Direct TV I am trying to cancel Direct TV service; I had gotten a new DVR (7/12) that I knew I had to agree on a 2-year contract. They are claiming I agreed to a $480 early termination charge that has $380 Internet

I'm with verizon fios and I'm saving 70dollars per month plus 360dollars a year for the nfl ticket. I have a better picture with fios so I will recover any monies in 6months and they have lost a customer and advocate. Thanks for your concerns moving to verizon fios has been the best move I have made in a long time.

what you think a two year contract is.

You admit to agreeing to a 2 year contract. I posted you the terms of that two year contract. You either agreed to the contract or you didn't. They didn't have to sit and read the contract to you first and ask you if you agreed to every portion. When you agreed to the two year contract, you agreed to the early cancelation fee.

As for class action lawsuit:
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/story/judge-rejects-arbitration-directv-class-action

You mean this one? Its actually over direct tv just taking the money from customer's accounts. It has nothing to do with the levying the fee in the first place.

here I'll highlight it for you:
"DirecTV allegedly took millions of dollars directly from its customers' credit card and bank accounts. The lawsuit seeks to return the money to the subscribers and force DirecTV to change its cancellation fee system"

So even if this class action lawsuit is won by the consumer, it won't change the cancellation fee. It will just change the method they use to collect it. Oh, and only in california. So unless your state has a similiar consumer protection law as california it wont matter.

Here's a separate one for you in illinois:
http://consumeradvocatelegalupdate.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/new-class-action-lawsuit-against-directv-for-charging-credit-cards-without-authorization/

Both of these class action lawsuits are over the method they use to charge the early cancellation fees, I can't find a single story about the cancellation fees themselves. So maybe you can enlighten us as to where this class action lawsuit is against the fees themselves?

Bottom line is, you don't have to believe me, I'm just trying to warn you of what they can do. You admit that you agreed to a 2 year contract, which means you agreed to all the terms even if you were unaware of them. You should NEVER agree to a contract unless you've read it in full. My next piece of advice: Cancel any debit or credit card you have ever used to pay direct tv before you cancel. if you don't they will charge the card for the cancellation fee. They will throw the contract in your face about it too. Same with the equipment, if they don't get it back fast they will slam you with those charges too. That's what these lawsuits are about. You might get your money back from them wih the lawsuit, but do you really wanna be out 400$ until the lawsuit settles?

I'm not trying to be an ass to you, but you need to realize the gravity of the situation you are in. Simply saying I didn't agree to an early cancellation fee holds no legal grounds. All they have to do is show you agreed to a two year contract and that's it. Be careful.

Really, let me try again. I never agreed to a 480 dollar termination fee obviously I am not the only one to have been misinformed. There is a class action law suit againt direct tv for changing there termintion fees on peoiple. You have no idea what. Is going to happen to me, cause you don't know me. Its. Clear that you either work for direct tv cause you are way to invested in something that hs NOTHING to do with you, maybe they won fix my roof but nomatter what the paper work may say that's BAD businee and they will loose more then me. I have given them more then 10.000 dollars over the last decade. They will never get another. Cent from me and I will bad mouth them for the rest of my days. When a company treats me right I always get them business. But just like a thief they may get there money from me and feel good for a day but in the long run there the loosers. Oh and by the way I have already worked. Out the other two situations you mentioned so if you want to talk to me like I'm some stupid kid well never mind you figure it out since your so smart

You said:
"I am trying to cancel Direct TV service; I had gotten a new DVR (7/12) that I knew I had to agree on a 2-year contract. "

i posted you the terms of that contract. Everything I posted is from the contract that you ADMIT to agreeing to.

You are telling me that you never ever signed a piece of paper when you got your service? You never verbally agreed to the terms on the phone? At no point you agreed to anything from them?

Good luck then. I showed you where you were wrong, you don't have to believe me. I"m not the one that's going to take money from your checking account when you cancel. I'm not the one that's going to charge you for the equipment if you don't return it. I'm not the one with a messed up roof. You need to read things that you agree to. In this case, you agreed to a contract. I quoted the terms of that contract.

