AT&T Denies Refunds For DirecTV Now Customers, Despite the Service's Performance Issues (techcrunch.com)

A number of consumers report they're unable to get a refund for their subscription to AT&T's recently launched streaming service, DirecTV Now -- something they've requested after being unhappy with the new service's performance. From a report on TechCrunch: According to several postings on AT&T's official forums, customers found the only way to get help was through a hard-to-find chat feature, and when they asked the AT&T reps about refunds, the customers were told they were not offered. Writes one user with the handle EIUdrummerboy, after attempting to get a refund via chat, the rep told them specifically: "We do not currently have a policy in place to offer any refunds."

Comments

and my dsl $50 rebate never arrived either

[Anonymous Coward]

AT&T are pretty much just crooks

FCC Complaint

[PRMan]

As with everything AT&T, they only respond to FCC complaints. People who file FCC complaints HAVE been getting refunds.

Re:FCC Complaint

[Anonymous Coward]

Also file a complaint with you state's AG office.

Re:FCC Complaint

[LeftCoastThinker]

This first, file the FCC complaint, and this is also why I pay for these services with my credit card. You can do a charge back and block them from further charges with a simple note to your credit card company. It costs AT&T $35 a pop plus all the involuntary refunds. If a few million users did this, it would definitely get some attention at very high levels. Enough charge backs and the vendor may also lose their accreditation with that credit card (i.e. Visa/MC/American Express) which is a huge deal for them.

I'm a maintence guy in an apartment building...

[Anonymous Coward]

in Seattle, and they sold quite a few customers that didn't have south-facing apartment in my two buildings. They knew damn well that anyone without a south facing apartment couldn't get DirectTV and even the people with south-facing apartments couldn't get it either due to a taller building to the south that was two stories taller than our own building couldn't either, but they still tried to hold them to a contract. Dial-up and ISDN are the fast connections we can get, but that didn't stop them from still trying to collect.

This is by design

[wbr1]

This of course runs afoul of many countries consumer protection laws. And, any corporation this size has enough funds and legal staff to know this. It also has the ability to set up proper policies before launching a service. Even when rushing to be third to market.

However, AT&T also knows that any punishment is likely to be a slap on the wrist and an order to comply in the future and is deemed an acceptable expense, and possibly lesser than the expense to set it up right, and respect customers.

We don't care.

[whoever57]

We don't care. We don't have to. We're the Phone Company.

I hope I can spell "Epiphany"

[rmdingler]

...the rep told them specifically: "We do not currently have a policy in place to offer any refunds."

As a business owner, it had never occurred to me to present such a clever argument.

Simpsons quote

[TsuruchiBrian]

I tried to return my season ticket, but they wouldn't give me my money back. They said THEY wanted it.

--Lenny

As with everything in life a Simpsons quote captures the heart of the issue. AT&T will say that they *can't* give you your money back, but in reality it just boils down to the fact that they want to have your money more than they want you to have it.

don't buy stuff on Day 1

[known_coward_69]

it's 2017 and stupid people still pre-order expensive electronics without seeing it in the store, pre-order games that don't work cause of bugs or service issues for weeks at a time and now they sign up for streaming services at release without seeing other people's experience

you get what you deserve

Re:don't buy stuff on Day 1

[sexconker]

As someone who preordered $900 worth of shit after taxes, for the Switch, I completely agree.

Credit card chargeback.

[aussersterne]

Go to your card provider (Visa/MC/Discover/Amex) and tell them to remove the charge because the service was not rendered and/or the charge was improper.

They will.

Once AT&T starts getting a lot of chargebacks, they will do something about it.

I had this sort of thing happen do me years back in NYC with Verizon. I called to cancel, was given a confirmation # and everything, and was still billed again the next month. When called again, furious, the manager I was escalated to said that they could not offer a refund because they did not have that policy. I said I don't care about policy, give me a refund, and he said there was literally no way for him to do that in the system and suggested (of course) that I accept the service for a month, since I'd already paid for it, and then if I didn't want it next month, I could call and cancel [n.b. AGAIN] then.

I hung up on him, dialed Visa, and had them charge it back. Of course THAT got Verizon's attention and a day or two later I was called by retention or some similar department to offer me a discount if I would stay on, along with a lot of apology garbage.

I told them I'd rather eat a bug.

Ditch AT&T

[p51d007]

Yep, I ditched "Ma Bell" too several years ago. Had their DSL back in the day, and at&t as my cellphone. Dropped them both! Now, it's just a 50 buck charge for my smartphone, and the kicker is I get to use the at&t towers with my MVNO. Their coverage is better where I live than anyone else. Amazing, I remember "Ma Bell" being broken up in the early 80's and it's been a little over 30 years, and they along with Verizon, have pretty much gobbled up everyone else. Oh, if you were ever a fan of WKRP in Cincinnati, "Dr. Johnny Fever" can clue you in on how Ma Bell works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Re: Ditch AT&T

[rahvin112]

ATT is gone, the company bearing the name today is southern bell company, SBC. ATT split itself up and sold all the pieces, SBC bought the name.

Re: Ditch AT&T

[RubberDogBone]

ATT is gone, the company bearing the name today is southern bell company, SBC. ATT split itself up and sold all the pieces, SBC bought the name.

EXCUSE ME, but do not sully the name of Southern Bell so casually. AT&T as it currently exists is the renamed Southwestern Bell Company. SBC.

SBC was not the same as Southern Bell or BellSouth. BellSouth was almost a beloved company in its territory, far more liked than any of the other baby bells in their territories. Unfortunately BellSouth got bought by SBC and merged into the trainwreck of AT&T.

ALL blame for anything AT&T does deserves to be dumped in SBCs lap. But please leave Southern Bell and BellSouth out of it. None of this is their fault.

Re: Ditch AT&T

[AF_Cheddar_Head]

AKA Cingular, Cingular bought ATT wireless and the ATT name then promptly changed their name to ATT because Cingular had the absolutely worst reputation for customer service. Unfortunately they continued that level of customer service after the name change.

Re:It's still version 1

[Jhon]

DirecTV Now does not require Silverlight on IOS. It does not require Silverlight on android. It does not require Silverlight on my Fire TV.

I was an original SlingTV user and I can say the trouble they had early on was worse than what I'm seeing on DirecTV Now. Except for the first 2 days. That was horrible.