HorseHero taking money without consent

M

MissMincePie&Brandy

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 November 2009
Messages
2,254
Location
England
Visit site
Last year I subscribed to HorseHero. It's OK, but to be honest I went onto the website a couple of times, but that was it. I don't want another years subscription.

They have just taken £17.25 out of my bank account. I do not have any direct debits set up with them. (I have double checked with my bank account and PayPal) They did not contact me to request this money. I have emailed them but not had a response. I can't seem to find a phone number on their website. Any advice? Have they done this to others?
 
yup did it to me too - i just thought I'd subscribed for the year not indefinitely. I didn't ring up though as I decided it was worth paying for another year. But yes, was very surprised when the money was taken out of my account!
 
I have just looked through their website and it seems they've changed their terms since I registered. I was unaware that I was entering into a forever contract :(

I don't have the email they sent me a year ago, which they say you need to be able to cancel your account, and both my Paypal account and my bank tell me I have not set up a direct debit with them!
 
Did you make the last payment via card details ? You can ask your bank to reverse the transaction as you did not authorise it.

If they are doing this without people's agreement it is fraud you are only allowed to hold people's card details if they are secure its covered by the data protection act.
 
It will be a payment on your debit card. Write them a letter cancelling your subscription and requesting a refund and ask your bank to raise a dispute for an unauthorised transaction.
 
Yes, it is. They've kept my debit card details from last year. I've phoned the bank and issued a dispute and had the card blocked.

Is it legal to keep, and take money from peoples debit cards if they have not set up direct debits? All of my direct debits are listed in my bank account, so that I have control and can manage them, but this isn't, so surely they can't just take money from people?
 
I have had this with another website. Seems it works differently with subscriptions. They are a forever contract unless you contact them to cancel the subscription. It is legal.

If you paid by paypal then there is a separate tag for subscriptions, which you can cancel.

These types of thing are a real pain.
 
I had an account with them when they were new to the scene. I paid by Deriect Debit but as I didn't use the site much I didn't renew my subscription. They sent me a reminder to ask me if I wanted to renew it but I didn't bother. I would be livid if this happened to me, surely it's fraud?
 
HorseHero unfortunately work on a continuous payment basis so when you sign up originally they take the payment out annually unless you cancel it.
I work for a major bank and by ringing them and trying to get your money back unfortunately won't work ... they'll set a dispute up for you but you'll rarely get your money back by setting it up as not recognised as Horsehero's T&C's do state its a continuous payment.
Blocking your debit card also WON'T work.
The best way to stop it coming out the following year is to set up a cancellation request through your bank then anything further that comes out, you will legally be able to get charged back.
Hope this helps :)

SS x
 
I had something simialr this happen to me, but with another company. I went to my bank the day it came out, they recalled the payment and I e mailed the company saying I had not wanted another year. I'd switched banks and it wasn't showing as a direct debit so have no idea how it happened! Could you do something similar recalling payment and emailing them wise?
 
I had a terrible time getting some goods I bought from them only sorted by starting a pay pal dispute and threatening them with trading standards .
I won't be subscribing to them after reading this just too difficult to deal with although their stuff looks interesting.
 
MissMincePie&Brandy said:
Yes, it is. They've kept my debit card details from last year. I've phoned the bank and issued a dispute and had the card blocked.

Is it legal to keep, and take money from peoples debit cards if they have not set up direct debits? All of my direct debits are listed in my bank account, so that I have control and can manage them, but this isn't, so surely they can't just take money from people?
Click to expand...
No it certainly isn't. Contact the Charities Commission.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top