False Charges

[BrainPimp]

Hello everyone. I am really having a problem here with DTV and could use your help.

It all started last month. I have $70 in adult PPV charges show up on my bill. They were all dated from October and December of LAST YEAR. (12 months old) They were tied to a card number that I didn't receive until June of this year.

After much run around and wasting of time they agreed they would remove the charges but that I was responsible for any others that appeared. I disagreed and said I would pay for any that were made but not incorrect or fraudulent ones. They ignored me and went on with their script.

Well, this month rolls around. They pulled the full amount out of our account and there are 5 new charges on the account. It is physically impossible these were made from our remote as they are saying. We were not here. I had a Federal judge as a witness the entire family was in another state. No one else entered or exited my home while we were gone. I have the alarm print outs to prove it.

I am convinced my account has been duped, hacked or otherwise compromised. DTV flatly denies it but can give me no better explanation that maybe some one was ordering the programs through my window.

I find that the tech support people will lie simply to try to get me off the phone. What the heck is going on and what can I do?

 

[Ken_F]

Brain,

You don't have a PVR/Tivo and a teenager in the house, do you?

 

[BrainPimp]

No, I do not.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Request a new smartcard.

And tell them you want it free or your calling the press to report them for bogus PPV charges.

 

[Stargazer]

I would also request a PPV freeze to where no PPV's are allowed to be ordered and I would also disconnect the phoneline so that there is no way for there to be any PPV's to be indicated on any of your statements. This is a good way of knowing if a hacker with the same smart card is causing the charges.

 

[BrainPimp]

Very good ideas all. I have done them.

They want to charge me for the smartcard anyway.

When you tell them the phone is unplugged that's when they say they got the charges off the scanned card you return. You have no way to contradict anything they say unless you get the guy on the phone and ask the questions of them in the correct order. For example, I knew the year old charges were not ours and not related to that card. I had to ask them when I got that card number 1st then point out I didn't have the card at the time the charges were supposedly made.

The frustrating point of all of this is they don't want to admit they have a problem. They just want me to pay for the services and go on.

 

[Ken_F]

Brain,

So when you look under past purchases on your receiver(s), it does not list any PPV purchases? That is very interesting.

It sounds like maybe there is some pirate out there using your smartcard information (with a phone connected) to order PPVs.

 

[BrainPimp]

That is is exactly what I said and DTV just ignores it and they don't want to replace the card to fix it either. Just make me pay for it.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Call up and cancel. When they send you to retention tell them whats going on, they should be able to help.

 

[BrainPimp]

At this point I am ready to leave. I have been a customer for over 8 years and this dismissive treatment and failure to listen is really making me angry. I was to get a supervisor call back within 48 hours. That was 72 hours ago.

How good is Dish?

 

[Stargazer]

I have heard of this happening with Dish as well but this problem, for the most part, does not happen with either company. I would just call up, cancel, and get a Dish Network promotion that new subscribers are eligible for if DirecTv does not want to drop all the charges and send a new smart card. DirecTv would still probably turn you into a collection agency to collect that amount they think is owed and it could ding your credit as well.

 

[geneb11]

Why can't you have them send someone over to check your past purchases?