[RANT] Billing

[ClaretMatt]

OK, if I've missed the glaringly obvious I apologise and take all this back. But...

Why is that that if I want to change my subscription terms from One Month intervals to, say, Three Month intervals I have to immediately pay for another three months?!

My subscription has only just renewed for another month, why should I want to give GOA more money before it's due? Is it that difficult to program the change for my next bill due date?

Piss poor planning

 

[Mr_Grumpy]

god some folk will complain about anything.

 

[Calaen]

OK, if I've missed the glaringly obvious I apologise and take all this back. But...

Why is that that if I want to change my subscription terms from One Month intervals to, say, Three Month intervals I have to immediately pay for another three months?!

My subscription has only just renewed for another month, why should I want to give GOA more money before it's due? Is it that difficult to program the change for my next bill due date?

Piss poor planning

I don't understand why you are complaning, you mention not giving them money before it's due but surely you wanting to pay for 3 months negates your argument.

Because you in fact want to give them 3 months of money before you can actually play those months.

I think the planning issue is your own, you should have renewed the 3 months as your last one expired. In fact I bet you wanted to but pressed the wrong button with your tongue.

 

[Aiteal]

So you're paid up for 4 months now?

 

[Raven]

It seems they are billing him now for when the current subscription expires (so he gets his 4 months, including the current paid for month) he should not have to pay it now, but when his current subscription expires. What if he changes his mind and wishes to cancel at the end of this month?

Easy option is to wait until just before the sub runs out to change sub type but you should be able to get 1 month then decide half way through, that when it comes to renewal he would like to buy 3 months more and set it up now.

Does it charge you for a month (or 3, 6 12 whatever) each time you change you sub type?

For cash flow GOA really aren't doing themselves any favours

 

[Aiteal]

It seems they are billing him now for when the current subscription expires (so he gets his 4 months, including the current paid for month) he should not have to pay it now, but when his current subscription expires. What if he changes his mind and wishes to cancel at the end of this month?

Thats what I was thinking, but it wasn't clear from his post
If that's the case it's...
not surprising

 

[Legean]

Are they actually charging you now, coming out of your bank, or just taking your card details.

If they're just taking your details then thats normal for any pre order system.

 

[Penlid]

What if he changes his mind and wishes to cancel at the end of this month?

Don't renew now, but renew when the month is up. Simple as, no point complaining now, of course if you change your subscription they're going to want card details now.

 

[Bahumat]

OK, if I've missed the glaringly obvious I apologise and take all this back. But...

Why is that that if I want to change my subscription terms from One Month intervals to, say, Three Month intervals I have to immediately pay for another three months?!

My subscription has only just renewed for another month, why should I want to give GOA more money before it's due? Is it that difficult to program the change for my next bill due date?

Piss poor planning

OMFG you gotta be kidding me...

 

[ClaretMatt]

I think one or two of you are missing my point here. I've just paid £9 or whatever for one month. I think, Oooh, I'd quite like to switch to 3 monthly billing to take advantage of the small discount.

My question is, why should GOA want to take the payment for it there and then. Why can't they just enact my wishes at the end of the next billing cycle like most other MMO's do?

I think it's slightly offensive that they're basically saying "OK, you can change the way you pay your bills, but we want more money now"

If I've just paid them for a full month, why should I want to give them the money right away for another 3 when it's unnecessary? What if I can't afford to? What if I don't remember to do it at the end of the billing cycle again?

 

[Soazak]

I think one or two of you are missing my point here. I've just paid £9 or whatever for one month. I think, Oooh, I'd quite like to switch to 3 monthly billing to take advantage of the small discount.

My question is, why should GOA want to take the payment for it there and then. Why can't they just enact my wishes at the end of the next billing cycle like most other MMO's do?

I think it's slightly offensive that they're basically saying "OK, you can change the way you pay your bills, but we want more money now"

If I've just paid them for a full month, why should I want to give them the money right away for another 3 when it's unnecessary? What if I can't afford to? What if I don't remember to do it at the end of the billing cycle again?

So for clarity: you paid £9 for a one month subs, then you decided to buy a 3 month subs at £xx.

You are now suprised that you still have to pay for the one month subs you had previously bought?


The actual problem is them billing you before this subs expires, either way you you're paying 4 months subs for 4 months play time so it's not that big a deal. But it does sound like your complaint is more to do with the fact you cannot change your mind after you have paid, which is common sense in most situations.

 

[Xandax]

Usually - subscription billing occurs at the start of the period, and not at the administrative change of future subscription periods.
I'm not even sure it would be legal to do what you describe GOA doing in this country.

If I order a magazine subscription based on 1 month period and pays for it. Then after a couple of days I tell the magazine that after this current period I'd like to switch to the 3 month plan - I'm not required to pay for the 3 months after the first month is up. And as said - I don't even think it is legal in this country. It might be in France or Ireland or wherever GOA bills from, and I'm sure there are EU laws. However EU laws don't superseed national laws when it comes to consumer protection laws - so in fact, you could check up whether GOA is in violation. Unfortunately - the amount is so small that once again - I doubt many consumer protection organizations will care much about it.

Just to clarify: The OP did not buy 4 months subscription. He bought 1, and changed his future billing period to 3 months and was charged for those 3 months. Basically paying for something which isn't to be paid for yet.
Hugely different situations when it comes to paying for a service you've not yet begun.
That is why accounts should never be set to automatical renewal - it allows companies to make these "tricks" on its customers for a little extra cash. Always only change things once the account has run out, even if it means a day or two without game time to avoid being messed with ...... unless GOA decides to "change" the account center again of course.

I'd be very interested in whether Mythic bills in the same manner. They didn't with DAoC that's for sure (but then again - I don't recall GOA doing this specific trick in DAoC either......)

 

[ClaretMatt]

The actual problem is them billing you before this subs expires, either way you you're paying 4 months subs for 4 months play time so it's not that big a deal.

It's quite a big deal if you haven't got that kind of money to give them. Why should you have to? Why can't they just amend the billing schedule at the end of the current one?

 

[Baldanah]

So for clarity: you paid £9 for a one month subs, then you decided to buy a 3 month subs at £xx.

You are now suprised that you still have to pay for the one month subs you had previously bought?


.

Learn to read it properly ffs.

He/She paid for a month subs , then decided to switch the billing to a 3 month cycle .
GoA immediately charged for the 3 months , despite the account still having a full months play time on it.
He/She is annoyed that GoA took the 3 month sub straight away , instead of waiting till the end of the " 1 month sub " that was currently active ".

 

[ClaretMatt]

At last!

Someone understands!

 

[Penlid]

And the moral of the story is?

 

[scorge]

And the moral of the story is?

when you pay peanuts you get monkeys...