New Member
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2 Messages
Direct tv charged for services not ordered.
Ever since I combined my bill with century link and Direct tv I can no longer get customer service with Direct tv on issues and CenturyLink can't help with issues on their end. Direct tv charged me for services I did not order and days I do not have an account with them. Century link collects the money and cuts off service if I do not pay full amount. I tried to just pay for my internet service until Direct tv will recognize I'm a customer of over 12 years and deal with the wrongful charges on my account. But that is not the case, appears like there is a mob style shake down going on where Direct tv let's the company who has no problem being the bad guy, ( has that is the only thing they are good at CenturyLink ). Do the dirty work of ignoring customers and collecting fraudulent charges and topping it off with terrible service. Poor internet and worst customer service. The fact these companies are still able to operate without being sued into oblivion is remarkable. Unfortunately the area I live in has one internet provider, CenturyLink. So they know this and use this gift to them has hammer to crush customers that have no other choice. Anyone reading this that has any other option than CenturyLink or Direct tv choose that option as they will put fraudulent charges on your bill, provide poor service, then make the process of fixing any issue excruciating as possible.
Juniper
ACE - Expert
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23K Messages
3 years ago
DirecTV bills CenturyLink. Then CenturyLink bills you to reimburse them. You don't pay then essentially CenturyLink's payment to DirecTV is reversed resulting in your service shut off. That is how combined bill works.
CenturyLink is only paying on your behalf and showing you the details of charges on their bill for convenience. They have no control over adding or removing services for DirecTV as that is still another company.
You cannot decide on your own what portion of the bill to pay. Not how it works, even without combined billing. You owe the entire amount until such time there is (if ever) an adjustment. If DirecTV adjusts anything, it does not reverse the bill CenturyLink already sent you but shows on the following bill. This is because DirecTV only sends bill info to CenturyLink once a month, they do not update real-time.
Personally, I avoid combined billing as I find a provider's own bill easier to read. Plus, they tend to have more details as only very basic info shows on their partner's bill. However, do not opt out of combined billing until fully caught up. I suggest this as when you opt out you tend to see the last combined bill from CenturyLink for last month's DirecTV service plus the first bill from DirecTV itself for the current month at about the same time.
To resolve issues on your DirecTV account, including a dispute on the bill, you must call DirecTV not CenturyLink. All CenturyLink is at this point is a middleman on processing the bill.
Both DirecTV and CenturyLink are generally fine. Their combined billing, I find not to be a smooth process itself but has nothing to do with what DirecTV charges you in the first place. Though as a note a rule of the combined billing (at least since the Qwest days), was that you are forbidden from having mature paid content on DirecTV as it goes against the phone/internet provider's morals. Regardless of one's own preferences (for or against or doesn't matter) it is not CenturyLink/Qwest's right to dictate what a consumer may watch or not.
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Mccauley
New Member
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2 Messages
3 years ago
Century link has been combative on the issue. If you take the money you need to be able to offer solutions. Century link has and is the worst company I ever dealt with in my life and my neighbors agree. My internet is so bad and they pretend to fix it and go on their way. Pole was damaged due to a storm they put a new one up crocked and left wires out of the ground going across my yard. Direct tv used to be pretty good on customer service until they partnered with CenturyLink. I am actually thinking about selling my home of 12 years to get away from CenturyLink.
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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23K Messages
3 years ago
CenturyLink has no option to dispute what DirecTV charges. That is between you and DirecTV. CenturyLink can only have you reimburse them for what they've paid, and notice is sent back to DirecTV if you don't and gets you shut off.
I see no incentive to have a combined bill, so I keep them separate. I can put all on my card for one monthly payment but deal with each bill individually for clarity. DirecTV has been partnered with CenturyLink some 20 odd years. They have no influence on each other's customer service. But I stand by that combined billing is not worth it.
At least with a separate bill then you could choose to pay one of the two and only get the other shut off. Then you wouldn't get double hit by your choice.
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21.1K Messages
3 years ago
DTV is not partnered with CenturyLink.
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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23K Messages
3 years ago
@shannon02
DirecTV is partnered with CenturyLink for bundles as well as joint billing. This has been since the Qwest days. It depends on the area if that is their bundled partner. They also partner with Dish, so they are not exclusive.
They advertise both DirecTV and Dish on their TV page.
Home TV services | CenturyLink
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DIRECTVhelp
Community Support
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255.1K Messages
3 years ago
Hi, @Mccauley We are here to help.
We do apologize for this inconvenience and we want to find the best way to get this sorted out. Please check you DIRECTV Message inbox (it's the chat icon next to the bell icon in the upper right corner of the Forums)
Juan, DIRECTV Community Specialist
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