Are companies allowed to store and use your credit card details?

footboy

BACKGROUND
I have a problem with internet host 123-reg.

Despite my requests for them not to hold my credit card details they keep doing so everytime I renew a service I want.

Now they have used those credit card details to renew a service I have asked them not to renew. I couldn't ring as I was going to a friend's funeral abroad at extremely short notice. So I asked through the support service that requires you to sign in. I figured they would have to take notice as surely they would not expect deaf service users to ring?

They've cited that they needed me to authenticate the request by answering security questions - questions they could easily put on an online form. They do not ask any when I actually buy a service!

123 are obviously trying to generate money by having people call their 0845 number (hello saynoto0870) to cancel services that 123-reg have now decided they will auto-renew - again without your consent.

QUESTION
My question is are organisations allowed to store and use your credit card details without your explicit permission or, as in this case, against your explicit permission?


Thanks.

Mikhail

Most web hosting companies do. I never had a problem with auto renewal, by default it's on, but it is so easy to turn it off.

footboy

It's easy to turn it off for domain names but for hosting there is no option.

My question still stands though.

My question is are organisations allowed to store and use your credit card details without your explicit permission or, as in this case, against your explicit permission?

moonrakerz

footboy wrote: »

It's easy to turn it off for domain names but for hosting there is no option.

My question still stands though.

My question is are organisations allowed to store and use your credit card details without your explicit permission or, as in this case, against your explicit permission?

It is probably in the small print of their Ts & Cs; if you sign up, you accept it.
If you don't like it, take your trade elsewhere.

footboy

Thanks moonrakerz,

With so many organisations asking whether you want them to save your credit card details I had thought it was a legal requirement to ask rather than a courtesy.

As an aside, I was on hold for 10 minutes with 123-reg but they cancelled the service straight away stating they have a money back guarantee.

Unwittingly, this has forced me to look at the current hosting pricing and I will be taking my hosting elsewhere as others offer so much more for far less.