Bank account accessed without permission

[Mike0616]

Nope....cause you work for the Devil!

I use auto-pay. If I ever decide to cancel my service I will change my CC on file a month before to a Shop Safe number, which only allows up to a date I set or an amount I set. That way they can't charge me something I don't owe them.

I use a different "shop safe" cc number every month for paying D*. Have had them on and off for the last 15 years and learned long ago that once they get your money, you will never see it again due to their financial "system". I don't think that their "system" has changed since D* was a GM run company through its Hughes division (which shows to this day and explains why GM went under.)

[stonecold]

IMO not only did the OPs daughter do this, but she was using autopay, otherwise im not sure why she'd have been auto-charged.

I recently had a IRD go bad on me and was charged for it because we've been busy preparing to move and kept putting off dropping the box off after getting the replacement. I pay usually with my debit/bank card like everything else... I had a charge on my account, not on my card.

Without auto-pay, wouldn't they have just kept sending a bill and eventually taken her through collections?

susanandmark I think you've got a valid gripe/situation, but this thread is about a much simpler one.

A card used to setup service is kept on file for these types of things unless you have us remove it / or any card to decide to put on file on the website for so you dont have to put it in 12 times a year. There are a couple ways to get the card info. In the agreement it says we can charge any card on file. ( note if it is your card but your daughters account dtv finaical ops will remove the charge from the card )

[stonecold]

I use a different "shop safe" cc number every month for paying D*. Have had them on and off for the last 15 years and learned long ago that once they get your money, you will never see it again due to their financial "system". I don't think that their "system" has changed since D* was a GM run company through its Hughes division (which shows to this day and explains why GM went under.)

Actually it has . It changed once to my knowledge.

[harshness]

Capital improvements are made via bonds and paid for in the homeowners property taxes. If you move the homebuyer continues to pay on the bond.

Our capital improvements were paid for by a loan that the coop took out. There are no governments involved and no bonds. The bill goes to the shareholder and I'd probably have a difficult time selling the share should I sell the house as the well works fine.

The situation is not the same for everyone. There's usually a better than even chance that a subscriber can get DIRECTV after a move. If they choose not to, DIRECTV is guaranteed their pound of flesh by the Customer Agreement.

(e) Payment Upon Cancellation. You acknowledge that you have provided your credit or debit card account information to us. You understand that you will incur fees and charges as a result of your receipt and use of Service and/or Receiving Equipment, and may incur early cancellation fees and/or equipment non-return fees (as specified in any lease, programming or other service commitment agreement you entered into in connection with obtaining Receiving Equipment). By giving us your credit or debit card account information, you authorize us to apply this method of payment, in accordance with applicable law, to satisfy any and all amounts due upon cancellation. You further acknowledge that you are required to maintain current credit or debit card information with us and agree to notify us whenever there is a change in such information, such as a change in the card number or the expiration date.

This paragraph gives DIRECTV the right to ding your account for any monies they deem owed.

Such is not to say that DIRECTV doesn't charge first and wait to see if anyone complains.

[truckracer]

This happens all the time. They usually put in there somewhere they can do it. I like most contracts...they bind you in for the term yet they reserve the right to do whatever they want.
Directv screwed up my bill a few years ago - getting a different dollar amount bill for services that never changed. each month the bill was a different amount varying as much as 30.00 or so. sometimes varying a couple dollars one way or another.

they couldn't explain it and couldn't seem to get it straight. I cancelled as was not under contract.

Sirius radio just double charged me for my new quarter of service but refunded me.
good thing i seen it on the bank statement.

these companies like EFT because they can take your money when they want! You damn near have to be an attorney to read their contracts.

[susanandmark]

A card used to setup service is kept on file for these types of things unless you have us remove it / or any card to decide to put on file on the website for so you dont have to put it in 12 times a year. There are a couple ways to get the card info. In the agreement it says we can charge any card on file.

