July 27, 2010
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Surprise! You’ve Been Auto-renewed!
Every morning when I wake up on a day I have to work my routine is pretty much the same: my alarm goes off, I hit snooze once or twice, I rub the sleep from my eyes, sit up, grab my cell phone and check my email from my phone. Focusing is sometimes difficult, but it’s an exercise that helps me wake up a little more.
This morning was no different, except when I checked my email I found a not-so-pleasant note in my inbox. The contents jarred me awake immediately.
“Auto-renewal for (virus protection package)” to the tune of $69.99. I had received some emails stating that this particular item was up for renewal, but they didn’t have my current/updated credit card information. I never responded to update that information with them because I no longer use the product. I was under the impression that if I didn’t update the info, they wouldn’t charge me, my software license key would expire, and that would be the end of it. I guess I was wrong.
So I stumble downstairs to my computer to investigate the situation on a larger screen, my eyes still blurry from a night of restful slumber.
I didn’t read it wrong. They debited my account, and it was pending in my online bank statement.
RATS! I was already running tight on money this month (as I normally do), but this amount of money meant it’s going to be more difficult for me to rob Peter to pay Paul. I find the customer service number on their site, even though I could do it online…that is, if I had the original activation code and transaction number, which I do not.
After a series of, “press this number for this, press this number for that,” I am connected to someone named “Mary” who has a decidedly Indian accent.
(I just hate it that we’ve shipped our customer service –and other industries – - outside the country, but I digress…). I explain the situation to her, and she gives me no problems when I ask for a refund. The only problem is that I will receive said refund within 5 days, and it will show up in my bank account within 30 days. This is not an optimal savings plan for me at this time. It’s a good thing I have some food in the freezer, though it looks like it may not last long enough. But, I have all the faith that the Good Lord will see me through, as He always does, and we will not go hungry.I am not sure if I have any other automatic renewals coming for anything else in the future. I thought I had eliminated all of them until this one reared its ugly head. With more forethought I would have kept a spreadsheet with everything that auto-renewed, though typically when given the auto-renew option I turn it down, or don’t buy anything that stipulates I must choose auto-renew to purchase it in the first place. I don’t know how this one got by me. I am just fortunate I had the money in my account, or that would have been a true disaster.
I am going to do my best to think peaceful thoughts and not get worked up about it. I’ll just stare at this photo I took and forgot to upload with the rest of them yesterday:
(Click to Enlarge)Has something ever been charged to your bank account that took you by surprise?
What are your thoughts on shipping customer service, manufacturing, and other industries overseas?
Comments (25)
Oh I hate it when that happens..Xanga did that to me once and I didnt have the money so needless to say my premium cost me an extra 33 dollars this year pshh..
Here is my situation this week (since we’re on the subject of money the good lord providing)..
What about tithing? We tithe faithfully every week we’re at church (Mr Shann will tithe online if they ever get paypal going) and this week I KNEW I wasnt going to have enough lettuce to tithe, buy groceries AND help pay a water bill MR Shann needed help with. On one hand you trust God will provide.. On the other hand, how stupid is it to write the check if you have an idea it wont be covered..? Where do you draw the line? I just wondered what others did in situations like these. I have to pay the water bill or we’ll have NO water. I did write the check to the church and plan on “floating” a check to the water company on Thursday night by 530 to avoid cut off.. But seriously, what the heck?!?!?
What are your thoughts on this one?
@MomGoneMadd - Good question, and one I was going to cover on this post, but didn’t want to turn it into a novel. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). THIS link pretty much sums up what I think about tithing. In addition to that, I also believe we can tithe things other than money, like time.
Ugh, this happens to me occasionally and I want to scream. Like you I avoid using services altogether that automatically sign me up for auto renew…when I even see they do that.
On the flip side, maybe not having had money in your account would have been better. The bank would have rebated the NSF fees, since the transaction wasn’t actually authorized, but I digress.
If it does get tight, and you do end up needing a little something as a gift to tide you over, let me know. I can’t do much, but I can do something.
Dbonds831@gmail.com
God bless
and I’m stealing the picture to send to someone special who loves the monarch butterfly, and pink. Deal with it punk.
@James3_1 - That’s the thing…I am pretty sure I never signed up for auto-renew with this particular company. I am not even sure how they got a current card number for it to go through…my bank has changed hands recently and I have a new card and new account number. It boggles my mind!
If it had been the case where I had no money in the account and they charged me an NSF fee I think they’d have to take some time to investigate whether it was an authorized transaction, and that would have left me even more in the hole for a period of time. I’ve had it happen. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
I appreciate your offer. That is very kind of you, and I will let you know. I am hoping that it won’t be necessary. I will know more about that situation come Friday (payday). I didn’t have a lot of hours last week because of the way my manager scheduled things, but I will wait to see what the deposit is…
@James3_1 - LOL, steal away!
@CynaraJane - I forgot about that scripture and I KNOW it… I was always under the impression that giving time or resources aside from your 10% was not considered a tithe but an offering.. OH man, I need to be schooled on this.. lol
@MomGoneMadd - As Christians not under the law (thanks to that wonderful sacrifice Jesus made) I think there is little difference if any between a tithe and an offering. I also go back to the verse, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” Matthew 22:21…God is love…giving your time is a loving, caring, thing to do. I don’t see where the problem with that is. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40. I dunno, it just seems logical to me that if you are giving to others in Christian love, you are giving to God. *shrugs*
@CynaraJane - thats true. Someone called yesterday for a sponsorship for something for the police department and we filled our quota already here and so I said you know, Im sorry we’ve extended our budget on that and offered my time instead, offered myself but nah, they didnt want ME. Whatevs..
