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Shaw Direct Canada

Shaw Direct Canada

www.shawdirect.ca
What is your customer experience with Shaw Direct Canada?

Shaw Direct Canada Overview

The generated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users.

AI insights based on reviews
Rating Distribution

Shaw Direct Canada has a 1.7 star rating from 33 reviews; 22% would recommend. Consumers report dissatisfaction with price level and customer service after the Rogers merger.

Key Takeaways for Future Customers

  • Check Shaw Direct Canada reviews for recurring customer complaints before subscribing.
  • Expect higher prices and limited programming compared to past service.
  • Autopay issues and billing disputes are reported; keep records.

Negative Feedback / Risk Areas

  • Long hold times and poor customer service leading to difficulty cancelling subscriptions.
  • Billing errors, refund and collections problems.
  • Unreliable signal in bad weather and delayed technician response.

Positive Feedback

Service reaches rural areas and some technicians and reps receive praise for resolving issues.

View full overview ›

Media from reviews

Shaw Direct Canada - APPALLING Customer Service. + Overpriced. +Lack of Programming...
Shaw Direct Canada - Won’t accept payment with any method. I do not have a credit card,...
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Joe S Hbu

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer
| map-marker Stettler, Alberta

Doing a cancellation for Elderly mother

AI Highlights
  • Shaw sent a new receiver, failing to disclose it is rental.
  • Cancellation took hours with reps and the elderly caller faced phone access issues.

Well, my mom used to watch the news and shows on satellite, but now with the internet she doesn't watch it. A few years ago, she added my name to the account to help her with it.

Now she uses the internet to watch TV. Shaw sent a new receiver and failed to mention that it's a rental receiver. Neither was I. She was told it was free, like her old receiver.

(You owned them in the old days after so many months.) Well, when I quit my own personal Shaw satellite, it was a phone call; hardware stayed where it was. Done. Well, the first call rep did not cancel the satellite. Needed their tin box back.

The second hung up after I passed the phone to my elderly mother and told my mom to cancel the fn thing. I found out the first did not cancel from them. Needed to talk to the account holder (my name was added as an equal to the account but informed that was not the case). She needed to talk to my mom; this is 2 hrs of being on the phone with Shaw.

So rep number three did cancel it, then later denied she did. My mom had to tell her to cancel it. Now I don't have the box or a box for their now vintage receiver they rented under a rep's lie to my mom, it's free. Yeah, it is as long as you pay your outrageous sat bill.

Buy a box at Canada Post for 30-40$. Shaw won't send anyone to pick it up. Won't send me a box and an address label enclosed. Won't forget about hardware like when I stopped my service.

3 reps. Can't talk to a supervisor; they scheduled an appointment 24 to 48 hrs. No exact time. Thank goodness for the internet.

Then their phone number options won't let an elderly person dial and wait. So I tried. Choose the wrong numbers, they hang up. Had to choose technical support.

That is elder abuse, not letting an elderly person dial and speak to a human being. I would not recommend Shaw to any enemy of mine; 5 hrs of wasted time.

Cons:
  • Customer service representatives are not properly trained

User's recommendation: Don’t get Shaw Direct , if elderly get help to cancel.

View full review
1 comment
Guest

You deserve the chaos going on for mischaracterizing this issue as elder abuse.

Anonymous
map-marker Toronto, Ontario

APPALLING Customer Service. + Overpriced. +Lack of Programming choice.

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AI Highlights
  • Cost is high.
  • Service fails in storms.
  • Channels are removed without notice.
  • Support takes 30-60 minutes; a technician visit takes a week.
Shaw Direct Canada - APPALLING Customer Service. + Overpriced. +Lack of Programming...

EXPENSIVE The cost is ridiculously high.

UNRELIABLE The service goes out in heavy rain and storms.

CHANNELS REMOVED They randomly remove channels without notice or lowering the cost.

POOR SUPPORT It takes 30-60 minutes to reach Customer Support.

VERY LONG WAIT TIMES Its taking ONE WEEK to get a technician to fix whatever is currently wrong with our service.

User's recommendation: Get a different service

View full review
StephenStephen P

Tired of waiting for things to change.

AI Highlights
  • Shaw removed channels but the bill stayed the same.
  • Most programs are years old.
  • I'm planning to switch to another provider.

How is it in the New Year Shaw removed about 4 channels from my lineup, but my bill didn't change. Majority of the programs now are years old.