Another SHOCKINGLY consumer unfriendly policy. I mean, can you imagine if Safeway, or any other merchant, could charge ANY CARD, or bank account, you've EVER used whenever they FELT you owed them money, with no proof or notice? Absolutely ridiculous and I just don't get why consumers put up with it! Any company that stores your credit card/bank information, without EXPLICIT consumer permission, is a bad one, IMHO. That goes double for companies who don't remove information when you change/modify payment methods. How many stories have we heard of companies being hacked and customer's personal information being stolen? Even if the original company itself does nothing improper or offensive with the information I don't want it sitting out there ... and no one else should/would either! (And we're talking about the same company that won't even give out their "customer service" personnel ID's ... As that's "confidential" but they'll hold on to my bank records for a decade?)

Oh and, for those who talk about one-time use credit card numbers, I learned, the hard way, that the credit card company will actually accept multiple charges on those numbers, from the same company. If you complain, they will dispute them ... just like any other charge, but it's no guarantee a company can only use them once. (Which, I thought, was the point.)

Lastly, again about signatures, these people claiming the OP signed something once, or twice, MAY be right, but they may not be either. DirecTV has NOTHING with my signature on it. Nada. Zip. I've never done ANYTHING with this company that wasn't online or via the web, yet, I'm still "under contract" ... and I know I'm not the only one in this scenario. I realize that, legally, you don't have to sign anything to be under a contract, but when DirecTV tells me (and, again, I'm sure others) that they "have my signature," but refuse to produce any paperwork that confirms that and yet STILL claims to be in the right, it's just ridiculous abuse of power.

EDIT: By the by, my original discovery of how bad DirecTV really is when it comes to its so-called "contracts" was after reading another customer's story on this forum. If you're interested see the whole thing here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-...e-directv.html (Deceptive and Nonresponsive DirecTV)

[harshness]

I'm pretty sure that you meant "EXPLICIT". What is implicit is the "signing" of the commitment.

I remember autographing lots of VISA drafts with "T.O." back in the day to represent orders taken over the phone.

The Customer Agreement makes all of this very explicit in most states.

[susanandmark]

I'm pretty sure that you meant "EXPLICIT". What is implicit is the "signing" of the commitment.

I remember autographing lots of VISA drafts with "T.O." back in the day to represent orders taken over the phone.

The Customer Agreement makes all of this very explicit in most states.

The "customer agreement" that is pages of 4-point legalese that, let's face it, no one ever reads and isn't actually expected to? In fact, they bank on it, since the policies are so harsh few, if any, would willingly agree to them. And for those who say, if you don't read it you can't complain. The reality is that if I read every customer agreement, privacy policy, licensing agreement, copyright notice, etc. I'm presented with in day-to-day life, I wouldn't do anything else. You'd be talking, literally, hours and hours of reading EVERY DAY. It has got to the point of such ridiculousness that it's not even humanly possible to read everything you sign/agree to.

If DirecTV said, up front and in person (or in two clearly stated sentences in advertising), look if you leave, for any reason, at any time, we're going to charge you. Even if we drop channels you specifically signed up for, raise prices exponentially, you move, or your financial situation changes dramatically or, heck, even if one of the original account holder dies. No exceptions. Also, you know those 3 receivers you just paid us $600 for. Those are ours. And if you don't return them within 30 days, not only will you pay a "termination fee," but we'll also charge you another $1,000 for those too. But if one should break, you'll have to buy a new one (likely someone else's old one) and, yeah, we'll extend your contract for that too. And, by the way, we come out with new receivers/dishes every few years--even REQUIRING people in certain markets to upgrade--so you'll ALWAYS be under contract. Oh and, if you EVER pay us by any means (including written check, which is processed electronically) we'll save that information in our system FOREVER and use it whenever we like to take money, without notice. And if the first account doesn't work, we'll go through and try every one you've ever used/had. Would ANYONE sign on?

And, you're right, I was thinking "implicit" in reference to what DirecTV is doing, vs explicit permission from the customer, and just wrote it wrong.

