When does customer agreement take effect and I become liable for cancellation fees?

[Pandarwin]

I am considering signing up for DirecTV service when I return to the States in a few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me when the customer agreement takes effect and I become liable for early cancellation fees? Does it take effect the moment I submit my order for installation, or only after the installation at my home is successful and I physically sign off on it?

I have read some horror stories, and I want to make sure I will not be liable for cancellation fees if the installer and I cannot agree on a suitable location to put the dish (e.g., I don’t want the dish installed on the front of my house, and if that is the only location that will work in terms of reception, I would rather cancel my install than have it put up there).

Also, during the installation, does anyone suggest specific tests/checks (in terms of reception/signal quality) I should do before signing that the installation is acceptable and complete? I assume that the installer is optimizing things during the setup, but I wonder if there are some simple checks that I can do to verify the quality of the install before signing?

 

[tvropro]

When you sign the contract after the install is complete, before the installer leaves.

Look for signal numbers in the high 90's to 100

 

[JerseyMatt]

Your contract starts when you sign. If it is not installed to your satisfaction, and you can't work it out with the installer, tell him to take it out. But that is a very rare occurrence. Just talk with the tech when he gets there, tell him where is acceptable for the dish and routing cables and he'll work with you on it.

As far as the reception, there is a pretty high threshold for signal quality that must be achieved before the receivers can be activated, and this can not be overridden by the installer without a good explanation and permission from Directv. He will do a signal strength test as part of the install, just watch the numbers. They should be in the 90's across the board (there are some that are supposed to be zeroes, and disregard the N/A's). If there are lower numbers, call them out. They mean the dish is not peaked.

 

[downthedoor]

You have 24 hours from the activation date to cancel with no early term fees. In some states it is up to 14 days if you order through certain channels and what you were told is different than what is actually on your bill.

A few years ago they used to give you 72 hours, but I guess too many people canceled in the window so they tightened the belt. I've always felt it should be 30 days, but I guess D* doesn't have that much confidence in its service.

 

[Pandarwin]

Thanks for the rapid feedback.

 

[markfp-1]

Remember, you're the customer whose paying the bill, check everything, look at every channel if you want and make sure everything is to your satisfaction. If you aren't happy don't sign the agreement.

 

[spaceghost]

As other posters stated, the receivers must reach a certain thresh hold before the receivers will activate. This thresh hold is very high and should have no concern in regards to this. What you need to watch for is poor installation work that might cause problems down the road.

 

[Joe Diamond]

To add to all that has been stated:

The number I heard was $600.00 that Directv has expended to acquire and install a single customer. Therefore they want things to go smoothly and work to eliminate the surprises at the last minute.

Every state has different consumer laws about home purchase. It is the state law that actually controls what happens regardless of what Directv tells you.

What I have seen as an installer is that if you cancel the installation or there is no line of sight or for any reason you stop the installation or refuse it you are not charged.
They do already have your credit card information and intend to use it. You have agreed to this.

Aside from state law and courts it is the credit card companies that can resolve the rare disputes that come up even though somewhere in the contract I think you agree to submit to arbitration rather than courts or other procedures.

Directv has 30 million customers as of recently. Most of them are happy with the product. View Directv at a neighbor's house.....have their account number and there will be a reward for ya.

Joe