I never signed anything quit telling me what I did. I never agreed to 480 dollars. Let me make this simple for you unless you work for direct tv give it up

Here is the consumer agreement that you agreed to when you signed up for service:

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/legal/customer_agreement
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/legal/equipment_lease_addendum

" Your Cancellation. You may cancel Service by notifying us. You may be charged a deactivation fee as described in Section 2 and issued a credit as described below. Your notice is effective on the day we receive it. You will still be responsible for payment of all outstanding balances accrued through that effective date. In addition to any deactivation or change of service fees provided in Section 2, if you cancel Service or change your Service package, you may be subject to an early cancellation fee if you agreed to a programming agreement with DIRECTV and have failed to maintain the required programming package for the required period of time. "

"c)  Limitations of Liability. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES RELATING TO THE RECEIVING EQUIPMENT OR ANY SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE"

"EARLY CANCELLATION FEE. If you do not maintain your base level of programming for the full term, we will charge you an early cancellation fee. The maximum fee is $480 for new customers, $480 for existing customers with DVR, HD and/or HD DVR Receivers, or $240 for existing customers with only standard Receivers. We prorate the fee, so for each month you've fulfilled your programming term agreement, we deduct $20 from the fee (i.e., if you have fulfilled 14 mos. of a 24-mo. agreement, your ECF would be $480 - $20 x 14, or $200). We reserve the right to charge this fee to the credit or debit card you have on file with us. We do not charge an ECF if you decide to cancel your DVR Service or HD Access early, so long as you maintain the base level of programming. However, upon cancellation of DVR Service and/or HD Access, you are required to return the equipment used in connection with these services to DIRECTV as described in Part Two below."

As I said, when you purchased and/or upgraded your equipment you signed a piece of paper agreeing to their terms of service. You agreed to not hold them liable for damages. You agreed to pay an early cancellation fee if you broke your two year contract, you agreed that you were only leasing the equipment. Its all in the documents on their website that you agreed to when you signed up for service.

What didn't you understand? I never agreed to 480dollars and why shouldn't direct fix my roof if they mounted a satelite. So they have no responsibility when they work on my property? Or do you have a waiver that I signed. There is a class action law suit against direct tv for changing there term?ination fee which is what they did with me. You obviously know nothing about business. I have been a contract for 30years. If you damage a property when you work on it you are responsible for that damage that is why you must carry liability ins

What does a two year contract mean to you exactly? Does that mean you get to break a two year contract at any time with no repurcussions? Obviously there will be a fee to break your contract. Cell phones do it. Cable providers do it. Anything that has a contract will have a fee for terminating the contract early. Guess what, when you signed up for the 2 year contract you agreed to those terms.

Also, when you leased your DVR you also signed paperwork agreeing that you were leasing and not purchasing your equipment.

You need to go back and reread the paperwork you signed. They also are not going to do anything about the dish or the water leak in your roof.

That is the standard operating procedure

for DirecTV. My advice to you would be to change your credit card number before

you cancel if you don't want surprise charges, for instance, if it is a debit

card and you dont want your checking account messed up.  However, you still owe it. When you went to

go to pick up the new DVR at Best Buy, you would have signed papers stating the

terms of the transaction. You aren't buying the DVR, just paying for the

upgrade. If you ever sign up for new service or an upgrade over the phone, they

also will do a recording session, I guess you could call it, with the terms

disclosed and asking you to acknowledge you are aware of the terms.



The $480 amount is standard for a 24

month contract, and it is reduced by $20 per month as you progress through the

24 month contract.  Overall, you have

been given the same terms and treatment everyone else who is a DirecTV customer

has.  Dish does similar things, Telco

companies with TV service, and many cable companies and will if you do their

special promotional pricing for a year.

Payment Upon CancellationUnder the terms of the DIRECTV Customer Agreement, when your DIRECTV service is cancelled, all outstanding charges are billed to the method of payment we currently have on file. The Customer Agreement is available online at directv.com/agreements. Please see the "Payment Upon Cancellation" section for more information. This policy is intended to make it as easy and convenient as possible for our customers to settle outstanding balances automatically, all without the need to make a manual payment, thusly avoiding potential late fees or collection activity.

I have this service and I read the terms/conditions when I signed up - guess you did not.