Directv’s ‘Refer A Friend’ Program Messed Up

Direct TV, the satellite services company, which is headquartered in El Segundo, California, has been reported to have annual turnover of more than 17 billion! Do you think wealth has been created fairly? If not, then you must be wondering ways that the company is making huge money. Well, it is all by robbing and deceiving consumers and following every unethical business practice to earn greater revenues. By now, you must have come across different news that DirecTV is making for all the malpractices and goof ups. One such issue that has recently cropped up is really a sad incidence.



You must have heard about the ‘refer a friend’ program of DirecTV that has garnered huge popularity among Americans. For years, people have utilized this referral program to earn some points. DirecTV’s advertisement goes like this: ‘refer your friend and get $100 promotion’. So, who wouldn’t want to enjoy the benefit by just referring the packages and programs to a friend? However, for one such consumer in Florida, the program turned out to be a real mess. The program wasn’t beneficial to her. In fact, this customer’s account was unknowingly debited with about $800 suddenly. Apparently, the customer had referred DirecTV to a friend and post her death, the consumer had to pay for her late friend’s satellite services that remained unpaid.



The consumer has reported to NBC officials in Jacksonville, "I was never told of this. I didn't see any of this. I never signed for this. I was blindsided. I have no record of this...." She continued to state, "I have a sick child at home that I couldn't afford to buy her Pedialyte... I had to ask for help from family. I had to get money for gas to get to work today, and DirecTV hasn't offered anything."



Going by the terms and conditions of the DirecTV, there is nothing as such mentioned therein regarding the referral program that in case of a friend’s unexpected death, the living friend will have to pay for the unpaid services to DirecTV. However, DirecTV subscriber has reported that all her smses, calls, and letters have turned useless in budging DirecTV. The company did not offer an explanation for this until media intervened in the case.



DirecTV has definitely written to the lady clarifying, "This is definitely not part of DirecTV's policy. If a customer refers a friend, they are not responsible for making payments on their friend's account." In due course, the customer also received a call from the president of DirecTV who told that she would be refunded in full. And the next day, the money was safe in the account.



No doubt, things have settled positively for both consumer and the company, but the question is how can a satellite TV giant make such a big mistake? OR was it that after getting mired by another set of controversies and making wrongs news, the company decided to refund? Well, we are still in queue to receive updates from the company on this major money error!



Sophia Johnson is an eminent writer of social media and also a DirecTV customer for last two years. But recently she faces some problems while renewing her package plans, and being a writer she feels it’s her social duty to let her countrymen know about this malpractice of DirecTV. To know more about it visits my Facebook page.