Beware "complimentary" HBO offer

[bbinnard]

About 6 mos. ago I got a phonecall from Verizon asking if I woudl like HBO free for 6 mos.  The person said the "complimentary subscription" would automatically end on Oct. 1 2015 and if I liked the service I could add it to my list of account services. If I did not want to continue the service I needed to do nothing.

So I opted to get the service. It turned out the only thing I watched on HBO was House of Cards (of course), and when that was over I pretty much forgot about it.  But from time to time I would check out what was playing on the HBO channels. I happened to do that last night (Friday,  02 Oct 2015) and discovered HBO was still active.  

This got me concerned since I do not want to have HBO added to my list of billed services. So around 9PM California time I had an online chat with a person at the Verizon website. He told me that my latest Verizon bill would state when my complimentary HBO subscription expired. I checked, and there is no such information on the bill.  I told him I did not want to be billed for the service, but he said he was unable to change anything in my account and that to make a change I had to contact Verizon Customer Service during businees hours on a normal business day.

So now I have to wait until Monday to contact Verizon.  I hope they haven't already billed me for a month of HBO service, becuase if they have I'm sure it will be be a time-consumning hassle to get that charge reversed.

[somegirl]

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@bbinnard wrote:

...

So I opted to get the service. It turned out the only thing I watched on HBO was House of Cards (of course), and when that was over I pretty much forgot about it.  But from time to time I would check out what was playing on the HBO channels. I happened to do that last night (Friday,  02 Oct 2015) and discovered HBO was still active.  

...

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I'm confused. House of Cards is a Netflix exclusive... Game of Thrones, maybe?

[bbinnard]

Yes of course I meant GOT. I was just testing you!

[TheMalks1]

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@bbinnard wrote:

The person said the "complimentary subscription" would automatically end on Oct. 1 2015 and if I liked the service I could add it to my list of account services. If I did not want to continue the service I needed to do nothing.

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I don't think "automatically end" services exist anymore. From a business standpoint, it is MUCH easier to put that burden on the customer (who will likely forget to cancel). I wish you luck though!

[CRobGauth]

Been that way since the days of the AOL cds that blanketed snailmail.

You signed up for your free month.

Good luck trying to cnacel after that.

[hallrk]

I did get HBO as complimenrtary for a few months and it did go away after that trial was over, I didn't have to call them to cancel either. But normally you do have to call to cancel.

[_dot]

i have news for you guys and hope for you, bbinnard! i received a similar offer for 3 months of HBO, free, it stated that  at end of 3 months  it would automatically end, said that i didn't have to do anything.......well after 3 months and a day, it was still on, so i called to tell them that i wouldn't be paying for this extra day of HBO, and i asked them to cancel it...instead , they offered me another 12 months free!!!! no strings attached, and i renewed my contract and it stayed on account.....good luck, hope u get more HBO too. of course , i'm sure this time, i'll have to cancel or it'll automatically start charging me after free trial ends.

[_dot]

i just checked, and as of now my bill does remind me when the free HBO promo will end for me....ya think that reminder'll still be there on my bill  in feb. 2016 when i need remindin'???

Specials and Promotions

9/2210/21HBO 12 Mo. Credit thru Mar 2, 2016 ($19.99 off TV)

-19.99

Specials and Promotions Total

-$19.99

[bbinnard · Accepted solution]

I did get the issue resolved by calling Verizon and speaking to a rep who cancelled my HBO right then.  Later on that day I verified that I could no longer receive HBO and also verified that my "Current Services" did not list HBO as something to which I was subscribed.

I think I am in the clear now but probably won't know for sure until I see my next bill.