Lesson to the wise...Smart TVs and subscription services.
04 July 2021, 01:13 PM
#1
Lesson to the wise...Smart TVs and subscription services.
So a while back I bought a new TV for the kitchen; Panasonic 'smart' TV.
Registered Prime video on it, dummy account for the BBC ( bad enough with FB and amazon following my online activity let alone beeb and ITV etc.
).
All seemed well and good. However a few months pass and I notice my credit card statements usually filled with various Amazon transactions (yeah, prime addict..got it so I use it). But with regularly small amount transactions from Amazon same date every month.
Now, one is Prime membership, fine. But there are others, what's going on here?
So dig around my account and found out I've been subscribed to ITV hub+ (£3.99) and 'Shudder' (£4.99) via prime video after a initial "free trial" that I never knowingly accepted or even knew existed! I actually never heard of shudder!
All I can think of is somehow my TV has auto subscribed me during the setup process as generally I have the purchasing/top-up TV stuff locked down with parental PINs to stop accidental purchases. So this has caught me out well and proper.
Currently trying to get a full refund via Amazon chat...I've got them to admit that from their records I've never ever used shudder (unfortunately I did use Hub+ as it's seamlessly integrated into ITV hub...so given a HD option, that's what I'll go for
). Seems fair that I shouldn't being paying for something that's never been used.
This may take a while....Was talking to 'Arif', now being transferred to 'Abdul' who is more senior
Registered Prime video on it, dummy account for the BBC ( bad enough with FB and amazon following my online activity let alone beeb and ITV etc.
).All seemed well and good. However a few months pass and I notice my credit card statements usually filled with various Amazon transactions (yeah, prime addict..got it so I use it). But with regularly small amount transactions from Amazon same date every month.
Now, one is Prime membership, fine. But there are others, what's going on here?
So dig around my account and found out I've been subscribed to ITV hub+ (£3.99) and 'Shudder' (£4.99) via prime video after a initial "free trial" that I never knowingly accepted or even knew existed! I actually never heard of shudder!
All I can think of is somehow my TV has auto subscribed me during the setup process as generally I have the purchasing/top-up TV stuff locked down with parental PINs to stop accidental purchases. So this has caught me out well and proper.
Currently trying to get a full refund via Amazon chat...I've got them to admit that from their records I've never ever used shudder (unfortunately I did use Hub+ as it's seamlessly integrated into ITV hub...so given a HD option, that's what I'll go for
). Seems fair that I shouldn't being paying for something that's never been used.This may take a while....Was talking to 'Arif', now being transferred to 'Abdul' who is more senior
Last edited by ALi-B; 04 July 2021 at 01:15 PM.
04 July 2021, 01:32 PM
#3
So a while back I bought a new TV for the kitchen; Panasonic 'smart' TV.
Registered Prime video on it, dummy account for the BBC ( bad enough with FB and amazon following my online activity let alone beeb and ITV etc. ).
All seemed well and good. However a few months pass and I notice my credit card statements usually filled with various Amazon transactions (yeah, prime addict..got it so I use it). But with regularly small amount transactions from Amazon same date every month.
Now, one is Prime membership, fine. But there are others, what's going on here?
So dig around my account and found out I've been subscribed to ITV hub+ (£3.99) and 'Shudder' (£4.99) via prime video after a initial "free trial" that I never knowingly accepted or even knew existed! I actually never heard of shudder!
All I can think of is somehow my TV has auto subscribed me during the setup process as generally I have the purchasing/top-up TV stuff locked down with parental PINs to stop accidental purchases. So this has caught me out well and proper.
Currently trying to get a full refund via Amazon chat...I've got them to admit that from their records I've never ever used shudder (unfortunately I did use Hub+ as it's seamlessly integrated into ITV hub...so given a HD option, that's what I'll go for ). Seems fair that I shouldn't being paying for something that's never been used.
This may take a while....Was talking to 'Arif', now being transferred to 'Abdul' who is more senior
Registered Prime video on it, dummy account for the BBC ( bad enough with FB and amazon following my online activity let alone beeb and ITV etc.
).All seemed well and good. However a few months pass and I notice my credit card statements usually filled with various Amazon transactions (yeah, prime addict..got it so I use it). But with regularly small amount transactions from Amazon same date every month.
Now, one is Prime membership, fine. But there are others, what's going on here?
So dig around my account and found out I've been subscribed to ITV hub+ (£3.99) and 'Shudder' (£4.99) via prime video after a initial "free trial" that I never knowingly accepted or even knew existed! I actually never heard of shudder!
All I can think of is somehow my TV has auto subscribed me during the setup process as generally I have the purchasing/top-up TV stuff locked down with parental PINs to stop accidental purchases. So this has caught me out well and proper.
