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Roku Activation Fee Scam – Roku Scams

Roku Activation Fee ScamBeware of the Roku Activation Fee Scam! Roku activation is FREE! You DO NOT need to pay a fee to activate a Roku! The Roku Activation Fee is a SCAM!

Don’t fall victim to any Roku scams when setting up your new Roku or Roku TV.

Are you setting up a new Roku? Roku activation is FREE!

Did you get a new Roku as a gift? Roku activation is FREE!

Do you need to set up a new “value priced” Roku Express? Roku activation is FREE for ALL Roku devices!

Do you need to set up a Roku TV? Roku activation is FREE for Roku TVs too!

Do you want to create a Roku account? Setting up a Roku account is FREE!

The Roku Activation Fee is a Scam!

Roku Activation Fee Scam

Did you search the Internet for information on how to activate your Roku and find several websites offering to help you setup your Roku?

Did you get a pop-up “chat box” offering to help “set up” your Roku??

Did you find an offer for 200 FREE Roku channels and FREE support for 6 months for $69.99? $99.99? Or even more $$!!

Were you told that you needed to upgrade your Roku or Roku account for a $150.00 Upgrade Fee?

These websites say they want to help you with your Roku… but…

This is the Roku Activation Fee Scam!

The truth is that you probably won’t need any help in setting up your Roku. Roku is an amazing low maintenance product and comes with easy installation and setup instructions.

The Roku Activation Fee is a Scam!

These Roku scam websites never say they charge for activation – Because Roku activation is free!

Some of the Roku Scam websites even try to fool you into thinking they are affiliated with Roku by having instructions on how to install and activate a Roku.

If you look closely at the Roku scam websites they say…
  • they are an independent company from Roku
  • they are not charging for activation
  • they only offer Roku support services – such as Roku configurations and problem resolution

But you don’t need to pay these fees for your Roku! 

This is the Roku Activation Fee Scam!


Having problems fitting your Roku stick into the HDMI slot on your TV?

Having problems with Wi-Fi on your Roku stick? It could be getting interference from your TV!

Get a FREE 4″ HDMI Extender For Your Roku Stick!

Or, get a 3′ or 6′ HDMI Extender on Amazon.


The Roku Setup Fee Scam!

Did you buy a Roku Express, Roku Stick, Roku Stick+ 4K, Roku Ultra, or Roku TV?

You don’t need to pay a fee to set up and activate your new Roku or Roku TV.

This applies to ALL Roku models!

SETUP IS EASY!

Roku has NO activation fee.

Roku has NO setup fee.

Roku has NO account creation fee.

Roku has NO service subscription fee.

Roku has NO equipment rental fee.

Roku has NO monthly fees.

This is the Roku Setup Fee Scam!

Related: Need help with setting-up a new Roku or Roku TV?… Read more about How to set up your Roku TV™ 

Roku Activation Is Easy And FREE!

After your Roku is setup, it is time to activate it.

Activating a new Roku or Roku TV is easy and FREE!  You do NOT need to pay anyone to activate your Roku. Roku provides easy to understand setup instructions and has a great user interface that guides you through the setup and activation.

How To Activate A Roku

  1. Follow the setup instructions found in the Quick Start Guide that came with your new Roku
  2. Create a Roku account
  3. Link your new Roku to your account. (Use https://my.roku.com/link)

Need help activating your Roku? Follow Roku’s instructions on How to activate or link your Roku® streaming device.

Avoid The Roku Activation Fee Scam!

Here is how to avoid the Roku Activation Fee Scam…

Roku Activation Fee Scam

Remember…

There is NO charge to create a Roku account!

There is NO charge to activate a Roku device!

The Roku Activation Fee is a Scam!

What To Do If You Were Scammed

Are You A Roku Activation Fee Scam Victim? What Can You Do?

Are you a victim of a Roku Scam? Roku offers great advice on what to do.

Here is Roku’s advice…

If you believe that you are the victim of a technical support scam from another company, please take the following actions:

  • Call your credit card company and ask to have any associated charges reversed.
  • Check your bank and credit card statements for inaccuracies.
  • Remove any software that this company may have installed on your computer, and change any passwords for programs used on your computer that was accessed by this company.
  • Change the password on your Roku.com account.
  • Visit the Federal Trade Commission website and file a complaint about the experience.

