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Genealogy website - unauthorised charge

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  • 05-03-2015 3:53pm
    #1
    rawn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭


    My mam subscribes to some genealogy websites. There's one in particular that she signed up for a free trial account with but never used as it wasn't any use to her. This is what it says in the t&c's:

    "You can sign up for a Free Trial which lets you view a selection of the records for a fixed period so you can try before you buy: this requires a credit card. We only allow one Free Trial per household and will stop you taking a Free Trial if we think you've already had one. No payment is taken from your card until your Free Trial comes to an end: you can cancel your Free Trial at any time from the 'my account' area on the website. When you get to the end of your Free Trial, if you have not cancelled by the day before the expiry date, you will automatically become a subscriber to the package your Free Trial was based on, and we will then take your first subscription payment. Fair usage limits apply. Please see the fair usage section of our Terms and Conditions for more details."

    The amount taken was nearly 100e. Her account is still a "free trial" account, so it has not been upgraded as it says in the t&c's. I emailed them on her behalf, using the email address that she uses to log in (the same one she receives regular emails from) asking about the charge and they promptly replied back saying that they have no record of a subscription from this email address. They then asked me to provide my debit card number, assuring me it was perfectly safe. I emailed back again with screenshots from the email inbox showing the name of the email address and showing all of their correspondence and they have not replied. This has been three days ago. Where do we stand with this?


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    #2
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,787 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    Has her free trail expired yet?
    Was the money taken before or after her free trial period expiry date?
    Did she cancel and before the trial expiry?

    What does she want? to become a full member or cancel and get a refund?


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    #3
    rawn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭rawn


    slimjimmc wrote: »
    Has her free trail expired yet?
    Was the money taken before or after her free trial period expiry date?
    Did she cancel and before the trial expiry?

    What does she want? to become a full member or cancel and get a refund?

    Well, either/or. She should either get what she's paid for our get the money back. I'm more concerned that they don't have her email address on record and now want her card details.


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    #4
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,625 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    If this is one of the big two genealogy companies, then I suggest phoning them to discuss it. Both have customer service. They are a bit sneaky with placing the onus on the customer to cancel - I know people who have been caught out.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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    #5
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,787 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    pinkypinky wrote: »
    If this is one of the big two genealogy companies, then I suggest phoning them to discuss it. Both have customer service. They are a bit sneaky with placing the onus on the customer to cancel - I know people who have been caught out.
    It's common practice with many subscription services and there's nothing remotely sneaky about it once it's clearly explained up front in the T&Cs.


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    #6
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,868 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    One of the major firms takes the DD before the trial ends. They will refund it if you complain.


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    #7
    rawn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭rawn


    L1011 wrote: »
    One of the major firms takes the DD before the trial ends. They will refund it if you complain.

    I'm logged into the website but there's no active subscription cos they're saying they have no record of this email address. Si I can't even find out when the subscription started/ended.


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    #8
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,787 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    So the issue is that your mother didn't cancel her free trial ended and her card was billed accordingly but the website still shows her as a trial user instead of fully subscribed and they've no record of her defaulting to a subscription. Certainly seems something has gone awry.

    Perhaps send them a reminder in the morning asking for an update. If you don't hear anything in the coming days then your mother could consider getting her bank to reverse the payment on the basis that the service (fully subscribed account) was not provided.


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    #9
    rawn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭rawn


    I had to email several times to get a response, each time they said they did not have my email address attached to any accounts. I sent my mam's card number in the end, which they somehow managed to connect it... with the same email address(!). But happy ending, they said that there is a 30 day cooling off period when the subscription charge kicks in, and since we're still within that time frame the money is being refunded. All is well :)


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