DirecTV sends customer bill for over $600 after home burns down...

[DBSat]

I saw this on KCWY-TV, via FTA...A long time customer of DirecTV lost his home in a fire, and destroyed (3) sat boxes. DirecTV sends them a bill for over $600 for canceled service.
The customers were going to re-up their subscription at a new location, but the new landlord would not allow a satellite dish. So the nice guys at DirecTV sent them a big bill.
The customers tried to explain to DTV customer service what had happened, but got no where. They went public with their story, and I guess DirecTV got word of it and said they were sorry, and even offered free installation after they corrected the bill. The long time customers, said they had lost faith in DirecTV and would go with another Satellite Co.
Can't blame them for feeling that way.The customers said, "they need to shut down that call center"...

 

[Jimbo]

I saw this on KCWY-TV, via FTA...A long time customer of DirecTV lost his home in a fire, and destroyed (3) sat boxes. DirecTV sends them a bill for over $600 for canceled service.
The customers were going to re-up their subscription at a new location, but the new landlord would not allow a satellite dish. So the nice guys at DirecTV sent them a big bill.
The customers tried to explain to DTV customer service what had happened, but got no where. They went public with their story, and I guess DirecTV got word of it and said they were sorry, and even offered free installation after they corrected the bill. The long time customers, said they had lost faith in DirecTV and would go with another Satellite Co.
Can't blame them for feeling that way.The customers said, "they need to shut down that call center"...

Do you have a link to this article ?
Reason I asked is because this story comes out every other year ....

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

DirecTV will reverse themselves and say it was a computer issue. It seems to happen every year or so.

 

[WaveyDavey]

The guy has been posting of the DirecTV Facebook page quite regularly about this issue and seems to have been ignored by whoever operates the page

 

[imthedevil]

KCWY13 - NBC For Wyoming

Bill

 

[Joe The Dragon]

And if they had cable then the cable co may of tried to bill $1000-$1500 for 3 boxes.

 

[harshness]

Did the DIRECTV ETF recently go up to $25/month? This is where DIRECTV claims the $600 fee came from.

 

[jdspencer]

This is one of those weird stories.
But, if their new landlord won't allow a satellite dish (which is illegal), how do they expect to go with another Satellite Co.?

 

[Carroll A]

Seems something like this happens once a year... I could have sworn one other time it was E* but can't remember... CC

 

[Mike0616]

Do you have a link to this article ?
Reason I asked is because this story comes out every other year ....

If it happens that often, you would think they could deal with it.

The link to the story is: KCWY13 - NBC For Wyoming

Great PR, huh?

 

[stonecold]

Did the DIRECTV ETF recently go up to $25/month? This is where DIRECTV claims the $600 fee came from.

600 dollar fee probably was not the ETF it was probably for the recievers . DTV holds customers responsible for the theft / destruction of there equipment we tell customer to file a claim with insurance.

 

[charper1]

exactly; is every company supposed to just write off everything for everyone? geez, talk about the can of worms that would open and what our bills would rocket too then? there already is a built-in cost to the basic just to help pay for the times they get jobbed.peeps need to start thinking with their heads more and not emotions; that leads to very bad decisions.

 

[harshness]

600 dollar fee probably was not the ETF it was probably for the recievers .

The article quotes an unnamed DIRECTV representative as saying that it was an early cancellation fee at the bottom of paragraph four of the article.

Due to an administrative error, he was erroneously billed for an Early Cancellation Fee.

Speculation that it might have been otherwise seems silly.

 

[Mike0616]

600 dollar fee probably was not the ETF it was probably for the recievers . DTV holds customers responsible for the theft / destruction of there equipment we tell customer to file a claim with insurance.

A better idea would be for the fire dept to find the boxes so they can be sent back to D* with a police / fire report and maybe then they would be able to see their way clear of canceling the contract with no ETF? A claim could be filed with the insurance company for the value of the boxes, but since the claims take a while to get paid, I guess the consumer should use their $$$ to pay off D* before they worry about silly things like replacement clothes, food, etc. right?

Somehow, I don't even see Comcrap as being this ignorant of what their "company policy" is going to do to their PR, but then, that is why D* is falling fast in all the consumer satisfaction surveys, BBB ratings, etc.

 

[Jimbo]

Wonder what D*'s response would be if this happened and the subs still wanted thier service, there would be NO ETF at that point, if they had the PP D* would have to replace the boxes as they are no longer working

 

[stonecold]

Wonder what D*'s response would be if this happened and the subs still wanted thier service, there would be NO ETF at that point, if they had the PP D* would have to replace the boxes as they are no longer working

PP would not had replace it does not cover fires or floods or other acts of god.

 

[harshness]

A better idea would be for the fire dept to find the boxes so they can be sent back to D* with a police / fire report and maybe then they would be able to see their way clear of canceling the contract with no ETF?

As the statement from DIRECTV seems to make clear, this isn't about the lost equipment. This is more along the lines of an install that failed for lack of LOS.

 

[Jimbo]

PP would not had replace it does not cover fires or floods or other acts of god.

Thought I'd try anyways !

 

[stonecold]

As the statement from DIRECTV seems to make clear, this isn't about the lost equipment. This is more along the lines of an install that failed for lack of LOS.

there is no 600 ETF, I bet there was and ETF but most of that 600 was an NRF fee. I dealt with alot of people who been victims of floods , break ins , and fires to know .
There was something more if it was 600 then just an ETF!

Here is what mostlikey happen fire happened they call up we tell them own it going to be about 4/500 dollars in nrf fees do to the damaged equipment got someone not willing to work with them and canceled had in the additional 1 to 200 dollar etf, but at the end we the story and us just call it ETF.

 

[markfp-1]

we tell customer to file a claim with insurance.

That's how it should work, but unfortunately many tenant's don't carry renter's insurance because they're under the false assumption that their landlord's insurance will cover their losses which, of course, is not true.