If you believe that you have interacted with a fraudulent site, please email Roku Customer Advocate and if possible, include the following:

  • The name (or URL) of the fraudulent support website.
  • The phone number of the fraudulent support website.
  • The terms you entered to search (if you found the site through search).

More information about the Roku Activation Fee Scam can be found here: What should I do if I have paid for support with a fraudulent website?




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69 Responses

  1. Lea Becker says:

    I was told to pay an activation fee the lady said 99.00 for one yr or 140.00 for lifetime she gave me a phone # so I can contact her again the # she gave me is 1-833-887-0888

    • TheCordCutterLife.com says:

      Hopefully, you didn’t pay the activation fee. This is the Roku Activation Scam!

      • Terrye Staggs says:

        I followed the brochure that came with my roku tv and still got the scam. I did not pay any fee but am blocked from adding channels. Super frustrating!!!

        • Lorie Poliszczuk says:

          We did not search these people out during setup of ROKU device it said the passcode given was incorrect and to call to continue setup. Since it appeared while trying to activate your product we thought it was legitimate

        • Princess says:

          Yes I’m experiencing the same issue

    • Holly says:

      The same thing happened to my husband and while he called PayPal to file a dispute, the paypal customer representative told him his bank account was linked to now two mac computers and that he needed to take the steps to remove it that lead him to two supposedly apple itune dummy charges of 200.00 and that it wouldn’t be taken out of his bank account! Now the paypal representative called him back twice thru out the day and said he was removing him from the harmful scammers!! Later on that night 200.00 gone out his bank account! I witnessed this the whole time I was with him that day or otherwise I would be like that’s impossible because that’s a paypal customer service!! And now the paypal customer representative is poof gone! Want answer the phone! And PayPal will not answer from my phone as well! Now I believe they had his phone taped because it’s an iPhone and the guy could see everything he was doing on his phone and telling him what to do step by step as in changing password and etc. And now were out even more money for a two damn apple itune cards!

  2. Mike Thore says:

    These people are not that bright because instead of going to the website Roku tells you to go when you are setting up the Roku, instead, they are googling “Roku Setup” and getting these scam websites. They almost deserve to get ripped off for being less than brilliant and not doing what Roku clearly and simply shows you the correct website to go to.

    • Anonymous says:

      My 83 year old grandparents almost payed this not because they’re dumb but just old and don’t understand technology as much as we may. In my opinion, charging someone over $100 to help set up a free account is manipulative and predatory.

    • A. Montegna says:

      I went to the website from the onscreen instructions, while setting up the device. I did NOT just go out and Google setup. Not everyone who gets scammed by this is being stupid. I didn’t pay the fee, because I decided to check my account for info, first. Since I was setting this up for my 86 yr old mother, I cringe to think she wouldn’t have known any better, if it had been her trying to set it up.

  3. Marcie says:

    I had a connection issue after moving and my Internet carrier said contact Roku to see why my channels keep dropping… I called Roku twice with no real assistance! However, the first call I made wanted to remotely hook to my lap top… oh no, I cut off that communication quick! I called back and the next guy said since Ive had my acct with Roku since 2013 that the new UPGRADE FEE would be half price at $99.00…. Do they really expect people to fall for this???
    I told him look… there is no upgrade fee, or activation for upgrade and asked to speak to a manager…. He replied that they do not have a manager!!!
    How in the world do we contact ROKU for actual help with issues???

    • Jack says:

      You were talking with a scammer, not Roku. Real customer service would never ask for access to your laptop.

      Roku does not run the channels, you have to contact the actual developer or owner of the channel that is dropping. For example, Roku cannot help with problems related to the Hulu channel. Hulu can.

  4. Lucinda Shier says:

    My mom was just told by Roku that new this year you have to pay 150 for 3 yrs. She was told you can create a basic account but it would not work unless she upgraded.

    • TheCordCutterLife.com says:

      Unfortunately, I’m sorry to say this sounds like the Roku scam. There is no upgraded account for Roku. There is no fee for any Roku account.

