Credit card charged without notification.

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#1745697 22-Mar-2017 12:17

Michaelfjs:
Lightbox Terms and conditions doesn't explicitly state they will charge you after the voucher has expired
...

Uh, you're right it's not explicit, but:

The subscription will automatically renew after the expiry of the trial period, unless you decide to end your subscription before the expiry date.

reasonably means you'll be charged for the non-free period you roll into. Noteably, it does explicitly state you must cancel to not roll over, also nowhere do they imply they'll warn you first.

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#1745699 22-Mar-2017 12:22

Of course it will charge the cc after! Why else would they want the cc number?

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Michaelfjs

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#1745701 22-Mar-2017 12:25

PaulBags:
Michaelfjs:

Lightbox Terms and conditions doesn't explicitly state they will charge you after the voucher has expired

...

Uh, you're right it's not explicit, but:

The subscription will automatically renew after the expiry of the trial period, unless you decide to end your subscription before the expiry date.

reasonably means you'll be charged for the non-free period you roll into. Noteably, it does explicitly state you must cancel to not roll over, also nowhere do they imply they'll warn you first.

But it's not a Free Trial. No point was the voucher for 6 months free Lightbox referred to as a trial.

PaulBags

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#1745736 22-Mar-2017 12:46

They don't mention the word voucher, but I'd consider the code on the voucher to be a "promotional code", which is covered in the trials and promotions section.

Their wording could be better, but the intent in that section is clear. Interestingly though they do give a months notice by email for seemly everything else, so I suppose it's not unreasonible to expect.

allio

885 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1745951 22-Mar-2017 16:39

NonprayingMantis:

Almost all streaming services do this - including Netflix, Spotify. Have you cancelled with them too?

I don't use Netflix, and my trial with Spotify reverted to the free service at the end of the month. You make a fair point though. I did sign up for a trial of Google Play Music, which I ended up keeping, and going back through my emails I can see they didn't email me at the end of the first month to remind me before my subscription rolled over. So I do agree that Lightbox isn't really out of step with the industry here. Doesn't stop me wishing that they would all do better, though.

Perhaps worth noting that at least GPM emails every month when they bill you - the fact that Lightbox doesn't was part of Michaelfjs's original complaint.

I think the length of the trial period is relevant. Six or twelve months is very different to one month. There's a much higher chance you'll have long stopped using the service, if it wasn't for you, and forgotten all about it. I think that raises the onus on the service to do the right thing and give you a gentle reminder via email before they start silently charging you.

blakamin

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#1745986 22-Mar-2017 18:12

I don't get an email from Netflix every month either. Thank dog... that would annoy the hell out of me.

blakamin

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#1745989 22-Mar-2017 18:15

PaulBags: I disagree that that's what subscription means. Subscription means you have a service in intervals and/or receive goods at intervals, subscription doesn't determine payment method. National geographic for example, pay for a years deliveries and have to confirm payment to continue. Broadband is a subscription, and can be paid by AP or in arrears. Prepay and account mobile plans are both subscribed services.

Subscription doesn't imply direct debit, nor is it constrained to it.

And that's why I wrote

That's what "subscription" means in "subscription service"

In this case we're talking online streaming.

So your post is O/T.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you pay, but you pay. Unless you cancel your "subscription".

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PaulBags

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#1745993 22-Mar-2017 18:29

Being online streaming doesn't change the meaning of the word subscription.

freitasm

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#1745995 22-Mar-2017 18:31

Michaelfjs:

PaulBags:
Michaelfjs:

Lightbox Terms and conditions doesn't explicitly state they will charge you after the voucher has expired

...

Uh, you're right it's not explicit, but:

The subscription will automatically renew after the expiry of the trial period, unless you decide to end your subscription before the expiry date.

reasonably means you'll be charged for the non-free period you roll into. Noteably, it does explicitly state you must cancel to not roll over, also nowhere do they imply they'll warn you first.

But it's not a Free Trial. No point was the voucher for 6 months free Lightbox referred to as a trial.

It was not a trial period. A voucher is just a payment method, like a gift card. Once the funds on that voucher are consumed then the subscription will be paid from another source - the credit card on file. This is how works with any service that asks for a credit card on file.

When you started using a voucher it was no longer a trial, but a paid account.

blakamin

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#1745997 22-Mar-2017 18:36

PaulBags: Being online streaming doesn't change the meaning of the word subscription.

I really don't care. Phone plans and national geographic magazine (or any other that is being sent to you) have nothing to do with this topic.

It's general knowledge that streaming services charge you monthly... That's why they wan't your credit card.

[Mod edit (MF): removed a sentence]

PaulBags

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#1746000 22-Mar-2017 18:46

blakamin: ... I really don't care. ...

Clearly.

Michaelfjs

70 posts

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#1767825 20-Apr-2017 11:46

I had moved on from this, I figured it wasn't worth the bother for a small amount of money.

Next month rolls around, my CC gets charged again.

I email them, telling them I had cancelled, please refund my money. They reply I hadn't canceled, and wont refund me.

I have the email sitting in my inbox from Lightbox last month saying I had cancelled.

freitasm

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#1767826 20-Apr-2017 11:47

Lodge a formal complaint.

KrazyKid

1238 posts

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#1767882 20-Apr-2017 13:16

Michaelfjs:

I had moved on from this, I figured it wasn't worth the bother for a small amount of money.

Next month rolls around, my CC gets charged again.

I email them, telling them I had cancelled, please refund my money. They reply I hadn't canceled, and wont refund me.

I have the email sitting in my inbox from Lightbox last month saying I had cancelled.

Dispute the charge with your CC company - produce the dated email as proof and you should get the charges reversed.

Michaelfjs

70 posts

Master Geek

#1773970 2-May-2017 06:23

I got a refund in the end. But they have some serious flaws with their system. I had to send them the email they sent me when I cancelled, because they have no record of it.

They have a problem with their website it seams, when I click the cancel subscription button, it sends me a cancellation email, but doesn't update their system. In fact when I logged backed in it said my account was still active, and I had to cancel again.

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