DirecTV Charged for Pay Per View from 2003 when I cancelled the account in 2011. El Segundo, California

I had the same situation with Direct tv.  I just cancelled august of 2012.  Received a credit after they received my receivers.  Great I think.

Then the next month, I receive a bill for 12.65.  I called and inquired and was informed these were from charges from 2005...7 years ago!  They told me the same thing, it was from the receiver that did not have the phone line. (our other receiver did, and we were always told to use that one to order ppv)  The customer service tried to say, I owed this money anyway.  But gave me an adress to dispute it.

Needless to say...I wrote them a lengthy note disputing it.  I said there are laws when it comes to how many years you can file a lawsuit, that there most certainly laws as to how far back you can be charged.  I ended by saying, hoping you will reverse these charges, but if not...I will use my right to contact whomever I can..the media, newspapers..etc.  To bring this to light.

Well..today...I received an email...stating that not only were they reversing my 12 dollars...but crediting me another 44 dollars.  So if your problem isn't resolved...try that!  Hope it helps.

   It was my experience that it was impossible to get any correct details regarding any problem, from the pinheads that work at DirectTV customer service.   Seriously, I know they would just make things up whenever I was forced to deal with them. 

   That said, what you're complaining about was common with early receivers. 

"But, how can I be sure?  They hold all of the cards, so to speak.  I have no way of fighting this claim.  How do I verify something that was done eight years ago?  Who remembers? "

   You had the opportunity to check this before you sent the cards back.   As I recall, it didn't take much to navigate the menu and find out if there were any uncharged movies stored on the card.   This was pretty common in the old days when many people did not have their receiver connected to a full time phone line.    I would often let several movies stack up on the card over a period of months, then plug in a temp phone line to let the receiver report the PPVs to DirectTV for billing.   The movies would no longer show up as "pending" on the card. If a phone line was never hooked up, the only way DirecTV would know that they were ordered, would be by examination of the card memory after you returned it.

" I asked if that meant that I could have ordered 1000s of dollars worth of pay per view through the years and I wouldn't have been billed for it until I turned in my access cards and I was told, yes, this was possible.  "

  This is where believing the pinheads can be misleading.   As far back as the 1990s, DirectTV would only allow a certain dollar amount of PPVs to be pending on a card.   Originally it was limited to $50 and was lowered in subsequent years.   When your card hit that limit, it would no longer allow any more PPVs to be purchased on that receiver.    Of course, you can't expect DirecTV CSRs to actually know what they're talking about.   That would be against company policy.  

  If your receiver was not hooked to a permanent phone line, I would not be surprised that there were some unreported PPVs over the years.  Unfortunately, since you didn't check when you had the cards in your possession, now you kinda have to take their word for it. 

 
                         What happened to the original receiver . Once you had the equipment upgraded in 2006. Do you still have it and the access card for it. Plus what proof do you have showing that your equipment was upgraded back in 2006. Do you have a signed contract, work order or an invoice showing the work was done .

                        During the upgrade back in 2006. If your original receiver and access card were deactivated . If you still have them or threw the receiver/access card away. If the old receiver was deactivated . Then I"m wondering how equipment upgraded in 2006. Could possible have PPV charges on them from 2003. 

                       In the early years of Directv and DishNet. You could order a PPV without the phone line connected to the equipment. Or if the phone line went dead . What would happen after about 4 months once the equipment figured out it couldnt call home. The receiver would turn itself off. Then the customer would have to get replacement cards. 

                       I know Dish Net later changed the software whereby . The equipment would check to make sure their was a dial tone. Before the customer ordered a PPV. 

                      But I don't know if Directv has done the samething and upgraded their software. I haven't had much dealings with Directv since 2001 when they cut off over 5000 dealers from installing equipment for new customers. 

                      I'm curious why they only wanted the access cards. You either owned the equipment . Or you were leasing it and they just didn't want the old equipment anymore. If you owned the equipment then you also owned the access cards and you should have kept them.

I know back in 2007 Directv wanted 89.00 for a new access card. So if you go to sell the equipment its possible. That Directv will want the new owner of the equipment .To purchase new access cards before they will activate the equipment. 

                      So if you owned the equipment are they going to send you replacement access cards for free. 

                       If all they wanted was the PPV . Then all a customer has to do is before you turn off the equipment . Is to connect the equipment to a phone line for a few days. By getting a long enough phone cord and connect the equipment to the nearest phone jack. I know with Dish Net you can go into the menu and make the equipment call out . Allowing their equipment to download the PPV that was stored.

                       I'm going to take a wild guess your from Ohio . I havent been home in years . So I looked up Channel 3 and found this link http://www.wkyc.com/news/investigative/default.aspx . If your now from Ohio you might check with your local channel . To find something similar to this link.

                      Back in December 2009 The Regional Sales Rep for Directv came by my office. Trying to get me to sign back up with them. I asked him if I still had to sell 24 new install per quarter. He told me yes and I didn't sign up. We talked for a while and he didn't nothing good to say about Dish Net. How Directv were perfect angels. 

                      So why did 50 state Attorney General Office's sue Directv in December 2010 . Whereby Directv had to pay out over 14 million in fines and restitution .

                       I've noticed over the past 3 years . That companies don't seem to care if they don't have any customers. Last year I spent 3 months trying to get a Security Monitor back from the factory for a customer . Hearing everything from its going to cost 1000.00 to fix, we didn't say that and we shipped it already. 

                      What ever happened to doing the right thing.

but, we only had one receiver in 2003 and later, about 2006, had the system upgraded with a DVR and two additional receivers. They claim these shows were ordered on two receivers - but we only had one in 2003!

But, how can I be sure?  They hold all of the cards, so to speak.  I have no way of fighting this claim.  How do I verify something that was done eight years ago?  Who remembers?  How do I know I didn't pay for these items and then completely forgot about it?  Also, in about 2006 we had the system updated with DVR and two more receivers installed. We had one receiver in 2003, but they claim that these shows were watched on two!  We didn't have two receivers then!!  My feeling is this, 1)The consumer has no way to defend themselves against these charges many years after the supposed purchase; and (2) This is an extremely poor business practice. I run a business and there is no way that I would allow someone to purchase my services, without my knowledge, with the expectation that they would pay years later. Think about it - would you?????

 Were the Access Cards ever replaced after 2003. Or are they original to the equipment.

If there's no phone line connected to their receivers, they can't verify movie purchases.  They then then read out your returned items and extract that information.

I can pretty much assure you, someone in your household ordered the movie(s).   If they told you the movie names and types, perhaps you can narrow it down a bit.  I DO NOT work for Direct TV....never did.