DEMON'S SUSPECT ACCOUNTING PRACTICES

Recently I took out a sub. to Demon's Home ADSL serviced. I quoted my
VISA debit card as a one off payment. I DID NOT set up a direct debit -
I don't do direct debits because I trust neither any company nor the
banks to get this right or to sort things out if something go wrong.

However when I checked my bank statement the demon sub. was flagged as
a "recurring VISA transaction."

I had a suspicion what this was about - and my bank confirmed this.
They explained:

=========

Some visa companies use what is called a 'Continuous Authority
Merchant' number for payments. This means that they are able to debit
your account different times. Therefore, even if you cancel the card,
the payment can still be taken from your account using the old number.

If you have not authorised any companies to debit your account
continuously please contact the company to cancel the regular payment.
However if they continue to debit your account after you have cancelled
your authorisation then you need to contact our Visa Chargebacks
department on the address below:

=========

So apparently NOTHING can stop Demon (and presumably other companies)
from charging what it likes even if I change my accounts and especially
if I decide not to subscribe to its services anymore. It also means
that it can raise its charges and then take the payments for them from
my account WITHOUT AUTHORISATION. I mean would you trust any ISP with a
blank cheque to your bank account(s)?

CJB.

> Recently I took out a sub. to Demon's Home ADSL serviced. I quoted my
> VISA debit card as a one off payment. I DID NOT set up a direct debit -
> I don't do direct debits because I trust neither any company nor the
> banks to get this right or to sort things out if something go wrong.

So how were you going to pay for the next month's charges?

Most ISPs will either accept a direct debit or a registered credit/debit
card in order to allow for an automated payment (doing it manually is
time-consuming & relatively expensive to administer for them).

CJB wrote:
> Recently I took out a sub. to Demon's Home ADSL serviced. I quoted my
> VISA debit card as a one off payment. I DID NOT set up a direct debit -
> I don't do direct debits because I trust neither any company nor the
> banks to get this right or to sort things out if something go wrong.
>
> However when I checked my bank statement the demon sub. was flagged as
> a "recurring VISA transaction."
>
> I had a suspicion what this was about - and my bank confirmed this.
> They explained:
>
> =========
>
> Some visa companies use what is called a 'Continuous Authority
> Merchant' number for payments. This means that they are able to debit
> your account different times. Therefore, even if you cancel the card,
> the payment can still be taken from your account using the old number.
>
> If you have not authorised any companies to debit your account
> continuously please contact the company to cancel the regular payment.
> However if they continue to debit your account after you have cancelled
> your authorisation then you need to contact our Visa Chargebacks
> department on the address below:
>
> =========
>
> So apparently NOTHING can stop Demon (and presumably other companies)
> from charging what it likes even if I change my accounts and especially
> if I decide not to subscribe to its services anymore. It also means
> that it can raise its charges and then take the payments for them from
> my account WITHOUT AUTHORISATION. I mean would you trust any ISP with a
> blank cheque to your bank account(s)?
>
Continuous charge authorities are evil things. Better to open a bank
account and transfer in enough to pay things by direct debit because at
least you can cancel a DD even if you lose out on one payment. I don't
think Demon are particularly suspect in this, I suspect most ISPs that
take credit card payments do the same, as do other companies. Some even
seem to manage to update your card details so that you don't need to
tell them the expiry date on your new card.

--
Dave
mail da (E-Mail Removed) (without the space)
http://www.llondel.org
So many gadgets, so little time

> Recently I took out a sub. to Demon's Home ADSL serviced. I quoted my
> VISA debit card as a one off payment. I DID NOT set up a direct debit
> - I don't do direct debits because I trust neither any company nor the
> banks to get this right or to sort things out if something go wrong.

