Directv Direct TV, Direc tv Charging for porn or pay per view you did not order, feeding customers a crock of crap, LIES!!! Danville, Virginia
Several months ago, I get my bill and there's 6 charges on it for porn and the so called dates are listed when we supposedly watched it. I pass-worded "adult" content and pay per view so I'm the only one who knows the password, and we were even away on vacation on one of the dates (which they don't even list the year, just a day and month which is weirdness). So I called them and lady tells me I been internet hacked somehow but she can't really explain it. She just wants to give me some shpeel about some new offers! So I ask to speak to someone one else, then I get the run-around by another robot woman who agreed to "do me a favor by meeting my half way" by removing 3 of the 6 charges. Gee thanks. So I had my husband call and he talked to a man who said it must be because we didn't plug our telephone line in the back of the receiver. Anyhow, I got on the phone and he supposedly set me up with a pin/pass number for protection from this happening (which they knew nothing about in my future calls).
A few months later, we cancelled service. It's too long a story... but there was more inept customer service and etc involving return boxes for receivers. Anyhow, I was told I was going to get a refund for unused time I paid for, (which I laughed at inside my head about as I wondered what they'd come up with to ruin it) and that was it. Good riddance! Until I get a new bill 2 months later saying I still owe for 4 pay per view orders which were supposedly viewed back when I was a customer. I called them and confronted them about their fraud and such and I said I will not pay and I request they remove the fraudulent charges. And as for my refund that I never got... they said they may have to take it out of that (Oh boy what a big surprise there!) if they can't get into by bank account, which luckily I don't think they can.
I have a friend who has been a long time customer of theirs, and nothing like this has ever happened to her. I guess it seems they pick certain people at random maybe... I don't know, all I know is it's the closest thing I can come up with as to the shock of how they can still be up and running. People please make reports to stop them!
4 Updates & Rebuttals
DannaJ
Cayucos,California,
We were told "The Receiver's chip doesn't lie" too...after we were charged for 12 movies after canceling our contract
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, November 16, 2013
Sorry Mr. Direct TV. There are way too many reports from customers being charged for porn they didn't order to buy your company's standard line. One of my friends says it took him forever to try and clear up a charge to his deceased father (who lived alone) for movies he supposedly ordered AFTER his death and AFTER the utilities were shut off at the residence! I believe somehow there is employee manipulation in regard to the returned equipment when we cancel the (non) service.
Ever since I've shared with others our nightmare experiences with DirectTV, ending with them charging my credit card $226 without authorization for 12 supposed adult PPV orders going back 8 months, I'm hearing we're not the only ones (Look at the Consumer Affairs website). So Movies are almost $19 each? My husband and I are retired on a fixed income...you could BUY a movie for that! We would not waste a fixed income on that overpriced garbage.
When we tried to get more information, such as the time the movies were ordered and the year (!), customer service reps passed us up the chain (supposedly)...we'd get disconnected and have to call back and start over. DirectTV couldn't provide us with that information we requested. So there's no way for us to show that we may not have even been home when these charges occurred...we're at the (non)mercy of Direct TV. And now I have to make payments on a $226 bill that I and my husband did not create.
Worst. Company. Ever!
Anonymous
Texas,USA
That's funny
#5General Comment
Mon, April 23, 2012
Considering I work for the company and I know the mechanics of it. Not that I'm sticking up for them or claiming they don't have their fine print tricks... charging you for something you did not order or agree to is actually not one of them. Each receiver is so unique and has its own card that will not work in any other receiver.. it would be really incredibly hard to believe, if not completely impossible to believe, that a pay per view error occurred. Maybe one.. MAYBE maybe maybe.. but definitely not multiple. For it to be done like that, someone had to purchase it from your box. Even just by mistake. There's just no other way it could happen.. Unless someone has your password for your online account and logged in and ordered them.. Someone pressed order from inside your home on that remote control that goes to that box.
And by lucky you got what you did, I do mean lucky. It is a very strictly enforced policy to credit pay per view under very rare circumstances and very rarely does it happen. Even when it does, it's generally only for one order. Someone was really nice to work with you on that, and I'm glad you were able to get that much since you were clearly unaware of what was going on. You may really need to grill the members of your household though.
Good luck!
Eejo
Syracuse,New York,
U.S.A.
I expected something like that
#5Author of original report
Sun, April 22, 2012
I figured someone was going to say that the orders really were made from me (or someone at my house). It is entirely possible for a "big company" to rip people off. It's as simple as that. It's your opinion that I was "lucky enough" to get the refund that I did... (because you believe I actually ordered it). I didn't get a refund. They told me "we'll take half the charges off"... and it left me thinking what am I supposed to do, thank them and realize how kind they are? The charges are false from the get-go so i'm not going to be thrilled in the least. The "well lets be thankful because it could be worse" thing is not going to do a thing for me, because ripping someone off is ripping someone off. There are tons of reports like mine all over the internet.
Anonymous
Texas,USA
This is probably what happened
#5General Comment
Fri, April 20, 2012
The porn was ordered at some point from your receiver. It could have been ordered at any time...
The phone line thing is because.. you have to either have a phone line or internet connection to order with your remote. The receiver and the DTV system actually connects through the phone line or internet connection to relay the purchase so it will go to your bill appropriately. If you get disconnected.. or sometimes it may just not go through for a while due to a glitch in the system.. the charges won't be reported until it is reconnected or the glitch is fixed.. or it just goes through. Technology and computers aren't flawless. This could result in you not seeing the charges for the order for months.. maybe even longer. The date listed will be the date it was reported.. which is usually immediately.
You will not be charged for something that was not ordered through your account. You can order online, through text message, over the phone, or through the TV itself. The charges just weren't reported at the time they happened due to a disconnection or a glitch. The system actually dials a number to get the information from your receiver. If that connection is interrupted (be it DTV's fault or your stuff was just disconnected or down) you won't see the charge until it is back up. So at some point, someone in your household ordered those videos.
Sorry for your experience and that you were a victim of probably just a system glitch. The charges, however, are not fraudulent, and you were lucky to get as much refunded as you did.