WSBTV.com News 

Story

Couple: Cable Company Charged Us For Unwanted Porn

Posted: 4:22 pm EST November 29, 2007Updated: 6:18 pm EST November 29, 2007

A Gwinnett County couple said they opened their cable bill and saw red. They said nearly a dozen pornographic movie titles were on their bill.

Channel 2 discovered other customers had similar complaints that Charter Communications billed them for services never ordered. In this case, the services are so racy we will only mention a couple of the titles. But other items on their bill are equally eye-popping.

“It’s only me and her. There’s no kids, there’s no dog, there’s no ghost that’s wanting to watch this type of stuff,” said Elijah Canady.

Canady and Kelley Kirkley want you to know their home is wholesome and their cable is not kinky.

“And to have that kind of filth listed explicitly on our bill…it made me sick” said Canady.

Titles like, “Begging For It All” and “Hustler TV’s Headcase” were ordered over a period of 11 days. A host of other adult titles we won’t name led to a whopping cable bill.

Canady said they did not order any of the movies.

When Charter sent a service technician to check for a problem – the company charged for it. Charter then credited some of the movies back and charged a fee for doing that too.

Something’s not working according to the Better Business Bureau.

“Most companies realize that, ‘Yes, legally I can charge this fee,’ but they have to make a judgment as to whether it’s right to charge this fee,” said local BBB President Fred Elsberry.

Elsberry said in Atlanta, there have been more than 300 Charter complaints in the last three years. In their home city of St. Louis, they’ve had over 2,000 complaints in the last 36 months.

In this case, Channel 2 interceded with corporate headquarters.

“It wasn’t 24 hours that everything was taken care of and everything was fine,” Kirkley. “They finally said we didn’t owe anything.”

Charter representatives confirm they've credited the complete bill but they insist the only way those charges could be on the bill was for somebody to order those movies from inside the home.

Canady and Kirkley say there must be another explanation. Charter also said its rate of complaints is down in recent months.

WSB-TV Going Green Partners

2 Investigates

A Whistleblower 2 Investigation took a closer look at a former Coweta County Sheriff's Deputy at the center of a controversial incident caught on tape. Clint Reynolds currently is facing two felony charges that include aggravated assault on his wife. Full Story ››


Channel 2 Action News has learned of a federal investigation into seafood mislabeling. A grand jury soon could hand up indictments against several shrimp processors for mislabeling cheap imports as U.S. caught shrimp. Full Story ››


Georgia drivers are now subject to the new super speeder law that can tack on an additional $200 fine. State troopers will likely chase down some of those speeders. And Channel 2 Action News has learned that those drivers may be in for an even more expensive surprise. Richard Belcher investigates. Full Story ››
WEB EXTRA: Fleeing Fines

Our hidden cameras reveal how a metro furnace company's widely advertised bargain prices were no bargain at all. We know state regulators and the Better Business Bureau are watching to see what consumer investigator Jim Strickland found. Watch Video ››
READ: Southeast Cleaning and Restoration AD
READ: Southeast Cleaning and Restoration Letter
READ: Southeast Cleaning and Restoration Receipt
WATCH: Southeast Cleaning and Restoration Video