equipment issues at all and customer service is great.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12026 Location: Fort Collins, CO

CIR Engineering · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:08 pm Post subject:

CIR Engineering · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:10 pm Post subject:

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

LOL, Craig I have been using OTA and only miss Sunday Ticket, some USA, FX and AMC programs. The other stuff is filler meaning stuff I watch because I am to lazy to do other things. In other words, I don't miss it much.

I don't hate DTV, but they did charge me once for their f#$k up. Someone hacked my account and started activating a bunch of recievers while I was online with them. I seriously asked the rep why I would need 10 receivers in Philly when I lived in Miami. They still charged me like $30 for some movies that were rented before they deactivated the boxes.

As for who I like, Comcast internet has been great in SoFL. I am using ATT right now and it is pretty good. When I move into my new place, I will probably go with Comcast and their BLast Plus package. You get 50Mbps and 45 cable channels for $79 a month. The internet alone is $62.

I have already detailed my issues with Sprint cell and will be trying out ATT in the next couple of days.

bruce741 · Joined: 02 Dec 2013 Posts: 1

DTV tried to extort money from me years ago.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 5:39 pm Post subject: