to expect Single with Kids to give me my money back?

[Sheila]

I joined this chat/holiday company for single parents via their webpage, which pretty much makes you subscribe using Paypal. I signed up for a year but didn't get much out of it so decided not to renew. Then I got an email to say Paypal had automatically renewed my membership.

I contacted SWK straight away explaining my mistake and asking them to refund my membership sub, but (after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing) they refused. Basically they seem to be saying it's my fault for not cancelling my Paypal sub.

I feel really angry that they havee £32 of my money that they're refusing to give back. This is a lot of money (for me at least) that I can ill-afford to lose. I don't know where I stand legally, but it seems to me that a company that claims to be supportive of single parents should be a bit more flexible and generous in their attitude.

Views?

Can't you try setting up a dispute via Paypal itself? If you go via their website it explains how you can do it. i used it once for something I bought on the internet via paypal that did not turn up - I got my money back. It is worth a go.

Yep I second opening a dispute through paypal. I've done it and they refunded me and were quite helpful.

I'm on the same website Sheila and it didn't make me do anything - I only subscribed when I'd been to a few freebie day trips. Pretty much most subscriptions are the same, I got stung by a DVD rental recently as I forgot to cancel my subscription in time. My own daft fault, and to make things worse I still haven't got around to it ! Doh.

I went on my first camping trip last year with Single With Kids, I can't wait to go back again, we loved it !

I got bit in a simlar way with match.com last year - signed up for the free 6 months, then totally forgot about it........until the money went out of my credit card account. Looked into it but nothing I could do - was my own fault for forgetting to check/unsubscribe

Hi Sheila,

I do think it's unreasonable to exepect your money back. I have had similar things happen to me with LoveFilm.com, Audibles.co.uk and English Heritage. It's your responsibility to cancel your own subscriptions and if you forget to do it (or can't be bothered), it's your fault I'm afraid.

It's just the way that subsriptions work and at least you've learned something.

Also, I'd be very wary of opening a dispute in PayPal, because this can be seen as fraud and a company is well within it's rights to come after you for the money in other ways. My friend ended up with a bad credit record and a County Court Judgement against their name for playing these sort of tricks. PLEASE be very careful ! My advice is to take it as a lesson and move on.

Sarah

I messed up with a subscription (another firm entirely) and they were fab. YABU to expect a refund but YANBU to ask (politely).

Hi thanks for your views. I'd shrug my shoulders and let it go if it wasn't such a lot of money, and I do think they could refund it, even if it was my "fault" that I didn't cancel my sub. If it was me I'd think the goodwill was worth £32 - I certainly won't recommend their site to any of my single parent friends, or be tempted to use them again after this.

But it's your fault so I think the angry face is a bit of a cheek. Why should they refund you? You signed up to it and accepted their t&c. I know it's frustrating but its not their problem.