DirecTV deducted $85 out of my checking account without my knowledge because I was 4 days late on my payment. When I called and asked who authorized this charge I was advised that because I had recently closed my account they have the authority to deduct my final payment out of my account without my knowledge. The person I spoke to also advised that once you make a payment online they can utilize your debit card info and make deductions out of your account for payment purposes. Could this be true? If so, maybe I should go back to writing paper checks. Please advise.
By Onesummer
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You must have given them authorization to take payments via your debit card at one time or another so what they did is completely legal and especially since you had closed your account with them and were already four days late on your payment. You knew you owed the money so I don't understand what the problem is.
I think you should pay your bills on time. And if you can not do that, you shouldn't be subscribing to DirecTV. I am sorry if that sounds harsh, but you are not doing yourself any favors by being late with your bills.
If you would have written checks they would have withdrawn the money you owed them from your checking account. This also happens with cell phone companies. It's how they protect themselves from people that try to avoid paying final bills when they cancel their account.
Got a worse story. They got my Credit card number as the only way they would do business. They asked for 150. I had extra equipment so even though I live on limited SS I signed up for free install and low monthly fees. Mailed equipment and installer shows up. He tells me it is much more as he is not insured to go on my roof so it will be very expensive to erect a satellite in my front yard with all the ditching. No thanks.
Next I know they charged me another near 200. because I did not sign the contract. On my card because they had the number. I asked my bank to deny them this latest charge. Direct refused. They have about 360 of my funds. I have nothing.
Atty general did a few letters (Oregon) and Direct always answered with lame different people each time. Time to go to the governor. He fights for his people. That's De Fazio, you know. Jeese I dislike crooks. Never Direct. Watch out for the others too. It would be so nice if only they were decent instead of greedy.
I was due a refund from DirectTV of $45.45 for 6 months. I kept calling and writing them and they always had some excuse or that they will send it in 10 days or it was already sent out. Finally they said oh wait, I owed them $57 so they weren't sending me anything and I should send them more.
I had automatic bill payment using my credit card. For two years in a row, I had unauthorized purchases to other companies (some out of the U.S,) in January of each year. Direct TV is the only company that has my credit card number on file. I cancelled the card and never renewed, so now pay by check, but they charge me an extra $5 a month because I don't direct deposit. Can't wait to get out of the contract.
Direct and Dish are both bad about this. They keep finding charges after the account has been closed, or they continue to debit your bank account and then say 'Oh, our computer didn't recognise your closed satellite account! So sorry-our mistake, we'll refund your money...(someday).'
No really, I've seen it happen to people. One friend was charged on a satellite account she'd closed years earlier at an address in a completely different state than the one she was living in when charged.
So you need to contact your bank now and block Direct from debiting your account again. Inform Direct you have done this, make sure Direct have a contact address for you so they can send you (via post) any bills they think you owe-doing so covers you from any back door legal problems.
I've never heard of them sending more bills to anyone after the debit account has been blocked unless the charge was legitimate, so you should be finished with them after blocking the bank account.
Never say there is nothing you can do. If you have a problem with a company and they won't help you, just write a letter of complaint on 'Planetfeedback.com' This happened to me with Dish. They owed me money that they kept making excuses about. I finally got fed up with them after 4 months of writing and calling, so I put a very nasty letter about them on Planetfeedback.com.
Direct TV is good for doing that, I had to close my checking account in order for them to not have access to it anymore. I don't have anything to do with agreements like that anymore. That is true once you put your debit card out there it's open season on that card for that company that you are using it for.
I have had Direct TV for many years and I have had no problems. Many companies have that rule that if you close your account while still owing them money they can take it out of your account. I don't mean to be rude but you should not have closed your account before you paid them off. This is to protect them. You can not blame them, I mean there are people who would try this everywhere just to get out of paying their bills. Direct TV tells you this every time you up date and when you first join.
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