NOW TV SCAM

[Anonymous User]

Hello

Has anyone else been caught out by the NOW TV Scam?

Let me explain. You buy a NOW TV box which can come with say 3 months free entertainment subscription. However to use it you need to set up an account , during which you are asked for your credit/debit card details. I believe they say they wont charge you. However after 3 months your free subscription ends, and because auto renew is configured by default you are the charged  £6.99 for a month. You do have the option to cancel the subscription during the free trial which will switch off auto renew, but how many people know this? 3 months is a long time, how many people forget and then get charged £6.99 a month until they check there bank?

I brought this up with the NOW TV via webchat and got a scripted bull%$£" response.

Please be warned.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi @Anonymous User,

Where did you purchase your '6 month' voucher from?

According to the 'Sales of Goods Act' if you have a faulty product your first port of call to get your issue resolved is with the 'vendor'!

Cheers

[Anonymous User]

On 21/1 17 SeeMoreDigital published a clear set of conditions which clarify what the customer is responsible for, and what he might get into.  Well done.

Unfortunately, NOWTV don't seem to think that it's important to highlight these conditions when making a purchase.  The adverts are boldly there to impress.  The subterfuge is also on the page but sufficietly unappealing to dissuade anyone from reading it.

It's a long time since I saw anything as blatantly dishonest as this.

[Anonymous User]

IT IS A SCAM.  It's just happened to me.  Took a monthly deal for £20 as a cheap trial.  Later found that they had triggered to charge me £33 per month with no notification or anything.

Asked the 'helper' and he referred me to 7,400 words of T's and C's.

If you look at any monthly deal you will see how crafty they are.

The deal is shown in something like font size 16.

At the bottom of the page are 5 lines (136 words) at something like font size 4.  BIG DISINCENTIVE TO READ THAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO STEAL £33 PER MONTH OFF YOU.

I'm off to find who to tell - is it OfCom or somebody?

[Anonymous User]

Hi @Anonymous User

Thanks for getting in touc. Which £20 deal are you referring too? is the sports pass for £20? if so you do need to cancel the pass before the deal ends otherwise the pass will auto-renew at its normal price of £33.99 this is stated when you take the pass out and is visable before you confirm the purchse. If you did not cancel it and you were then charged full price then unfortunately we cannot do anything about that. if you wish to discuss this further please contact our Live Chat team and they will be happy to go through this with you.

[Anonymous User]

Hi Eddi-M,

Thanks for commenting.  It was, indeed, the sports pass for £20.  I found out - just in time I think - that I was supposed to cancel the auto-renew.  It was only a fluke that I wanted a day pass to watch a football match, and I happened to see £33 showing on my statement.

If I had not watched that match it could have been months before I found out that NowTV were raiding my bank account.

You say that "this is stated when you take the pass out and is visable before you confirm the purchse" (sic). 

Well, I asked the helper on the chat line where I should (could?) have seen it.  His only reply was to refer me to your terms and conditions.  So I looked there.  I didn't find it because I wasn't prepared to wade through 7,400 words to ensure that I wasn't being ripped off as part of my £20 transaction.

However, I found a current deal for NowTV boxes, and I have attached a copy of it.  Please examine it carefully and decide whether you are sufficiently diligent and paranoid to read the small print.  I suggest that thousands of people won't read the small print or notice what they are letting themselves in for.

DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT IT IS HONEST TRADING TO ADVERTISE SOMETHING FOR £36.99 IN SOMETHING LIKE 18-FONT, AND TO HIDE A CLAUSE GRABBING £33.99 PER MONTH ON THE FOURTH LINE OF T's and C's IN 4-FONT?

But you don't need to answer that because someone will answer it for you.  I am about to report you to the Advertising Standards Authority and OfCom.  If you can't comply with honest practice within the next few weeks, your post might be used to prove that NowTV know exactly what they are doing.

I have taken the precaution of saving a screen dump of this conversation.

[Anonymous User]

Yep I had a month's trial ended on 30th June '17,so as I had only used it 2-4 times at most I sent a cancellation message about a week or so before the end.
Thinking that would be the end of it,I was very much mistaken !! as I was on my internet banking,then I saw 2 payments that had been requested by Now tv for £6.99 & £9.99 on the very day it was to end 30th June,therefore I emailed again on the 1st July,especially as they've(nowtv) put the amounts to pay on my debit card which I DIDN'T REGISTER WITH THEM,it was another card they had/have on record !!
I'm getting a bit angry now as its the end of the office hours on 5th July,but despite NO RESPONSE & after 2 other emails up until yesterday 4th July,not only have they NOT RESPONDED BUT THEY ACTUALLY DIDN'T CANCEL THE REQUESTED PAYMENTS, BUT THE OPPOSITE & THEY GOT IT ON THE 3rd July !! I have STILL not been emailed back as I have also informed them I'm disabled & heart issues are not helped by getting stressed,its not the amount,its the sheer DISREGARD FOR WHAT COULD'VE BEEN A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER, I've now told them they have a last chance or by tomorrow lunchtime, if no response I will not only complain to Of com,but also my banks fraud dept for taking money without authority and worse from a card that's NOT REGISTERED.
ITS REDICULOUS

[4268]

@Anonymous User was the card charged linked to same account as that you provided or is it totally separate i.e. different provider? This effects advice. What you can do is get your payment details removed by chat as they appear on your account. You can then put on a payment pin to prevent other charges being applied without your permission.

[Anonymous User]

Hi there,thanks for getting in touch,the payment taken on my card,wasn't
even the same bank !!
I did have Sky TV,but not for around 18-22 months after overcharging from
them aswell,.
I'm with EE.CO.UK now,Anytime phone calls,Unlimited broadband & EE TV with
box,incl.Entertainment,pause,rewind & catch up,with (go to the start of a
programme),ie;if i miss the start of a real time episode,i can actually
press the remote & go to the start of it !! AMAZING FACILITY TO HAVE, All
this is not only more organised but less than 50% what I was paying for
Sky,last months bill was £36 & May's bill £40,fast broadband 4G,Excellent
service to finally have for once,with NO hidden extra's.
Sorry for babbling on,thanks again

[4268]

@Anonymous User if it was not the same bank that suggests a fraudulent transaction. I would suggest that you flag it as such with that bank. Inform the bank you don't authorise the payment. Now will then need to provide proof of the payment being due.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your help