Why can't I cancel

Like most other companies, they want the opportunity to save you as a customer (such as moving the service to where you will be). That is why you cannot do so online. And many don't allow it in-store as those for selling service.

AT&T doesn't own DirecTV. They sold all TV serivces (including their U-Verse TV) almost a year ago. As such make sure you are calling the DirecTV customer suport number (the one they have had before AT&T acquired them). I have it posted in my signature for reference.

Some correspondence to be official, and meeting other requirements, must go through proper procedure. Online hasn't replaced everything. So normally for grievance, arbitration, or any other official/legal level must be original hard copy to start.

This is a public forum, viewable to anybody. Please do not post personal info (such as account number), unless you are in a Direct Message (DM) with official forum support (if you are fortunate for them to reach out to you). 

Thank you, @Juniper. 

Moving to a new address, @Bob_Solomon? Take DIRECTV with you. Visit our Movers page: Moving Your DIRECTV TV Service With You!

Just want to cancel? We'll send you a DM with instructions on how to talk to our specialized agent. John, DIRECTV Community Team

After my last post, I received a call from Directv. I was told that they could not access my account because it had been closed. I informed the person that on March 27 I was billed $111.25 and my account shows that I will be billed again on April 29. The bill lists an account number, my name, and my address. The person told me she would check and put me on hold. After 22 minutes and a few seconds, I was disconnected. I have now spent 95 minutes on the phone with Directv to try to cancel my service, to no avail.

If you have DIRECTV Streaming and have your login credentials, you can cancel online anytime at How to Cancel DIRECTV, Pause Service, or Get a Better Deal for more details. If you're still experiencing issues in cancelling, please call the phone number provided in DM and give your User ID to the specialist, so they can locate your account. John, DIRECTV Community Team

With respect, did you read my experience. I have done all that and more and I am told my account was closed and no one can access it, but it has not been closed and I continue to be billed. Then, when someone called me to resolved it, I was on the line for another 22 minutes and then got disconnected, with no call back. I have done everything. Your response is quite patronizing, because you are acting, and may believe, as if I did not comply with a simple process. I have now spoken with five people who tell me they cannot access my file. This is total institutional competence. 

@Bob_Solomon 

If even with the DM support you cannot get this sorted, along with that final call to DirecTV (if they gave you a special number with a User ID, normally a one-time use for limited time), then a BBB complaint would be the next step. This forwards your info to the corporate level (Office of the President), and usually someone from there contacts you within a few business days.

A simple cancellation discussion shouldn't have to go anywhere near that extreme. But it may be what you need, though I cannot fathom what issues they are having with account canceled, yet not.

To be sure, you didn't have different account types (such as had satellite and moved to a streaming-only version) and that the current active account is opened in your name (not the name of someone else in your home)? Only idea I have as to the conflicting status (opened or canceled) of an account.

Thanks Juniper. I did file a BBB complaint. I am a lawyer. I am used to complex situations, but there is no reason something so simple should become so involved. I have now spent over three hours on this. As I was on the phone with someone assuring me that I no longer had Directv I was watching the Yankees/Red Sox on Directv and still paying $111.25 per month.

One thing to be aware of is cancellation is not a day of your choosing anymore. Several years ago they went to essentially flat billing. So cancellation goes through at the end of your current service month. Account canceled is more accurately pending cancellation until the billing month starts over. As such your service is still usable for the rest of your bill cycle that you're paying for.

I agree, this should not have gotten anywhere near this involved. You call DirecTV, tell the voice system the reason "cancel" to route to the correct department. The agent finds out why you are wanting to cancel and makes a 'reasonable' save attempt (usually not accepting the first "no" at least to try an address any pushback/concerns), and if the options still do not work to proceed with the cancellation and any final disclosures. That is how it should work, and normally does (outside of any agent trying too hard for a save of course).

From what you've shared, it sounds like a circus. Either something is vastly wrong in their system about your account, or there was some key info lost in translation that resulted in not pulling up the correct account (such as if you called AT&T instead of DirecTV, had moved from satellite to streaming-only, etc.)

Good luck and please do share when/if you get this sorted. Would love to know what the underlying issue was for this mess.

We've sent you a DM, please check your inbox. Kenneth, DIRECTV Community Team