DirecTV Debits A $446.60 Cancellation Fee — For Service You Canceled Within 24 Hours

Image courtesy of

Meet Brandon. He canceled DirecTV after less than 24 hours (the agreed upon time limit to avoid a fee, apparently), only to see that DirecTV debited $446.60 from his checking account.

Meet Brandon. He canceled DirecTV after less than 24 hours (the agreed upon time limit to avoid a fee, apparently), only to see that DirecTV debited $446.60 from his checking account.

From CBS13:

Right away, he got on the phone with DirecTV.

“They told me there was nothing they could do and I had to write a letter and mail it off to the billing disputes,” says Brandon.

Brandon wrote two letters to DirecTV and also disputed the charges with his bank. The bank credited him back the charges, but…

“Unfortunately DirecTV still had my account number and once they saw the money go back to me, they then a week later, took back the money again,” says Brandon.

He again disputed the charges with his bank and they ruled in his favor. This time, Brandon changed his account number so DirecTV couldn’t withdraw the money again.

The company then sent him to collections.

“Very outraged, very furious with the way they are trying to make me go every route possible in order to get my money back when it’s their fault,” says Brandon.

We contacted DirecTV. They told us Brandon called them again on April 9th to extend his service until the 10th, and that the cancellation fee is valid. We asked them if that made sense. Why would Brandon call to extend his service only to cancel again the next day?

Ultimately, it took the local news team’s intervention to get DirecTV to fix their mistake. Boo.

Call Kurtis: Tug Of War Over Cancelled Service [cbs13] (Thanks, R.B.!)
(Photo: scentzilla )

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.