Auto renewals and expired cards

[Lougle]

Just a friendly warning about autorenewal and expired debit/credit cards.

Norton 360 was due to renew next month. I had ignored the notification that it was due to renew soon for two reasons:

1. It was a month away, so on my 'to do' list.
2. My debit card had expired so they couldn't charge me.

I thought this was the case because they kept sending me emails telling me that my debit card had expired. Which was fine, because I had no intention of using it.

This morning, £124.99 was debited from my account. On live chat, the agent cheerfully told me that if you have autorenewal set up, which they default to 'on' when you order, then the bank tells them your new debit/credit card details. So even though my card was listed in my Norton account and was expired, they could still charge me.

It's all ok, I got a refund, but it's worth checking that you won't get any surprises, especially as COL is so high and it's close to Christmas.

Am I the only one who didn't know this?

No I didn't know that. I wouldn't have imagined the bank would tell them your new card details if the new card is a different number. (Sometimes cards have the same number as the expired one, just a different security code, but security codes aren't always checked.)

I would urge anyone with Norton to cancel their subscription. Not because of this, just because it's outrageously expensive when you can get equally good cover for free.

That's not my experience at all. I don't think your bank is allowed to give anyone your card details, even if you wanted them to. And if your original payment was via card and the details are now incorrect no money should have left your account. It sounds really dodgy to me - have you asked your bank for clarification?

Yes, this is a thing. The card number is normally the same anyway, it just has a new expiry days. The validation of the 3 digit number on the back is carried forward to the new card. So there is an arrangement between the payment processor and the bank to allow the recurring payment to continue even though the original card has expired.

The card number was totally different.

A quick explanation on Barclay's site to show that this is a thing, but not all merchants can do it www.barclays.co.uk/help/payments/payment-information/recurring-card-payments/new-card/

Yes this happened to my mother as well with Jacqui Lawson (digital greetings cards) she's had the devil's own job trying to cancel her subscription. I don't know how different her card number was though.

It's odd because other companies stop your subscription if you don't update your card details with them (edited, just seen that Barclays explain this).

The card gives access to your account. You set up payment from your account.
Changing the numbers on the card is a safety feature; the numbers of your bank account have not changed.

I'm with Barclays. Thanks for the link.

Recurring payments and auto renewals need to be banned....no one should be able to help themselves to someones bank account because you have not unticked a box.
Several years ago i ordered a one year subscription to a bmx magazine for my son for his birthday...when the year was up i got a snotty letter from them saying that they had tried to take payment for another year but my card details had changed so they were unable too.

Recurring payments and auto renewals need to be banned they soon will be by legislation currently passing through parliament. It is happening, although I don't know if lobbying will water it down.

The idea was that subscriptions should be as easy to get out of as they are to get into (eg a button you click on a website to cancel) but the likes of Sky don't want that as it affects their business model of retaining people when they have to call to cancel.

Thank you for the heads up OP. I wasn't aware of this!