That was a mistake. The DD is much safer than any other form of payment.
>
> However when I checked my bank statement the demon sub. was flagged as
> a "recurring VISA transaction."
>
> I had a suspicion what this was about - and my bank confirmed this.
> They explained:
>
> =========
>
> Some visa companies use what is called a 'Continuous Authority
> Merchant' number for payments. This means that they are able to debit
> your account different times. Therefore, even if you cancel the card,
> the payment can still be taken from your account using the old number.
>
> If you have not authorised any companies to debit your account
> continuously please contact the company to cancel the regular payment.
> However if they continue to debit your account after you have
> cancelled your authorisation then you need to contact our Visa
> Chargebacks department on the address below:
>
> =========
>
> So apparently NOTHING can stop Demon (and presumably other companies)
> from charging what it likes even if I change my accounts and
> especially if I decide not to subscribe to its services anymore.

Wrong!. What you have to do is serve written notice on the company that the
authority is revoked. Any payment taken after that is fraudulent.

>It
> also means that it can raise its charges and then take the payments
> for them from my account WITHOUT AUTHORISATION. I mean would you
> trust any ISP with a blank cheque to your bank account(s)?

That is why the DD is much safewr.

Peter Crosland

On Wed, 1 Nov 2006 20:30:13 UTC, "CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Some visa companies use what is called a 'Continuous Authority
> Merchant' number for payments. This means that they are able to debit
> your account different times. Therefore, even if you cancel the card,
> the payment can still be taken from your account using the old number.

Wonder what happens if you pay with an Entropay card, then delete the
card?
--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

"Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:176uZD2KcidF-pn2-(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 1 Nov 2006 20:30:13 UTC, "CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Some visa companies use what is called a 'Continuous Authority
>> Merchant' number for payments. This means that they are able to debit
>> your account different times. Therefore, even if you cancel the card,
>> the payment can still be taken from your account using the old number.
>
> Wonder what happens if you pay with an Entropay card, then delete the
> card?


If you ask when setting up the account Demon will send monthly or annual
invoices which you can settle with a cheque. They don't send the first
invoice until about a couple of weeks after the service is up and running.
You can therefore be in complete control of payments.

--
Graham

On Wed, 1 Nov 2006 23:49:12 UTC, "Graham" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> "Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:176uZD2KcidF-pn2-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > On Wed, 1 Nov 2006 20:30:13 UTC, "CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >
> >> Some visa companies use what is called a 'Continuous Authority
> >> Merchant' number for payments. This means that they are able to debit
> >> your account different times. Therefore, even if you cancel the card,
> >> the payment can still be taken from your account using the old number.
> >
> > Wonder what happens if you pay with an Entropay card, then delete the
> > card?
>
>
> If you ask when setting up the account Demon will send monthly or annual
> invoices which you can settle with a cheque. They don't send the first
> invoice until about a couple of weeks after the service is up and running.
> You can therefore be in complete control of payments.

Mine was the more general point about ahwt to do if you need to give a
CC number. I have never gone near Demon and don't expect to!

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

I pay annually. And I requested them to send me an invoice a couple of
months before its due to be renewed. They haven't done this. They've
set up a recurring charge. But trying to get them to change this
impossible. CJB.

> If you ask when setting up the account Demon will send monthly or annual
> invoices which you can settle with a cheque. They don't send the first
> invoice until about a couple of weeks after the service is up and running.
> You can therefore be in complete control of payments.
>
> --
> Graham

I intended to pay annually upon receipt of an invoice. CJB.
..
TrentSC wrote:

> So how were you going to pay for the next month's charges?
>
> Most ISPs will either accept a direct debit or a registered credit/debit
> card in order to allow for an automated payment (doing it manually is
> time-consuming & relatively expensive to administer for them).

You didn't say that in your original post. However, assuming this is the
case, call Demon and advise them of the situation, and call your credit card
company. It's not rocket science.

"CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>I intended to pay annually upon receipt of an invoice. CJB.
> .
> TrentSC wrote:
>
>> So how were you going to pay for the next month's charges?
>>
>> Most ISPs will either accept a direct debit or a registered credit/debit
>> card in order to allow for an automated payment (doing it manually is
>> time-consuming & relatively expensive to administer for them).
>