Annual Direct Debit on Magazine Subscription

lily10

I have subscribed to a magazine for about 3 years at the cost of £42pa. taken by direct debit.
On 22nd Aug I noticed that the annual DD had gone out of my bank account that day. I rang their subscription department to say that I didn't want the magazine anymore and to request that they refund me the money. They said it was nothing to do with them and to call the Publisher Customer Services, which I then did, I spoke to their Customer Services and they said they would call me back. I have never received a call back.
I have emailed their customer services and received no response at all.
Meanwhile I have received a copy of the magazine.
My question is this: With an annual subscription should they not send a letter/ email to warn of the amount they will be taking? I have this from other companies but would have never received this from them - this seems especially important when it is an annual Direct Debit.
Secondly as this is effectively another year - is this viewed as a 'new' purchase in which case seeing as it is purchased over the internet do I have the 14 day right to cancel?
Thanks for any help.

Aylesbury_Duck

No, there's no requirement to notify you because you signed up to an annual DD, i.e. they take a sum once every year. It's no different if you had a monthly DD - they wouldn't need to contact you every month to remind you the payment is coming out.

No, it's not a new purchase, it's a continuation of an existing one.

What terms and conditions did you agree to when you signed up? I suspect there's something about giving them a certain amount of notice if you intend to cancel the subscription.

DoaM

Was the price still the same or had it changed? They're legally bound to advise the customer of any change in amount to be claimed, before the payment is taken. (I can't remember exactly how much notice they need to give, and I think notice by email is OK if that was how communications were always made, so check your SPAM folder).

JJ_Egan

As above

My three mag subscriptions only inform me if their is a price increase .
I signed up to an ongoing subscription to be taken from the bank yearly or in some cases every six months .
They have no need to tell me what i have agreed to .

soolin

I susbscribe to a number of magazines and it is always clear to me when I first susbscribe whether I am paying a one off payment or an annual payment- I have never been caught unawares by an annual payment being taken as agreed. In fact I find magazine companies, whether buying direct or through one of the discounters very easy to work with and eager to please.