If you wish to cancel your DIRECTV subscription then read this article and learn how to do it for free easily.
It may sound rather unenviable to terminate a DIRECTV contract early. DIRECTV usually charges the customer an early termination fee if they wish to end the service before the stipulated contract term. But there are some legal options to cancel the DIRECTV contract without having to pay for the termination fees. This guide aims at providing you with several techniques that can be used legally and ethically to exit your DIRECTV deal without paying for it.
Review Your DIRECTV Plan Information
The first thing which needs to be done is to read through the customer agreement of DIRECTV and jot down the necessary points. This includes:
The date your contract began and the date your contract expires. The contracts for DIRECTV services are usually for a period of 24 months.
That is the fee charged to terminate the contract early. This is typically 20 per month that stays on the contract.
Any other bonuses that you have subscribed to and the conditions of the bonuses. Did you get cheaper equipment or free of charge extra channels for signing a contract? Ensure you comprehend any responsibilities.
The rationale you have for desiring to cancel. Knowing why you want to break contract will help to know the way to go about it.
Know the DIRECTV Cancellation Policies
Another factor that cannot be overlooked is the contract cancellation policies that one needs to have with them while dealing with DIRECTV. Reasons DIRECTV allows customers to terminate contracts early without penalty include:Reasons DIRECTV allows customers to terminate contracts early without penalty include:
Moving to a place where DIRECTV does not operate.
Joining an active military service or becoming physically incapacitated.
Switching to a new, improved DIRECTV package with a new 24-month commitment.
If one of those situations applies to you, then you should be able to renegotiate and end your contract easily. Give the necessary documents to DIRECTV, and they will release you from the agreement.
Use the DIRECTV Guarantee
One such trick that few consumers probably know about is that DIRECTV offers a customer satisfaction guarantee. After the first thirty (30) days of purchased service activation, you may cancel the service, and a carrier will not charge you for the termination of the contract. Therefore, if you are quick enough to act before they can come and take back the car, and you insist that you are not satisfied, then you will be able to successfully break contract under this policy.
File an Unresolved Complaint
If there is a genuine reason to complain to the company and they do not solve that issue, one may consider that as having legal rights to get free from the service contract with DIRECTV. The most important thing is to prove each time you or someone else in your household informed DIRECTV about a problem and the company did not address it. Some situations like constantly loosing signal or charging higher tariffs can in one way or the other be exploited. Stress that poor service means that DIRECTV has failed to deliver on its contractual obligations, and therefore you shouldn’t be expected to do the same. Keep on taking your complaint to the highest level of the company organogram.
Transfer Service to Someone Else
Another feature of the service offered by DIRECTV is the transfer of accounts between customers. If you know someone else who would take over your DIRECTV contract, then you can go through the ownership change process and transfer all the remaining responsibilities to the new owner. So long as the new customer meets the credit check requirements, you are free from early termination fees. Just ensure that when making such arrangements the new user is informed that there is still a contractual obligation.
Demand – DIRECTV to Cancel on You
This method therefore needs to be persuasive. If you want to put an end to the flow of services from DIRECTV, you must provide a reason that is not contradictory to the terms and conditions of the contract you signed with this company. For instance, stating that high medical bills or loss of a job has put you under immense pressure to cut on your expenses by doing away with television services for some time. Since you cannot afford to pay the early termination fee, the account has to be disconnected even if you want to continue services. The idea is to make cancelation seem like the only viable option and since DIRECTV is the provider, they cut the cord, not you.
Use Alternative Dispute Resolution
But if you have proof that DIRECTV committed a legal wrong in how they dealt with your television services, then you have a right to sue your way out of the contract. This causes a loophole since you cannot be charged a termination fee for violating the contract by not paying your bill when in actual sense, it was the company whose actions were unlawful to begin with; so, file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission and your state consumer protection agency explaining why that makes it possible for you to break the contract and stop paying for service without further retribution from the company. You must accompany the allegations with supporting documents. This places DIRECTV on notice and as a rule they respond with a resolution so as not to escalate to the legal venue. Allowing for an alternative method of dispute resolution means letting one hold the power to cancel a contract and suspend DIRECTV services.
Seek Legal Remedies through Small Claims Court
To sue DIRECTV, the option is to go to small claim court without an attorney if needed but suing is the last resort. This is why documentation is crucial at each stage of your interaction with your customer. Set a timeline with documented evidence of DIRECTV’s failure to provide advertised services, charging your account beyond the agreed terms, or any unlawful behavior. Support your case with facts and stress on the losses DIRECTV inflicted that let you out of the contract without additional payments. Inform DIRECTV that you are ready to pursue a legal claim against the company if they do not let you out of the service agreement. The mere threat of litigation exposure is usually enough for them to release customers from their contract.
CancelDIRECTV Services and Face Collections
The last strategy should be used sparingly because it can harm your credit. However, if you are completely unable to continue making payments to DIRECTV because you have no money, there is the option to simply stop paying and face the consequences. If you choose to suspend your account, you will be expected to pay the full ETF and DIRECTV will be free to take it to court. It is advisable to work directly with the assigned collection agency to pay off a reduced settlement amount through a payment plan. Collection accounts are detrimental to credit and should only go through this cancellation process if the DIRECTV contract is unbearable.
It is not easy to dissolve a DIRECTV television deal without being charged an early termination fee. However, it is important to note that using one of the above methods legally can help you out of a DIRECTV contract without additional charges or credit problems. When applying cancelled DIRECTV strategies, do not give up and do not accept a ‘No’ easily. Gently request that DIRECTV respect the consumers’ right to choice and self-determination in the matter of early contract release.