Currently trying to get a full refund via Amazon chat...I've got them to admit that from their records I've never ever used shudder (unfortunately I did use Hub+ as it's seamlessly integrated into ITV hub...so given a HD option, that's what I'll go for
). Seems fair that I shouldn't being paying for something that's never been used.This may take a while....Was talking to 'Arif', now being transferred to 'Abdul' who is more senior
Adrian flux took £530 off me a week before my renewal with the only hint I got was an email after the fact saying "thanks for your renewal".
phoned to kick off and they said they sent an email with a renewal quote. I looked back through my mail and there it was, at 2 mins past midnight. No follow up to confirm or anything. Yet I got 3 emails and texts during normal working ours "how did we do" "please give us feedback" etc etc. Funny they have my mobile number for that but couldn't double check if they could lift £500 odd out of my bank using last years info.
Next rant is Xbox live. I used to let it auto renew every year but haven't played it for a year so turned it off. Had friends round and his son plays so I chose to pay a one off (£6.99 for a month) and never thought anything off it. Guess what, month later another £6.99. The auto renewal is back on.
It really is a scam, and it'll only get worse.
04 July 2021, 01:35 PM
#4
Good advice.
I occasionally buy "day" passes for Sky on NOW tv to watch rugby. I've just bought a month pass to watch the British Lions in South Africa, but it has a free 7 day trial upgrade to HD+ etc, and will also auto renew at the end of the month, rather than be a one off payment. So that's 2 things to cancel at different times, doubling the chances to share you.
I occasionally buy "day" passes for Sky on NOW tv to watch rugby. I've just bought a month pass to watch the British Lions in South Africa, but it has a free 7 day trial upgrade to HD+ etc, and will also auto renew at the end of the month, rather than be a one off payment. So that's 2 things to cancel at different times, doubling the chances to share you.
04 July 2021, 04:17 PM
#5
I had this rant the other week. Cashless future is going to be a nightmare, everything already seems to "auto renew" whether you ask for it or not.
Adrian flux took £530 off me a week before my renewal with the only hint I got was an email after the fact saying "thanks for your renewal".
phoned to kick off and they said they sent an email with a renewal quote. I looked back through my mail and there it was, at 2 mins past midnight. No follow up to confirm or anything. Yet I got 3 emails and texts during normal working ours "how did we do" "please give us feedback" etc etc. Funny they have my mobile number for that but couldn't double check if they could lift £500 odd out of my bank using last years info.
Next rant is Xbox live. I used to let it auto renew every year but haven't played it for a year so turned it off. Had friends round and his son plays so I chose to pay a one off (£6.99 for a month) and never thought anything off it. Guess what, month later another £6.99. The auto renewal is back on.
It really is a scam, and it'll only get worse.
Adrian flux took £530 off me a week before my renewal with the only hint I got was an email after the fact saying "thanks for your renewal".
phoned to kick off and they said they sent an email with a renewal quote. I looked back through my mail and there it was, at 2 mins past midnight. No follow up to confirm or anything. Yet I got 3 emails and texts during normal working ours "how did we do" "please give us feedback" etc etc. Funny they have my mobile number for that but couldn't double check if they could lift £500 odd out of my bank using last years info.
Next rant is Xbox live. I used to let it auto renew every year but haven't played it for a year so turned it off. Had friends round and his son plays so I chose to pay a one off (£6.99 for a month) and never thought anything off it. Guess what, month later another £6.99. The auto renewal is back on.
It really is a scam, and it'll only get worse.
I habitually avoid ALL so called 'free trials' and auto renewals (that includes scoobynet
) as I know I'm never savvy enough to cancel in time. So this appearing on my credit card was a proper gotcha. I can only assume that the TV did its spinning circle trick and I pressed Ok one too many times before a page fully loaded in frustration whilst the thing lagged on loading the EPG. That or someone sat on the remote and pressed random buttons.Anyway managed to get a partial credit after a lot of back and forth chat...but the guy was able to see exactly what I had (and had not) watched and what device initiated the subscription. This time it was to my advantage as it proved the TV was the culprit.
But yeah subscriptions is the modern fleece...last week had a charity chugger come in from the local air ambulance. I'm ok with that; Donated before, done a few sponsored charity bike rides for them in the past. But. This time she wanted bank/credit details for £1 a week subscribed donation. Erm, Nope!! What's your bets my contact details go on a suckers list so I get more charities asking for automatic donations?
I changed the mobile data limit on my phone...boom...that triggered a auto renew for another 2years! I'm tied into a 'fibre' broadband contract that can only muster 1megabit upstream, despite regular promises of 'full fibre' (FTTP) in our area when I renew (nope...Openreach installed the overhead fibre optic cables 500yards down the road, but appears to have forgot to run it to our telegraph poles). I bet I could renew and they'd happily take my money for it without any hope of full fibre ever getting installed anytime soon!
Quite depressing really. Why can't companies just be happy with a pay as you go service without tricking you into ongoing long term commitments? I've seen marriages last less than some contracts!
04 July 2021, 04:29 PM
#6
Scooby Regular
Well it aappears iv been quite fortune my viera inteneet apps more or less dissappeaed a couple years after i bought the tv , after all !
