Nearly 40 DirectTV Techs Fired After Local 6 Report

[The Straight Story]

Nearly 40 DirectTV Techs Fired After Local 6 Report
Installers Disclose Policy They Say Forced Them To Lie To Customers

POSTED: 10:47 pm EDT May 4, 2006
UPDATED: 11:42 pm EDT May 4, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Nearly 40 DirectTV installers were fired this week after giving on-camera interviews to Local 6 News about a company policy they say forced them to lie to Florida customers.

The DirectTV technicians gave interviews to Local 6 News reporter Nancy Alvarez and discussed the policy that they believe costs them and their customers money.

They said their supervisors have been putting pressure on them by deducting $5 from their paychecks for every DirectTV receiver who is not connected to a phone line, the report said.

Local 6 News reported that phone lines are not necessary for a DirectTV system but having them enhances the service -- allowing customers to order movies through a remote control instead of through the phone or over the Internet.

http://www.local6.com/news/9164122/detail.html

[IndyOp]

1. Any chance you could ferret out a contact at DirectTV in FLA?

I'd be willing to send an email or make a call to express my displeasure at the way they are treating their staff and offer to tell everyone in my community who has DirectTV all about their sales 'scam'...

:shrug:

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Some links etc.

Edited link.

DirecTV is a Fox subsidiary. So it figures.

There are several Orlando-area DirecTV distributors you could contact, too:

Orlando, FL area DirecTV distributors.

DirecTV contact page.

Wikipedia -- plenty of useful links.

They're bastards.

--p!

[Nickster]

5. It's important to make clear that these installers are contractors for

Directv, so it sounds like the problem is with the contractor and not Directv directly. The report doesn't make it clear that a policy was handed down directly from Directv to this contractor. I'm also pretty sure that in the TOS when you get sat tv it says that a phone line is required to maintain service with Directv. I know that with a DVR you can't even finish setting up the box without access to a phone line. After the initial setup, the phone call isn't necessary at all.

[NashVegas]

9. You *Don't Need* a Phone Line to Maintain Anything

With your TiVo or other DVR, it's a different deal, as they need to download programming info.

The satellite TV receivers get all the info they need from the satellite service. If you want to order a PPV movie or upgrade your service, you can do that instantly, online, or with a phone call.

[Tansy_Gold]

11. Ditto, Crisco

I just disconnected DirecTV (no Tivo) after about ten years with them. They *couldn't* hook to my phone line because of where the tv was and where the phone was and how screwed up the construction in my attic was.

There's more to this story than meets the DU eye. . . .

[Nickster]

13. I never said you needed to keep it, but I know with the DVR you do NEED it

to finish the guided setup. You might need it to setup the regular box, but I don't know since I don't have a regular sat box. With the DVR, if you don't dial in during the setup, your box will not operate properly. That's just the way it is, then after you get setup, you can disconnect the phone line, you just won't get updates installed and after awhile you'll start getting nag messages to dial in.

Also, I stated the TOS says that you need to have a phone line attached to your account and the sports packages says you need a phone line installed. I'm not saying that you NEED one or something blows up, but Directv is saying that a connected phone line is a part of their terms of service.

[helderheid]

22. OK so let me get this straight - I don't need a phone line for my TIVO to

update the listings?

[NashVegas]

23. You Misunderstand Me

"With your TiVo or other DVR, it's a different deal, as they need to download programming info. "

[Nickster]

24. If you're using the Directtv version of tivo, then no, you don't need the

phone line for guide listings, that's all satellite. You won't get software updates without the phone line and you'll start getting nag screens everyday telling you to dial in.

Now if you're using the stand alone, the one you can buy at Best Buy, then you do need a phone line to get guide listings, software updates, etc etc. That one will stop working without a phone line or wireless networking hooked up. The standalones must dial home every day or two.

[helderheid]

28. ok - I use the direct tv one - Vonage, here I come!

[Nickster]

30. Now the Vonage thing is a whole different ball of wax. More often than not

you won't be able to dial out through Vonage with the Directtv Tivo. I've dinked around with Vonage and Directv Tivo, so if you need any help with that, just let me know. I've gotten it to work for the most part.

[Rosco T.]

26. nope.. and if you have the DirecTivo receivers, there is a trick..

.. that will let it connect THRU another computer and use the net directly.

[Nickster]

29. Ohhhh, the serial cable and null modem adaptor trick! YAY! :-) n/t

[Dogmudgeon]

2. I love the smell of litigation in the morning

Almost forty brand spankin' new lawsuits, as well as a class-action and perhaps several state and federal criminal charges to add a little "protein" for the hungry young Prosecutors.

