Bought 2 DirecTV systems, installer flaked, now Debt Collection

[BurnedGuy]

I'd appreciate any non-flaming advice on this matter:

Back in Sept I ordered a two-room installation from an online reseller that was running a so-so deal - ended up paying about $190 up front for both units, one a directivo and the other some regular non-PVR box.

They subbed installation out to some local guys. Local guys gave me major run around (tale of utter incompetence elided) and they re-subbed it to another local installer who bounced it back to the first local installer, who just sat on it, etc, etc. I left off with a call into the reseller telling them to stop jacking me around and do the right thing, they would call back, they never called back. Since then I've been watching OTA, DVDs (lots of DVDs) and (hushhush) bittorrent downloads and haven't missed cable/dbs all that much (heresy!).

But now, 2.5 months after my last contact with the retailer, they've sicc'd a bill collector on me. No attempt to do the right thing, no other attempts at communication, just send in the collection agency, they claim I owe $175 with very little explanation or details. As far as I'm concerned, they owe me about a thousand in lost wages for sitting around at the house for half a day at a time each time their installer(s) failed to show, but I don't realistically expect to collect on that.

They can have their equipment back, except that some of the original packaging is gone and the PVR has actually been sitting in my rack powered up but not connected to anything for all this time (I got everything ready for the installer the first time he never showed and then just kind of left it all out, not wanting to deal with it after getting burned 3-4 more times) but I would expect them to pay return shipping and refund my original payment of $190. I never signed a thing, the transaction was made over the telephone.

So, any suggestions? I wouldn't mind getting DirecTV, I actually have a firewire-modded DTC-100 that I bought about a year ago to use for HDTV recording, but man am I bitter about this operation and their utter lack of customer service.

[pez2002]

Cant you Just get Directv to install it For you

[mwgiii]

Call DirecTv direct and explain what happened.

[Mark Holtz]

Do you name the names and addresses of the two installers? I would write a letter and send it via certified mail w/return receiptexplaining the situation including specifics to DirecTV at:

DirecTV Inc.
Customer Service
PO Box 70014
Boise, ID 83707-0114

CC a copy of the letter via certified mail w/return receiptto the collections agency.

There is a 30 day window from when you receive the receivers to when the receivers are activated and a one year commitment to DirecTV Total Choice or above service. In this situation, you followed the directions for the installation, while the installer dropped the ball.

I know that some of the posters have said to call DirecTV directly. However, at this moment, you need a paper trail, and e-mail and phone calls will not do.

Edited to correct mail terms perl Karl's post. - Holtz

[cdru]

I'd also include the collection agency in along with direct TV. If everything is as you say, it's obvious that the $175 worth of service was never performed. If the "debt" shouldn't be paid, it's your responsibility to notify the collection agency as to such. If it comes down to it, doing this (via registered mail w/return receipt) will help out in small claims court.

[Karl Foster]

No offense anyone, but send it Certified Mail w/return receipt, not Registered Mail. Registered Mail is for high-value item or classified documents. It is the slowest way to send mail as it has to move under lock and key - never by air - and is extremely expensive. Cerified mail gives you the paper trail you need and is quick and relatively cheap in comparison. You'll get a green card back in the mail when the recipient signs for it.

[Mark Holtz]

No offense anyone, but send it Certified Mail w/return receipt, not Registered Mail.Count me as offended... NOT! !Devil_lol

I have corrected my own post accordingly. Like I said, a paper trail is needed.

[durl]

Call the Better Business Bureau in your area and lodge a complaint. It will not only protect any of their future "customers" but it might give you some leverage with the deadbeats.

[Bellingham]

The online selling retailer is responsible for the installation, not you. They have no right to attempt to collect the additional $175 for their own incompetence at sellecting reliable installers. Toss it back at them.

[Tanic]

Don't forget to complain to your state attorney general, too. They can often bring legal heat upon unscrupulous businesses to correct their actions.

[Jordan420]

In all letters I would state that "you will hold them (dish network AND the installer) accountable/liable for any damage to your credit history due to the collection against you. And they will be responsible for monetary damages you may incur in the future due to the damage of your credit". If you ever buy or refinance your home or even get a cell phone this will co$t you much more than the $175 they are sending to collections.

Jordan :eek2: :nono:

[jwwahly]

If you live in northeast PA. send me a pm. and we'll set something up and i'll come do it for ya. not a big deal to me i'll help someone out whenever i can.

[TEN89]

No offense. But it all comes down to is, Buyer's Beware!

[gpflepsen]

In all letters I would state that "you will hold them (dish network AND the installer) accountable/liable for any damage to your credit history due to the collection against you. And they will be responsible for monetary damages you may incur in the future due to the damage of your credit". If you ever buy or refinance your home or even get a cell phone this will co$t you much more than the $175 they are sending to collections.

Jordan :eek2: :nono:

Direct TV... Direct TV... Direct TV...

I'd be pissed. If I had a Bufford Pusser stick, I'd go for a little walk. :)

[Strong]

Interesting thread, but as an installer, I would like to hear some details about the original guest posters situation.

Is he in the perfect situation with no trees, prewired home, accesable cables, etc?? Since 2 installers seemingly passed on his home, his situation is probably so unique or complicated that normal rules just don't apply. Or is the retailer/distributor a fly-by-night operation that doesn't pay their installers on time? Something sounds fishy to me because no one get paid unless the installation goes through and 2 installers seem to have passed on the job.

If he was seduced by the "free" installation sales pitch, he may very well be unreasonably expecting the world from an installer that is being paid by the job and who has to pay for his own materials.

