Just say "NO" to Direct TV

So we're moving to Canada. In a week.

We've known we were moving to Canada since we came back from Peru.

That's why when I called to see about hooking up Direct TV, back in September- our only option since we live a bit out of the city - out of the reaches of cable - I specifically asked about early cancellation of the contract. If we would be held to an early cancellation fee, I did not want to sign up - we would just do without.

The gal I talked to on sign-up day, back in September, assured me that because we were moving out of the country in 9-10 months, where Direct TV could not provide service, we would not be held to an early cancellation fee (of each month's payment for the rest of the contract - not small change). I asked her every which way and she told me the same thing. So we signed up for the shortest time period we could do - 12 or 18 months (I can't remember because I just knew we weren't going to be here for all of it).

So the service guy come a few weeks later to hook us up and notices we have an HD TV. "You need HD service otherwise everything will be blurry." Umm, ok. So he hooks us up, now with HD service that we weren't planning on, and says "sign here" - which we thought was his "proof that he came" paper. He didn't say otherwise or anything for that matter.

So in about a month I get a bill that is higher than I expected. So I call, and guess what, not only does the HD Service add $10, which was not told to us, but I have extended my contract by adding it - to 2 years. Ok, that part shouldn't be a big deal, since I'm moving out of the country and all in less than a year and I was told it wouldn't be a big deal. But I am miffed about getting snuckered into something I wasn't fully aware I was getting snuckered into. That was lame and bad business. But there was nothing I could do, I was told. Of course.

Fast forward to January - things are tight financially, so we decided to try to cut off our service. I had forgotten about the contract at the moment and since we weren't moving right then, I couldn't use it as an excuse. But what I did find out was that if I cancelled in January, my cancellation fee was $480. Because of the HD service we were snuckered into. I'm mad, but we just decide to stay with it until we move. Because they said....right???

So spent yesterday morning on the phone fighting with Dirct TV because, guess what, it doesn't matter if you are moving somewhere they don't provide service AND you were told that because you were moving somewhere they don't provide service you wouldn't be held to the early cancellation fee, you are still held to the early cancellation fee...unless you die. That is the only way one is NOT held to the early cancellation fee.

So someone lied to me. Surprise, surprise.
And someone else won't uphold what was told to me. Another surprise.
And supervisor someone else said that, yes even though all conversations are recorded and my conversation from way back in September is somewhere out there, no one can access it without an attorney. Double surprise.

So the moral of the story is, you can not trust Direct TV with their word, or their service. They are just plain dishonest. And, with Direct TV the customer not only is always wrong, but treated like an unknowledgable imbecile.

This is my warning.
Take it for what it's worth.