Can't pay your bill? TOO BAD!

[ZandarKoad]

Credit is overrated. Just ignore them. After a certain amount of time in most jurisdictions those amounts will be un collectible. The only thing good credit is for is going further in debt. If you actively work to destroy your credit, you'll never have to worry about debt again. It will require some changes in your standard of living...

 

[john262]

If your over 40 and lose your job, your pretty much screwed, unless your a tradesperson. !

True but unemployment among younger people just out of college is also sky high.

 

[john262]

No. Your bills are your own responsibility. It isn't DirecTV's fault that didn't have something put back to cover your bills. Sounds like you were living paycheck to paycheck if you got laid off and couldn't even cover all of your current bills.

Agreed. Someone in a precarious financial situation like that shouldn't have had a $100 monthly Directv bill in the first place. Satellite TV is a luxury intended for those who can afford it.

 

[stonecold]

Ok, I am going to post this as what he/she should of done.

This scenario assumes the only thing he had originally was 100 dollars due and was a upstanding customer who paid his bill ontime up to the point of his unemployment.

If he was customer who had been with us more then 3 years I could of "back in the day of Stonecold" giving him 100 dollars one time credit for customer retention/hardship and suspended the account for 6 months.

Problem is for every super cool stonecold there 3 pricks who going to give him heck.

Option 2

With authorization from my Operations manager I could of given a temp credit to 0 out the account suspended the account and then put the 100 dollars back on the account and let the customer pay it off slowly over the course of suspension.

Option 3... retention department really they have authorization for hard ship cases.


Where the end user stands now.

He has to pay the 143, they waive the non return boxes fees and probably still manage to trick the system.

The system is setup by a system of variables, it not an AI but it like the game of chess it is program to only allow certain functions to work with key variables are met. Threatening and screaming is never going to help it the easiest way to get a supervisor / operations manager/ vp to flat out say no.

 

[Styler1]

I am not sure what the point of this post was?

 

[Mr Tony]

I am not sure what the point of this post was?

whose post? Stone colds?

 

[stonecold]

I am not sure what the point of this post was?

Whole point of my post it for others who may be in the same situation how they can try and handle it so they dont end up in the same postion as the OP.

 

[JerseyMatt]

Ok, I am going to post this as what he/she should of done.

This scenario assumes the only thing he had originally was 100 dollars due and was a upstanding customer who paid his bill ontime up to the point of his unemployment.

If he was customer who had been with us more then 3 years I could of "back in the day of Stonecold" giving him 100 dollars one time credit for customer retention/hardship and suspended the account for 6 months.

Problem is for every super cool stonecold there 3 pricks who going to give him heck.

Option 2

With authorization from my Operations manager I could of given a temp credit to 0 out the account suspended the account and then put the 100 dollars back on the account and let the customer pay it off slowly over the course of suspension.

Option 3... retention department really they have authorization for hard ship cases.


Where the end user stands now.

He has to pay the 143, they waive the non return boxes fees and probably still manage to trick the system.

The system is setup by a system of variables, it not an AI but it like the game of chess it is program to only allow certain functions to work with key variables are met. Threatening and screaming is never going to help it the easiest way to get a supervisor / operations manager/ vp to flat out say no.

I was in this situation last december. I had a huge unexpected hospital bill to pay, and I had to let the directv bill go to the point of disconnection and where they sent me mailing boxes. I was in the same boat where I had tried to suspend the service to avoid the bill snowballing but was told the same thing - that it couldn't be done unless the balance was zero. I had no choice but to just let it go. After I got the $1200 disconnect /etf/equipment bill and boxes sent to me, I figured I'd take a shot in the dark and emailed the office of the president and explained my situation - that I was had sudden dire financial issues and simply could not pay my bill, tried to put the account on hold but could not, and that I wanted to fulfill my contract once I got back on my feet..

I got a call back the next day from a guy who was very nice and understanding, and he offered me 'option two' in an effort to help me out. He said it takes a few days for the whole thing to run through the system, but he would update me when it was done. A few days later, as promised, I got a call from him saying that it was all set, and I could take up to three months to bring the account current, and continue the suspension for up to another three (6 mo total) if I needed. So they definitely will work with you. You just have to be calm about it and talk to the right people..

 

[lsilvest]

I think you don't know for a fact that's BS, or you do not understand the way it works.

My experience with their accounting department would suggest he's right. They have no clue what they are doing (and no,l I didn't lose my arguments with them as they were definitely wrong and I had ample proof). I'm still debating whether they are really as incompetent as they appear or dishonest or just a combination.

 

[gadgtfreek]

 

[Neutron]

You would think companies like DISH and Directv would understand that people do not HAVE to have their services to live and that people who unfortunately get into a situation like the OP. I understand people make up excuses as to why they can't pay a bill but give them the benefit of the doubt and work with them to help their situation easier. It's not like these companies are going bankrupt any time soon. Think of the little guy for once!!

I've been in the same situation as the OP. I was laid off a few years ago and we had to rely on my wife's income at the time which was less than half of what I was bringing home. My dad helped out when he could which was a blessing. We cut out/back luxuries and made do with what we had.

I just hated reading this thread and seeing the negative comments towards the OP. Not everyone has an emergency fund set aside for bills and I'm hoping more and more people are doing so since no one knows what the future holds. My wife and I are taking those steps now.

Hopefully Directv will come through and work with the OP.

