Oso planning to go pro
Glad I'm not there anymore, but knowing how they do business the FTC will lose this gripe.There are so many lawyers that make sure everything is disclosed to the hilt, including recording conversations (legally) with customers to confirm the understand exactly what was told to them. I wouldn't be sweating this one iota if I were them, they go hell bent to make sure they are covered.
I will say that DTV does try to perform false advertising as I caught them in it recently. An example.They have promotions where you receive a prepaid debit card for signing up for service. If you call (don't go online) there is no notification that you must fill out and send in a rebate form within the first 60 days. If you call they simply tell you it takes 8 weeks for delivery (56 days). After waiting 9 weeks for my card I called and was told that I failed to send in the rebate form. After telling them, I was never told of a rebate they attempted to do as you say, we have all conversations recorded.I demanded a copy of the recording knowing they never disclosed this information. I received my card within a week. This is not an unusual occurrence.Very important caveat. This is not a DTV issue (they are actually better than most), it is a corporation issue in general, where they use intentionally deceptive practices to trap consumers.
Looks to me like it clearly says 8 to 12 weeks. https://d1m3sbz3zpf9z8.cloudfront.net/PDF/361-119/form1.pdfI would be SHOCKED if they didn't read you the statement about the rebate because basically they record every call and it's all scripted in their legal closing. If an agent doesn't do that, they get fired. It's not worth it for them to pull every recording all the time, so I'm sure they just processed it which looks to me was withing the 8 to 12 week window anyway. At any rate, they record this stuff all the time and for the FTC they absolutely will produce 100's of thousands of recordings if need be.I was never part of that particular process anyway and never would be....I was on the programming side with the sports leagues, premiums, etc, and ran the P&L for those businesses, but after early hiccups years ago when the company did get into trouble for not being upfront, they took enormous steps to make sure it didn't happen again. Either way, I read thoroughly whatever companies are selling to me, including confirmation information sent to me if phone ordered.
The manager admitted the phone conversation didn't contain any of the information about a form and that the operator indeed said that the card would arrive in 6-8 weeks and that I didn't need to do anything else.
Boomer industries (the housing market, cable companies) are in for a rude awakening when penny pinching millennials get older and boomers start to fade away.Open up a few magazines, get an audible account, go for a walk in the woods. Jesus, people in this country are addicted to screens.
The only problem with that is the FTC is the one who has to approve their merger. DTV will pay to settle in advance of that approval to push it through. Write off the settlement in the merger. ATT doesn't want that liability on the books. And certainly, the FTC has the grounds to make that ruling, and now to delay a merger worth billions.
FTC has Zero role in the merger.The FCC and DOJ do.
Wrong. Anti-trust across states, my man. Worked with them on four mergers. Being in a very monopolistic market, DTV spokesman shouldn't be so antogonistic. Words of advice for your brethren. Different ballgame now.
Finally pulled the DTV plug this week, and gave into the another big bad company for cable, Comcast. Their bundle with internet, which has been just fine for me for 2+ years, is the same price, as just satellite service with DTV. Asked DTV to give me their best offer, and it was still 30% higher than the Comcast bundle.
Just a question, the manager who you called later said that the original phone conversation didn't contain information about the form? I only ask because the calls are all archived, there would be no way for an on floor manager to pull that up. That's done separately by a QC group and legal compliance group. At any rate, glad your check was processed.
DirecTV is America's largest satellite TV network and has over 20 million subscribers. Complicating the matter DirecTV is undergoing a $49 billion (yes, that's billion, with a "B") merger with AT&T. DirecTV is obviously refuting these charges by the FTC, but this is only the first step in what may be a long, ongoing ordeal.
Let me help you. The FTC is on your arse:
Why do you say my arse? I don't work for them.DOJ has already approved the merger. The only one left is the FCC....expected in a few months.
Share holder, no?California squirmy: http://phys.org/news/2015-03-high-court-directv-appeal-termination.htmlFCC, the FTC sister Agency, issues Merger Pause Order: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/18/could-the-ftcs-directv-lawsuit-hurt-att.aspx
Supreme Court is going to hear the review....let's decide what's squirmy when the court decides.Shareholder...yes....of both companies as well as a number of other telecom companies. FTC....not having one issue with merger. It's on pause because of the DISH lawsuit that wants to open up all the deals of who pays what to the public...so both Comcast and AT&T deals are temporarily on pause. http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/fcc-comcast-twc-merger-att-directv-1201452357/ The FTC has zero bearing in this. You just as easily could have copied this linkhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/17/us-at-t-directv-idUSKBN0MD25Y20150317More ringing endorsements....this one from the AFL-CIO...yes, you heard that right. http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-opinion/article/Letter-AT-T-DirecTV-merger-would-mean-more-6148889.php
Ultimately, I do think the deal gets approved by the US as the anti-trust case isn't all the way there here. This deal is about LatAm for ATT mostly as I understand it which is clear saliling. However, the FTC and FCC will take some money out of the hide of this merger because of these lawsuits. The California case and the FTC ruling were both unanimous after all. The pause order is there for a reason. There is money to be made by all sorts of lawyers and this will end in a settlement taking money out of your pocket. You underestimate the FTC's ability to look good to the general public while working through other agencies, while also making a statement for the record about monopolistic markets.
I still get weekly mailings to try to get me back. Most try to appear as though they're personal letters with pseudo-handwritten font and the return address listing a person and appearing residential. They still get tossed in the recycling, never to be opened. Lame.