[stonecold]

Another SHOCKINGLY consumer unfriendly policy. I mean, can you imagine if Safeway, or any other merchant, could charge ANY CARD, or bank account, you've EVER used whenever they FELT you owed them money, with no proof or notice? Absolutely ridiculous and I just don't get why consumers put up with it! Any company that stores your credit card/bank information, without IMPLICIT consumer permission, is a bad one, IMHO. That goes double for companies who don't remove information when you change/modify payment methods. How many stories have we heard of companies being hacked and customer's personal information being stolen? Even if the original company itself does nothing improper or offensive with the information I don't want it sitting out there ... and no one else should/would either! (And we're talking about the same company that won't even give out their "customer service" personnel ID's ... As that's "confidential" but they'll hold on to my bank records for a decade?)

Oh and, for those who talk about one-time use credit card numbers, I learned, the hard way, that the credit card company will actually accept multiple charges on those numbers, from the same company. If you complain, they will dispute them ... just like any other charge, but it's no guarantee a company can only use them once. (Which, I thought, was the point.)

Lastly, again about signatures, these people claiming the OP signed something once, or twice, MAY be right, but they may not be either. DirecTV has NOTHING with my signature on it. Nada. Zip. I've never done ANYTHING with this company that wasn't online or via the web, yet, I'm still "under contract" ... and I know I'm not the only one in this scenario. I realize that, legally, you don't have to sign anything to be under a contract, but when DirecTV tells me (and, again, I'm sure others) that they "have my signature," but refuse to produce any paperwork that confirms that and yet STILL claims to be in the right, it's just ridiculous abuse of power.

EDIT: By the by, my original discovery of how bad DirecTV really is when it comes to its so-called "contracts" was after reading another customer's story on this forum. If you're interested see the whole thing here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-...e-directv.html (Deceptive and Nonresponsive DirecTV)

That were your wrong. We just dont charge any card .... We only charge cards that you told us to keep on file. Example I have my Amex on File but I always pay with my Visa Check Card which is not on file. So if anything like an ecf is charge it will go to the amex card. Now my Amex is on file because that is the card I used to setup service with.

You also dont have to have a card on file. We dont force you to in common practice.

[Mike0616]

The "customer agreement" that is pages of 4-point legalese that, let's face it, no one ever reads and isn't actually expected to? In fact, they bank on it, since the policies are so harsh few, if any, would willingly agree to them.

If DirecTV said, up front and in person (or in two clearly stated sentences in advertising), look if you leave, for any reason, at any time, we're going to charge you. Even if we drop channels you specifically signed up for, raise prices exponentially, you move, or your financial situation changes dramatically or, heck, even if one of the original account holder dies. No exceptions. Also, you know those 3 receivers you just paid us $600 for. Those are ours. And if you don't return them within 30 days, not only will you pay a "termination fee," but we'll also charge you another $1,000 for those too. But if one should break, you'll have to buy a new one (likely someone else's old one) and, yeah, we'll extend your contract for that too. And, by the way, we come out with new receivers/dishes every few years--even REQUIRING people in certain markets to upgrade--so you'll ALWAYS be under contract. Oh and, if you EVER pay us by any means (including written check, which is processed electronically) we'll save that information in our system FOREVER and use it whenever we like to take money, without notice. And if the first account doesn't work, we'll go through and try every one you've ever used/had. Would ANYONE sign on?

And, you're right, I was thinking "implicit" in reference to what DirecTV is doing, vs explicit permission from the customer, and just wrote it wrong.

Agreed. If they admitted what a draconian agreement that they are getting you to sign, even the homers would have to admit not many people would agree to the terms. That is one reason that the AG's office in my home state has D* (as well as E*) on speed-dial.

The terms of the contracts that the satellite companies are using where you are held to the contract but the company is not (raising prices at will, dropping channels, reneging on promised programming, etc.) border on being unconscionable, if it isn't already. I would think that most people will not take this to court and that is what the companies are counting on. Maybe that is what is behind the class action suits that have been filed.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconscionable_contract[/ame]