Regular Payments off a Credit Card Discussion

arbitrajeu

So, in summary, if possible avoid using your credit card for CPAs, but never offer your debit card!

K_J_Wheeler

I have been the victim of Continuous Payment Authrity. I set up an account for my daughter with AOL using my Debit card. Last November I called them up to cancel it. They assured me that no more payments would be taken off my card. However, I noticed that they were still taking money from me last month (March). I called them up to find out what was going on, and was told that they couldn't speak to me, it had to be my daughter (Bearing in mind they were taking money from me and not her).

I told them that I called to cancel, and they asked me for the cancelation reference number, they don't offer this information to you, you have to ask them for it when you cancel.

So, Please, if you are calling to cancel an AOL account make sure that you get the operatives name and a cancellation reference number and keep it in a safe place. At least then if they still take money from you, you will have this information to use.

Margaret_Millne

So, in summary, if possible avoid using your credit card for CPAs, but never offer your debit card!

After reading this thread they're not getting either from me - it's Direct Debit or nothing. - Oh, I suppose Standing Orders must be ok.

System

YOU CAN EASILY STOP THESE CONTINUOUS CREDIT CARD CHARGES

All you do is call the CC company and tell them that you suspect someone has your CC number and may use it without your authorisation.

They will block the card & number (in the same way as if it was lost or stolen).

No further charges will be permitted on your account.

Within a week or so, they'll send you a new card (with a new number)...

divadee

not always that easy MMMMartin. If you read my above thread they still got the money from me even when i had changed my card!!

System

These things definitely are a nightmare. I work in a bank and people come in with these all the time thinking they are direct debits when they're not. And we can't stop them. half the time it is so difficult to contact these companies - or they fob off customers telling them to go to their bank.
I always tell my customers not to do it. But unless you have a bad experience, you don't realise what a nightmare CPAs are.

System

I regularly request new Debit cards from my bank. I'm up to Issue 20 odd now, and I always make sure the old ones get swallowed up in the ATM.

My cards usually get broken in my wallet, because of my huge bum sat on them all the time, and when I get a new one, I get a new issue number.

Also, I had a do with Singlepoint a while back. They never took money under a CPA, but they could have done. When I signed up for my mobile deal with Phones4u a few years back, they assured me no credit check was needed. All I had to do was give them a Debit Card, they would 'half-take' a small payment. IE initiate the payment process then when its about to finalise, cancel it. This, he said, would prove my account was OK / usable.

What I didnt realise, I later checked the contract and one of the clauses was, if my Direct Debit failed for any reason, I had given them authority to take payment from the above Debit / Credit card. Sneaky gits eh? I assume this was to protect them from me cancelling their Direct Debit (which I had cause to do one month later, coincidentally).

I never give CPA to anyone if I can help it anyway, and the same goes for Direct Debits. I dont trust anyone with Direct Debits, not when they have quite a big window to take the payments, and can also take pretty much how much they want. The only DD's I have set up (apart from the ones I trust, like BT (phone)), are fixed amount and fixed date DD's, so I'm not left wondering where a bit of money has gone, because the DD is slightly higher this month.

Regards

System

I have just had a similar experience but slightly different. Last year I renewed my car insurance with a debit card over the phone. This year the company took the money for renewal without telling me, asking me or giving any notice. When I moaned and cancelled the policy they refunded the money , it has to be theft. But according to my bank, they have the right to do it. Debit card holders have no rights, this seems so wrong.

System

If you ring up and request the card be blocked as "lost or stolen", THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE CAN EVERY CHARGE ANYTHING TO IT

Galstonian

While reporting your card as lost may fix this particular problem it is probably not the "official" way to deal with it.

You should be able to raise an issue with any company who take money from your card without authorisation by filling out a dispute form (usually found on the back of your statement). If you have reason to believe that your card details have been compromised then you should be able to cancel your card. Personally I would say that a firm having the details and you not trusting them to use them as authorised is tantamount to having your card details stolen. If your credit card company disagree then you might want to ask whose interest they have closer to their heart - yours or the retailer? And finally, you can always "lose" your card if you can't get anywhere by simply requesting a new card.