      Consider contacting Roku directly at: customer.advocate@roku.com

    • chris says:

      she may have thought she was talking to ROKU but that was not the case Lucinda

  5. Demi says:

    I just bought a Roku Monday and got to the Roku activate page on my TV. I punch in the code. On the Roku link. Then I can error 0 0 1 4. They gave me a number to call and was told $100 once in a lifetime see that they just started 10 days ago? Is this a scammer??

    • TheCordCutterLife.com says:

      This is totally a scammer. You should only use this official Roku link (https://my.roku.com/link) to activate your Roku TV (device) with your code. Roku STILL does NOT charge for activation or setup fees.

  6. Jackie Pump says:

    My friend had the same situation as Demi. She got the error code when trying to activate Roku on her TV, called the phone #, was told to pay activation fee of $79. She was smart enough not to fall for it, but couldn’t get around it, so she returned the Roku and got another device instead. I’ve been using Roku for years and recommended it to her, so I feel kind of bad about it.

    My question is, how are the scammers getting into her internet feed? She just followed instructions. I find it very disturbing to think that somehow they can intercept the activation process and take it over. Does anyone know the actual technology behind this? Rather than just saying “It’s a scam. There is no activation fee” I want to know how it happened, how to avoid it, and how to complete the activation. Had my friend called me I’m not even sure I would have been able to help her.

    • TheCordCutterLife.com says:

      I think what happens most often is the wrong web address is used for activation. Roku wants you to type EXACTLY “https://my.roku.com/link” into your web browser so that you will go directly to the Roku activation web site to activate your Roku device. But… if you instead type “my roku.com/link” (with a space between “my” and “roku.com/link”) into the address bar of a web browser, it will automatically do a search for you. And one search result you could get is titled “Roku.com/Link | Enter Code | Activate | http://www.Roku.com/Link“. This is a very official looking link and looks like what you should click on to “activate” my Roku with my code. So… it’s easy to see how anyone could think they have reached the correct Roku site and follow the instructions – and then be scammed. This is a very innocent mistake and could happen to anyone.

      Spread the word.

      And encourage your friend to report her experience to Roku at: customer.advocate@roku.com ; with the subject line: “Interaction with Fraudulent Site Posing as Roku Customer Support”. If possible, include the following information: 1) The name (or URL) of the fraudulent support website. 2) The phone number of the fraudulent support website. 3) The terms you entered to search (if you found the site through search).

  7. MICHAEL A DUCHNYCZ says:

    I have the same questions Jackie Pump. i got a new stick last night, got an error message on the screen ..”Oops, due to network error your device cant be activated call 833-875-0066″. Our question is…is this pop up screen from roku or the scammers? Either answer means they somehow hijacked the installation process, doesn’t it? it was a woman in a big echo-y warehouse setting. there were other voices, some foreign accent. i spoke to her at length, she did get the account activated though. she offered 3 plans to “update” the account 99$, 129$, 199$ for 2 years, 5 years, lifetime. i was suspicious and told her so…she kept asking for card info…i eventually hung up when the tv started working. and yes i did google for the roku activation code, so that’s where i got hacked, but again, how did she get into my setup before i even called.

    • TheCordCutterLife.com says:

      Absolutely a scam. You don’t need to pay to update the account. Roku updates the Roku devices for free! These scammers create sites that look like the right page for setting up your Roku, but they aren’t!

    • Ron Rufner says:

      Mike, experienced the same thing. Purchased a TCL ROKU for a family member who lives in an assisted group home. I’m 78 and didn’t have a clue what RUKO represented when I bought the TV. The Representative while walking me through the set up explained all the advantages of ROKU and was actually downloading the the various programs into the TV when he explained there is a $89 access fee for 5 years. When I refused to pay he told me to put the TV back into the box and return it. I’ve since done research and called the 1-877-300-8837 number, explained what had transpired and was told by rep. to scroll down to right corner and click on the cancel charge requested. Or scroll to top of page and click on their logo in the right corner If that is the official ROKU site why is there an option to by pass charge if they advertise there is none. Something doesn’t make sense.