The New movies that aired on Friday and Saturday are now low budget or really old, Shaw doesn't respect loyalty so why should we. I'm really at the point where I'm going to move on to another provider, since the merger and programing change I'm not getting what I was paying for.

If you feel the same stop rewarding this company it's only concern is give as little as it can and charge as much as it can get away with. Enough SHAW, I HOPE EVERYONE WHO READS THIS DOES THE SAME, MOVE ON TO ANOTHER PROVIDER, THEY CAN'T BE WORSE THAN THIS.

User's recommendation: Do not recommend this provider

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2 comments
Joe S Hbu

I totally agree with this review

Guest

Too expensive for NHL and NFL football. Moved over to Amazon Prime. Will never give another dollar to Rogers the most hated company in Canadian history.

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Anonymous

Ever since Roger’s took over Shaw our service has been crap. Much higher monthly bill and much less channel choices. Not at all impressed by Roger’s .

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Rogers took over Shaw direct and now we pay more and get less.. thanks a lot Rogers. Currently looking to change companies.

User's recommendation: Don’t bother getting Shaw Direct. Rogers is gouging.their customers. High rates & very poor channel selection

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Judy B Guj

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

No one answers phone

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AI Highlights
  • I called to cancel service and was on hold.
  • The receiver kept freezing; replacement sent, but the problem persists, so I bought a TV.

Called in to cancel my service. Put on hold for over ten minutes.

My receiver kept freezing so they sent a new one.

Same thing is happening with the new one so I bought a TV thinking it had to be the problem. It ls the receiver Angry

User's recommendation: Do not choose Shaw

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Steve F Bok

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

Poor Technical Support

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AI Highlights
  • I am a 22-year Shaw/Rogers satellite customer.
  • Winds knocked the roof dish off alignment.
  • Option: backyard 6x6 post with underground cable; I canceled.
Updated by user Jun 03, 2025

Shaw has likely 1000's of satellites on customers' roofs. They have not invested in "falls training" safety certification and therefore their service staff cannot make repairs to Shaw equipment on roofs when dishes are no longer operating correctly.

Original review May 19, 2025

I have been a Shaw (Rogers) satellite customer for 22 years. Recently, high winds jarred the satellite dish on my roof out of alignment and knocked out my service.

I called technical support, and the soonest a technician could come was 14 days. When the technician arrived, he told me he couldn't re-align the dish because he wasn't allowed to go on the roof. (The dish is accessible from a single-story flat roof.) He said my only option was to install a 6'x6' -6' pole in the middle of my backyard and run a cable underground to the house. I find it hard to imagine that with all the rural satellite dishes that have been installed on roofs over the past 25+ years, Rogers-Shaw-Poynt360 doesn't have staff with fall training.

I was told my only option was to install a post. Reluctantly, I had to cancel my satellite service.

Preferred solution: Apology

View full review
Lisa D Evf

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

Horrible service & exorbitant prices

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Horrible service

Extremely overpriced

Unreliable

Condescending and frustrating customer service

This company does not deserve your money

Preferred solution: Price reduction

User's recommendation: Find any alternative

View full review
Lewis B Jgl

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

The second "tech support" person refused to send technician to check a Shaw Direct satellite which stopped working. I was a Shaw Direct customer for 20 years., but will not be much longer.

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AI Highlights
  • Satellite dish stopped working.
  • Rogers acquisition worsened Shaw service.
  • Arris replaced Motorola; remotes unreliable and AVR clipping.

A Shaw Direct satellite dish stopped working. After spending almost one hour trying to get technical support, the customer support person refused to send out a technician to check it, and replace it if it could not be repaired.

I have been a Shaw customer for 18 years, and they were excellent. Since Rogers bought them, their service has been getting worse every year. I had four Motorola satellite receivers that worked very well, but Rogers insisted on replacing them with new ones, by Arris, which are inferior in my opinion. Three of the 'new' remote controls that came with the Arris receivers are not reliable and only work sporadically.

Also, the signals for music transmitted to the Arris by Shaw vary in strength, causing my AVRs to clip the audio. This never happened until 2024.

User's recommendation: Get some people who have sufficient technical knowledge, so they can useful technical advice to subscribers who have problems.s

View full review
Shawn F Abd

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

Because they are so horrible now to deal with!!!

