Parcelcompare / Parcel Hero issues with recurring payment subscription

Colly21

Earlier this year I booked a parcel delivery with parcelcompare.com which went fine - reasonable price and delivered parcel to parcel shop easily enough. 

5 months later, parcel compare deducted from my bank account the same amount as the original payment without any communication. The 'additional charge' was deducted apparently in line with their terms and conditions. When challenging this with my bank they told me that a recurring transaction subscription had been set up on my account allowing parcel compare (affiliated with Parcel Hero) to take money from my account whenever they like for whatever amount they like. 

The company is refusing to refund my money and they are denying that they have used my financial information in this way. I am really concerned that others will also be caught out by this because of the fraudulent practice of these companies. There is no phone number to contact them nor an email. They ignore messages and their company directors refuse to acknowledge any complaints directly and put junior people in the firing line. 

Looking at Trustpilot there are so many negative reviews where customers complain about money being taking without communication from bank accounts based on this recurring subscription set up. 

I have now raised this with the ICO in terms of a data breach based on using my financial information in a way that I have not consented it to be. 

Please be careful when using these companies. 

born_again

1. Registering for PH Membership and a PH Account is FREE and optional for Customers. If You choose not to register for a PH Account, You may still use the PH Services but You will not benefit from certain features and functionality made available to registered PH Members.
2. To avail fully of the Site and the Interactive Services, You are required to fill out certain Registration Information online via a PH Registration Form. The Personal Data that You provide must be true, accurate and complete at all times.

You can cancel Your relationship with PH at any time. You can do this by requesting PH to deactivate Your PH Account and terminate Your PH Membership by sending an email request to support@parcelhero.com with ‘URGENT – CANCELLATION REQUEST’ in the subject line. This process will take up to five (5) Working Days to complete.

https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/terms/terms-and-conditions

Sadly you will find that you did consent. 

Just ask your bank to cancel the RT, as they have to do. But it does not end any contract. So PH can/could chase you for any funds owing.

DullGreyGuy

Colly21 said:

Earlier this year I booked a parcel delivery with parcelcompare.com which went fine - reasonable price and delivered parcel to parcel shop easily enough. 

5 months later, parcel compare deducted from my bank account the same amount as the original payment without any communication. The 'additional charge' was deducted apparently in line with their terms and conditions. When challenging this with my bank they told me that a recurring transaction subscription had been set up on my account allowing parcel compare (affiliated with Parcel Hero) to take money from my account whenever they like for whatever amount they like. 

The company is refusing to refund my money and they are denying that they have used my financial information in this way. I am really concerned that others will also be caught out by this because of the fraudulent practice of these companies. There is no phone number to contact them nor an email. They ignore messages and their company directors refuse to acknowledge any complaints directly and put junior people in the firing line. 

Looking at Trustpilot there are so many negative reviews where customers complain about money being taking without communication from bank accounts based on this recurring subscription set up. 

I have now raised this with the ICO in terms of a data breach based on using my financial information in a way that I have not consented it to be. 

Please be careful when using these companies. 

I assume you mean continuous payment authority? Whilst its often used for subscriptions its by no means exclusively so.

Its normal practice for hire car companies, hotels, couriers etc to have T&Cs that you have to agree to that allows them to take additional payments from your provided card without your explicit consent. This enables the smooth running of business else every room would have to be checked before allowing you to checkout... with this authorisation they can safely let you leave knowing they can bill you for the stolen towels if they go to the room after and find them all missing.  Likewise couriers would need to weigh and measure every single parcel at the point of collection to deal with any mis-declared values. 

I've only once had a claim for oversized parcel and they too took the money straight away but they did send an email advising the issue. Thankfully after investigation it showed that my parcel and another parcel had gone through the machine overlapping and so had been measured as one larger parcel and so the extra cost was refunded. 

As to an ICO complaint I would suggest you look at https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/terms/terms-and-conditions and  in particular 7.5 where you agreed to allow them to charge you

Colly21

Thanks for the remarks. It's actually parcel compare as opposed to parcel hero but believe they operate under the same registered directors. The terms state that:

" If a Customer or Consignee refuses to pay any Charges relating to customs and duties and taxes (and any Additional Surcharges levied by ParcelCompare in respect thereof) due in respect of a Consignment and as a result, it or a part of it is not delivered, ParcelCompare shall not incur any liability and the Undeliverable Consignment (or relevant part) will only be returned to Customer if those Charges plus return carriage charges are paid by Customer. ParcelCompare will attempt to contact Customer to advise of the Charges and to obtain agreement to pay. If such agreement is forthcoming, Customer shall make payment to ParcelCompare and thereafter the Consignment (or relevant part) will be returned to Customer."

Sadly this did not happen. And therefore there was no attempt to contact the customer just an automatic decision to charge. 

DullGreyGuy

They are sister companies but for completeness you have https://parcelcompare.com/support/terms-and-conditions and clause 7.5 again.

Have you actually spoken to the company to find out what the charge is about? From the section you have quoted it would suggest you were sending the item overseas and the recipient refused to pay the importation costs. In which case would you rather they have destroyed the parcel?

Colly21

I have tried to discuss with them but appears to fall on deaf ears. Yes the parcel was going abroad and yes I would have preferred the item be destroyed rather than returned. Sadly despite many emails, tweets and now letters the company is refusing a refund. 

DullGreyGuy

Then put a chargeback through on the grounds that they broke clause 9.3 which states it needs the customer consent.  Still not a matter for the ICO

born_again

DullGreyGuy said:

Then put a chargeback through on the grounds that they broke clause 9.3 which states it needs the customer consent.  Still not a matter for the ICO

Sadly chargeback will not work on that basis. As no chargeback has that criteria.

As a aside how do you know they have not >ParcelCompare will attempt to contact Customer< depends on what methods they mean. If email could go to junk/spam folder & never be picked up.

Colly21

Miraculous that the day the money was taken from my account they managed to email across an “invoice” for the additional charges but nothing before then so no attempts to engage prior to the deduction can be deduced. I clear my spam box daily so wasn’t sent there in error. 

DullGreyGuy

born_again said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Then put a chargeback through on the grounds that they broke clause 9.3 which states it needs the customer consent.  Still not a matter for the ICO

Sadly chargeback will not work on that basis. As no chargeback has that criteria.

How is it not a chargeback?

1) Its unauthorised as unlike over sized parcels where you authorise it up front the clause says they will only return it and charge you with your explicit consent which they neither sort nor received

2) The service was not as described, the OP was supposed to be given an option if the recipient didn't pay the customs fees however hasn't. Whilst some may  say its a relatively minor term in the contract its doubled the fees due which is far from minor impact

custardy

Colly21 said:

Miraculous that the day the money was taken from my account they managed to email across an “invoice” for the additional charges but nothing before then so no attempts to engage prior to the deduction can be deduced. I clear my spam box daily so wasn’t sent there in error. 

so what is the invoice for? I cant see where you clarified this?
If its the exact same amount as you originally paid, its unlikely to be customs fees