Direct TV
Complaint 61992 Details

I decided to cancel my contract with Direct TV after having been a good paying customer since 2006. My aunt spoke with someone in billing related to the final charges needed to satisfy my end of the contract. They explained that $313.25 was all that was needed to sever our relationship. I promptly sent in that check for the entire amount. They cashed it quickly. I then received a bill in that mail indicating that "no payment was due" "$0.00" in my last billing statement 12/31/2011. I then went into my bank account 1/17/12 to check and make sure all my bills were clearing as I always do and noticed a pending charge from Direct TV for $134.59. I immediately called the company and asked about the charge. I was never sent a bill, given a phone call, or given an opporunity to pay for these charges. I was told that the charge was for movies dating back to 2006 that had not been pain for but had been watched. I paid this bill every month and ordered many movies over the years. I always checked my invoices and paid online with a late payment here and there but never 30 days past due.
I explained that these charges must be a mistake because in 2010 when I changed over to DVR with Direct TV, they came into my home and scanned the cards in the equipment reveivers and gave me new receivers so this had to have been caught then. How could I have gone over 60 billing cycles without even one mention of these outstanding charges? They said that the remote controls did not send the data to their company. I said that this would have been caught at the time their professional technician came into my home to replace the equipment and put in new receivers at the end of 2010. How would I know that technicality of this transaction?
They waited until after I termed my account and went to a competitor to run an "analysis" on my account and discover these outstanding charges. Isn't this against the law? Even with the language in the membership agreement that I agreed to back in 2006? I haven't re-signed any contract since then, as far as I know. Further, if they would tell people they would "run an analysis" on their account at the end of the contract and take that charge out of their account without notice, I doubt Direct TV would even be in business still. This is bad business and I am offended as a good paying customer having paid thousands of dollars to them and for them to even let this small amout of money dictate any future potential of getting me back as a customer in the future, is ridiculous and needs to be stopped!!!!!!!! Please help!!!