dan9999
12-15-2009, 06:42 PM
AG sues DirecTV over 'off-the-charts' number of complaints filed
Dec 14, 2009
KOMONEWS.com
SEATTLE -- It's the state versus the biggest satellite TV service in the country.
On Monday Attorney General Rob McKenna sued DirecTV, claiming the company deliberately misleads and deceives customers.
Hundreds of people in Washington state have complained about DirecTV. In fact, DirecTV has generated more complaints to the attorney general's office than any other company in the country this year.
McKenna says DirecTV knows what it's doing wrong, but won't change its ways. So they're headed to court.
Chances are you've seen the ads for DirecTV that offer 150 channels for $29.99 for 12 months. The attorney general calls this a lure. Most people, he claims, can't get this rate.
"There are many terms and conditions they don't become aware of until after they start reading their bill, and that's long after they're on the hook for the cancellation fee," he said.
Assistant Attorney General Paula Selis spent more than a year preparing this case. She says you only get that $29.99 price if you mail in for a rebate, and only if you do it right away.
"People who don't do it in 60 days lose the right to do that at all," she said. "And they don't get the rebate price; they get the higher price for the full 24 months of their contract."
Many of the terms and conditions are in the ads, buried in the fine print at the bottom of the page. You'd need a magnifying glass to read it.
"This is what we call unconscionable business practices, where you're not treating your customers fairly and the contract is so one-sided that it shouldn't be permitted under the law," said McKenna.
Raphael Chuvelashvili thought he was ordering that $29.99 a month package. He found he was being billed $114 a month, so he called DirecTV.
"They said, 'If you want the $29.99 a month, then you needed to send in a rebate,"' he said.
The rebate form is on the company's Web site. But because the 60-day deadline had already passed, Chuvelashvili was out of luck.
Maybe you think, 'if I order DirecTV and don't like the service, I can always cancel.' You can, but if you break that 24-month contract - and that's what you sign up for whether you realize it or not - you'll get slapped with a $480 cancellation fee.
I contacted DirecTV. In a statement to KOMO News, the company says the complaints in Washington state represent less than ½ of 1 percent of the customers here.
"The vast majority of our customers in Washington, and the U.S. for that matter, understand our lease agreement and are happy with our overall service.
"We are disappointed that the state elected to file a lawsuit. We believe their allegations lack merit, and we are confident the court will agree with us," the statement said.
The suit has plenty of merit, according to McKenna.
"This is off the charts in terms of the number of complaints we've received just this year alone," he said. "We've received 375 complaints, keeping in mind many consumers don't even know they can file a complaint with us."
But you can file a complaint. If you've been burned by DirecTV, the attorney general wants to hear from you.
Dec 14, 2009
KOMONEWS.com
SEATTLE -- It's the state versus the biggest satellite TV service in the country.
On Monday Attorney General Rob McKenna sued DirecTV, claiming the company deliberately misleads and deceives customers.
Hundreds of people in Washington state have complained about DirecTV. In fact, DirecTV has generated more complaints to the attorney general's office than any other company in the country this year.
McKenna says DirecTV knows what it's doing wrong, but won't change its ways. So they're headed to court.
Chances are you've seen the ads for DirecTV that offer 150 channels for $29.99 for 12 months. The attorney general calls this a lure. Most people, he claims, can't get this rate.
"There are many terms and conditions they don't become aware of until after they start reading their bill, and that's long after they're on the hook for the cancellation fee," he said.
Assistant Attorney General Paula Selis spent more than a year preparing this case. She says you only get that $29.99 price if you mail in for a rebate, and only if you do it right away.
"People who don't do it in 60 days lose the right to do that at all," she said. "And they don't get the rebate price; they get the higher price for the full 24 months of their contract."
Many of the terms and conditions are in the ads, buried in the fine print at the bottom of the page. You'd need a magnifying glass to read it.
"This is what we call unconscionable business practices, where you're not treating your customers fairly and the contract is so one-sided that it shouldn't be permitted under the law," said McKenna.
Raphael Chuvelashvili thought he was ordering that $29.99 a month package. He found he was being billed $114 a month, so he called DirecTV.
"They said, 'If you want the $29.99 a month, then you needed to send in a rebate,"' he said.
The rebate form is on the company's Web site. But because the 60-day deadline had already passed, Chuvelashvili was out of luck.
Maybe you think, 'if I order DirecTV and don't like the service, I can always cancel.' You can, but if you break that 24-month contract - and that's what you sign up for whether you realize it or not - you'll get slapped with a $480 cancellation fee.
I contacted DirecTV. In a statement to KOMO News, the company says the complaints in Washington state represent less than ½ of 1 percent of the customers here.
"The vast majority of our customers in Washington, and the U.S. for that matter, understand our lease agreement and are happy with our overall service.
"We are disappointed that the state elected to file a lawsuit. We believe their allegations lack merit, and we are confident the court will agree with us," the statement said.
The suit has plenty of merit, according to McKenna.
"This is off the charts in terms of the number of complaints we've received just this year alone," he said. "We've received 375 complaints, keeping in mind many consumers don't even know they can file a complaint with us."
But you can file a complaint. If you've been burned by DirecTV, the attorney general wants to hear from you.