catgate Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 I have just renewed my subscription. I was expecting that it would be a straight forward business, as it was last time, and so happily pressed the PAY button without reading all the "small print". However, as I lifted my finger off the button I saw that I had committed myself to allowing someone to take my subscription out of my Paypal account for ever more unless I cancel it. I was not given the option to do anything else.This, to me is an underhand business, redolent of all that is wrong with society today. It is the sort of thing that is used by most tacky businesses and to my mind is foreign to the spirit of WF, particularly when a subscription is a voluntary thing anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 I don't know the detail of this but, perhaps you ought to get clarification from the boss (Craig).I'm sure everything is above board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Evening Catgate, and sorry for the delay responding to this matter.When Invision (the forum provider) first implemented the subscription feature, it was not designed to auto-renew anyones subscription. However when it was launched, many other site administrators requested that it would auto-renew peoples subscriptions so they wouldn't lose any revenue. Invision said they would look into this, and that was the end of the discussion.It would now seem that they have implemented the auto-renew feature on certain payment gateways that allow it; and this would have been applied in a recent update. Unfortunately Invision release a lot of security updates, so just downloading and apply them without reading what the update contains.I have followed through with a PayPal payment, and it does state at the top of the page that you are about to subscribe to a yearly term, however I only spotted this as I was intentionally looking for it (I have attached a screen grab at the bottom of this post).With that said, I will make changes to the subscription wording that state PayPal will automatically setup you up for a yearly subscription (currently I see no option to turn this auto-renew feature off). As it stands, you are free to cancel the subscription via PayPal at anytime, you just need to view the payment made to Windows Forum and follow the links from there.If you wish for a refund, please let me know and i shall honor your wishes.I'm very sorry for the inconvenience caused,Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 I never have fancied using Paypal for anything. If I can't pay by credit card on line I prefer sending a cheque by snail mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted October 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 Thanks for your reply, Craig. It seems as though my original feelings were right. This is not the WF ethos, but an imported "modern business method".This, to me is an underhand business, redolent of all that is wrong with society today. It is the sort of thing that is used by most tacky businesses and to my mind is foreign to the spirit of WF, particularly when a subscription is a voluntary thing anyway.I first came across this business method with the old Green Flag Recovery Service several years ago and it is now more or less pandemic. The RAC have got it down to a fine art. They sent a notice several weeks before renewal date saying ".. your renewal date is xxxx and here is your new card. We have withdrawn the money so you will not need to worry for another twelve months .." or words to that effect. By this means they are able to increase the fee, and extract it from your account, before you have the oppertunity to consider whether to cancel or not. Of course one decides to think about what to do for next year but when next year comes it all happens again because one has forgotten about it.As far as my WF subscription is concerned I do not want a refund. Even at the new rate it is good value for a jolly good operation. However I would like to be able to pay a subscription for a defined period rather than an open ended arrangement. If this can not be done with the present system then I shall have to take up your refund offer and then send you a cheque. I feel sure that an organisation with the ability to send me four renewal reminders, within the space of 36 hours, can manage something.Being a true Yorkshireman I find it unacceptable to be expected to hold out my open wallet and say to anyone "Help yourself, to what ever you want, whenever you want, until I tell you to stop." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 I agree with the above comments, this is why I prefer to pay by cheque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted November 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Thanks for your action, Craig.I have now had notification that my subscription renewal is for a twelve month period, and not open ended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuces wild Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Thanks for your action, Craig.I have now had notification that my subscription renewal is for a twelve month period, and not open ended.Craig, could you kindly do the same for my subscription? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Any subs that have been created have now been cancelled.Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thos Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Any subs that have been created have now been cancelled.Regards.Thanks. Yes, just to confirm that, I have just had an E-mail from PayPal saying just that.Thos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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