5 ms·

This has been happening in the US for a long while. Several years ago I had significant trouble terminating an Xbox Live Gold account. Exasperated, I canceled m

This has been happening in the US for a long while. Several years ago I had significant trouble terminating an Xbox Live Gold account. Exasperated, I canceled my card and got a new one. The next two months the charge was still on my bill. I eventually discovered the problem related to two separate accounts linked to my email address with and without a period in it, with Google considering the addresses identical and Microsoft considering them different.

uberduber 8y ago
Yep, I think it was started in 2009 or 2010. I remember being called by the banks trying to sell us this new "updater" service and I remember they eventually rolled one out where even if you got a new card number they would update it depending on what category of merchant you were.
jetrink 8y ago
In the United States, you can also work directly with your credit card company (or bank, in the case of a debit card) to stop a recurring charge. This is possible due to the Fair Credit Billing Act [1]. You might also be refunded for recent charges, if you have evidence that you contacted the vendor and attempted to terminate the service and were billed anyway. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Credit_Billing_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Credit_Billing_Act
- jrobn 8y ago
  so I have to record my phone conversation with the vendor I want to cancel just Incase I need to go to my bank and have them terminate? This is ridiculous and why consumer protection laws should be a thing.
  - FireBeyond 8y ago
    Right! You are the bank's customer. They don't need to protect the ability of vendors to bill you. I've had this argument before. "If canceling this subscription/ability to bill causes a dispute or debt or contract issue with the vendor, that's on me. I don't need you being 'helpful', or worse, _refusing_ to remove unauthorized transactions."
joombaga 8y ago
Google and Microsoft both consider those to be different addresses. They just lead to the same inbox.
NikkiA 8y ago
Same happened to me circa 2007, I filled a chargeback with my bank and strangely Microsoft didn't bother to ban me as a result - just degraded me to silver as they should have.

uberduber 8y ago

Yep, I think it was started in 2009 or 2010. I remember being called by the banks trying to sell us this new "updater" service and I remember they eventually rolled one out where even if you got a new card number they would update it depending on what category of merchant you were.

jetrink 8y ago

In the United States, you can also work directly with your credit card company (or bank, in the case of a debit card) to stop a recurring charge. This is possible due to the Fair Credit Billing Act [1]. You might also be refunded for recent charges, if you have evidence that you contacted the vendor and attempted to terminate the service and were billed anyway. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Credit_Billing_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Credit_Billing_Act

jrobn 8y ago
so I have to record my phone conversation with the vendor I want to cancel just Incase I need to go to my bank and have them terminate? This is ridiculous and why consumer protection laws should be a thing.
- FireBeyond 8y ago
  Right! You are the bank's customer. They don't need to protect the ability of vendors to bill you. I've had this argument before. "If canceling this subscription/ability to bill causes a dispute or debt or contract issue with the vendor, that's on me. I don't need you being 'helpful', or worse, _refusing_ to remove unauthorized transactions."

joombaga 8y ago

Google and Microsoft both consider those to be different addresses. They just lead to the same inbox.

NikkiA 8y ago

Same happened to me circa 2007, I filled a chargeback with my bank and strangely Microsoft didn't bother to ban me as a result - just degraded me to silver as they should have.