DirecTV Service is a Scam

what that original bill came out to be, but now that he has cancelled
his service, that $500 probably reflects an early termination fee or
an equipment fee that wouldn't have been there if he decided to stay.

HOWEVER, as a grown adult, I don't personally think that it's DirecTV,
or any other company's responsibility to explain every aspect of a
contract that's being signed. Whenever you sign your name, you should
ASSUME it's something legally binding and carefully review it. Just
signing it because he believed it to be nothing more than receipt of
installation is unbelievably risky, IMHO.

Your Dad didn't get to this ripe old age by being a fool and
personally, I'd be embarassed to try and use my advancing age as an
excuse for not exercising caution. If he is that unfit to review and
sign a contract, then maybe he needs to have someone else managing his
affairs.

I'd tell Dad not to sign anything till he reads it. If he doesn't
trust what he's reading, you could be there to read it and give him
the run-down. Buyer beware!

A while back, I used to be a customer service rep for Directv. We got
plenty of installation calls daily. The process of completing an
installation from our end involved us reading a script. In that script
we offer you additional add on's, we make sure that you understand the
price for everything, so on and so forth. The process can be a long
one. This seems almost perfect. The problem is that because its so
long, people tend to rush us or tune us out completely.

I used to get calls from people that were upset at the additional
receiver fee of $5 a month per add receiver. They always claimed that
they weren't told this. Well, I know for a fact that its brought up
several times during the installation process. How do I tell a person
nicely that they just weren't listening? Or better yet, when they sign
up for the first three months at $30 and soon as their three months
are up they want to terminate service. AND they dont want the
termination fee, because they weren't told it was only for the first
three months. I could go on..

I would suggest that your father call Directv and ask for an
explanation and break down of the bill. Perhaps he ordered their NFL
package? Maybe he ordered movie packages(HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/etc)?HD?
It all adds up. Also, there are terms to whatever deal he saw
advertised. If he somehow went outside of those terms, its possible
that he didnt get the deal.

If you and your father don't want to look into getting a cheaper
programming package, make sure you get the equipment returned to
Direct TV. Doing so might take off a significant amount of 500.00
your father owes.

The first month's bill for any service like this is usually higher
because you are paying a pro-rated amount for the current month and a
month in advance. If the service is supposed to be $50 per month and
gets installed two weeks before the billing cycle, the first month's
bill would be $75 plus any taxes or fees.

Unless your father is mentally incapacitated, he should have read what
he was signing or asked what he was signing. Just because someone is
a senior citizen does not mean they are incompetent. My mother is 86
and sharp as a tack.

1) Everything you see on TV advertisements is not always what it
seems.

2) Be careful what you say (i.e. sign up for), because if you make a
promise (i.e. contract) you need to live up to it.

If they had said to your dad on the phone, "Ok sir, we know you say
you want DirectTV, but we can only let you sign yourself up if you
tell us you are of sound mind or let your children do it for you.",
how do you think that complaint letter would sound? Your father was
able to make a decision to call on the phone and order DirectTV. He
agreed to the contract on that phone call. They spent money coming
out with expensive equipment and an installer to put it all in. He
then used it for 2 weeks and stopped. Now, he wants to only pay for
2-3 weeks of cable?! Um, I doubt it.

The smart thing to do would have been for you to help your father by
seeing if they could downgrade his service to a least costly one. Or,
help pay the difference for him until the contract was up and he could
walk away for free in 1 or 2 years. Either of these would be a better
option than allowing him to cancel for $500.

Since the actual contract was between your father and the Direct TV
rep he spoke with, the installer is only having him sign stating that
the installation was completed and the service he ordered can begin.
He has nothing to do with explaining the actual contract to the
customer.

In an ideal world these reps would ask if there is a relative or a
son, daughter that the elderly person would like to talk to before
signing anything. But we do not live in a perfect world and since your
father was the one who initiated the sale by calling Direct TV they
probably thought he knew what he wanted.

I understand its not easy getting an elderly parent(relative) to ask
for help because independence is so important to them. Maybe you can
tell your dad that even you call someone and ask their opinion before
you make some purchases just to see what they think. Its a kinder way
of keeping tract of what your dad is purchasing than to tell him "call
me before you do anything like that again" type of reaction.

Businesses must assume that the customer knows what he or she is doing
and that they will ask questions if they don't understand something.

It is not up to the technician to make certain that every customer
understands that he is signing a contract and what that entails.

your first months bill will always be higher, due to installation
fees, set up and rental of the dish and box...PLUS his first month
usage fee, and that gets high depending on what package he selected.

So it is no wonder that he got that bill. Had you advised him and
intervened before hand, you could have saw this info and decided
whether or not the programming was economically feasible

I'm sorry your dad was confused, but if your dad is this unable to
handle financial matters and understand contracts and other paperwork
like that, perhaps you should intervene in his affairs at the
beginning of things? Would he allow you to do that?

He knew that before signing up, correct? This is pretty widely known
- it is like getting involved with a cell phone company.

What were the monthly fees, and were they as advertised? Your letter
fails to mention this. If the monthly charge was as advertsied, I am
surprised he didn't know ahead of time whether he could afford the
payments.

Unfortunately, your dad signed a *contract*. I hope they will
consider giving him a break, but I wouldn't count on it. Good luck.