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Anonymous User
Not applicable

I'm being ripped off

I have just discovered that Now TV have been charging me 9.99 a month every month since September 2014 for a movie package I didn't want and have never used. I have only ever used the day pass for the odd sports event. Not only do they refuse to investigate how this was activated, by who and when but they refuse to refund the money!! I have had to start legal proceedings against them. My advice is don't, ever, give this lot your card details or if you do keep a very close eye on your bank account because they will take money, unauthorised and then refuse to pay it back.

39 REPLIES 39
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Bill7 wrote:

I have just discovered that Now TV have been charging me 9.99 a month every month since September 2014 for a movie package I didn't want and have never used. I have only ever used the day pass for the odd sports event. Not only do they refuse to investigate how this was activated, by who and when but they refuse to refund the money!! I have had to start legal proceedings against them. My advice is don't, ever, give this lot your card details or if you do keep a very close eye on your bank account because they will take money, unauthorised and then refuse to pay it back.

 

@Bill7   Has it been used at any point in the last two years by anyone?  https://watch.nowtv.com/mytv/viewing-history (continue watching)  will show what has been watched recently.  If it has then I don't think there is much that can be done, someone is using it.

 

Unfortunately you have to provide card details to get the service, but what I do is provide a card that is due to expire or alternatively a pre-paid credit card where they can only get the money if you put funds on the card.  Pockit prepaid will give you £5 if you deposit £10, so you can keep the amount on the card so low that you won't get charged for anything.  Best to leave £1 on, so the authorisation goes through.

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

No it hasn't been used, at all, by anyone and i've already explained that to the so called "chat line" until i'm blue in the face. They can see that it's never been used. They have the card details from the use of the one off 6.99 sky sports service that I occaisionally use for something I want to see on Sky Sports. I have never used a movie service. 

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User @Anonymous User

 

Hi CE and Raev

 

Can you believe this guy, imagine saying the following:

 

It’s not my job to protect myself against fraud. How about they don’t commit fraud in the first place?

 

It is the daftest thing I have ever read, especially when the computers taking from and paying into our accounts, from time to time, glitch, crash, make mistakes, etc., therefore if he is not responsible for his own account then who is?

 

Just last month my bank's computer threw a wobbly, changed some reference details on a payee's account and the payment I was making got rejected.  Now the payee automatically thought I was being delinquent and tried to charge me a non-payment fee and daily interest on the outstanding amount.  If I did not have my records and payment history to hand I would have been clobbered for a mistake my bank had made, even though the my bank won't admit it.

 

You know, organisations today will not admit that they do anything wrong but it is truly sad when someone will not take responsibility for their own financial well being.

 

 

UK Bob

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@ukbobboy wrote:

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User @Anonymous User

 

Can you believe this guy, imagine saying the following:

 

It’s not my job to protect myself against fraud. How about they don’t commit fraud in the first place?

  


 

It's pretty naive.  

 

One thing that would help is to have continuous payment authorities CPAs subject to the same rules as direct debits.  http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/recurring-payments.  The best way to prevent CPAs is a prepaid card like Pockit.  

 

They are bringing is permit parking in my area and whilst I do trust Now TV to be pretty reasonable (and they have been in any dispute I have had), I certainly wouldn't trust a private parking firm looking to raise revenue from street parking. They'd probably take the unjustified fines directly as well.

 

I don't see it as fraud.  It's a payment dispute, and it should have noted a lot earlier.  Best that can be done now is to contact the credit card company and dispute the payments.  Worked for me with Gourmet Society.

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User

 

Hi CE (and Raev)

 

You said, "The best way to prevent CPAs is a prepaid card like Pockit.", I've never heard of "Pockit" but I do agree it seems like another line of defence when protecting your money.

 

Both you guys obviously know, there are rogue organisations out there that will do anything to get their hands on your payment details and then milk you for as long as they can, the only real protection you have is constant vigilance, i.e. monitoring your account on a regular basis. 

 

Anything else is just inviting disaster.

 

UK Bob

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@ukbobboy wrote:

 

 

You said, "The best way to prevent CPAs is a prepaid card like Pockit.", I've never heard of "Pockit" but I do agree it seems like another line of defence when protecting your money.

 


@ukbobboy  Now TV only insist the credit card is unexpired when you open the account.  It is mainly used to verify you are over 18.  That people use it to pay for the services is a bonus for Now TV.   So if you use the credit card in your wallet with the earliest expiry date, it will quickly expire and then they can't take any money off you. 

 

If you haven't used Now TV much then the billing and cancellation process is a bit opaque, but the best advice I can give is 

  1. Use a credit/debit card near expiry or a prepaid card with less than a £1 on it
  2. Take out all the trials on day one and cancel them immediately 
  3. Only apply vouchers to your account
  4. Set up a payment PIN, ideally one no one else in your family can guess

Won't stop your dad activating your sports pass to watch a meaningless Manchester derby when you head off to the football yourself, but should prevent your kids getting kids passes galore. Smiley Indifferent

 

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User

 

Hi CE

 

I thank you for your advice but because of my paranoia, I've put several things in place:

 

1) Pinned my account immediately, I see this as an essential way and first line of defence against unauthorised usage of your Now TV account and your payment details.

 

2) I used to use the occasional voucher but thanks to @Schnapps, a senior forum member, I now use the "voucher usage method" he developed (see below). 

 

3) A few senior members look out for cheap box and voucher deals, i.e. buying NowTV boxes with free vouchers, which can work out cheaper than buying vouchers on their own.

 

I intend to use this method to save money also.

 

4) If other forum members find or develop a new way to save money and share that method with the wider membership then I shall be incorporating that as well.

 

Here's @Schnapps voucher usage method

 

The Best Way To Use Now TV Vouchers

 

All you need to do is buy your voucher pass (from either Currys, Amazon, Game, Argos, ShopTo, etc.) and apply the voucher code to your existing NowTV account under My Passes where you will see an option to "Apply Voucher".

 

Then all you need to do within the final 30 calendar days before the voucher expires (if you want to continue with the voucher method) is to add a new voucher pass.

 

If you keep following this method then no money will be taken from your bank or credit card, I have been using this method for over 18 months to keep the costs down and touch wood and, as of yet, I have had no money taken from my bank card by NowTV.

 

The only thing to bear in mind is that you must apply the new voucher code before the existing code expires (within the last 30 days) or NowTV will automatically take a payment from your bank card.

 

Also if you decide to leave the NowTV service (either short term or long term) make sure that you cancel your passes (don't worry if you cancel early you will still get the full duration of the voucher passes that you have applied) or again NowTV will automatically renew taking monthly subscription costs from your bank card.

 

                                    -------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

UK Bob

 

 

 

SeeMoreDigital
Legend 5
Legend 5

@ukbobboy wrote:

3) A few senior members look out for cheap box and voucher deals, i.e. buying NowTV boxes with free vouchers, which can work out cheaper than buying vouchers on their own. 


Indeed, I've been doing this since the end of 2013 (way before schnapps became a registered subscriber) 😉

 

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@SeeMoreDigital wrote:

@ukbobboy wrote:

3) A few senior members look out for cheap box and voucher deals, i.e. buying NowTV boxes with free vouchers, which can work out cheaper than buying vouchers on their own. 


Indeed, I've been doing this since the end of 2013 (way before schnapps became a registered subscriber) 😉


Ditto, and I have about twenty white and black boxes now.