Which is best? Bank Debit Card or Credit Card for Annual Internet Subscription?

DocProc

Why am I asking?

Well, I'm anticipating future difficulty when it comes to cancelling my subscription.

I remember reading that the merchant either needs to agree or acknowledge receiving notice to cancel for the subscription to cease.

If the merchant receives a Notice to Cancel and it hasn't been sent by Recorded Delivery, then an unscrupulous merchant can deny ever receiving that Notice and can take a payment yet again. This leaves the subscriber with very little he can do about getting his money back from the merchant.

I appreciate that you can always tear your credit card up or report to the card company that you've lost it and get a new one. This means that the number in the merchant's records for you is different and so the transaction will not work. But sometimes the transaction will work when the merchant applies to the card company (or should I be saying 'bank' here?) for payment. I'm not sure 'Why?' and I don't understand what sort of situation causes this to happen.

Perhaps someone can explain?

It's a bit harder with a bank card though. The bank account number stays the same. The Debit Card number for a new card might change, as also will the expiry date.

But what is the best way to go with Internet subscriptions?

The postal address for the merchant might be hard to find after a year or so so just which is the best sort of card to use for these types of transactions?

What is the best way to protect yourself from a slightly mischievous merchant who might teach you a lesson for not sending him a Recorded Deliver Cancellation Letter?

DocProc

Aha! The word 'recurring' is what I should have been including in my Google and other searches.

Now that I'm using it, I've found that there's already some good stuff on the MSE web site about this sort of problem:-

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/recurring-payments

[Deleted User]

The only protection is to deal with reputable merchants.

'Tearing up' credit cards is no protection - it will still be processed against your account.

meer53

When actioning a chargeback when a person has cancelled a continuous authority payment, and the retailer is still debiting, the banks do not need proof that the retailer has received your notice of cancellation. The chargeback can be done without this, the bank will electronically confirm the cancellation date you give them. Debit or credit card makes no difference.

Lynnibobbin83

Maybe a bit late to get a response on this thread but my credit card has been charged £15 per month since Jan 2010 by a co called esources.co.uk

Contacted my credit card co (virgin) to dispute this charge and they advised me that since it was a subscription it was up to me to contact the co directly to cancel

I advised them that I work in Finance and as such can find no reason why I would ever open up a subscription to this co (some sort of wholesale co). There are no contact numbers provided for them on the website and no email address. An address is given though this seems to just be a PO box based in London.

There is a mail drop facility on the website and finally after 6 months of trying I got a response from esources which basically informed me that unless I could provide a member id they were unable to identify my account and as such cancel it. I informed them that I had no record of anything showing my opening any such account, they told me to contact my credit card co

Now seem to be stuck in the middle. Credit card co wont help and somewhat dodgy co charging me have washed there hands (though still continue charging)

Anyone know what my position is here?

Thanks

Vortigern

DocProc wrote: »

What is the best way to protect yourself from a slightly mischievous merchant who might teach you a lesson for not sending him a Recorded Deliver Cancellation Letter?

Use Direct Debit. You can cancel a direct debit easily.