04 July 2021, 07:10 PM
#7
That happened on my old Panasonic semi-smart plasma, and started happening with the Sony Bravia that the latest Panasonic replaced;
The Sony had a great smart phone app that had a full programme guide, just tap the program you were interested in the phone app and it'd turn the TV to that channel; App store 'update' disabled the app's programme guide, and a year later 'sorry, product no longer supported'. *****.
The Freeview Play app is pretty good for displaying what's on, but it won't change the TV channel, even though the new TV is a freeview play endorsed TV. 🤷♂️ Can always ask Alexa/Siri/Google to turn over the channel, but she/they take about 30 seconds to do that and sometimes turn off all the lights or opens the blinds.
The Sony had a great smart phone app that had a full programme guide, just tap the program you were interested in the phone app and it'd turn the TV to that channel; App store 'update' disabled the app's programme guide, and a year later 'sorry, product no longer supported'. *****.
The Freeview Play app is pretty good for displaying what's on, but it won't change the TV channel, even though the new TV is a freeview play endorsed TV. 🤷♂️ Can always ask Alexa/Siri/Google to turn over the channel, but she/they take about 30 seconds to do that and sometimes turn off all the lights or opens the blinds.
Trending Topics
04 July 2021, 07:14 PM
#8
It will get worse.
I habitually avoid ALL so called 'free trials' and auto renewals (that includes scoobynet ) as I know I'm never savvy enough to cancel in time. So this appearing on my credit card was a proper gotcha. I can only assume that the TV did its spinning circle trick and I pressed Ok one too many times before a page fully loaded in frustration whilst the thing lagged on loading the EPG. That or someone sat on the remote and pressed random buttons.
Anyway managed to get a partial credit after a lot of back and forth chat...but the guy was able to see exactly what I had (and had not) watched and what device initiated the subscription. This time it was to my advantage as it proved the TV was the culprit.
But yeah subscriptions is the modern fleece...last week had a charity chugger come in from the local air ambulance. I'm ok with that; Donated before, done a few sponsored charity bike rides for them in the past. But. This time she wanted bank/credit details for £1 a week subscribed donation. Erm, Nope!! What's your bets my contact details go on a suckers list so I get more charities asking for automatic donations?
I changed the mobile data limit on my phone...boom...that triggered a auto renew for another 2years! I'm tied into a 'fibre' broadband contract that can only muster 1megabit upstream, despite regular promises of 'full fibre' (FTTP) in our area when I renew (nope...Openreach installed the overhead fibre optic cables 500yards down the road, but appears to have forgot to run it to our telegraph poles). I bet I could renew and they'd happily take my money for it without any hope of full fibre ever getting installed anytime soon!
Quite depressing really. Why can't companies just be happy with a pay as you go service without tricking you into ongoing long term commitments? I've seen marriages last less than some contracts!
I habitually avoid ALL so called 'free trials' and auto renewals (that includes scoobynet
) as I know I'm never savvy enough to cancel in time. So this appearing on my credit card was a proper gotcha. I can only assume that the TV did its spinning circle trick and I pressed Ok one too many times before a page fully loaded in frustration whilst the thing lagged on loading the EPG. That or someone sat on the remote and pressed random buttons.Anyway managed to get a partial credit after a lot of back and forth chat...but the guy was able to see exactly what I had (and had not) watched and what device initiated the subscription. This time it was to my advantage as it proved the TV was the culprit.
But yeah subscriptions is the modern fleece...last week had a charity chugger come in from the local air ambulance. I'm ok with that; Donated before, done a few sponsored charity bike rides for them in the past. But. This time she wanted bank/credit details for £1 a week subscribed donation. Erm, Nope!! What's your bets my contact details go on a suckers list so I get more charities asking for automatic donations?
I changed the mobile data limit on my phone...boom...that triggered a auto renew for another 2years! I'm tied into a 'fibre' broadband contract that can only muster 1megabit upstream, despite regular promises of 'full fibre' (FTTP) in our area when I renew (nope...Openreach installed the overhead fibre optic cables 500yards down the road, but appears to have forgot to run it to our telegraph poles). I bet I could renew and they'd happily take my money for it without any hope of full fibre ever getting installed anytime soon!
Quite depressing really. Why can't companies just be happy with a pay as you go service without tricking you into ongoing long term commitments? I've seen marriages last less than some contracts!
get email my TV is running out (the reminder worked) so ring to negotiate a new deal. "Your TV contract runs out next month, but not your Net/line rental it's not for 3months"
so what do I do ? Absolute shambles. They wanted me to wait till the net/line was up before negotiating but that left my TV going up to full price for 3months !
Then it went faulty, their answer was to upgrade to Q for free . . . . . .at £7.50 extra a month
After a loooooong argument with an Indian fella that it isn't free I hung up. Tried again after work, same type of Indian hard sell. Ended up through to a Scottish fella (they didn't even explain to him what I was after) and he sent out an engineer all FOC as I'd been with them over 20years. He was a legend, and it's what all customer service should be like. Reward loyalty.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
GlesgaKiss
Computer & Technology Related
2
02 January 2015 11:13 PM
DRUNKNORGY
Computer & Technology Related
3
02 December 2003 09:48 AM