Telewest keep billing for films not ordered

brundles · 02-08-2006, 19:53

Until now I've considered myself lucky that we haven't had any of the problems from the billing system that many people here report. Unfortunately it looks like one of NTLs first acts following the completion of the merger is to screw over the billing system

.

For the last two months now we've had our bills through with a random assortment of PPV films which we've never ordered. The first months worth (2 films) have been (apparently - I haven't seen a bill with this on yet) credited but the second months haven't as they want to investigate again.

Two questions for people on here really...
1. Is anyone else having or had any similar problems?
2. Any ideas on what could be causing it?

If it happens again I'm going to request a new card for the TVDrive box - although I have a feeling that will require a tech visit to do. From my limited understanding this should prevent the problem assuming it's not our TVDrive sending random film requests - can anyone confirm this?

03-08-2006, 10:57

You do not mention whether you have kids at home?
I am not suggesting for a moment that could be the solution, just an angle to look at

What times of the day are you allegedly ordering these films?
If you have no kids and you are 100% certain they are not genuine bills then you can only try putting your side to them.
Be prepared for them to say basically you have ordered them so pay for them, whether it could be an issue with the tv drive I do not claim to know, there are people with better knowledge

If it is a principle thing where they are saying tough luck you have ordered them, you could try retentions, tell them your issues, in most cases this will be solved by threatening to go to sky.
Good luck

brundles · 03-08-2006, 11:35

No kids and no visitors that could have ordered the films. One of the films "ordered" was specifically an HD film - a month before we got our HD TV.

Both people I've spoken to in CS have said that they can see an anomaly (sp?) in the TW systems for both months - one system says the films were ordered but none of the others that should do do.

Credit to the CS people where it's due - they have been very helpful and thankfully don't seem to be taking the "Computer says so" approach.

For now they've put a PPV block on the account which I've been told means that the only two options left are a faulty box sending random film requests (in which case the block apparently won't help) or a fault in the billing system somewhere. They won't do anything else until another billing cycle has passed.