I started out with the premier HD package, which is probably the biggest package I think. Well since I decided to start budgeting myself more carefully and because most of the movie channels play shit, I decided to downgrade to a Choice Xtra package and add HBO. Called, and set it up, thought everything was good.
Well after awhile I start getting these HUGE bills. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on, but I noticed that instead of being downgraded I was being charged for Premier AND for the Choice Xtra, oh and also an extra fee for HBO (which comes w/ the premier package) just to add insult to injury.
Anyway, I called last month in September to get this all figured out. Turns out, at DirectTV they must assume that it's impossible for them to make a billing mistake, as you are unable to talk to customer service if you owe them anything past due (whether you actually do or not.) So lucky me, I get to pay a huge bill that I don't even owe, just for the luxury of talking to somebody in customer service. Wow, what a good way to run a business.
So I get it all straightened out with the customer service gal, so I think. She apologizes for the mistakes. Tells me that I have hugely overpaid and that I am owed several credits (you think?). So she tells me that I am up to date on my account and because of the credits, I will have a smaller October bill. So yay.
So today is October 15th, and guess what? My fucking satellite was shut off for nonpayment.
So I call today and of course, just in case you have forgotten, DirectTV doesn't allow you to talk to customer service until you pay your past due balance (WHETHER YOU OWE IT OR NOT). So I end up looking DirectTV in my phone book and calling the installation number. Telling them the problem and they give me the customer service number that I have been calling the whole time. I explain to them that the automated system will not transfer you to a customer service rep if you have a past due balance. So finally, they are able to transfer me to someone.
So this new chick tells me that I owed 96 dollars still on my September bill. Um ok?? How?? She says that even after the mistake was corrected that I still owed 96 bucks and had I paid that in September my satellite service wouldn't have been interrupted. So I tell her that if I still owed money in September, why exactly was I credited for my October bill?? She can't explain why. All she can do is say that she is sorry for the "miscommunication" and that if I wanted my service reinstated I would have to pay that past due balance as well as my current October balance.
So do these people all have their heads up their asses? The first rep fucks up my account so that I am charged for 2 packages at the same time. The second rep fixes that and tells me that I'm overpaid for September, so that my October bill is going to be less than usual after she credits me. And third rep tells me that I had a past due balance still for September and that I have to pay that plus a full October bill just to have my TV turned back on. So wtf. And WTF is with not being able to talk to customer service if you have a past due balance?????? Perhaps it's my period, but I am feeling somewhat homicidal today.