On Sunday our pastor pointed out some numbers on the bulletin and said that was our ytd budget where we were and where we needed to be and he sort of rebuked the church members who didnt tithe. I didnt care because I dont answer to him and I do tithe so whatever but I thought it was rather bold of him to call out those who didnt. I understood why he did because of their disobedience to the law and the church being behind financially but that’s when it got me thinking about it.
I have found it to be so that when I dont tithe, I struggle financially and when I do, I am fine. That’s just me and James and how things work for us. It’s our own convictions and we’re sort of scared and shouldnt be, we DO need to be cheerful givers, not fearful ones lol. I’m sure it will all work out I just know I’ve told him a million times, you cant sacrifice your familys nutrition, shelter and basic needs obviously God wouldnt want you to do that but we’ve often wondered where do we draw the line… I will have to remind him of those scriptures.. Thanks love.
@MomGoneMadd - I do believe that we are blessed for giving. I know it. I have a problem with being rebuked for not tithing by a pastor. I have a problem because they are supposed to have faith that their needs and the needs of the church will be met, too. I “get it” that they are the shepherds of their congregation. Maybe if they did a timely sermon on tithing? I don’t know, it all seems so much like emotional blackmail to me in a way. That’s just me, though.
@MomGoneMadd - **HUGS**
@CynaraJane - *hugs back* Yeah we’re new to that church and he was bold when he rebuked them.. James and I sat there and were like “DOH”!! He also said beforehand that what he was about to say was NOT directed to the first time visitors or the newbies in the church but the members and congregation who were faithful tithers. It was kinda WOW. You’re right though. They SHOULD have faith that God will provide their needs.. Talk about walking a fine line man..
It sucks when that happens, and it is a hassle togo through trying to get the charge removed. Sometimes, something like the charge you just had, slips through, even though you think you didn’t auto-renew. One of the ways computers DON’T make our lives easier, despite the many other ways we can’t live without ‘em!
Kathi
Precisely why I do not have auto pay anything. I want to know each and evry time money is slipping through my fingers. I want to dispise the cold harsh reality that I have to pay for something over and over again. I want to be bruttaly aware and soberly cognizant of the fact that my gruellingly earned hourly wage just flushed down the proverbial toilet. It motivates me to skimp and save and plan financially with a more astute sense of acumen.
Thank you call again.
@Still_groovy - Very true! Computers, a blessing and a curse!
@Aloysius_son - I try to avoid auto-paying at all cost. I don’t think I ever authorized auto-renewal for this one. The company was sneaky. I certainly know how to be thrifty. I don’t like parting with money if I don’t have to!
I have a separate account that all my drafts come out of, it has some extra in it to cover those blind sides that occasionally happen. I have money direct deposited and check this account regularly.
On the discussion of tithing, offerings and being challenged in church, here is my two cents worth (its all I can afford in this economy). While we are not under the law any more, we have a responsibility to support the church we attend. That amount is our tithe, it should be an amount budgeted and given on a regular basis (ie weekly or every payday). My offering is that giving I do above and beyond my tithe to cover special needs either in the local church or worldwide.
My church hasn’t struggled financially in many years so I won’t say whether or not the pastor handled it correctly, but I do know that he has the responsibility to shepherd the flock and sometimes bluntness is the way to do it.
I don’t pay for virus protection, auto-way or not. I use and rec AVG 9.0.851 Free, available for download here. It really works and is totally FREE!
@Kilkennys_Pub - Your differentiation between tithes and offerings makes sense. Your two cents worth in this economy is good…and I am reminded of the widow’s mite. If that’s all you have to give and you give it all, that’s the best.
@buddly47 - Thanks for the link! I’ll check it out.
I tend to keep very close track of my money because I hate to give up any that I don’t have to, even the $3 overlimit insurance fee at the CU when I overspend from checking and they automatically transfer to savings. I hate giving up money for nothing.
As far as industry going overseas … that’s how we got into the economic crisis we’re in now. Our biggest industries nationwide are medicine and education. They aren’t going anywhere, but they don’t provide that broad a base of jobs, either. In Ohio the biggest industries are medicine and government. How about that? What does it say about the state of your economy when one of the top two job providers is government?
Dish TV gave me some free movie channels which I never used, didn’t ask for it and then when that special ended they increased my monthly from 39.99 to 69.99 so I had to call and say “HEY!! and so they deducted it back out and I too was very glad that there was enough $ to cover my needs. They just assumed I was in love with the channels and would GLADLY pay the $ other than that little trick I like Dish service. Thank God we are not that easy to get over on.
@Born261YearsTooLate - That’s bad. It wasn’t always that way here, though. We’ve lost a lot of manufacturing. Well, I don’t have to tell you, you live here, too. LOL
@Carol_1 - Cable companies do that, too. I HATE that!
It annoys me beyond belief when I get someone who can’t even speak clear English!!!! Long ago, when I had debt collectors calling me constantly (pre-divorce)… one particular company would call my WORK… and it was always an Indian accented person and they always said my name very very wrong… and so everyone there (including me) would say, “we don’t have anyone here by that name.” LOL.. works great.
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