DirecTV, FTC Clash Over Agency Requests for Consumer Complaint Documentation

DirecTV and the FTC are at loggerheads over the agency's requests for consumer complaints documents as part of its 2015 lawsuit alleging DirecTV wasn't properly communicating early cancellation fee terms to subscribers (see 1503110042). In a letter brief filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the FTC -- which is seeking a court order compelling DirecTV to produce the documents -- said consumer complaint evidence "has direct bearing on DirecTV's misconduct" and its burden arguments "are even less persuasive in light of DirecTV's refusal to accept numerous FTC proposals to reasonably limit the company's burden in responding." DirecTV said the commission is seeking literally billions of records by requesting every communication between DirecTV and its customers: "The task of gathering, reviewing and redacting these communications ... would be oppressive." It also said it offered to provide "a relevant set" of its Office of the President complaint files and all notes from its Rio Main Bank customer service notes system relating to those complaints. "These complaints are representative of the type of complaints all consumers raise with the company," DirecTV said, saying the FTC's motion should be denied.