Like almost any other guy, I get a lil worked up. So, I stumbled across this porn site that had a 2-day trial for $1.00. I figured, what the hell. It's only $1.00.
I pony up online, and I get access to the site to realize that the "Trial" consists of getting 6 clips that each last a minute each. Disappointed, I check my e-mail to see if the membership e-mail came through so I could get the billing website so I could cancel the subscription.
No dice.
So, I start poking through the trial site to find the info. It's not there. But, there's a link that says "Upgrade to full access now!" I took chance with it; I figured that I would have to go through the billing process again and enter all of the information. Instead of entering the info, I'd just cancel instead.
Nope.
Instead, it went through and charged me instantly for the most expensive access package there was to this website. There went $40 that I didn't have. A costly mistake, yes. But I was able to get the information needed to cancel the subscription.
So, I did cancel it. This was two days ago, mind you. Today, I log onto my checking account and realize - that without properly disclosing this to me in any way, shape or form - it sent all of my payment info to two other websites which then signed me up for THEIR services.
....
My checking account is now -$40. I called up my bank, and they told me to use the phone numbers listed on the charges to contact the businesses. So I did, but before I used the phone number I went through and cancelled all of the additional sites that I "registered".
If I wouldn't have noticed this, I would have paid about an additional $100 for two more adult-oriented sites that I never actually signed up for in the first place, at URLs I never visited.
So, I called the # up and the people are all like, "Well, you already cancelled all of these subscriptions. If you have any questions about billing, please do this this this this and this."
Good lord.
At this very moment, I thankfully have nothing - to my knowledge - that will keep recurring multiple charges on my card. However, I still have $41 overdrafted. I so far sent an e-mail, as instructed, to get the charges removed. If I don't get a reply by tomorrow afternoon, I'll call my bank and make them investigate the business for shoddy practices. That'd would be $40 back into my checking account.
Now, I have another charge pending for a $1. I contacted the business for that charge, and I got a call-center in India. The recurring charge is now dropped, and I'll at most lose just my $1.00. I would fight to get it back, but a) it's just a dollar and b) i'm not going to waste my time trying to argue with someone whose first language isn't English.
However, I did get a very good chuckle when the Indian customer-service rep said "Deep Throat Guys". That made me laugh.
----------------------
Lesson here kids: If you look at porn, be man/woman enough to admit it. These shoddy businesses expect you not to complain about these charges due to being embarassed about it when having to discuss it over the phone, and thus are able to keep charging you month after month.
----------------------
UPDATE: I got an e-mail back from the billing agency. They said that my two-day trial membership with the "partner websites" expired, and thus I am responsible for the $40 fee on my card for a full membership.
They must do some really, really messed up math in their head. Because, a two-day trial period equals to 48 hours, which every 12 hours being a half of a day. I "registered" for these sites at approximately 2:30AM on May 25.
2:30AM, May 25 ---- 48 hours left in trial
2:30PM, May 25 ---- 36 hours left in trial
2:30AM, May 26 ---- 24 hours left in trial
9:00AM, May 26 ---- 17 hours left in trial.
I have 17 hours left in this two-day trial of theirs, but supposedly its already done and over with and thus I get shafted with a $40 fee. Thus, being stern I explained this logic to them and told them I would go to my ISP and get a hard-copy papertrail of EVERY website I went to, to prove the timeline of events.
I also told them if that they still don't remove the charges, I will go to my local bank in person and file a complaint.