 

[Ronnie-]

I am not sure what the point of this post was?

I am not sure what the point of this post was.

 

[dishcomm]

I've been in love with Directv, until this...

I was recently laid off, and my Directv bill was around $100. I should of paid it, but I had other bills with higher priority.

Okay, so call into directv, and asked to stop being billed, and have service suspended. Well they can't suspend, unless the balance is 0.

So now, I keep getting billed, and now my balance is over $400. I can't pay $40, let alone $400. Now it's going to go into collections, on top of collection charges, and ETF's for the 2 HD DVRS, ruining what little credit I have.

Is there any thing I can do, or has anyone else been in the same spot?

You should have CANCELLED..

 

[dishcomm]

It's a growing trend in America. The cost of living keeps going up, but income is stagnant. If your over 40 and lose your job, your pretty much screwed, unless your a tradesperson. I know, I lost my job, ended up having to drive a cab and lost money everyday that I worked. It's like a cut that won't stop bleeding. It just continually drips until your drained out. I've been fighting this battle since January. No one is hiring at a decent rate of pay and if they do, they want young people, who'll accept less. We're kicking off a new generation of working poor, in America. It's a tragedy!

Nonsense. This has nothing to do with the issue.
The problem is this....People spend money as though NOTHING bad will ever happen. They don't save a dime. The person that makes two hundred grand does the same dumb stuff with his money that the guy who makes ten bucks an hour.
People who worked in the financial business are losing their homes which are valued at over one million dollars. Why? Because they never saved a dime. Nice cars, three vacations per year, send their kids to private schools costing twenty grand per year.."Savings? Who needs to save. Times are good and they will stay good. I can never lose MY job."
So don't spout off about income levels. Most people are irresponsible with their money.

 

[yaz96]

You would think companies like DISH and Directv would understand that people do not HAVE to have their services to live and that people who unfortunately get into a situation like the OP. I understand people make up excuses as to why they can't pay a bill but give them the benefit of the doubt and work with them to help their situation easier. It's not like these companies are going bankrupt any time soon. Think of the little guy for once!!

I've been in the same situation as the OP. I was laid off a few years ago and we had to rely on my wife's income at the time which was less than half of what I was bringing home. My dad helped out when he could which was a blessing. We cut out/back luxuries and made do with what we had.

I just hated reading this thread and seeing the negative comments towards the OP. Not everyone has an emergency fund set aside for bills and I'm hoping more and more people are doing so since no one knows what the future holds. My wife and I are taking those steps now.

Hopefully Directv will come through and work with the OP.

Very good points. If someone is WILLING TO PAY you, even if it's a little at a time to catch up, I would think they would want that instead of pissing someone off to the point where they say "F it, I'm not paying you a dime more."

 

[dishcomm]

Update:

I called Directv back, and asked to speak to a supervisor.

I informed the supervisor that I called Directv a while back to have my services cut off. I told him that I was unable to make payment then, and now my account has a balance of over $400.

All I was asking the supervisor to do is to STOP billing me, and allow me to make the account whole, before future charges are brought to it.

Then he informed me he had "level 3 access to the system" (again, making it sound like the system is some kind of artificial brain), and was unable to do anything.

I informed him that I:

1. Have asked Directv to stop billing me, and all future charges brought to my account will be considered without my consent.
2. Will have my aunt, who is an attorney "settle this matter".
3. Will make sure everyone I know (and I know quite a few people) make sure they never switch to Directv.

That didn't make the supervisor bat an eye, and they still won't help me.

Sadly, this is what a lot of large companies are coming to, no help in times of financial despair.

All I asked was for Directv to stop billing me (heck, they can freeze my contract if they want to), and allow me to pay the account off.

But they won't give me any lee-way, what ever happened to a company trying to keep the customer?

Throughout the time period of the additional billing, did you continue to use the service?
Why did you not simply cancel the service, pay the bill when the issue that prevented cropped up? IN other words, paid the bill on time and simply cancel the service upon denial of the suspension?

 

[dishcomm]

It is a legitimate reason.

And yeah I'm sure the OP planned on becoming unemployed

No one does. I still am curious as to why right after the layoff, he did not take a look at expendables and cancel the service.
If I was to become unemployed, the first things that would go are satellite TV right down to the most basic package, down grade cell service to basic, phone..Basic...Cancel the lawn care and pest control...Things that I can live without..Anything I can cut so I do not eat into savings get cut.
No one plans losing their job, but once they do, it is time to declare a financial emergency and act accordingly.

 

[yaz96]

You should have CANCELLED..

If he didn't have money to pay the bill, how was he supposed to pay the ETF?

 

[Mr Tony]

No one does. I still am curious as to why right after the layoff, he did not take a look at expendables and cancel the service.
If I was to become unemployed, the first things that would go are satellite TV right down to the most basic package, down grade cell service to basic, phone..Basic...Cancel the lawn care and pest control...Things that I can live without..Anything I can cut so I do not eat into savings get cut.
No one plans losing their job, but once they do, it is time to declare a financial emergency and act accordingly.

what is the old saying....walk a mile in a mans shoes
you can surely walk in mine......

pretty hard to downgrade anything when you are already on the lowest possible package with your cell phone, satellite, internet etc

 

[Mr Tony]

You should have CANCELLED..

so lets see....if you have a contract and say the ETF is 250 bucks how does that help?