Who does DirecTV think they are, anyway? Comcast?

--p!

[ClintonTyree]

3. They did that when I had my Direct TV installed down there....

not in Orlando proper but close enough that it was the nearest large city. I HAD to keep the telephone line hooked up they said or my service wouldn't work properly. As soon as the Direct TV guy was out the door the telephone line came off and never went back on. Screw them.

[FlaGranny]

14. You can order the pay-per-view

movies with your remote control without being connected to the phone line. At least you once could. I once disconnected my receiver from the phone during a bad storm and forgot to plug it back in. I ordered two movies afterward, got them both, but did not get billed. Honest person that I am, I wondered why and called them. That's when I discovered the phone disconnected. I reconnected it and it uploaded my movie selections from a couple of months previously and I paid for them. If their system still works the same way, I understand them wanting phone lines connected. A year or so later, I was told by someone at DirecTV that if they tested your line and found no phone connection, they would shut off your service.

You can order by phone, but they charge you a service fee for doing that. You can order on-line, but not everyone, especially some older folks, has a computer.

I recently switched to Dish and they also wanted to connect to the phone line.

[DancingBear]

6. Funny, after a lighting strike the DirecTV guys came out to re-install

When I asked them about the phone line, they just laughed and said "You don't need it - it's just a way for DirecTV to try and steal more money from you."

They were at the house for about two minutes. :)

[mmonk]

7. I have Direct TV

with no phone line connection to it.

[NashVegas]

8. DirecTV Wrecks Phone Lines

When I first got DirecTV, they hooked a line into the receiver from a spare jack. Within 6 months, that jack died.

I recently moved to a new place, with a dead jack in the living room. I asked the landlord if a previous tenant had DirecTV. Sure enough ...

I've got to have the phone company come out and repair it. But this time I went with Dish. And they didn't need the phone line to get me hooked up.

[Liberal Veteran]

16. That's silly. It's just a modem hooked up to the receiver.

It's the exact same kind of device that computers use for dial-up service or what a fax machine uses.

It's not some new technology.

The modem calls out a 800 number and communicates the same way as a fax machine or computer connects.

I've had a DirectTV or Dish Network receiver hooked up for years at a time to the same jack and never had a single problem.

What you experienced is called a coincidence.

[NashVegas]

18. Whatever. It Blew

:shrug:

[havocmom]

27. We had the very same coincidence

three times. Also went through 4 Direct recievers in less than a year. When they would send a replacement ( we live WAY outta the way) it was always another used one which was probably sent back to them from someone else cuz it sucked. I want all that time I spent on hold (hours and hours) back!

Have had Dish for 3 years and no problems with the phone jack since.

[randr]

10. DirecTV is part of the Rupert Murdock evil empire

[RebelOne]

12. I have always been able to order movies through the remote

with DishNetwork.

[madokie]

15. In having ours installed I asked the guy to not hook up the phone line

and he told me he had to, I said no problem I'll just unhook it and did as he watched me do it.

[treestar]

17. It's just so they can give their jobs to illegal aliens.

[keepthemhonest]

19. Here in Georgia

I was told I would need to get a phone line or I would be charged an extra 5 dollars a month on top of the other charges.I was told this by the Dish TV installer,but I never did see any charges. At that time I did not plan on having a landline.

[Ganja Ninja]

20. Dish Network charges me extra for not having a phone line. n/t

[SpecialK]

21. I saw the promo for this...

I'm in Orlando and saw the promo for this too. Was wondering what it was all about. I had DirectTv for about 6 months - it was so awful - picture would get fuzzy everytime it was overcast and when it didn't work, they refused to come out and repair it for free, saying it was MY equipment. They could have made this clear at the beginning.

Awful service, just like BellSouth, which I've also gotten rid of. Now I have Lingo and can call local,long distance, and INTERNATIONALLY (my husband is German so this helps!) for $22 / mo. Not a penny more! Granted, the service drops once in a seldom while, but it's worth it!

[Maru Kitteh]

25. DirecTV sucks major cyst laden ass

The "tech" - let me pause here - when I say tech what I really mean is a neanderthal with power tools - was in my MIL's house for 11 HOURS. During that time he put a hole in the middle of her living room hardwood floors and a large hole in her wall AND her roof. He was rude, threatening and even yelled at some family members she had over to help her move.

She did get a settlement from DirecTV but it wasn't worth it and the service itself SUCKS. She hates it. Every time it's even cloudy outside her dish gives her the finger.

It'd be a really cold day in hell before I ever used their service.