DirecTV UNAUTHORIZED PAYMENTS Pulled from my bank. Frauds and Theives Internet

I am permanently disabled and tv is my only entertainment.  I had been with Direct TV for a year, and when the referral credit and other credits ended, my bill more than doubled.   I am on a very low fixed income and, along with others on disability, my benefits are unable to keep up with rising cost of living.  Also, because of extremely high electric bills this summer, I had no choice but to try to cancel my satellite service with Direct TV.

They informed me that if they cancelled service, they have my debit card on file and would withdraw approx. $300 from my bank account.  If they did that, I would be unable to pay my bills!  They told me they could switch me to another plan (one with none of the channels I watch) for the one year remaining on my contract and it would only cost me $29.99 or I could pay the $300+ to cancel the service and it would all come out at once! 

That would have meant I couldn't pay my electric and phone bills.  And since I have to have them for my medic alert button, I had no choice...

I agreed to the $29.99 a month.  They sent me a different box, which I haven't even plugged in yet.  I went to pay my bill, and they now say service has been discontinued until I pay $256.89.  I called and was told that I had cancelled.  I told them I had not, that I downgraded, was sent another box.  I was told they didn't have the new box listed on my account,  just the old equipment that I sent back to them.

It seems that if the receiver isn't activated, I have cancelled my service...even though I agreed to continue to pay for their service, which is useless to me.  Why waste the electricity to plug it in?

 So, it seems that these crooks are now going to do what they set out to do...steal money from my account.