    • Esther says:

      That Happened to me too exactly the same way

  8. DIANE GUY says:

    Scam-Hooked up my roku and got a error code. A representative on chat line pops up and ask for name and phone #. He calls and states that I need to pay for a plan with this. I paid $199.00 one time fee. He stated that his name was John Brandon and the phone # is 1-866-316-7396 and the amt. would be charged to my credit card under Corbibal.

  9. 1st time Roku user says:

    When I looked up rook to install on new tv, the 1st Roku site I pulled up said I had an error when I typed in code and gave me a phone number to call.
    The representative, Gary, claimed to be with Roku and knew exactly the error on my screen and how to fix it. He told me I had to pay 1 time instillation fee ($49.00) when I did they sent e-mail to confirm. After confirming, they sent receipt that actually charged $99.99 to livetechsolutions@usa.com. He had the ability to fix the error with instillation. When I called back, to both Gary and live tech solutions, I got the same voice mail that said they were not available.
    I would appreciate you helping me with how to recover my payment and keep my credit card safe.

  10. Ricky says:

    Roku will only activate if I pay $99.99, Roku is a scan , now my new smart TV is worthless . ATTN : DO NOT PURCHASE ANY ROKU DEVICE
    BOYCOTT ROKU ! !

  11. Ricky says:

    Roku needs romoved from marketing .

  12. REBECCA LAPOINTE says:

    I just tried to activate a Roku for a friend last night. The message I got was that the code was invalid and when I called the number given the man told me I needed spyware from Roku. It would cost me $99.00 for the software and then he would help me to activate the device. He said if I tried to hook up too many times I would invalidate the device and would not be able to use it. This man was overseas and sounded Indian or something similar.

  13. Vinyl head says:

    Yeah you keep saying Roku scams but I got the same thing happening to me the other day if Roku knows about it then change how you activate your POS product I returned both and go me a FireTv stick Yeah Amazon never will I ever recommend a Roku to anyone

    • TheCordCutterLife.com says:

      Yes, registering an Amazon Fire TV Stick is very simple. And it would be great if Roku could figure out a better way to register the Roku device for their customers.

      Here is why the Amazon Fire TV Stick is easier to register and activate than a Roku…

      Amazon can get around the activation problems Roku is having most of the time. Since you typically buy an Amazon Fire TV Stick from Amazon.com, that means you already have an Amazon account. When you buy an Amazon Fire TV Stick from Amazon.com, Amazon will automatically use this account to activate/register your Fire TV Stick on that account. In cases where you buy the Amazon Fire TV Stick from a re-seller like Best Buy, Amazon STILL makes you sign into your Amazon.com account to register your Amazon Fire TV. And nearly everyone already has an Amazon.com account.

      And this is unlike Roku, where most people do not already have a Roku account. So an automatic registration of the Roku device cannot be made.

    • Sharon says:

      I think I’ll do the same, return roku and go with the fire stick , have one on my other tv and never had these problems

  14. Steve says:

    I got ripped off by a company called Corbital solutions LLC for 100 dollars to activate my roku with basic roku

  15. Marilyn says:

    How do I get the free tech help? I have tried by contacting the address , but they want cardnumber , yes I’ve said it, but got no response. Why is that????

    • It is possible that the tech help was not officially from Roku, but an independent company. Offering Roku support is one of the Roku Scams. You may want to contact your credit card company and Roku to let them know if you were charged for services you did not receive. Check out Roku’s Will I be charged for customer service… page for more information on what you might want to do.

      For official Roku Support, click on this link: https://support.roku.com/index. Roku offers email, chat, and phone support.

      Unfortunately, Roku does not provide the same level of support for all of their models. For their less expensive models like the Roku Express, Roku only offers “online” support. When you go to the Roku support site and select your device and issue, you may see something like this…

      Your device and/or issue is eligible for online support. You can find answers to your questions with our comprehensive set of articles and technical troubleshooting steps.
      Agent-assisted support is not available for your issue and/or model.

  16. Nicole says:

    While trying to activate our tv I was prompted to call for assistance. Spoke to a woman that I can barely understand. Specifically told her that No where on the box or screen does it say I must pay $100. As soon as she tried to argue, I knew!! Customer service was absolutely questionable so I told her she just lost in her scam and hung up on her! Researched myself and found your site. Thank you for the heads up cause I was about to return my sons tv!!

