Billing Errors

I sent the following email to DirectTv regarding a $70 service call charge that was on my last bill.

On January 7, 2007 while watching TV my picture went out. I attempted to reset it myself without success. I then called customer service, despite working for over half an hour with the Representative we were unable to get the system to work. The only thing she could come up with was that the dish was out of alignment and needed to be adjusted physically outside by a technician. Not having had this problem before and being technically naive I went along with her suggestion. Had I had any idea that just waiting would resolve the problem of course I would have done that. Based on her expert advice I put in for a technician visit for the next day, 1/8/2007.

The next morning the technician pre-called me to notify me he was on his way. During this call he asked me to check to see what the TV was doing at that time. Since I was awakened by his call, I agreed to check while on the phone with him. Imagine my surprise when I turned on the set and it was working! My exact words to him were, "It's magically working now!". He said, "Well as long as I'm on my way, I'll come check it out".

He came to my house and it was still working. He gave me an invoice but did not mark any charges. He said he would put it down as weather. I did sign the invoice but I was under the impression there was not to be any charge since it was working on the pre-call, he didn't mark any charges on the invoice and the service call was to physically adjust the dish outside which he did not do.

Please adjust the $70 charge from 1/8/07 from my bill and email me confirmation.

I got a response but it was basically telling me, too bad but for next time why don't you pay $5.99 per month and then there won't be any charges. First of all, regarding the "protection plan": $5.99 x 12 months is $71.88, I've had my service for a little over one year, assuming I had the plan and one service call a year, it's ok, but if no service calls over a longer period of time and it's cheaper to NOT have the plan. So I never order it. Same with the telephone and Consumer Powers.

My second point, I still feel I'm entitled to an adjustment based on my points outlined in my letter. (1) I was told the dish needed "physical alignment" (2) the invoice I signed didn't have any charges on it (3) The service was working on the pre-call.

So I called Customer Service on my lunch. Waited on hold 20 minutes. Talked to the first rep, she didn't want to adjust, I asked for supervisor, she must have noted my account and/or there were already notes because then she transfered me to Technical Support and she adjusted it.

I want to be clear that had the technician marked a charge on the bill, I would have paid since I signed it. Also if I would have got up earlier and checked the TV and it was working I would have called to cancel the report. However, we allow customers to cancel trouble reports on precalls so of course I thought that that was an industry wide practice.

Bottom line--Always check your bills and call on incorrect charges. This includes credit union statements, credit cards, telephone bills, everything.


$ 60 Maid
2.16 Taco Bell
39.77 Water bill