How to Fight DirecTV

Hack customer service. If you’ve ever called a customer service department, you’ve probably walked away disappointed. Endless wait times, unhelpful agents, and dropped connections make the experience incredibly frustrating. There are ways to motivate DirecTV to help you in a timely manner, and that includes contacting customer service by phone, email, and/or via social media accounts.

This option requires the least effort, but it is also the least likely to get your problem fixed. Some customers report aggressive encounters with agents and executives when they go through the traditional dispute resolution process.

Go to Small Claims Court. Your DirecTV contract forbids you from suing DirecTV in most courts, but you can still argue your case in small claims court. In most states, you can sue in small claims court for an amount less than $10,000, which is enough to cover most claims against DirecTV. DirecTV often contacts customers to fix problems before legal disputes end up in court.

Small claims is a great option if you’re willing to spend some time and effort. It usually results in a positive outcome for the complaint. However, the process is complicated, and it may require multiple trips to the county courthouse during business hours.

Arbitrate. If you want to sue DirecTV for more than the small claims limit, or if you don’t want to take time off from work to show up for a court hearing, you can file a consumer arbitration case against DirecTV. A consumer arbitration case is an informal, but binding process that allows you to present your case in front of a neutral third party. It’s like going to court, but faster, simpler and less expensive.

Arbitration is usually just as effective as small claims court, but it doesn’t require trips to the courthouse. Although it can also be a complicated process, FairShake makes it easy and free to file for consumer arbitration against DirecTV.