VCP Charging CCs Today

[Matt]

Anyone who signed up for a 1 year membership last year in the few days right before VCP upped their prices might be interested to know their CC was automatically charged today or will be charged shortly for another year.

I thought perhaps an email asking if I wanted to re-up would be in order instead of just automatically running my card.

[barrysloate]

I agree Matt. Everybody should be given the option to renew or cancel. Nobody can remember when their one year membership is about to expire. I sure don't.

[botn]

Pretty sure anyone wanting to cancel could drop Bobby an email and they would be refunded immediately.

[jmk59]

I tried to do a quick mental tally of those items in my world that hit cc's automatically without notice or asking if I want to renew. It took me about two seconds to come up with:

Sirius satellite radio
AAA Auto Club (annual)
Web hosting
Cardpricer
Safe deposit box annual rental

I know there must be more, but this is what I came up with in literally < 10 seconds of thinking.

It's in the Agreement Terms in all of them, and I'm sure in VCP's as well. It's also a fairly common practice. Although a reminder would be a nice touch (my AAA has surprised me for a few years in a row, since it is on an otherwise unused card), it's not required and probably not practical. I ususally think it's on me to remember when I've entered an agreement that includes auto-renewals or subscription fees.

J

[Matt]

Originally Posted by jmk59

I tried to do a quick mental tally of those items in my world that hit cc's automatically without notice or asking if I want to renew. It took me about two seconds to come up with:

Sirius satellite radio
AAA Auto Club (annual)
Web hosting
Cardpricer
Safe deposit box annual rental

I know there must be more, but this is what I came up with in literally < 10 seconds of thinking.

It's in the Agreement Terms in all of them, and I'm sure in VCP's as well. It's also a fairly common practice. Although a reminder would be a nice touch (my AAA has surprised me for a few years in a row, since it is on an otherwise unused card), it's not required and probably not practical. I ususally think it's on me to remember when I've entered an agreement that includes auto-renewals or subscription fees.

J

I wasn't suggesting it was illegal.

Do any of the one's you mentioned raise the rates on you automatically when they renew?

[barrysloate]

I just got the invoice for my safe deposit box. I can keep it for another year, or close it. No automatic charges.

[HRBAKER]

Originally Posted by Matt

I wasn't suggesting it was illegal.

Do any of the one's you mentioned raise the rates on you automatically when they renew?

Matt,
I did get an in-mail notice from XM stating when my CC would be charged for each radio and the price increase bc of a new fee for some kind of broadcasting rights charge.

[showtime]

Originally Posted by jmk59

I tried to do a quick mental tally of those items in my world that hit cc's automatically without notice or asking if I want to renew. It took me about two seconds to come up with:

Sirius satellite radio
AAA Auto Club (annual)
Web hosting
Cardpricer
Safe deposit box annual rental

I know there must be more, but this is what I came up with in literally < 10 seconds of thinking.


J

When i saw your list i immediately thought of AOL (America Online) I remember when they were the be all end all of the getting online (though I never used them). I can remember hearing from multiple friends that AOL would actually renew their memberships on the cc's up to one month prior to the subscription ending. And to top off that AOL was notoriusly difficult to get to actually cancell your membership.....meaning you would actually tell the customer service operator to cancel your membership yet your cc would continue to get billed. i have two friends that actually cancelled their cc in order to top AOL from continuing to hound them. Wow... I had not thought of AOL for several years until this. Are they even still around??