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Great subscription rip offs!
Hub-UK
Posts: 6 Forumite
There are things in this life that just wind me up big time and one of them is company's that do automatic renewal of subscriptions! To my mind it must be one of the big cons that the British public is subjected to yet it goes unnoticed and companies are getting away with screwing the British public for millions (my guess) and in many cases this must be when such companies are well aware from their own records that the subscriber will not wish to renew.
If you subscribe to something they rely on the fact that in twelve months time (which is the logical time you will think about an annual subscription coming to an end) you will realise you need to cancel. So you ring them up only to be told you have to give a calendar months notice in writing . . . so you have to pay another month for no other reason than to line their pockets!
I have been caught twice this year. The one that makes me most angry is my subscription to the local Fitness First gym (which I joined in mid January 2007). I gave up using the gym within two months but honoured my original agreement to pay for twelve months even though I never used the facilities again.
Being rather naive about using a gym I was persuaded by the salesman at the time I signed up that it would be best for me if I signed up to a full membership costing £34.95 a month. The lower cost membership would have adequately provided the facilities I wanted but until you join you don't know what you want and then you have signed a twelve month contract. No-one points out how you have to terminate, etc and there is no option to later change your membership.
The extra amount of one month's subscription of £34.95 really winds me up when I have paid 12 x £34.95 for something I only used for two months and they think I want automatic renewal.
I had a row with one of the local managers at the beginning of February because he said I was late notifying them and apart from which he couldn't do anything about it because he hadn't received notice in writing. I immediately typed up notice and drove to the gym and gave him the notice and after several strong words he agreed that he would sort it out and that would be it. NOW I HAVE A DEBT COLLECTORS LETTER WANTING TO CHARGE ME £59.95.
If I don't pay I risk a County Court judgement.
My other beef is with Reader's Digest. The first time you realise you have another year's subscription to pay is when the bill arrives. Shouldn't the law be changed to make these companies ask you if you wish to resubscribe. It should be that if you don't renew then the subscription is cancelled.
:mad:
If you subscribe to something they rely on the fact that in twelve months time (which is the logical time you will think about an annual subscription coming to an end) you will realise you need to cancel. So you ring them up only to be told you have to give a calendar months notice in writing . . . so you have to pay another month for no other reason than to line their pockets!
I have been caught twice this year. The one that makes me most angry is my subscription to the local Fitness First gym (which I joined in mid January 2007). I gave up using the gym within two months but honoured my original agreement to pay for twelve months even though I never used the facilities again.
Being rather naive about using a gym I was persuaded by the salesman at the time I signed up that it would be best for me if I signed up to a full membership costing £34.95 a month. The lower cost membership would have adequately provided the facilities I wanted but until you join you don't know what you want and then you have signed a twelve month contract. No-one points out how you have to terminate, etc and there is no option to later change your membership.
The extra amount of one month's subscription of £34.95 really winds me up when I have paid 12 x £34.95 for something I only used for two months and they think I want automatic renewal.
I had a row with one of the local managers at the beginning of February because he said I was late notifying them and apart from which he couldn't do anything about it because he hadn't received notice in writing. I immediately typed up notice and drove to the gym and gave him the notice and after several strong words he agreed that he would sort it out and that would be it. NOW I HAVE A DEBT COLLECTORS LETTER WANTING TO CHARGE ME £59.95.
If I don't pay I risk a County Court judgement.
My other beef is with Reader's Digest. The first time you realise you have another year's subscription to pay is when the bill arrives. Shouldn't the law be changed to make these companies ask you if you wish to resubscribe. It should be that if you don't renew then the subscription is cancelled.
:mad:
Do you think legislation should be introduced to protect consumers? 29 votes
Do you think a law should be introduced to make it illegal to automatically renew subscriptions
3%
1 vote
Do you think companies should have to get written confirmation to renew subscriptions
55%
16 votes
Do you think consumer contracts should automatically expire after initial period
10%
3 votes
Do you think nothing needs to be done and there isn't a problem
31%
9 votes
0
Comments
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Surely you make a note on whats known as a calender when subscriptions are going to end and you mark on it when to call up and cancel it, i dont have any problems, i know when my insurance is due to run out so i find a cheaper quote, i know when my mobile contract ends so i call up and get a cheaper deal or cancel, maybe i find it easy to do but it isnt rocket scienceNo Links in Signature by site rules - MSE Forum Team 20
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If the best you can do is sarcasm then why bother replying or is that because you have nothing better to do with your time than write sarcastic replies and write entries in a diary.
