DirecTV Billing Credit Report ETF problem PLEASE HELP

[george99]

Hello,
I signed up for DirecTV in 2008. I cancelled them in early 2019. So I was with them for 11 years.
After I cancelled I started getting demands from them to pay a $195 early termination fee.
I called to ask about this and I just kept getting the run around from their overseas employees. I was on the phone several times for over an hour. They told me that I had a 2 year commitment.
I NEVER agreed in writing or verbally to any such agreement. I asked them to show me where I agreed to this, and they didn't.
They finally told me that the best way to handle it via email. So I sent an email which took them about a week to reply to, and the reply said to call customer service!! This is after customer service told me to email.
I called again and the person suggested to go into an ATT store. I did that and I spoke with a manager and he said he would take care of it.
Since then I didn't receive any communications from DirecTV.

Yesterday I checked my credit report for something unrelated and I saw that DirecTV put a derogatory entry in my report. I have perfect credit and they have screwed with it.

The service I received from them was awful. Nobody to speak with. Nobody returned calls. Nobody answered the emails, and nobody provided any evidence that I agreed to any long term deal.

I need to get this off my credit report.
Any suggestions? Any DirecTV people here that can maybe help?

 

[Justy5]

Go through the dispute process with the top three credit bureaus. It is a pain in the neck. Just file a dispute and have it placed in your files. Also - file a complaint with the CFPB or your state public service commission (PSC). I bet you will win against big bad AT&T. Start this as soon as possible! Good luck...

 

[mdram]

when was your last equipment upgrade? or movers deal?
did you have a monthly credit?

you can go back and check the order confirmation for these things and see if there was a contract required

 

[Claude Greiner]

Just like nobody wants to hear when I suggest filing against big Bad Dish Network, the state Attorney General can be your friend.

 

[navychop]

Very much agree with Claude on this. It would have been best to take such a step earlier on.

I think you’ll win. But might view root canals more favorably in the future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[george99]

when was your last equipment upgrade? or movers deal?
did you have a monthly credit?

you can go back and check the order confirmation for these things and see if there was a contract required

No mover deal or upgrade. I always bought the stuff on my own.
I did get a discount because I told them I was cancelling and they offered me $20 discount.
But I didn’t agree to any 2 year contract.

 

[mdram]

No mover deal or upgrade. I always bought the stuff on my own.
I did get a discount because I told them I was cancelling and they offered me $20 discount.
But I didn’t agree to any 2 year contract.

when did you last 'buy' something
very little directv hardware can be bought, its usually a lease, and comes with a contract

 

[george99]

when did you last 'buy' something
very little directv hardware can be bought, its usually a lease, and comes with a contract

Every piece of equipment I had was purchased from 3rd parties like solid signal, etc.
I was “moved” for RSN purposes. So I always got the equipment on my own. Never took advantage of all DTV’s offers.

 

[george99]

Come to think of it, when I called to cancel, why wouldn’t the rep tell me that there was a cancellation fee? I only found out about it when the emails came a month or so later.

 

[mdram]

Every piece of equipment I had was purchased from 3rd parties like solid signal, etc.

many of those are still leased.

 

[george99]

many of those are still leased.

Why does that matter?
I am not being charged an equipment fee.
I am being charged for an early termination fee. They told me on the phone that it was for the discount but I never was told that or agreed to it.
I asked them to show me where I signed or let me listen to the recording of the phone call.
Nothing.
They don’t answer emails and only idiots on the phone.

 

[mdram]

Why does that matter?
I am not being charged an equipment fee.
I am being charged for an early termination fee. They told me on the phone that it was for the discount but I never was told that or agreed to it.
I asked them to show me where I signed or let me listen to the recording of the phone call.
Nothing.
They don’t answer emails and only idiots on the phone.

because activating one of those starts a new contract. it does not matter if the unit comes from directv or a third party

edit: just checked. solid signals website says there is a contact. that the notification if thats where you bought it

 

[Tampa8]

First just make sure you were not on a two year commitment. You said you were getting $20 off, how did you get that over the phone? Could they have mentioned you are agreeing to a two year commitment? Also at least in the past Directv did start a new commitment when adding a new receiver it could be even if you owned it. You may have agreed to that with the original agreement you signed with them. There are countless posts on this board of people saying they didn't agree to a commitment but in the end they did.

That aside, I honestly believe this is the best way to handle it as a first step. Send a return receipt short letter demanding two things after a brief description of why you are writing.
1. They send you proof of your acceptance of the commitment they say you are obligated to. It must have your voice responding to being asked or your written signature of such.

2. If no proof, they have one month to get the bad credit report they placed with the credit reporting agencies reversed. At that time I will be looking for a class action suit or simply sue for your detrimental action of reporting a false bad credit report.

If they did it to you no doubt others also but they ended up just paying or accepting the bad credit.
As a side note, if you have all good credit otherwise, their report in all probability won't hurt you so if you want it removed it may be for the principle of it.

 

[comp9]

Buying any box from Solid Signal starts a new contract There website very clearly says this also and you agree to the terms when it is activated

 

[Claude Greiner]

Every piece of equipment I had was purchased from 3rd parties like solid signal, etc.
I was “moved” for RSN purposes. So I always got the equipment on my own. Never took advantage of all DTV’s offers.

That’s the problem, there is no such thing as purchased equipment.

The equipment from Solid Signal was pay to lease.

So likely what happened when you added equipment from solid signal on your account they added it as leased.

Also if I might add. If you allowed solid signal to activate it for you, they did it as a lease with agreement and never sent the agreement to Directv.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Actually let me explain the process in activating equipment.

There are 2 ways of activating equipment with Directv.

If you have a legacy Directv account, you call 800-Directv and speak with tech support and if your lucky they will activate it in about 20 minutes without giving you any crap.

If the receiver is new or referb it will activate as leased. If it’s an owned receiver from a commercial account it should activate as owned, but many times the CSR will tag it as leased.

If it’s an AT&T account, they can it activate anything without a work order. So you need to order an upgrade, activate your equipment on that work order and then fight to get your money back on the upgrade.

Dealers can activate equipment on the dealer website or opus, but in every case it requires a work order