I don't know if anyone else has experienced similar problems, but I just got off the phone after finally getting through to a company that had charged an automatic renewal fee on one of my credit cards. The problem with this fee was that I had not authorized it and I no longer even use the product.
I had called the number for the company that appeared on my credit card statement and continually was told that all lines were busy and that they would call me back at a scheduled time. After scheduling times on three different occasions and not receiving a call back at any of those times, I finally got to talk to a human being today. They could not find the order under my current e-mail address so I came up with one that was over two years old and low and behold that was what they had referenced. They said they sent me an e-mail that the charge was coming, to an account that had been closed for two years.
I am so careful about credit card usage on the internet and never authorize such automatic charges. The company did credit my account and apologize for any inconvenience I suffered. I am just wondering how many people let the charges go because of the persistence it takes to actually get through and talk to a human being.
Have you experienced similar problems? Any tips for calming strategies while waiting on hold?
JuneSlager is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com, raising three children (ages 15, 14, & 11) in Northeast Phoenix.
I have a speaker phone
I have a speaker phone option on my home phone, so while I'm waiting on hold, I put the call on speaker phone. Then my hands are free to catch up on emails, clean up the kitchen, recycle newspapers and magazines, etc.
I haven't had the automatic renewal occur, but I have seen annual fees on a bill after a grace period of one year with no fees. I call and tell them that I want to cancel the card and when they ask why, I tell them I think their fee is too high or I don't want to pay to be their customer. Every single time they have credited my account for the fee they had billed me for.
I signed up for a
I signed up for a classmates.com membership around my reunion. It was $15 for 3 months, I believe, but at the end of the 3 months, they billed me for a larger amount for a year's membership. I did see it small writing on their form (after I had already been billed) and after much trouble getting a human being, I was told I could cancel it now, but couldn't get a credit. I was not very happy, so I sent an email to their customer service dept. Amazingly, I did receieve a credit, but it was a big pain, and they probably get away with this most of the time. We all have to be very careful and follow through with problems.
Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.
Always read the fine print
Always read the fine print and 9 times out of 10, if something has an automatic renewal I won't even use it. For a while I did "free trials" to make extra cash on the freebies they gave away. I had a little calendar which when I signed up for the trial, wrote down 3 days before it expired and I'd be charged, the acct # and toll free # as a reminder.
As for being on hold, UGH, yes speaker phone is great, but when you are on a limited cell phone plan, and have no landline AND these business are only open during weekdays (no free minute times) it is very frustrating to be on hold AND when they have the automated systems (especially voice activated when you have kids in the background that sets off the response on the phone, I am ready to throw my phone at the wall)