  17. David STANFORD says:

    This site was a lifesaver. I was just about to lose my mind. A one time charge of $150 on a $200 TV because I already have one free Roku TV – It was a very good scam. Guess I just wasn’t ready for a scam on a TV!!!! I was just about to take it back to Walmart.

    Your website reminds us all that we have to be constantly on our guard. “Constant vigilance”

    Keep up the good work

  18. Marie says:

    All of this applies to my experience with setting up Roku. The scam during the setup, appearing on the tv screen with a number to call, plus the popup on Roku’s customer service page that wanted me to pay them $1 (refundable) for their help. Then came a form for me to put in my CC info. Of course, I saw the scam then. But my tv screen appeared to be held hostage and would not go back to normal antenna stations. I unplugged the tv for 6 minutes. When I plugged it back in, it returned to normal set-up (that I had already gone through once when first using it) and I was able to set it up for antenna. I don’t know if I want to use Roku after this experience.

  19. Rick Jones says:

    Why doesn’t Roku have it’s own phishing investigation and reporting division like other big tech companies?
    -instead of cheaply referring its customers to other reporting sites…

  20. Heather says:

    I was told today that I have to pay a configuration fee of $80 for basic last 5years or $100 for a lifetime….is this true…cause tomorrow the guy said my services will be suspended if I don’t pay one of them???

  21. Heather says:

    I was told today that I have to pay a configuration fee of $80 for basic last 5years or $100 for a lifetime….is this true…cause tomorrow the guy said my services will be suspended if I don’t pay one of them???

  22. Lori says:

    Think I got scammed today !
    Why is the “my” roku site not the one posted on the start up booklet?
    I could not activate unless I went to the one suggested .
    Now what do I do to get money back and correctly install my roku

    • Call your credit card company to let them know you do not approve the charges because you were misled by the company about their services. Email Roku to let them know!

      Roku device activation account.

    • Tammy L Pozzi says:

      I was charged a 100 dollar fee to set my tv up is this normal

      • No, this was a SCAM! ROKU does NOT charge to set up a ROKU TV. Be sure to follow Roku’s advice on what to do for SCAMs.

        Here is Roku’s advice…

        If you believe that you are the victim of a technical support scam from another company, please take the following actions:

        Call your credit card company and ask to have any associated charges reversed.
        Check your bank and credit card statements for inaccuracies.
        Remove any software that this company may have installed on your computer, and change any passwords for programs used on your computer that was accessed by this company.
        Change the password on your Roku.com account.
        Visit the Federal Trade Commission website and file a complaint about the experience.
        If you believe that you have interacted with a fraudulent site, please email Roku Customer Advocate and if possible, include the following:

        The name (or URL) of the fraudulent support website.
        The phone number of the fraudulent support website.
        The terms you entered to search (if you found the site through search).
        More information about the Roku Activation Fee Scam can be found here: What should I do if I have paid for support with a fraudulent website?

  23. Anonymous says:

    Roku is the scam

  24. Gypsy says:

    I bought a streaming stick on black friday. I have a roku but when I used my log in info a 855 number popped up for me to call in order to continue. After 35 min I hung up. I changed my email/roku/wifi passwords since all these were used for set up. They called back from a Compton number and I hung up. Shame on roku for not letting people know this in a note when purchasing stick. I got lucky.

  25. Rick Phelps says:

    Today, I hooked up my new Roku per the brochure. When I got to the Code input, I got an invalid code message. Went to roku.com?link as in brochure. Was connected to a foreign male who proceeded to show me 5 reasons for an invalid code and that my problem was my firewall and or several viruses. He told me that a complete ” cleaning ” would be done at the cost of $499, I told him to go to Hell. I followed your instructions to the letter..I am a pH D chemist and this guy was a slick con man.
    I am strongly considering returning this device as I fear your company is disreputable.

    And yes, this will be reported to the FCC; uselessly. But maybe if enough complaints stack up..

