I’ve learnt a valuable lesson today. Be aware, be very aware when you sign up for online services – specifically the ones which are for 12 months.
What is written in small print is their right to auto-renew your subscription, and apparently, there is no requirement to forewarn you that your subscription is about to be renewed, they just ping your credit card again.
A polite request to have the subscription cancelled and the payment refunded is then met with a standard line that they are within their rights to charge your card, that you authorised it a year ago and should have remembered that you did, and that they aren’t going to refund anything as you didn’t cancel before they charged your credit card.
And because I didn’t remember that this would be an auto-renewal, I’ve just paid for another years’ subscription that I have no need for and won’t be using.
Why, in todays’ world, aren’t there more people with good ethics and morals, who don’t stand behind legalese to take your money, and who understand that there are situations when a refund is the right thing to do?
I know, I’ve refunded fees and reduced fees when clients have sold their business part way through an annual fee agreement with me. Perhaps, I too, should have stood my ground and held them to the legal agreement they had signed. But it just doesn’t seem to be the right thing to do.
So, have a check of your annual online subscriptions and if you aren’t using the service anymore, make sure you notify them of your cancellation before the renewal date so you don’t pay for another years’ subscription.
