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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Took unauthorised payment from my bank

Looking at my bank statement, I found a payment made to Nowtv of £8.99 on 25 March 2020.

I have not given permission for this payment as I cancelled my Nowtv account after the last episode of Game of thrones last year 2019. At no time was I informed that a payment would be taking from my account a year after I cancelled Nowtv.

I want this amount refunded to my bank as what you have done is fraud.

12 REPLIES 12
Mark_Weinreb
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User  Before accusing NowTV of fraud, could you answer the following questions

 

1. Did you put a payment pin on your account

2. Do you still have any NowTV boxes or sticks connected to your TV

3. Do you have a Youview box connected to your TV

4. Does anyone else in your house have access to your TV

5. Do they now have a guilty look

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

It seems from all the posts here that NOWtv are old hands at this. I haven't subscribed for any of their services, yet they still saw fit to dip into my bank. This was for a subscription to a children's channel. They told me to quiz family and friends to find out if they could have been responsible. I live alone, but anyway nobody in my family or friends are thieving fraudsters. I didn't conduct any interviews. They have admitted they were wrong, I am using none of their services, and therefore owed nothing. But having this admission from them has not seen my money repaid. Instead they emailed me telling me that my complaint had been closed, and that they hoped I was satisfied with the outcome. I was not, and see myself as the victim of fraud and/or theft. I replied to the email saying that I wasn't satisfied, as instructed. They will not reply despite me sending them numerous requests. They seem to feel that they are not governed by the same laws as I am. These laws would have seen me facing criminal charges if it were I that had defrauded somebody, availing myself to monies from their bank that I had no legitimate reason to. No refund has been made, offered, or indeed insinuated, and I have no guarantee they'll not try the same stunt again. They operate like thieves in the night, and it would appear that I'm going to have to take them to the small claims court (County Court). I fully intend doing so, and hope their scam gets them as much negative publicity as possible. I'll be doing my upmost to ensure this happens. At the end of the day I am the victim of a criminal enterprise, and having read the other testimonies here, they are prolific. This is in print, so I invite being prosecuted for libel. I'm happy to also say everything, so there's slander too. Doesn't worry me, they can't shoot you for telling the truth. 

RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

@ukbobboy‘s claims of accurate reports that NowTV deliberately resurrect old accounts and restart subscriptions without the user’s permission has been robustly rebutted by NowTV.

 

In your case, I would have a slightly modified version of  @Mark_Weinreb’s list of questions from above:-

 

1. When you look at My Account/Your Devices on your dormant account, can you see that no listed device is shown as having been used during or since that Kid’s Pass purchase?

 

2. And there have been no devices deleted off that list since?

 

If both these things are the case, I would take a screenshot of that list to back up your claim that this must have been a rogue payment taken by NowTV without just cause.

 

If they dispute question 2, ask them for chapter and verse as to what device and when. Bear in mind that if your account has been compromised, there may have been a deletion or deletions made by whoever compromised it.

 

But if you find there is such an entry (and apart from clerical error, I can’t see why NowTV would push back here and deny you a refund if there isn’t), then we have to figure out how it got there So:-

 

3. Did you put a Payment PIN on your account?

 

There is no obligation on you to do so, but it is a wise precaution, and raises the bar quite considerably as to the level of compromise needed to buy a pass without your say-so.

 

4. Does anyone else in your house have access to a TV or other watching device of yours, with the NowTV app on it, or a device with the NowTV app on it plugged into it?

 

5. Have you knowingly given anyone outside your home access to your NowTV account details?

 

6. Have you unknowingly given anyone outside your home access to your NowTV account details, e.g. by selling, donating, or scrapping a device with your NowTV account details still on it, not wiped or destroyed?

 

Though as above, breaches under 4 - 6 would be almost certain to leave an audit trail in Your Devices, as described under 1.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

I've never bought a single service from NOWtv. I've not used any vouchers that came with it, and they have charged me for the children's channel, even though I've a 5 month pass that has never been activated. I've not had a device that I no longer own, for any reason. I live alone so the notion that somebody has used the NOWtv stick is impossible. The company admits that I've not accessed anything. Still they felt it okay to close my complaint, hoping I'm satisfied with the outcome. I've sent many emails to them in reply telling them I'm not. I've been in touch with my bank and blocked any further payments being taken. They have no legitimate reason to have taken money. Under these circumstances I consider myself a victim of theft and fraud. This company ought to be facing criminal charges; they have broken the law. They don't reply to my emails. I'm left with looking at suing them in the County Court, and if I have to do this I will press for an additional payment for the stress and anxiety they are guilty of causing me. This duress is unacceptable. I am shocked at how prolific they are in stealing from people. They know I don't owe them a bean and have admitted this. Even when I get a refund, which I won't give up on, I want a compensatory payment for the pure hassle they have caused me. I am telling anybody who will listen about the illegal practices they employ. They behave like thieves in the night. They are lying cheating dogs.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I've also been victim of CPA Fraud - not linked to my old nowtv account - but someone was allowed to open a NowTV account using my stolen card details, then help themselves to payments from my bank, aided by NowTVs rubbish billing system which never showed which NowTV membership was billing.

 

Took me two months to get NowTV to actually block the fraudsters account (citing data protection of the fraudster...righttt), and they have refused to refund anything.

 

The CIFAS regulator has also been equally dismissive, and i'm now down over £1k going back 18 months.

 

Needless to say - nowtv account deleted, and moved to virgin.  Won't ever be coming back.  

RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

Why didn’t you just get your bank to stop the card and send you a new one? That would have taken minutes.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

We did - 3 times the bank issued new cards - but issuing a new card also still updates CPA payments.

 

Bank managed to stop a few payments - but NowTV carried on requesting them from the fraudsters account.   

 

Wasnt until NowTV finally suspended the fraudulent account that they stopped presenting payments.

 

RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

You can ask your bank to stop paying a CPA; this is something you can do, and if you ask them to, they must do it.

 

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/complaints-deal/banking-and-payments/continuous-payment-authorities

 

That page says a similar thing about the merchant, but does not go into the detail about it that it does for banks.

 

I wonder why your bank did not volunteer this information to you?

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hey, 

 I found a payment made to Nowtv of £4.99 on 31st March 2020.

I have not given permission for this payment as I cancelled my Nowtv account a while ago,

I wasnt informed that a payment would be taking from my account as we cancelled Nowtv.

I want this amount refunded to my bank.