Most of us are too busy or too inefficient in our personal life to be so organised which is what companies like this rely on!0 -
I would have thought it was common sense to write down when subscriptions are due."Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt0 -
eyelinerprincess wrote: »I would have thought it was common sense to write down when subscriptions are due.
thanks eyelinerprincessNo Links in Signature by site rules - MSE Forum Team 20 -
For what it's worth, I didn't read C_Ronaldo's response as sarcastic at all - if the company's cancellation policy is in the initial agreement you have with them, then it is your responsibility to make sure you know when you need to contact them to cancel. This site even offers a reminder service to send you an e-mail when an offer or deal is about to expire. I understand your point, but these companies aren't there to make life easier for you, they are there to try and make a profit. In the case of your gym, I would have written to them as soon as I decided not to use the services any more - if they need a minimum of one month's notice then ten months is surely better?
I suppose it depends how much it really annoys you - I personally cancel things as soon as I know I will not want to renew, regardless of whether that is the stated time frame for cancellation. Once the company has my letter, it can't claim that I have not cancelled, and I get it out of the way when I am thinking about it rather than getting caught out.0 -
If the best you can do is sarcasm then why bother replying or is that because you have nothing better to do with your time than write sarcastic replies and write entries in a diary.
Most of us are too busy or too inefficient in our personal life to be so organised which is what companies like this rely on!
Hub i dont see it as sarcastic, what i do with my time has nothing to do with you, my post was my input surely thats what you expect when you start a thread on here, you saying you cant spare 5 or ten minutes to make a note when subscriptions are due to endNo Links in Signature by site rules - MSE Forum Team 20 -
Right I'm going to have to join in here with my even more sarcastic response!
So stupid people are now complaining they want protection because they can't work out or are too lazy too read when and how to cancel a subscription to something they've taken out!Most of us are too busy or too inefficient in our personal life to be so organised which is what companies like this rely on!
You got it in one with the latter part there. But whos fault is that then?0 -
So stupid people are now complaining they want protection because they can't work out or are too lazy too read when and how to cancel a subscription to something they've taken out!
So because I am stupid and lazy (as I would suspect are the majority of people unlike you smug lot) companies should be allowed to take advantage of that situation.
From the tone of replies it is fairly obvious that none of you can really grasp the issue. It is not a question of whether I am a lazy, worthless individual that deserves to be ripped off by large companies (who probably rely on this sort of thing for a percentage of their profits) but whether it is right for them to be able to do so.
Yes I could have canceled as soon as I decided I didn't want the subscription any more. Yes I could have made a note in my diary . . . but I didn't! If I didn't look before crossing the road can I assume it would be alright for the bus to run me over?
0 -
this is how gyms make money.
january is the time when they get the bulk of their memberships after people decide to get fit for the new year
then just like you fall at the 1st hurdle
never understand why people dont just pay per session for a bit to see if the gym works for them
people seem to moan of a nanny state until its somthing they want nanny'd over0 -
So because I am stupid and lazy (as I would suspect are the majority of people unlike you smug lot) companies should be allowed to take advantage of that situation.
From the tone of replies it is fairly obvious that none of you can really grasp the issue. It is not a question of whether I am a lazy, worthless individual that deserves to be ripped off by large companies (who probably rely on this sort of thing for a percentage of their profits) but whether it is right for them to be able to do so.
Yes I could have canceled as soon as I decided I didn't want the subscription any more. Yes I could have made a note in my diary . . . but I didn't! If I didn't look before crossing the road can I assume it would be alright for the bus to run me over?
Does it say in the contract you signed that they would inform you when your subscription was due to endNo Links in Signature by site rules - MSE Forum Team 20
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