Are you being secretly signed up to a Rewards Club?

[Jcloughie]

Have you ever tried to get a CPA stopped on a credit or debit card. It is extremely difficult as you are told to contact the company and we all know that can be almost impossible going by our very recent experience. You get moved from pillar to post and loads of empty promises.
Problem is that you don't know it has been cancelled by the company until a payment has been taken. Nationwide advised us that it was simpler and quicker to cancel the card and get a new card.

Not according to CAB. I have stopped many DD’s and never had a problem. But if I found I had one that kept getting represented against my instructions. I would expect my bank to reimburse. It is clear that it is their responsibility to follow their customers instructions. It is the law. It is not necessary but always wise to put instructions in writing.

CPA’s are a little different. But essentially the same, except overpayment must be claimed off the company, but only in the first instance.

No, you do not have to go through the company. Just the card issuer, but it is normal to go through the company and usually straight forward. Your experience seems to differ from Money Supermarkets advice.


See here for the detail.


But here is a extract.




John

 

[Buckman]

John all very well reading the literature until you try cancelling a CPA and I am talking very recent experience. DD or SO are not na issue and have never been an issue.

 

[Jcloughie]

John all very well reading the literature until you try cancelling a CPA and I am talking very recent experience. DD or SO are not na issue and have never been an issue.

If I had entered into a CPA with an ‘difficult’ company. And my bank did not support me and follow my instructions. I certainly would not remain with that bank as I would not be able to trust them with my money. Which they have an implied and express obligation to do. The reason why DD’s and SO’s are less of a problem, is they are operated by the banks and not the company that sells the goods or service. But, as can be seen from the rules, the way they operate is little different and ultimately, you financial institution should be following your wishes.

I do have CPA’s but they operate without any problem.

Did you take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service?

John

 

[Buckman]

I do have CPA’s but they operate without any problem.

Did you take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service?

John

No need to go to the FOS as bank advised to cancel card and bank replaced the card. A lot easier than trying to contact the offending company.

 

[MelissaPeters]

Two years ago we made a purchase from an Easylife catalogue that arrive for the "Occupier" of our address. we ordered by phone and used a debit card to pay for the goods. The goods arrived and considering the cost were just about ok .
Tutuapp 9Apps
A few months later we discovered a series of unexpected withdraws on the bank statements for quite substantial sums in favour of a "Rewards Club". Not having knowingly authorised such payments or joined any such club (that we were aware of) we queried the items with the bank. The bank checked and said the payments were apparently authorised correctly by the catalogue company. We asked the bank to block payments to this company, and agreed to have the card blocked and changed. And over the intervening two years since the new card was issued no further claims were made by the catalogue company.

We also actively arranged to not use this company ever again, and took steps to block all phone numbers for them
02080560518
02080560543
02080560548

This May, another payment to a "Rewards Club" has appeared on the statement. Again we contacted the bank, and we discover its the same catalogue company . The big question is how have they got the new card number against which to claim. This is a worrying development.

We did some digging, apparently the Easylife Holdings is f a group of companies which trade under different names,
- Book Club
- Easylife
- Evergreen
- Gardening Club
- Good Ideas
- Maison Maison
- Motor Club
- Perx
- Positive Health
- Puzzle Book
- Rewards Club
- Supercard
But who quite legally share customers personal details under the groups privacy policy. But as far as we can recall, we have not made any contact or purchases with any of the other brands they list on their web site.

I checked with Which? online, and this company has a reputation for entrapping customers who make purchases and to enroll them into these money collecting scams and somehow doing it without the customer being aware of it. and apparently its a legal loophole. They have entrapped many vulnerable people, and as so many don't check their bank statements carefully they can end up paying hundreds of pounds a year to this company. They have also been fined for breaches of data protection.

Be warned, do check the small print. and I urge you not to use any of these companies.

All my online/telephone purchases are done with a credit card, normally one with an artificially low credit limit.