Directv Contract Scam! , Internet

My boyfriend and I are expecting our first child, and to save money, we moved back to my hometown. There aren't many choices for entertainment, so after doing some research, we decided to go with directv because our internet is through Qwest. We signed up for a $54 bundle. We have month-to-month service through Qwest, so when no contract was mentioned or offered for signing, we figured that Directv's service would also be month-to-month.
The first disappointment with the service occurred when we realized that anytime the sky got cloudy, rainy, or remotely windy, we would lose service. The second came when we found out that in order to get On-Demand, we would need to purchase a "special adapter" for another $80.
The last straw came when we got our first "full monthly" bill. Instead of $54, the Directv service alone was over $100! Since this doesn't fit into our tight budget, I called to cancel. I was told that I had "verbally agreed" to a 24 month contract, and even though I'd only had the service for a month, I'd have to pay $400 to cancel it! If I can't afford $100, what makes them think I can afford $400?
I finally decided to change my service to the "bare bones" plan, and as soon as I get the money saved up, I will be canceling this service. Lesson learned, and I will tell everyone I can to stay away from this company!