Unauthorised payment - how did they get my details?

mrs_scarper

I have a regular subscription to Audible which is linked to my Amazon account. 
I have one credit card which I keep for when I am travelling abroad - so I have not used it for 2 years.  Last month I noticed a charge on it - it was only £7.99, but it was my Audible subscription.  I do not use that credit card for that purpose - or for internet purchases, and it is not linked to my Amazon account so I have no clue how they got the details of it, or why they felt the need to charge that card.  
They have refunded the amount, but they are unable to explain it to me.  They seem to think that becasue the amount has been refunded onto my card that I shoudl stop bothering them about it.
Any advice as to what has happened here?

Carrot007

mrs_scarper said:

Any advice as to what has happened here?

You will have provided it to one amazon affiliated company at some point. There are many.

MalMonroe

With my credit cards I am able to freeze them if I know that I'm not going to be able to using them for a while. Two years is a long time to not use one. Doesn't your credit card company have that facility?

As Carrot007 says, that card number will probably be somewhere in an amazon affiliated file. 

I wouldn't worry about it but I would definitely block my card for now. 

mrs_scarper

Thanks for your responses, both.   I have suspended my credit card account, but to be honest, that is not what is concerning me.  I may well have given my details to an affiliated account (even if a long time ago), but how were Audible able to use a credit card to take a payment if it was not linked to the account in question - that is my question. 
Am I wrong to be so infuriated and more than a little concerned?

born_again

Have you ever used that card on Amazon?

If you card expires or is declined. Amazon will use the next card available.

If you have checked & it is YOUR audible subscription. Then the card must have been used & stored on Amazon.

mrs_scarper

I cannot say I have never used the card on Amazon, but the card that is linked to Audible is valid and would not have been declined, just as the one linked to Amazon is also valid and would not have declined, neither of these is the card in question. I am completely bemused.
I think from the comments it seems like any card that is ever used for payment is then stored and can be used for future payments - surely that cannot be legal?

born_again

mrs_scarper said:

I cannot say I have never used the card on Amazon, but the card that is linked to Audible is valid and would not have been declined, just as the one linked to Amazon is also valid and would not have declined, neither of these is the card in question. I am completely bemused.
I think from the comments it seems like any card that is ever used for payment is then stored and can be used for future payments - surely that cannot be legal?

If that is the case. How do you know that the payment is yours?

Not let a family member use your card in the past on their account?

It is easy to check and see what cards are listed as payment methods in your amazon account for both normal & membership/subscriptions. So I would check that & also if any family members have used your card on their accounts.
If you can confirm that the above is not the case then you need to contact Amazon/Audible to check the payment.

If you store your card details then they can use them to take payments. But it will go to default 1st & only if that is declined will they go down the other cards.

mrs_scarper

I am the only person who uses the account, the payment went out on the day I normally pay my subscription. The payment from the correct card was not taken that month, so I know it is my charge, it is just on a card that is not linked to the account.
I checked what cards were linked immediately, and that card is not listed.

I have contacted them and asked them to investigate, but the person I spoke to seemed to think it was all rectified because they refunded the payment.
I was wondering if this had happened to anyone else, but it seems that it is only me.

msallen

They clearly have your card details from somewhere - they didn't just dream them up.
Look through old statements for the card that was used to see where it has been used in the past - there'll be a payment to amazon or one of its associated companies in there somewhere.

born_again

mrs_scarper said:

I am the only person who uses the account, the payment went out on the day I normally pay my subscription. The payment from the correct card was not taken that month, so I know it is my charge, it is just on a card that is not linked to the account.
I checked what cards were linked immediately, and that card is not listed.

I have contacted them and asked them to investigate, but the person I spoke to seemed to think it was all rectified because they refunded the payment.
I was wondering if this had happened to anyone else, but it seems that it is only me.

So the card they took the funds from is NOT listed on your account in anyway. Audible have refunded. So they think it's NOT your payment. 

Best advice then is to get the card stopped as lost/stolen as it will happen again next month. Ask Halifax to also block any further Audible payments, as they can transfer to the new card number. 

Why was the payment not taken from the listed payment method?

I have spoken to many people  who say they are the only person who uses the account, but it then turns out that at some point in the past have payed for something on someone else's account. The number has been stored. Their card expired and funds were then taken from the next card that was stored.
That is why you need to check with everyone else. Claiming it is not yours (Fraud) can lead to problems for the other person. Worst case their account gets closed down.

mrs_scarper

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your comments/suggestions. There is only me, so no one else has access to my account, and I am sure I have not used my card to pay for anything on someone else’s account, but just to be sure I have cancelled the credit card.