I am pretty sure this isn't legal but...

altyfc

...would appreciate some feedback.

I have a number of domains registered with a large domain/hosting company, on an auto-renewal which is paid by credit card.

The domains in question are due for renewal in August.

They wrote to me in June to say that my autorenewal wouldn't happen unless I updated my credit card details (the card I had had expired, and so the new one had a new expiry date).

As I hadn't yet decided on whether to renew the domains, I took no notice. I definitely didn't login to update my details.

Just recently, I've had an email confirming all my domains have been renewed.

My assumption is that they've successfully guessed my new card expiry date and performed the renewals on my behalf, without my say-so.

The company in question has plenty of complaints about them online, so this really wouldn't surprise me.

I am pretty sure this is illegal. Can someone please confirm and perhaps give more information on precisely what law they are breaking, and perhaps tell me how I prove that the details weren't updated by me?

Thanks.

mynameistallulah

Your assumption is wrong. If you had set up an auto renewal the payment would still go through, even if they only had your old number.

[Deleted User]

Did you check your cc bill?

altyfc

The payment would go through as long as the card is valid, surely? If the card ceased to be valid because it expired, it wouldn't go through until I (or someone without my authorisation) updated the card details.

I don't yet have the CC bill but it would appear the transaction has gone through.

Surely this is fraud if the details are updated without my authorisation?

System

Auto subscriptions always go through. I once cancelled a credit card and then 4 months later received a statement of £30 for a magaizine subscription i forgot I had.

Frankly its your responsibility to cancel any subscription you have against the card.

arcon5

I suppose if they don't have your valid card details there is a chance the auto-renew wouldn't go through. However the card was accepted and renewal completed.

What matters not is whether your card was valid or not, but what you agreed to when you purchased the domains - which appears to be with auto-renewal. So the question is did you issue them with notice of cancellation? Because contracts do not cancel themselves

visidigi

it stills goes through as the CC company still has the card linked. When I got a new card after the last expired the card number stayed the same and the expiry changed - its the same if you buy something and they refund it onto the payment card, even if its since expired your refund still makes your account.

altyfc

I'm really surprised at this, but perhaps I'm completely mis-informed on the subject.

The email they issued in June very clearly stated:

Your AutoRenew Payment Card has Expired

Your packages may not be renewed if you do not update

How would the payment be authorised if the card was out of date?

Surely this could only happen if they updated the card details with a new expiry date. No????

mynameistallulah

altyfc wrote: »

I'm really surprised at this, but perhaps I'm completely mis-informed on the subject.

The email they issued in June very clearly stated:



How would the payment be authorised if the card was out of date?

Surely this could only happen if they updated the card details with a new expiry date. No????

No. Are you seriously suggesting that someone has sat there and gone through various numbers until they found one that worked?

visidigi

altyfc wrote: »

I'm really surprised at this, but perhaps I'm completely mis-informed on the subject.

The email they issued in June very clearly stated:



How would the payment be authorised if the card was out of date?

Surely this could only happen if they updated the card details with a new expiry date. No????

It says may...turns out they didn't have a problem.

somethingcorporate

It does not say that the packages will not be renewed, only may not.

Evidently they could use the old details.