Hello all, I am having a problem with my ADSL provider, namely they are
> dragging their feet in cancelling the service and in the meantime they
> are charging me subscriptions. I cancelled the bank direct debit but
> they went cheekily to my credit card with which I had paid initial > payment. >
> My problem is with the credit card. I called them and asked them to
> stop paying any more money to the particular company. They said they
> cannot do that and as long as the other company are asking for payments
> they will pay them.
IANAL, this is my understanding. Cross posted to uk.finance where someone should let you know if I'm writing bollox.
Did you sign/agree online to a CCA (continuous credit authority) when you made the first payment by credit card? If not, and there is nothing in T&C's which effectively gives them a CCA (eg if it says something like "if the DD payment bounces then we reserve the right to charge your credit card with any amounts owed"), then they have no right to charge your card. You need to make it clear to your credit card company that you did not give them a CCA, you only authorised a one off payment which they've already had.
>From the discussion I had with the customer services of the credit card
> it seems they act as a mini-court providing on-the-spot decisions who
> is right and who is wrong, although they have not seen a contract
> between myself and the internet provider and at the end of the day they
> are not a court of law to decide who is right and who is wrong.
Ask for a chargeback - the retailer then will have to provide proof that you authorised the payment (a CCA is probably proof enough).
So we have three parties, myself, the credit card and the internet
> provider, and it seems the credit card company are acting on behalf of
> the internet provider and not on my behalf...
>
> I do not know what it will take to stop them. I cancelled my credit
> card account in frustration byt they said the internet provider will
> still take money out on my credit card account regardless if the > account is closed.
Yup, closing it is no use - they can still pursue you for payment.
With the bank it was different, the direct debit was cancelled in 2
> seconds, no questions asked. And that is how it should be: if I do not
> want to pay someone, then that is my business, not the bank or the
> credit card to decide.
A DD is simple and easy to cancel. A CCA is not - the advice from people in the banking industry seems to be to never ever give anyone a CCA (this includes a CCA on a debit card - which is *not* the same as a DD).