Dante101
12-04-2007, 03:46 AM
This post is just me venting - so skip it if you don't like venting...
Around the beginning of October, I decided to sign up for Showtime. There were a few movies they were showing that I wanted to watch. I ordered it via DTV's website.
On November 3rd, I decided to switch from Showtime to Starz. Again, I made this change via the website - cancelling Showtime and subscribing to Starz. I'm not sure if I signed up to Showtime at the end of September or the start of October. In other words, I don't know if I had been with Showtime for a full month or not. But there seemed to be no trouble.
During the last week of November, I decided Starz wasn't as good as I thought. The movies seemed okay, but they were all pan/scan, not letterboxed. So I wanted to unsubscribe. I wasn't sure of the exact date when I subscribed, though.
So I went on DTV's website to cancel Starz, but instead I get a message saying something like "if you cancel Starz within the first month of service, you will incur a $10 surcharge. Please call DirecTV at..."
So I called up and the CSR informed me that my month wouldn't be up for one more week (December 3rd). I kinda understand why they clamped down on people subscribing to pay services for the weekend only, but this seemed a bit silly - charging me more money for 3 weeks of Starz than I would pay for having a full month.
So I asked the CSR if she could set it up so that Starz would automatically be removed from my service on December 3rd. She said yes - no problem.
So tonight I'm watching a pre-recorded program, and as soon as its over, I get a message saying my DVR service has been disconnected, and that I needed to call DirecTV.
I was f**ing pissed!
I called DTV, and spent all this USELESS time dealing with their f**ing automated messages, which took FOREVER until it gave me the option of connecting to a representative.
Once connected with a human, I told her the problem. She said she'd try to reset my service. After a moment she asked me to check if I was still getting the message. I hit the "live TV" button and saw that I wasn't even getting live TV! I was totally cut off!
I told her this, and told her that my STARZ package was scheduled to be automatically disconnected that day (and that this was most likely the root of the problem).
So she puts me on hold, telling me that she'll try removing all my service and re-adding it again.
That worked.
But before she hung up, I asked her to confirm my package details. She said I had Total Choice Plus and the Starz package.
"No, no - the Starz package was scheduled to be disconnected today. That was the whole problem."
"Okay. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
"Yes, so I have the Total Choice Plus package..."
"Yes, and Starz."
"No. I need Starz disconnected. You need to take that off. I don't want it."
So she takes off Starz. I confirm that all I have is DVR service and Total Choice Plus (as well as confirming the price). And I also ask to be put back on the list for getting paper bills in the mail (so I can keep track of my charges better/easier).
What a friggin' pain in the butt! From the original CSR who schedules my entire service to be cancelled tonight (instead of just Starz) to the CSR tonight who almost left me with Starz service (if I didn't ask to make sure what my services were in the end).
Damn, have I learned my lesson. From now on, I'm only dealing with the website.
I originally came to DTV due to bad service from various cable companies. Now DTV is starting to act like those old cable companies did, with CSRs who don't measure up and with service that is getting pretty shoddy (I'm one of those whose DVR has been rebooting since getting the latest upgrade).
Maybe FIOS is in my future. Its really too bad. I used to be a big advocate for DirecTV. Can the new owners repair the damage that was done in Murdoch's era?
Around the beginning of October, I decided to sign up for Showtime. There were a few movies they were showing that I wanted to watch. I ordered it via DTV's website.
On November 3rd, I decided to switch from Showtime to Starz. Again, I made this change via the website - cancelling Showtime and subscribing to Starz. I'm not sure if I signed up to Showtime at the end of September or the start of October. In other words, I don't know if I had been with Showtime for a full month or not. But there seemed to be no trouble.
During the last week of November, I decided Starz wasn't as good as I thought. The movies seemed okay, but they were all pan/scan, not letterboxed. So I wanted to unsubscribe. I wasn't sure of the exact date when I subscribed, though.
So I went on DTV's website to cancel Starz, but instead I get a message saying something like "if you cancel Starz within the first month of service, you will incur a $10 surcharge. Please call DirecTV at..."
So I called up and the CSR informed me that my month wouldn't be up for one more week (December 3rd). I kinda understand why they clamped down on people subscribing to pay services for the weekend only, but this seemed a bit silly - charging me more money for 3 weeks of Starz than I would pay for having a full month.
So I asked the CSR if she could set it up so that Starz would automatically be removed from my service on December 3rd. She said yes - no problem.
So tonight I'm watching a pre-recorded program, and as soon as its over, I get a message saying my DVR service has been disconnected, and that I needed to call DirecTV.
I was f**ing pissed!
I called DTV, and spent all this USELESS time dealing with their f**ing automated messages, which took FOREVER until it gave me the option of connecting to a representative.
Once connected with a human, I told her the problem. She said she'd try to reset my service. After a moment she asked me to check if I was still getting the message. I hit the "live TV" button and saw that I wasn't even getting live TV! I was totally cut off!
I told her this, and told her that my STARZ package was scheduled to be automatically disconnected that day (and that this was most likely the root of the problem).
So she puts me on hold, telling me that she'll try removing all my service and re-adding it again.
That worked.
But before she hung up, I asked her to confirm my package details. She said I had Total Choice Plus and the Starz package.
"No, no - the Starz package was scheduled to be disconnected today. That was the whole problem."
"Okay. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
"Yes, so I have the Total Choice Plus package..."
"Yes, and Starz."
"No. I need Starz disconnected. You need to take that off. I don't want it."
So she takes off Starz. I confirm that all I have is DVR service and Total Choice Plus (as well as confirming the price). And I also ask to be put back on the list for getting paper bills in the mail (so I can keep track of my charges better/easier).
What a friggin' pain in the butt! From the original CSR who schedules my entire service to be cancelled tonight (instead of just Starz) to the CSR tonight who almost left me with Starz service (if I didn't ask to make sure what my services were in the end).
Damn, have I learned my lesson. From now on, I'm only dealing with the website.
I originally came to DTV due to bad service from various cable companies. Now DTV is starting to act like those old cable companies did, with CSRs who don't measure up and with service that is getting pretty shoddy (I'm one of those whose DVR has been rebooting since getting the latest upgrade).
Maybe FIOS is in my future. Its really too bad. I used to be a big advocate for DirecTV. Can the new owners repair the damage that was done in Murdoch's era?