creditexpert website smallprint, beware.

daveturney

delete this thread please

Trentenders

I did Creditexpert and I thought that the information they offered about the charge was fairly clear. If you don't look at what you're signing up to, that's pretty much your lookout.

Also, did you read that there is a 30-day free trial, and did you know that Quidco offer £7 cashback for taking that free trial? I think most people on here will se them as a useful, reputable and profitable(!) company.

Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh.

YorkshireBoy

also the site does not have your bank details until you buy your score, and then it has your details so can take a monthly payment, if i never paid for the score they could not of taken a monthly payment.

Sounds like you signed up for a free trial and provided your debit card details*, thereby giving them a continuous payment authority (CPA) to debit your current account with the (£6.99?) monthly charge.

You then forgot to cancel within the 30-day trial period, and so they used the aforementioned CPA to take payment.

The fact that you chose to buy your (totally worthless, but there you go) credit score is irrelevant.

Sound about right?


* In hindsight, using a credit card would have been a better option. At least you'd only be £6.99 down.

YorkshireBoy

daveturney wrote: »

yeah, im aware of what i have done...

It didn't sound like it from your posts. You thought they'd got your bank details from your credit score purchase...not from your original sign up.

...its just so damn sneeky of them to word it like they have, i have no issue with paying them once, i feel i have been conned.

I can't agree. It's very clear throughout the sign up (without reading the T&C's) that the service is free for 30 days and you'll only be charged if you don't cancel within the 30 day trial period.

and please, dont say i should of read the small print.

It's only (really) necessary to read the "how do I cancel?" condition.

YorkshireBoy

daveturney wrote: »

and if i had not bougght the score for a "single payment" how would they obtain a payment from me for a monthly subscription after the 1st 30 days is up? they would not.
so it is misleading.
sign up for 30 free days. no obligation to pay, no bank details.
BUT
pay for an additional service and you auto-agree to pay for the subscription.

thats misleading.

Dave, when you sign up you HAVE to enter payment details, so they can collect payment if you choose to continue with the service (as you did because you didn't cancel). You CANNOT sign up without providing them. The choice is...

Visa
Mastercard
Switch/Maestro

Visa (as in Visa debit card) and Switch/Maestro give them direct access to your current account.

Which card (and hence account) details did you give them BEFORE you bought your credit score in a separate transaction once you had signed up?

daveturney

lesson learnt, sorry for the mis post.

geordie_joe

daveturney wrote: »

lesson learnt, sorry for the mis post.

Don't be sorry, it wasn't a mis post.

I've seen quite a few people post the same as you, and they always get told it was their own fault, they should read what is in front of them. Other people say "I signed up and didn't see it".

I have never visited the site, so can't comment either way, but I can say you are not alone, many others have ended up in the same boat as you.

This makes me think it is there, if you know where to look, but if you are distracted by all the other stuff that is there simply to distract you, then you don't see it.

It could be one of those things that, once you have looked and spotted it it is plain to you, but people who haven't gone and deliberately looked for it don't notice it.

Anyway, I'm glad you posted this thread as it brings this problem to focus again. And I know people end up in your position on a regular basis, so bringing it to the top of the forum every now and again may help others.

Please don't anyone reply saying "go to the site, it is easy to see" If I did that I would be going there knowing I have to find the bit that says I will be charged each month unless I cancel. This would not be the same as someone going there thinking they are signing up for a free trial.

geordie_joe

OK, I've just been to the site, just to see how quickly I could spot it.

You click the "free 30 triel" button and the next page does not mention you are going to be charged £6.99 per month if you don't cancel your membership.

It asks you for your details, name address etc. and you click continue.

The next page is just like a standard joining page, it asks you to choose a user name and password etc. Anyone reaching that page would think they are joining something, they would not be alarmed as they are in the process of signing up for a free 30 day membership, so the joining page would be expected.

At the bottom of the page the are boxes to enter your card details. And above this is the following.

Your card details - We accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro(Switch). We need your card details to help check your identity and so that we can charge your card with the monthly membership fee of £6.99 at the end of your 30-day free trial.

Your card will NOT be charged during the free 30-day trial period and there is no obligation to continue with the service after the trial period.

It clearly indicates that you are going to be charged £6.99 per month after the trial period, unless you cancel.

However, I have bought many items on the web and in my experience above the place where you enter the card details is the place where the site tries to convince you that your card details will be safe with them.

The paragraph that begins

Your card details - We accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro(Switch).

Usually goes on to say how safe you will be buying from this site. They use a secure server and never give your details to anyone else etc.

So, in my opinion, for what it is worth. The site does tell you that you will be charged after the trial period, but it does it in the one place most people wont look. The place where the site tells you that buying from the site is safe.

Have you ever bought from a site that told you it was unsafe to buy from them? NO. How often do you actually read the sites declaration of safety? Not very often. Unless you do it so you can blame someone else for not looking at it.

I think this site has hidden the one thing you need to know in plain view. They've put it in the one paragraph you see every time you buy, and therefore have stopped looking at.

Yes, now I can say to people "It's there in plain view, it's your fault if you didn't see it". But I will never do that because I know how people work. Most people wouldn't see it, or should that be read it. Because it is hidden in a paragraph that usually says something completely different.

Yes I spotted it, but that is because I went to the site to find it. If it didn't already know it was there I would never have seen it. I would have looked at it, but never read it because I've seen paragraphs with that heading a thousand times. And they all (bar that one) say the same thing.