MultiChoice again bills DStv subscribers for Disney+ they don't want and never gave consent to.

by Thinus Ferreira

In a repeat of the mistake, MultiChoice has for a second time billed multiple DStv subscribers in South Africa for a Disney+ subscription that the pay-TV company has added to customers' invoices without them ever asking or agreeing to the add-on service.

DStv subscribers are furious after discovering they're being billed for a Disney+ video streaming service through MultiChoice that they don't want, didn't request and never approved, with the Randburg-based operator saying it's working to reverse charges.

This is the second time that MultiChoice added Disney+ to DStv subscribers' accounts without notifying them and without getting their explicit opt-in consent before adding the streamer to DStv bills.

MultiChoice did the same thing in September 2022. 

Now DStv subscribers are once again fuming after they discovered that MultiChoice added Disney+ to their bills without their knowledge as they struggle to not just get Disney+ cancelled but the charges reversed.

MultiChoice allows certain video streaming services like its own Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BritBox as optional add-ons to DStv bills which are then provided through MultiChoice, although DStv subscribers expressly have to first request and confirm the additional charges.

Now DStv subscribers are suddenly noticing that their monthly DStv bills have increased by R139 through a Disney+ subscription fee that has been tacked on which they were not aware of, and haven't given any consent to.

DStv subscriber Martha Vosloo, one of numerous customers who noticed the charge, said DStv added R139 "onto my account without my permission. I did not subscribe to Disney+. When I phoned the call centre I was cut off before I could type in my ID number. I had to drive all the way to their shop to cancel it - my time, my petrol!"

Hawick Roberts said "when I checked my bill there is another package added to my account and Disney+ which I have made clear to DStv that I don't want. Why is this an issue every time?"

In response to a media query with questions about MultiChoice engaging in what is known as "negative billing", the company on Thursday told TVwithThinus that "In September 2023, DStv and Disney+ provided a 3-month complimentary access to qualifying DStv Rewards customers".

"Some customers were erroneously billed post the free period, and we've promptly initiated reversals, crediting their DStv accounts with the amount".

"We apologise for the inconvenience caused and would like to assure our customers that we are committed to resolving this matter with urgency."

MultiChoice didn't respond when asked why the same mistake was repeated from a year ago.

The Walt Disney Company Africa in South Africa was asked for comment about MultiChoice damaging customer interaction and creating a negative consumer sentiment around Disney and its Disney+ service for a second time. A Disney spokesperson said "We have no comment to add at this stage". 

ALSO READ: DStv subscribers in South Africa are fuming after MultiChoice added Disney+ to their bills without any customer consent.

MultiChoice sorry for R19.95 Rugby World Cup DStv billing mistake.

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.

MultiChoice apologises for bad communication over billing changes and DStv over-charge mistakes: 'We certainly could have done better'.

MultiChoice is apologising for the pay-TV operator's bad communication to customers, its call centre problems as well as billing problems and overcharging mistakes as a result of switching to a new billing system which has angered and confused thousands of DStv subscribers.

DStv subscribers are urged to check their bills after thousands of customers have been seen double billing as well as overcharges ranging from R20 to even R1 000, leading to a flood of complaints on HelloPeter, in the media, on social media and to MultiChoice.

While an initial statement from MultiChoice to the media failed to apologise, Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO is now saying that the Randburg-based pay-TV operator messed up in not properly communicating to DStv subscribers and with billing mistakes and that it is apologising unreservedly".

In an interview with Joanne Joseph on the 702 radio station, Mark Rayner explained that "A couple of weeks ago in late August we made a major change to our billing system to simplify the way our billing is handled for our customers."

"Around our customers who have our DStv Price Lock product in this month we collapsed the billing into one single account and double-billed the hardware portion of that contract."

"So the majority of the bill is for the subscription, the small amount is for the Explora. It's moved that billing from arrears to advanced, which means that in this particular month there's a double billing. So that's something that we really didn't communicate well to our customers and we apologise unreservedly."

"There was another problem as well where we had customers experiencing some small amounts of overcharging and I can tell the customers with confidence we reversed all of those charges and any credits will be reflecting on their account."

"Where we really need to take it on the chin and apologise unreservedly is we didn't communicate this well in advance," said Mark Rayner. He said that although MultiChoice's intentions were good to try and simplify things longer-term the pay-TV operator messed up with subscribers and the smaller amounts they've been billed for.

Several listeners called in to complain about MultiChoice's services, about A+E Networks' History, Lifetime and Crime+Investigation Network channels being dumped from DStv at the end of the month, and being placed on hold for very long by the MultiChoice Call Centre.

Laetitia from Soweto who was trying to get answers on her overbilled account said "I was sent from pillar to post. Last week I had to pay R1000. Then they said I must pay another R300. I asked what is it for? Nobody could tell me. Nobody knows what's going on. I tried to speak to team leaders. I was told that they are in meetings. They make you hold on for almost 2 hours on the phone. It's just a total mess."

Mark Rayner "we learnt a couple of lessons on the system change-over. It was a fairly major upgrade. Certainly we could have done better. Where we certainly could have done better is the communication to our customers."

MultiChoice apologises for massive DStv billing errors; says subscribers will be refunded for money taken out of bank accounts.

MultiChoice is apologising to DStv subscribers for massive billing problems, saying a switch to a new customer management system is to blame for the problems.

DStv subscribers are furious after they were suddenly cut off without warning or reason, saw debit orders go off on their bank accounts after they've cancelled their DStv monthly subscriptions years ago, while some were overcharged by MultiChoice.

The debit orders of some DStv subscribers did not go through with viewers not knowing when their accounts would be paid and fearing they will be cut off.

MultiChoice blames a switch to a new customer billing system and promises DStv subscribers will get their money back.

"We have recently upgraded our customer management system and some of our customers experienced billing errors," MultiChoice tells TV with Thinus. "These customers will be refunded within the next few days. We sincerely apologize for this error."

MultiChoice's billing problem and debit order mistakes is similar to those customer management system problems experienced by rival On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes SA's StarSat.

ODM became embroiled in a double debit order disaster in April 2011, and again in customer accounts drama in April 2012 - also caused by a switch to a new billing and customer management system.