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AI Highlights
  • Tried calling to cancel our account for over a month.
  • We waited over 2 hours with no answer.
  • Bill number was wrong and we paid to avoid disconnection.

Been trying for over a month to call and cancel our account. Wait over 2 hours and still noone answers.

Finally today we get someone and its been a hour and a half, losing them calling us back... everytime he asks questions about account and the account number we have on our bill is wrong!! No wonder we could never set up an online account... so he says we have to pay our bill before it's disconnected..

so we pay over phone with credit card and then he starts asking us again account questions and I was like u have our account, u just took payment!? So why u still trying to find out account?? He is on the phone and we can hear background noise of a kitchen!!! And he is nowhere to be found.

Like we just wanted it disconnected over a month ago and still going through this. Unreal, totally horrible.

How do you get a manager to talk to?? Ridiculous

Cons:
  • Horrible customer service

Preferred solution: Our service disconnected!!

View full review
Resolved
Burma Ifh

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

Resolved: Trying to disconnect services.

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Updated by user Jan 21, 2025

Company fixed the issue and I have been provided with apology. Finally got account closed after waiting 3 hours on phone.

Original review Jan 06, 2025

Have to use Phone to have your Satellite Services disconnected.

I am growing old on phone waiting for someone to answer. Should be allowed to do it online.

Cons:
  • Zero customer service

User's recommendation: Get your Tv from anybody but Shaw

View full review
Anonymous
map-marker Brampton, Ontario

Overcharged for old programming?

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AI Highlights
  • Rates increased by $12 last year and $10 in 2025, totaling $22.
  • Programming appears dated to 2002 or earlier.

So, just last year Shaw raised the rates $12 and just looked at my statement March 31, 2025, and they are raising another $10. $22 bucks in the last year and showing "new" shows dated back in 2002 and older?

Do they even pay for programming that old?

At this rate I'll be surprised if anyone is still with these guys. What a rip-off

User's recommendation: Don't bother.

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ike h Ybt

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

I can not talk to an agent od Shaw

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AI Highlights
  • On hold for over 6 hours with no response from Shaw.
  • Online chat had long waits (70 then 35) with only 1 dropped in 15 minutes.
Updated by user Jan 14, 2025

They did call but I have been on the road so I could not take the call. They left a call back number for me to try.

Original review Jan 13, 2025

I have been on hold for more than 6 hours with no response from Shaw. All I wish to do is find out why some of my previous channels have gone.

I tried there website and wanted to CHAT, but I was put in a wait list of 70 and eventually cut off or kicked out. Next was a second try but there the wait list was 35 and only 1 dropped in 15 minutes.

Preferred solution: A response for Shaw

User's recommendation: In is nearly impossible to talk to an agent so if you want to take whatever they change your channels to, stay with them.

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Anonymous
map-marker Foothills, Alberta

Dreadful Customer Service & Programming

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Between very long wait times (45+ mins) with Customer Service, re-runs and reality programming you are better off streaming the shows you want.

User's recommendation: Absolutely NOT!

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Anonymous
map-marker North Vancouver, British Columbia

Poor service

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Very poor customer service 00000000

Desperately need someone to pick up the call for technical support.

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Anonymous
map-marker Dundas, Ontario

Highly do not recommend. Poor customer servive

AI Highlights
  • I cancelled Shaw and plan to switch to Cogeco for a better deal.
  • $4.24 balance could be applied; I paid online.
  • Months later a $2.03 bill arrived.

I hardly do not recommend. I has Shaw for a period of time at both my home and my trailer.

Ill plan on finding out of a much better deal through Cogeco. I cancelled both services. The agent I talked to told me that I had overpaid on one account and would go on the other account. I asked if he could not take what they would be and put it towards what I owed him.

He said he could and told me I had a balance of $4.24 Which I paid online immediately. Two months later I received a bill for $2.03. After spending over two hours, waiting for someone to answer, I was somehow disconnected. I attempted to call again, but gave up and went on their live chat.

I explained numerous times to the person which was of no use. She could only justify it by saying that the previous agent had made a mistake.

Granted its a small amount of money, but its a principle thing because my balance prior to this was 0. Will never return and will not recommend them.

User's recommendation: You can not expect to get accurate information

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Anonymous
map-marker Toronto, Ontario

Billingg

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I am done with you and your team you sent a 1.42 bill to a collection agency I am 75 years old and never missed a payment we have automatically payment s

User's recommendation: Never deal with this company

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