I'm constantly amazed by the lack of knowledge from some customers about satellite tv installations. Today I got a work order that specified that the job needed a tripod. I contacted the customer beforehand to hear what his particular situation was. He advised me that he knew nothing about satellite, that he lived in a high rise apartment with no patio, and the retailer told him that the satellite could be aimed through the window! Needless to say, I gave him a small lecture about being an educated consumer, but it probably fell on deaf ears and he will probably be posting to a forum saying how inept retailers, installers and D* is!

[James Long]

Interesting thread, but as an installer, I would like to hear some details about the original guest posters situation.

Is he in the perfect situation with no trees, prewired home, accesable cables, etc??
Perfect install or not, you either do it or refund the money. You don't refuse to install AND bill the customer. People consider that unethical. :D

JL

[frankctx]

has the poster called dish network,,or is this a flame post at dish..back in the dinasaur age 6 years ago..we had the same problem through a radio ad,contracted out,then subbed out..did get hooked up,but the last contractor didn't wire a ground and on close inspection(attic) just used the cable wires to run signal and down walls to tv..anyway after numerous blackouts,weak signals,pixelation..got feed up and called dish network they sent out a cerfitied installer who just looked at the setup and laughed,,then went to work...as for the bill collector tell em they are fired..you do not owe them a cent.. the certified letter to them will suffice..when they call you at work(?)if that # is in your'e paperwork tell them not to call you at work you are not allowed personal calls..but for home communication the your'e fired has to be in writng....check out bendover.com for consumer rights..sorry to any who might be bbill collectors..

[Strong]

Perfect install or not, you either do it or refund the money. You don't refuse to install AND bill the customer. People consider that unethical. :D

JLUnderstood, but the original poster didn't give any details about their situation. I have to assume that, for whatever reason, both installers decided that it wouldn't be in their interests to do the job. I would think they would have contacted the retailer why they didn't do it. If they were totally flaky according to the poster, the retailer (assuming they were legitimate) would have contacted the customer to try to work something out. All of the pertinant details were left out by the guest poster.

Lots of folks on these forums talk about the advantages of using a local retailer with a storefront that you can easily walk into in order to work out issues. If someone chooses to work with an on-line vendor in order to maybe save a few $$$, thats their choice, and I hope it works out well for them. This poster, for whatever reason, kept the equipment for 2+ months and now expects the vendor to take it back and provide shipping. I dont' know if thats reasonable in his case because no details were provided. He says there was nothing in writing because it was done over the phone. Was there anything on the vendors website about their return policy, installation fees, failure to activate, etc?? If not, then he shouldn't expect the company to treat him fairly and should take this as a lesson in who he does buisness with.

I didn't mean to imply that only "perfect situation" jobs are done. All installers do work under conditions that are far from ideal. If they don't, they don't eat.

[88fan]

As an installer, we were contacted several months ago by a company out of the south somewhere. What they were doing was selling directvs over the internet and offering installation, with nobody to do it. They called us wanting to know if we'd install it and they would send us payment later.NOT!! Not being the selling dealer we would get no commissions or payment for our installation materieal etc. We were supposed to trust this person who we had no idea who he was. If your going to sell something then you better have someone to install it as you advertise. It's like Strong said also, the consumers need to be more cautious. Go to your local retailer. Not only will you get a straight answer and honest installer, your helping your local economy. Nothing frustrates me more than people going out of there area to buy something that's right in your hometown for the same price.

[jdspencer]

Will the original poster please enter and give us more details of what has happened since the first post? Or has he forgotten that he posted this situation? Or has he been evicted?

[lee635]

It seems like you're all letting DirecTV off the hook pretty easily. Aren't they supposed to police their subcontractors? I'd call the 800 number and ask to speak to a supervisor. Get the 800 pound gorilla, D*, involved.

Also, I always pay with a credit card on mail order, online etc. Then you can contact the card issuer, and let them fight it out with the vendor.

So funny that some people have morphed a DIRECTV problem into a DISH Network problem. It's like a Freudian slip. ;) I guess somehow it's Charlie's fault that a DirecTV instal went bad... ;)

[Strong]

The original guest poster seems to be long gone..but to continue this theoretical discussion (AKA beating a dead horse)...

It seems like you're all letting DirecTV off the hook pretty easily. Aren't they supposed to police their subcontractors? I'd call the 800 number and ask to speak to a supervisor. Get the 800 pound gorilla, D*, involved.
In theory, I guess you are right. In practice, unless this guy had some ironclad case, I can't imagine D* doing anything more than saying contact your retailer for resolution. If this was a large retailer, D* is just happy to have them selling their product and would expect there to be some disgruntled customers. If the retailer is a fly-by-night operation, they are probably off D* radar. If it was an installation issue (e.g. the guy lives in a 4 story castle with 6' thick walls, in the middle of a redwood forest and surrounded by an alligator filled moat) then there is not much anyone can do especially for a "free installation". Does D* even have their own corporate installers?? If so, would they be expected to get the job done under any and all circumstances?


So funny that some people have morphed a DIRECTV problem into a DISH Network problem. It's like a Freudian slip. ;) I guess somehow it's Charlie's fault that a DirecTV instal went bad... ;)
mmm.. interesting point. I wonder... that may explain a lot of things... Naw.. he couldn't, could he???

[Nick]

M'thinks you guys have been trolled. "Bait me up another one, matey! Grrrr..."

[88fan]

The whole problem it wasnt' the subs problem....it was the company that sold the system with the terms of being installed. This company has no subs to do their installs. This company sells these systems over the internet via pop up ads. Customer buys into it. The company sends the system to the customer telling them that an installer will contact them. But I don't know about any other installers but I'm not going to install something on the word of someone I've never met that I will be paid. Also, this company expects you to install these 2-3 room systems and you would only be paid a total of $49.00. Using your own cable and installation accessories. While he gets all the commissions from DTV because his company sold the system.