by Thinus Ferreira
MultiChoice is apologising for billing chaos around its R19.95 access offer to watch the 2023 Rugby World Cup final that angered DStv subscribers, with the pay-TV operator saying customers who suddenly got saddled with big bills won't be expected to pay more.
Last week Friday MultiChoice suddenly started to advertise a R19.95 once-off offer for customers to watch Saturday's final between the Springboks and New Zealand on DStv on the DStv Access streaming package.
The R19.95 price point was a play on the year 1995 when South Africa first won the Rugby World Cup.
From a marketing perspective MultiChoice leveraged the high interest in Saturday night's sports content from SuperSport as a DStv driver for sampling, event TV ratings, customer retention and possible new subscription adds.
A problem arose shortly after Saturday night at midnight - with the Rugby World Cup final match which ended just before midnight - when DStv Access sampler sign-ups who made use of the R19.95 to watch the game, cancelled or tried to cancel their one-day sign-up again.
They suddenly discovered they now owed and had an outstanding balance of -R175 instead of owing nothing. It's unclear where the R175 billing came from since DStv Access costs R99 per month.
Multiple complaints started on social media like X, formerly branded as Twitter, with people upset with DStv, and nothing that they're suddenly required to cancel with 30-days notice to MultiChoice and are saddled with negative balances.
People like Kayla shared screenshots of their DStv accounts, saying "I was celebrating now I'm crying. I signed up for R19.95 and now you want me to pay R175.50." People also said that DStv's customer support channels and call centre operators were unhelpful to resolve the billing mistake.
On Monday night MultiChoice told TVwithThinus the Randburg-based pay-TV operator apologises for the billing mistake, that it will be corrected soon and that nobody who made use of the R19.95 will be expected to pay more.
"MultiChoice
would like to assure customers who signed up for the R19.95 Rugby World Cup
deal that they will continue to enjoy their subscription to DStv Access
(including an additional mobile Extra Stream) for a full month from their date
of subscription for R19.95."
"Should
customers choose to extend their subscription, they will be billed at R99 per
month from the second month onwards."
"MultiChoice
acknowledges and apologises for an error in customers' calculated amount on
their statements. This will be corrected shortly. MultiChoice
remains committed to bringing our customers the very best in sports and
entertainment."
MultiChoice said that people who are having problems with the R19.95 offer can use the email address of RWC_Queries@DStv.com for help.
