Money Moral Dilemma: I bought a second-hand TV - should I use previous owner's streaming services?

MSE_Kelvin

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I recently bought a second-hand smart TV from a charity shop. When I got it home and connected it to the internet, I found I am able to access the previous owner's film and TV streaming services, including those that are paid for. I don't have the budget to subscribe to these myself, and I work nights, so provided I only use them a little bit during the day when the previous owner's unlikely to want to, would it be wrong to do so?

[MSE note: It's usually against the T&Cs, but we'll leave you to decide on the morals of this.]

Unfortunately the MSE team can't answer Money Moral Dilemma questions as contributions are emailed in or suggested in person. They are intended to be a point of debate and discussed at face value. Remember that behind each dilemma there is a real person so, as the forum rules say, please keep it kind and keep it clean.

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debitcardmayhem

Morally since you know someone else is paying for it then It's morally wrong.

Now if you didn't know they were using someone else's account you could say Oh I thought they were part of the TV's apps fair enough, but of course you admit that you know that they belong to someone else so ..... wrong, IMHO of course.

However why is this in techie stuff?

Neil49

Surely it will show up which films and programmes you have been watching, particularly if you stop part of the way through as it will give the owner the option to continue watching. 

Just logout of the services and forget about it. 

RumRat

Yes, I'd use them.....If the previous owner notices they will probably change the password. If the previous owner is deceased, the membership will end eventually.
As long as you don't make any in app purchases of paid for content it won't cost the previous owner anything.
It does serve as a lesson though, always reset your TV's before passing them on.....

feelingscrewed

Live life on the wildside and ride the crime wave of illicitly watching services you haven't paid for. 

Harvey1

If it"s a service that is paid for (which you know), and you are not paying..you know its wrong. You are not the account holder, so in theory - you're fraudulently using someone else's account. 

3GGG

Of course you shouldn't watch them.  Of course you should log out and not be tempted.

But I know I'd watch them! 

Ed264

If you get caught, you could be accused of obtaining services by deception. Keep yourself safe - don't do it.

brionyrose

Obviously it's wrong. Same as if you used anything else that belonged to someone, without their knowledge or permission. It wasn't a bundle deal when you bought the telly - it was presumably an honest mistake and they shouldn't be made to suffer for it.

Shebear

Yes, wrong.

SiliconChip

If this is a question by a real person why can't they sign on to the forum and ask it themselves rather than having it given a pseudo-official status by MSE? The answer, of course, is that as always the question has a blindingly obvious moral answer that doesn't take any thought at all to give and is just a waste of everybody's time.