Company: DIRECT TV - unable to get YES NETWORK - unable to watch NY Yankees games

Category: Other

# 19 for May 11, 2002

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on May 10, 2002:

From: COMPLAINTS.COM_FORM_MAIL_28674#

RE: DIRECT TV - unable to get YES NETWORK - unable to watch NY Yankees games

Dear friends, This is what happened: I read that the Yes Network would be showing Yankees games this summer. My dish service (dish network) did not get the Yes Network. I asked them to get the channel and they said they were trying. About a month later (early May 02') I decided to switch and get Direct TV because they were the only ones getting the channel.

After having bought the dish from a retailer (Radio Shack), and having asked specifically for the Yes Network when choosing my programming package, I was still unable to watch Yankees games on tv. I called and asked Direct TV two nights in a row why I was unable to get the service I was paying for monthly.

The ended up saying that the "service" was for the New York area only! If I wished to watch the games I would have to pay $160.00 extra. I then took my complaints to the Yes Network. They claimed that of course we are "out of market" and that Direct TV was responsible for not explaining the terms. All games, not just some games are therefore blacked out. Although I kind of understand how this works, as a consumer I should have been notified at some point that the sole reason why I was purchasing this service was totally worthless and useless to me. I should have been notified at one of these points: 1. At the time of purchase when I stated I was buying it for the Yes Network 2. Had that failed, when I signed up for programming (they should know what I was able to receive and not receive). 3. Finally, that the Yes Network should have a disclaimer stating that the channel is for the New York area only. There is no such disclaimer on their website (www.yesnetwork.com), and in fact if you call the network after hours and receive their answering machine the message clearly states that if "you buy Direct TV you will be able to watch the Yankees immeadiately". I do not believe these two companies are behaving properly, and also giving false advertisement. I would definitely not like to see this happen to someone else. When one dish service has a channel the other does not it is hard not to choose the one service over the other (Direct TV has the NFL Ticket and Yes Network).

The point being that something as national as baseball has chosen a national service to represent them only locally and that information was never provided to me is quite upsetting. The greater disappointment being that I had bought this system for my father who was the one who wanted to watch the games so badly. Thank you for your time. Sincerely,

Michael C. Greene email: COMPLAINTS.COM_FORM_MAIL_28674#