Now (formerly NowTV) refuse to reply to my claim about overcharging

paul0evans1

Some time ago, I set up an account with Now (formerly NowTV) and I used it once or twice for one-day passes to watch particular sports games. I also have a vague recollection that - to watch something - I set up a trial account, or bought a month-pass or something, and then canceled it. Or something. I really can't remember. The only thing I have any email receipts for is one one-day pass, and I certainly had no knowledge that I had an account with them (no monthly receipts or notifications that payment was going to be taken). I have no emails confirming any subscription service.

Last month, I noticed that they had been taking nearly £50 a month from my bank account.

A friend has told me that he had a similar experience with the same company. He was subscribed to their entertainment package but was being charged for Movies and Sports as well. They couldn’t explain how it had happened but were able to confirm that he hadn’t used either of the services and they gave him a full refund. So it looks like they have some form here.

So I'm pretty sure that they owe me money, and that annoys me. But I am now a lot angrier at the tactics that they use to get you to give up on a claim. For me, it's a much bigger issue. I can't get the information that I need to even work out what I supposedly subscribed to - and while my friend got them to check what he'd watched (nothing) I can't even get them to reply about that or anything else. 

I can't even get them to engage with me in the first place.  I've been trying to get a substantial response to what should be a fairly straightforward problem since the 26th of December. I've used the chat function that is the only form of contact that they offer four times. The people who manage the live chat service to deal with queries don't read what you've written, don't acknowledge any substance to your complaint, keep you online for about an hour each time & their only tactic is to offer you a small partial refund in the hope that you'll go away. I have never had any engagement with the substance of the complaint. In the end, they promise an email from a manager "within 48 hours" or "within 48-72 hours" depending on who you get online. - each time it takes 30-60 mins and each time I'm promised a response by email within a few days.

Each time the response doesn't arrive. Eventually, I got them to give me an email address that I could contact  (this was at my fourth time of asking). I sent an email to it but I've still not had a response. That was nine days now.

Two days ago, I tried twitter. They have a laughably named Now Help Team on Twitter which offers no help of any kind. It's just a DM service that wastes a bit of time before it tells you to send use live chat/ send an email, & repeatedly promises & gives assurances that it will get a reply within 48 hours. I contacted them more than 48 hours ago and didn't let go on getting them to give me assurances that I would get a reply within 48 hours. They gave me a new email address to forward my previous email to, and they promised that I would get a reply within 48 hours. Obviuosly, I haven't had that reply and we're 58 hours in.

The person managing this Twitter account says that s/he can't access my account details so can't help any further, and tells me to go back through the Live Chat function, which I've wasted futile hours on already.

As far as I can see, apart from taking legal action against them, there is no way of resolving this dispute or even getting any of the information that I need to work out whether I have a dispute or not. I'm pretty sure that I have. If anyone has any suggestions of how I can get their attention, it would be most welcome. I'm a subscriber to Which and I'm hoping that they'll take an interest. 

I'd urge everyone to check their bank accounts to see if NOW is taking money out without you having realised that you subscribed to their services.  

Neil_Jones

Yeah, it tells you this when you sign up even for a trial - 30 days or whatever it was and then at £5.99/£8.99 or whatever until you cancel it.  If you don't cancel it (through your online Now account), that's not their fault you didn't read the T&Cs of the service properly before signing up.

Its also not Now's fault its took you however many months to notice £50 a month has come out of it for a service you're not even using.

[Deleted User]

paul0evans1 said:

 I set up a trial account, or bought a month-pass or something, and then canceled it. Or something. I really can't remember.

Is it possible that you may not have been entirely on top of managing your subscription?

paul0evans1

Indeed. It is possible. But I think I did. I have no evidence that I subscribed in the first place, and was not conscious of having a subscription to manage. Due to the pandemic, caring responsibilities took me away from home for most of the past year so I've not been checking bank statements (they're delivered to a house I've only been to for a handful of days in the past 18 months).

Either way, my key complaint here is that they make it impossible to engage with them in the first place. It seems to be a systematic thing too, given the experience that I've quoted with my friend.

[Deleted User]

You'll have agreed to the subscription in your sign up, so that's not an issue.

Have you now cancelled your subscription?

paul0evans1

Neil_Jones said:

Yeah, it tells you this when you sign up even for a trial - 30 days or whatever it was and then at £5.99/£8.99 or whatever until you cancel it.  If you don't cancel it (through your online Now account), that's not their fault you didn't read the T&Cs of the service properly before signing up.

