Warning: South London Club auto renewal
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joey66
Posts: 5 Forumite
I was a member of South London Club (an annual subscription giving discounts in local shops and restaurants) for a couple of years.
I recently had my subscription auto-renewed without any warning (revolving credit card charge) a month before the expiry date on the membership card. I'd been planning to cancel it, but thought I had plenty of time left. I also expected an email reminder of expiry/renewal.
When I complained and requested a refund I was told they couldn't do that as it's a 'personalised, made-to-order' item.
Some rather unsavoury email communication followed... but I've now been promised a refund (yet to receive it).
This warning is to say that:
1 - South London Club (SLC) doesn't believe customers have the right to cancel within 14 days ('cooling off period') saying they are exempt as it's a personalised product. It says refunds are not possible - even at initial purchase, not just renewal.
2 - SLC doesn't send reminders of expiry/renewal - all subscriptions are on a rolling basis renewed by continuous payment authority (CPA) and will be charged without warning.
3 - SLC renews subscriptions BEFORE the expiry date on the card. It doesn't specify exactly what the time difference is between the two, but it can evidently be up to a calendar month.
If you are a member of SLC, or considering it, read their T&Cs very carefully and don't be caught out if you don't want to renew.
I recently had my subscription auto-renewed without any warning (revolving credit card charge) a month before the expiry date on the membership card. I'd been planning to cancel it, but thought I had plenty of time left. I also expected an email reminder of expiry/renewal.
When I complained and requested a refund I was told they couldn't do that as it's a 'personalised, made-to-order' item.
Some rather unsavoury email communication followed... but I've now been promised a refund (yet to receive it).
This warning is to say that:
1 - South London Club (SLC) doesn't believe customers have the right to cancel within 14 days ('cooling off period') saying they are exempt as it's a personalised product. It says refunds are not possible - even at initial purchase, not just renewal.
2 - SLC doesn't send reminders of expiry/renewal - all subscriptions are on a rolling basis renewed by continuous payment authority (CPA) and will be charged without warning.
3 - SLC renews subscriptions BEFORE the expiry date on the card. It doesn't specify exactly what the time difference is between the two, but it can evidently be up to a calendar month.
If you are a member of SLC, or considering it, read their T&Cs very carefully and don't be caught out if you don't want to renew.
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Comments
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Their own Ts&Cs appear to contradict what you have been told/experienced.Your membership is automatically renewed at the end of your initial term, for a 12-months period, and is automatically renewed for such period at the end of each subsequent term until cancelled.·
If you would like to cancel your membership before renewal, email us on [EMAIL="support@southlondonclub.co.uk"]support@southlondonclub.co.uk[/EMAIL] to obtain a cancellation reference, no later than 5pm 3 working days preceding your current membership term ends. Your membership term ends a year after you joined (not the card expiry date).
To me 'at the end of your initial term' isn't a month beforehand. And their cancellation says to let them know 3 working days before the end of your term, not 30 days. How can you possibly do that if they renew 30 days before the end of your term?
Maybe you should point this out to them.....0 -
Thank you mije1983
I have pointed that out to them, but they rely on the line in the T&Cs that says:
"Your membership term ends a year after you joined (not the card expiry date)."
They have set up their system so that the renewal date (when your credit card is charged) is NOT the same as the expiry date on the membership card.
This is not the first or only instance of this - Tastecard and/or Gourmet Society have featured on this very site for a similar thing, but then it was only a matter of a few days difference. (They claim it's so they can send out a new membership card before the old one expires, so you don't have to suffer even one day without it!).
However, to charge for renewal a whole month before the expiry date does seem exceptional.
Everyone with any kind of membership card relies on the expiry date that's printed on it to know when to renew (or not). South London Club members have to look back through bank statements or credit card bills to work out when their renewal date might be!
People of south London - be warned!0 -
I would be seeking a chargeback.The man without a signature.0
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vikingaero wrote: »I would be seeking a chargeback.
Thanks, but no need, vikingaero.
As stated in my original post, they have agreed to refund me (albeit only after extended argument and me posting details of their behaviour on social media).
This thread is not designed to get redress for myself (already sorted) - it's a warning to others.
I'm trying to get local trading standards (Lewisham) to take some action, but no joy as yet.0
This discussion has been closed.
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