Direct TV
Hundreds Charged for Pay Per View Movies We Never Ordered

Between June of 1999 and April I was a subscriber to Direct TV. I had 2 RCA receivers in the home, one in the family room and the other in the master bedroom. During that time I was receiving charges for many Pay Per View movies on the receiver in the master bedroom.

Most of these were adult movies that my husband or I would have ordered. After the first billing I contacted Direct TV to tell them we had not ordered these types of shows. They responded that the shows had to have been ordered in the home with the remote and that I should enter a code that only I knew. After talking to them and determining it had to be my husband ordering, it did create a big dispute between my husband and me, as he continued to deny ordering. I entered a code only I knew, one even my husband could not have guessed. Still more movies were being ordered.

How, I am not sure. One thing I am sure of, after careful monitoring, is that it was not my husband ordering these shows. Many of the shows would have played during hours I was sleeping in the room or up preparing for work. Most importantly, many were ordered and shown when we were gone. We were gone one weekend, many hours away from home on a hunting trip, and no one had access to our home. This happened several times, and I continued to complain to Direct TV that it was not possible the orders were coming from inside the home. They did credit my account for some of the charges after I told them I could prove we could not have ordered them. Also, going through the menu for movies on my system, it was showing movies that hadn't even aired yet.

After paying hundreds for shows I was sure we were not ordering, I told Direct TV I was refusing to pay any more, and they of course disconnected it for $15. After receiving mail from their collector, Riddle & Associates, I wrote back explaining the problem and why I had refused payment. Their response to me was, "In your correspondence you dispute the validity of the Pay per view charges on your account. These events were all ordered from within your home by use of your remote control."

After reviewing my billing ledgers, I saw that some of the shows were ordered on the same date, playing at the same time on different channels. I do not know how this happened or why only on one of the two receivers, but I do know they were not ordered from inside my home with my remote. The only good thing to come of this is that I was able to sell the used RCA receivers for a good price just because of the cards that were in them. I did get my money back from the system, but I was ripped off by Direct TV.

I still owe $236 to Direct TV, which includes late fees and a $15 disconnect fee. I am sure I cannot be the only one who has had this happen. I would like even a good explanation as to how it happened.

Company: Direct TV
Country: USA
State: Arizona
City: Phoenix
Address: P.o. Box 78626
Phone: 8005315000

  <     >