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Can't block Account Upgrade from the Set Top Box?

Just had a chat with a support representative. I set up a Purchase Control PIN. It works well for VOD and PPV. But when I go to HBO (which I don't have) I'm fully able to upgrade from the remote. According to the rep, there's no way to change that.

REALLY?!?!

That would mean that a 3 year old could upgrade the family cable package with a few clicks of the remote. This seems very, very hard to believe. Can someone please confirm? How can anyone be liable for the charges? My bill is set to autopay, so I'm not sure I'd even know about it.

Cheers!

--Alec

Comments

CRobGauth

You can be liable because it is a member of your houshold.

And even though you are on autopay, you should still review your bill.

Other errors could creep in. Too many people are not paying attention to their bills because of autopay.

eljefe2

Exactly why I never use autopay.

Yes, autopay would save some time and make life easier, but I want to view my bills each time one is issued so I know that I'm getting billed correctly.

Mistakes can happen and if I'm billed incorrectly, I want to know about it sooner rather tha later.

alec4444

I don't understand - are you deliberately missing the point? The point is not about mistakes happening. The point is about security.

I use many services in my life, and for most of these I can sign in to a website or an app and change things. I can sign in to change my phone plan. I can sign in to purchase products and subscribe to Prime on Amazon. I can sign in to the electric company and change where I purchase electric from. I can sign in to Seamless and change my delivery address, and purchase food.

The ONLY service I have (and maybe not for long) where anyone can make purchases on my behalf with no authentication whatsoever is Verizon. My senile parents could do it. My guests could do it while I'm in the bathroom. A three-year old could do it. Heck, I can take my remote for a spin and mess with people's plans through their windows. This is NYC, after all and we're all packed in.

You can ask others in the security industry, but "authentication" to be considered physical presence in a space is not secure my any means. I'd further submit that it must have been intentional too, since Verizon went through the trouble of creating software and menus for a Purchase PIN (which works well for VOD and PPV) and then not apply it to the actual cable service. My guess is that there's enough business in making money from people that don't realize the difference, that enabling the feature would be "costly" even though they would do right by their customers. That's the kind of bad attitude that puts companies out of business.

So tell me: If someone sets up a Purchase PIN, why would they still be able to make changes to their account through the remote....without a PIN??

SinCara

If you are worried about a 3 year old being able to accidentally upgrade your account maybe safe guarding your equipment so it's not accessible by them would be a good move.

Even if one wanted to upgrade to a premium channel it's not just a push of one button. You have to confirm it.

I get that you should be able to block the option all together with a pin, but since you can't setting up the guide using the favorites button where you can omit the premium channels all together will help avoid any issues.

gc118

Ridiculous that this is allowed to happen. Verizon Tech Support acknowledged that it's a bug in the software but now I have to pay an additional $10 each month going forward!

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/My-Verizon-Account-Residential/Customer-being-punished-for-a-bug-in-Verizon-s-System/td-p/795964

SinCara

@gc118 wrote:
Ridiculous that this is allowed to happen. Verizon Tech Support acknowledged that it's abug in the software but now I have to pay an additional $10 each month going forward!
http://forums.verizon.com/t5/My-Verizon-Account-Residential/Customer-being-punished-for-a-bug-in-Verizon-s-System/td-p/795964

In your case filing a claim with the BBB might be worth it.

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