Washington, D.C. (August 3, 2010) -- The Better Business Bureau reports that more than 53,000 consumers have filed complaints about their satellite TV service in the past three years.

According to the BBB, 39,000 of the complaints were filed against DIRECTV while 13,000 were against Dish Network.

Many of the complaints, the consumer group said, stemmed from fees and terms in the satcasters' customer agreements. The companies often invoke penalties if customers cancel their service before their agreements expire; the agreements are usually two years in length.

“Many complaints to BBB about satellite providers stem from steep cancellation fees,” Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, said in a statement released today. “If customers aren’t satisfied with their service or they can’t afford the cost after the introductory period, it isn’t that easy to cancel because the early termination fees can run into the hundreds of dollars.”

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