A Ramona couple contacted NBC 7 Responds after they feel they were taken advantage of when they discovered they had been paying extra for years for an NFL channel package they say they never ordered or used.
Lori Rodgers and her husband Robert keep a keen eye on their backyard stable and horses but they admit maybe they didn’t watch their satellite bill quite as close.
“I did not check my account, I trusted that our bill was going to be like it was supposed to, $137 a month,” Lori said.
More than a year ago, the Rodgers’ signed up for DirecTV with an auto pay plan.
What they say they didn’t know was their new plan included an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription.
Lori said she was shocked when she noticed her monthly bill shot up an extra $40 during the football season, so she called DirecTV.
“He said it’s the NFL package and I’m thinking what package?” Lori said.
Robert and Lori said they had no desire to have an NFL package, nor do they remember expanding their basic TV coverage.
“They asked for movies, a trial for movies or HBO or anything like that and we’ve always said no,” Lori said.
“I was pretty clear, I do not want any extra packages,” Robert said.
The Rodgers said they didn’t think it was fair to pay for a premium package they didn’t want or use, but after their talks with DirectTV were getting nowhere, they said they contacted NBC 7 Responds for help.
NBC 7 Responds contacted DirecTV and a spokesperson told us the Rodgers had received adequate notification but the company did agree to cancel and refund one season of service.
“I think they snuck this package in and took advantage of the situation where you don’t see what’s happening,” Robert said.
The Rodgers said they are switching back to paper statements rather than trusting automatic payments.
A spokesperson for DirecTV sent us this statement in an email, "We worked with the customer to resolve the dispute and provide an adjustment."
Paperless billing or auto pay is the new way of doing things for some people but it can lead to problems if you don’t watch your bills closely.
To read more about our tips for paying bills in the digital age, click here.
