How can a company withdrawl money from your bank account if you did not authorize it?

by **troyes** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:07 am

A friend of mine has not been able to pay her cable bill and her services got cut off. Today she finds out that Direct TV took out $750 from her account, how is this legal? She called her bank and the bank said as long as she has used her check card to make a payment online or by phone the 3 digit number on the back is all they need. What happened to the process of putting it in collections and so forth? How can she fight this? Is their a law that protects the consumer from this type of behavior?

by **dubh35** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:21 am

she authorized it when she signed the DirectTV contract.

by **matchitisiw** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:30 am

What she's not telling you is that at the outset she likely signed an agreement which would secure payment and allow them to garnish her account if she did not pay her bill. This company does not want to go to collections, it's an expensive process and she's not the first person to default so they have safeguards. Your friend either knew and thought it would never happen or didn't read what she signed.

by **sceley** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:34 am

That is the primary danger of using a check card because she can fight it but her money is going to be tied up in the meantime.

I think that is horrible. She needs to hound Direct TV and get them to reverse the charge - put the money back into her account. Talk to managers. Keep at them.

The bank can't do much since the money has been paid out. Go after Direct TV. Document each and every call.

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