I think it’s time someone come up a way to monitor online purchases for subscriptions, downloads and member fees. All too often, I find charges popping up on my credit cards for things I KNOW I canceled months before, however, the company seems to think they can just continue charging the card as their Terms of Service (TOS) has some type of bullshit “hoop” to jump through in order TRULY cancel your membership (or subscription). I have two examples to share with my readers:
LA Fitness - I joined two years ago and then had to cancel the membership, as I just did not have the time to hit the gym a few days a week. I called them over one dozen times and told them to cancel the membership. However, they just kept charging my card. In the last four days I received ten calls from these knuckleheads informing me they could not charge my card anymore, I replied - “oh, finally woke up over there and figured out that you can’t steal my money anymore?” They replied - “But, sir, you have to go into the gym and cancel directly”. I replied - “click”.
Channel Advisor (ChannelAdvisor.com)- This group has been charging my card since 1/2007 and although I canceled the account in 2/2007, they have continued to charge my credit card. I have been fighting through email and telephone calls with this group for the past eight days. “Sir, you must go to our site, cancel your account and then send an email to our billing department and inform them as well”. “Screw you asshole! I’m not jumping through hoops to cancel a membership when I canceled it two years ago. In fact, you knew I canceled this membership as even the email I registered with does NOT work (to this day) to log in to your site”. This company canceled the membership but, still (to this very day) charges $29.95 (without fail) on the 4th of every month.
This is the bad part about using a credit card online. There are thieves on the net who think they can get away with making free money over and over again. Use PayPal and you can get double-dutched and if you don’t pay attention, PayPal is behind the scenes working its magic by doling out a dollar here and dollar there to merchants with subscription accounts.
Go into PayPal and try to find an easy way to cancel a subscription and your name might as well be Helen Keller, as there’s no clear-cut way to do it without knowing where to look. (The best way is click on the long reference number and click on the details of the transaction. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION button or they won’t cancel it).
Another tip is to NEVER (EVER) use a debit card online, as it’s harder to get the money back once the thieves have charged a debit card. One more thing, if you are going to join something that’s some type of membership or subscription, be sure to untick the box that states “Bill Me Monthly” as if you don’t - you become the gift that keeps on giving.
Hi Gregg,
After having this happen to us too many times, we got one card on which we ONLY do memberships and monthly fees. If we cancel, and they still bill us, we suspend the credit card - and put all of our other “monthlies” on a different card. As soon as the point gets through that they can’t have our money, we “unsuspend” the card, put our other monthly fees back on that card, and go on our merry way.
Does it take a bit of time? Yes. Is it worth it? Every single penny! We always try to have one card that is kept “active” each month with around $100.00 in charges - that we pay off immediately. That way, we have an “empty” credit card to move all of our “monthlies” to - and can go back and forth. With a “no annual fee” card, it works like a charm!
June