Understanding Hidden Fees in Your DirecTV Bill

Have you recently entered into a contract with DirecTV or you’re thinking about using DirecTV service but now you’re a bit confused as to what all the charges are and what exactly you can expect to pay every month? Maybe you’ve had DirecTV for a while but there have been some changes to your bill that lead you to believe they are charging you hidden fees. We explain what it is you’re paying for.

Your First DirecTV Bill

Your DirecTV bill will have different charges, hopefully just the first time you receive your bill, which includes the installation fees at the equipment fees. If you install things like a satellite dish which takes a professional technician, you have to pay a one-time activation fee for your service.

There are equipment fees for the wired receiver and the wireless receiver, the cost of which will increase based on how many you have.

Your Regular DirecTV Bill

When you get your regular bill you will see the account activity which is broken down into four main sections:

1. Payments
2. DirecTV Channels
3. DirecTV Equipment Services
4. Other charges, adjustments, and taxes

Payments

The first section shows what the current billing period is, what your previous balance was and what your previous payment amount and payment date were. If you have a remaining balance that will be indicated in the first section.

DirecTV Channels

The channels section will show whatever extra channels you have and any seasonal subscription to have. You might see additional charges for special premium channels like the NFL Sunday Ticket, movies extra pack, HBO or Showtime, or any other sports package.

DirecTV Equipment Services

The equipment Services is for regularly charged things like having multiple TVs or paying for the advanced receiver service for HD and DVR services, or the DirecTV protection plan.

Other charges, adjustments, and taxes

The final section includes separate fees for things like Regional Sports, and sales tax which is going to change based on where you live. 

Cancellation Fees

DirecTV has cancellation fees. They usually require a two-year contract and during the second year they tend to increase the prices for your regular monthly service. This is done intentionally and you have the option of canceling in the middle of your contract but it will cost you significantly.

Firstly, the early termination fee can be up to $480 if you cancel before the end of your contract in addition to what you’ll have to return things like your DVR and receivers, failure to do so can generate an additional charge up to $135.

Learn more about how to cancel your service successfully.

DirecTV Hidden Fees

Most of the DirecTV hidden fees in your bill are not things that you’ll be charged every month. You have taxes based on where you live and you might have things like a regional Sports fee depending on what packages you have but for the most part the hidden fees are things that happen on an occasional basis.

When you look at your DirecTV bill, there are a handful of hidden fees you might see now and again including:

• the TV access fee which is used to connect each receiver in your home
• the regional Sports fee which is used for customers who have Regional Sports networks as part of their package
• the late payment fee if you paid a recent bill after the due date
• a vacation hold if you decide to hold your service for anywhere between two and six months while you go on vacation
• a returned payment fee if you made a payment which was declined
• a minimum service fee is charged to you when your account is put in minimum service status because you failed to pay your regular DirecTV bill
• a restoral fee, which is charged to you if you reinstate your regular service after you went to a minimum service status
• a dispatch fee charged every time a technician is dispatched to your home for any requested repairs
• a phone payment fee which is charged every time you talk to an agent and make a payment to your DirecTV bill over the phone
• an order assistance fee which is charged every time you call DirecTV customer service and speak with an agent to order pay-per-view
• a duplicate statement fee which is charged if you request a duplicate written statement for your monthly DirecTV bill
• a ledger request which is charged every time you request an itemized list of your past payments

Some of these you very likely will never encounter, like the regional Sports fee if you don’t have a sports channel or the vacation hold if you don’t take a vacation that’s at least two months long which, let’s face it, most people don’t.

However it is very important to recognize situations where you would be unknowingly charged a hidden fee like trying to call a customer service agent and make a payment over the phone.

What can I do if I was incorrectly charged a fee?

If you were incorrectly charged and you have tried to contact DirecTV customer service to fix it but they weren’t able to help you, you still have two options:

The first is using a small claims court. If you use this option you need to make sure that you qualify for small claims court which has a maximum amount you can file for in compensation and limitations to what you can ask for compensation. Your situation might not qualify.

If it doesn’t you still have a second option which is to use consumer arbitration. When you use consumer arbitration you have a lot more flexibility as to what qualifies and it’s often a much faster and easier way for a quick resolution when you are incorrectly charged a fee with DirecTV.

Ready to get started? We can help.