Its also not Now's fault its took you however many months to notice £50 a month has come out of it for a service you're not even using.

Yes. I have canceled the subscription. However, as with my friend, I'm pretty sure I didn't sign up in the first place. There were no email receipts, no emailed confirmations that I'd taken out a trial or 'rolling subscription' any that my trial had ended. No email notifications that a payment was about to be taken, or had actually been taken. I never used the service - one part of the subscription was for something called 'boost' that enables me to watch stuff in HD and on multiple devices. I only have one device I'd ever watch things on in the first place so I have no idea *why* I would have signed up for it. But I can't even get them to interact with me so that I can establish what they think I *did* sign up to, and when. 

My friend had the same experience - when he challenged them on it they backed down straight away and refunded him. That's my point. I'm not sure I need someone wagging a finger at me for not checking my bank statements about payments that I hadn't intended to make in the first place. My personal circumstances have been difficult in the past year and even seeing bank statements has presented unforeseen problems. If stepping into the world of subscription services means that I have to start checking bank statements for surprises like this, I'll steer clear of them altogether.

paul0evans1

Deleted_User said:

You'll have agreed to the subscription in your sign up, so that's not an issue.

Have you now cancelled your subscription?

Indeed. It is possible. But I think I did. I have no evidence that I subscribed in the first place, and was not conscious of having a subscription to manage. Due to the pandemic, caring responsibilities took me away from home for most of the past year so I've not been checking bank statements (they're delivered to a house I've only been to for a handful of days in the past 18 months).

Either way, my key complaint here is that they make it impossible to engage with them in the first place. It seems to be a systematic thing too, given the experience that I've quoted with my friend.

Neil_Jones

paul0evans1 said:

Either way, my key complaint here is that they make it impossible to engage with them in the first place. It seems to be a systematic thing too, given the experience that I've quoted with my friend.

You don't need to engage with them.  You manage your entire account through the online website, which has been the case ever since Now launched.

Your friend is, unfortunately, not a reliable source of experience of a company for your argument.  Perhaps if you sought the opinion of Mr Banks of Cherry Tree Lane (a person who you do not know and has also had experience of some sort with the company) he might decide that he had no issues with the service in any way, shape of form and his timescale happens to match yours.

it has always been the case with any company that offers "support" or whatever on Twitter/Facebook/whatever in that they do not have access to any customer details/accounts/whatsoever.  They're just a sounding off brush to catch flake and redirect to an actual department that can deal with the issue.  Except Now (TV) is very much budget based, and opportunities to speak to people are next to non existent in favour of email and live chat.

Detail_Merchant

paul0evans1 said:

...
As far as I can see, apart from taking legal action against them, there is no way of resolving this dispute or even getting any of the information that I need to work out whether I have a dispute or not. I'm pretty sure that I have. If anyone has any suggestions of how I can get their attention, it would be most welcome. I'm a subscriber to Which and I'm hoping that they'll take an interest. 
...

As a first step, as you say, I think you need "the information that I need to work out whether I have a dispute or not."
One way you might be able to get that information is via a Subject Access Request to the Data Protection Officer at Now TV (aka Sky)

There is a thread about it over on the nowtv community forum which might help you:
https://community.nowtv.com/t5/Account-Billing/NowTV-Data-Protection-Officer-contact-details/td-p/510328

Good luck

jon81uk

I've always got an email when starting a new offer with Now TV and the terms always state it will continue unless cancelled.
Always got an email when I've successfully cancelled.

Seeing as you say "Or something. I really can't remember." it does seem like you didn't properly read what you were actually purchaisng and signing up to.

Tigsteroonie

Neil_Jones said:  it has always been the case with any company that offers "support" or whatever on Twitter/Facebook/whatever in that they do not have access to any customer details/accounts/whatsoever.  They're just a sounding off brush to catch flake and redirect to an actual department that can deal with the issue. 

Can I just say, I actually had more satisfaction with EDF's Twitter team than with any of their direct customer service contact methods. 

Have you EVER received emails from NowTV? You say you've had nothing about subscribing, presumably no offers either, no notifications of changes in subscription price ... I know that Marley received no end of regular marketing emails when we had an account. Have you checked - sounds daft - that they have the correct email address on your account; that might equally explain the lack of response, because you would be contacting them from an address different to that on their records. Just a thought.