The dark side of Direct Debit

Inactive

jago25_98 wrote: »

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See what happened to Jeremy Clarkson.

Surely the overwhelming majority of people are far more intelligent than Jeremy Clarkson..

nannyboo1

I am new to MSE so please bear with me.

The OP (presuming that is original poster) may have been slightly over the top (can't find the right word sorry) with their title to the thread as I read it thinking it was going to be something more than it was. BUT I would like to thank them as I am guilty of being usually so busy that when I come to read my post that I tend to glance at them and I don't think I would have read as far as a 5th paragraph if the original four had been generally saying how wonderful they were.

Yes this makes me stupid but thanks to the original poster I will read my post more carefully but again that is why I have come to this site to get useful advice.

I am also sure that the people who posted saying that the OP was making a mountain out of a molehill (sorry I know they are not the words they used but hopefully you will know what I mean - but I start work in a few mins and don't have time to go find exact words) did not mean to come across how they did. From other sites I go on I know how easy it is to post one thing and it come across wrong but as someone new reading this thread I thought it came across a little harsh. I do not know the posters on here so would not be able to tell if they were being sarcastic or rude.

I see from the points they made what they were trying to do but they actually made me think whether I wanted to read further - which I did and saw there other posts.

Sorry I am no reduced to babbling so will stop but just wanted to put the point across from a newbie

mykw

Hi all,

I got this letter yesterday too, and like most here I'm savvy enough to know to check what I'd been paying, but agree with what the OP is saying as the letter is a bit sneaky.

Anyway I have phoned up to cancel and they said the best they could offer was "£32 every 6 months" which is more than the £26 quoted on the letter!

So if you wish to re-subscribe do what I did and cancel it, then go to http://www.isubscribe.co.uk/title_info.cfm?prodID=11056 (£4 cashback if you go via quidco).
Then sign up for 12 issues for £1 which will then continue at £19.99 every 6 months if you don't cancel within the trial period.
This is the best deal I could find online in a half-hour research session.
Hope it helps some of you.

DS-2

I haven't seen the letter that has been mentioned. However, on the face of it, you might want to look at the "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008"

Regulation 6 "Material Omissions" sounds relevant.

HTH.

“commercial practice” means any act, omission, course of conduct, representation or commercial communication (including advertising and marketing) by a trader, which is directly connected with the promotion, sale or supply of a product to or from consumers, whether occurring before, during or after a commercial transaction (if any) in relation to a product;

“consumer” means any individual who in relation to a commercial practice is acting for purposes which are outside his business;

“enforcement authority” means the OFT, every local weights and measures authority in Great Britain (within the meaning of section 69 of the Weights and Measures

dzug1

Sorry - where's the 'material omission'?? The failure to say in big neon lit letters that the new price is not the same as the old price?

I really really don't think so.

Geoffo_M

lemonjelly wrote: »

I agree by the way, that it is a marketing idea to "bury" the news on the increase that far down the letter, as most won't read that far down the letter, & possibly won't even notice until they review their bank balance.

BT are particularly guilty of this. Whenever they increase prices, there is always a small offset that they enblazen in bold headlines at the top of the letter/press release. Last time it was free 0845 numbers yet on page 3 in the tiniest of print was the fact that they were raising line rentals by £2 (20%) a month. What made this worse, they then introduced the 0844 number which wasn't free and many businesses have now swapped to - making the whole thing a bit of a joke, except everyone ends up paying 20% more for their line rentals!

dzug1

nannyboo1 wrote: »

. BUT I would like to thank them as I am guilty of being usually so busy that when I come to read my post that I tend to glance at them and I don't think I would have read as far as a 5th paragraph if the original four had been generally saying how wonderful they were.

I think the moral if you are in a hurry is skip the guff and get on to the pricing details:D

Then if it doesn't look right read the rest - or accept that your time is more valuable than chasing every last penny. A perfectly valid decision, though I suspect one that not everyone has the luxury of affording.

jdlk

As OP, I'd just like to say that, while I may have been on the receiving end of some - how shall we say - forthright responses, I appreciate the fact that so many have taken the time and effort to respond.

As has been discussed above, written communication doesn't do nuance very well. A "frank exchange of views" can easily come across as rudeness in print. We all have to make allowances for the limitations of the format. I'm sure no-one was trying to be deliberately rude here.

I'm sure future visitors to this thread will benefit from the views expressed.

DS-2

dzug1 wrote: »

Sorry - where's the 'material omission'??

That would be NOT saying "We've increased your product cost by £11" coupled with the reasonable assumption that telling someone their price has increased by 73% is likely to "switch them off" as customers.

dzug1 wrote: »

The failure to say in big neon lit letters that the new price is not the same as the old price?

There's no requirement specified within the Regulations to use "big neon lit letters."

dzug1 wrote: »

I really really don't think so.

Which part of the Regulations do you really really think defeats my assertion?

Regards.

JAG

I also got this same letter from Radio Times. The subscription offer was the first 3 months at £1 followed by £15 every six months. It was not a limited offer, the special intro offer was the £1 for 3 months.

At no point does it mention that your subscription is increasing from £15 to £26.

The way the letter is set out most people would not be aware of the 73% price increase. I can see why they would not want to put "Your subscription is increasing by 73%" because people may cancel.

But to send out this letter "Confirmation of the set-up of your Direct Debit Instruction" and indicate you are getting a good deal at £26 (20% off) which is only 10% off is a bit sneaky.