  26. JO LOVETT says:

    I PURCHASED A PHILLIPS TV WITH ROKU BUILT IN. THE MESSAGE ON SCREEN CALL NUMBER ON SCREEN TO ACTIVATE ROKU, WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT ANY SCAM, NO WARNING BY PHILLIP’S, OR ROKU. I CALLED BOTH COMPANY’S, THEY DIDN’T SEEM INTERESTED IN MY PROBLEM, FOUND OUT BY GOING ON LINE TO FIND OUT ABOUT SCAM, I THINK ROKU, AND PHILLIP’S NEED TO BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS. I THINK WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS, THIS IS NOT A SMALL SCAM, I FEEL BOTH COMPANY’S ARE IN PARTNERSHIP IN THIS FRAUD, SINCE THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. FUNNY HOW IT WAS ON MY TV SCREEN TO ACTIVATE AT THAT NUMBER. REALLY NOT FUNNY.

  27. JO LOVETT says:

    READ ABOVE.

  28. Robin says:

    My roku prompted me to go to url go to roku.com/link and enter a 4 digit code witch was different then all my other TVs had a long code and a different web site witch worked great. It said my code was as invalid so I got a new code said the same thing so I called the # on the screen and they said I had to pay I knew it was a scam, so I returned it and bought a new one and it Prompted me to do the same thing now I’m not sure if my tv will even work. What do I do now?

    • Congrats on not getting caught in this SCAM!

      Be sure to use the correct link in your web browser website Address Bar and do NOT type “roku.com/link” into Google search. If you type “roku.com/link” and get a Google search results page, you will likely click on a fraudulent Roku website.

      Here is the correct link: ROKU ACTIVATION LINK

      Here are the complete instructions for setting up a ROKU TV. Be sure to follow these instructions carefully!

  29. Jennifer Bolin says:

    I believe that I was scammed back in November 2019. For $119.00. They have called back after 6 months now. Telling me I have now have a subscription due..? I told them, actually him that I know by name. For at the beginning we had a issue with the payment takin out twice! So, with the 4 tv’s that have roku, I’m guessing that now they are telling me they are going to turn off my service if I don’t pay them for this so called subscription..?

  30. Sharon says:

    I two was scammed, they ask you to put in your credit card if you want to pay for movies that are not offered for free and then charge your credit card 99.99

  31. Sharon says:

    I think I’ll do the same, return roku and go with the fire stick , have one on my other tv and never had these problems

  32. Sharon Ruperto says:

    After reading all of these people’s stories I’m starting to believe that roku is a set up for scams and just might be involved

  33. Chantel says:

    Yes, they said the same to me and I paid the 150 for lifetime setup. I didn’t google anything though. I typed in the code on my screen, got an error message, and a number showed up to call for activation. I’ve disputed this already and waiting for a reply to reverse the charge. But my roku has several emails attached to it now that are not mine and it’s weird

  34. Suzanne says:

    I am pretty sure we were scammed last night, too. Bought my daughter an Onn Roku smart TV at Walmart for $108 so when we went to set it up, although I thought it wrong to charge us a “registration fee”, the TV was so inexpensive and she got TV channels, that I just assumed it was some kind of cable like subscription. We were SO mad at the foreign sounding man on the phone, that he agreed to $30 for the 5 year “registration” instead of the $50 they were 1st asking. He kept telling us to look for the invoice coming to our email from Tech something in Texas. He did not SOUND like he was in Texas, but it was late and I was just too tired to fight anymore that night…

  35. Gregory Trout says:

    I reset my girlfriend’s roku and tried to log in to my account. I was prompted on the screen to call a toll free number. When I called the foreign guy told me I had to pay a one time 79.99 fee to get connected.
    That roku is in a drawer somewhere and I just screen mirror the streaming apps on my phone to my tv

  36. Anonymous says:

    roku is a the scam these so called scammers are your employees you are all in this scam together believe me you will get caught

  1. January 14, 2018

    […] Easy setup & No Activation Fees! – Read about the Roku Activation Fee Scam […]

  2. January 15, 2018

    […] Read about the Roku Activation Fee Scam. […]

  3. March 14, 2018

    […] Easy setup & No Activation Fees! – Read about the Roku Activation Fee Scam […]

  4. March 14, 2018

    […] Easy setup & No Activation Fees! – Read about the Roku Activation Fee Scam […]