DDI annoyance: a solution to forced/unavoidable continuing billing

[Graf]

So I'm happy to support my favorite game system and, while I think the PC only tools they're wasting (apparently) hundreds of thousands of dollars are on are... a total waste, I like the dragon and dungeon content, and the idea of a well maintained database of information.

And the idea that; it'll evolve and be improved. Especially if it encourages WotC to improve what they have instead of just churning out spaltbooks.

So I've subscribe to DDI.

But when you do it promises that, while you are forced to sign up for continous billing they will send an email that explains out to opt out.
Perhaps not surprising to anyone who's been near a marketer for any length of time the email includes no such thing.

Nor does the link.

I encourage you (and you really should do this no matter what, since it will take 2 seconds and potentially help prevent your credit card from being stolen if/when their database of credit card numbers is hacked) to go here and click on My Payment Information and delete your credit card info.

Wizards really shouldn't be collecting it anyway.
Since they are, but say you can opt out, and don't let you....

They obviously don't take management of it very seriously.

 

[SableWyvern]

I'm more concerned by the fact that the page in which you are expected to input your credit card details does not appear to be fully secured (it's a https site, but Opera tells me it failed to establish a secure connection, and Firefox indicates the page is only partially encrypted).

 

[Mengu]

I encourage you (and you really should do this no matter what, since it will take 2 seconds and potentially help prevent your credit card from being stolen if/when their database of credit card numbers is hacked) to go here and click on My Payment Information and delete your credit card info.

Thanks, I was trying to figure out how to do that. And you are right, they shouldn't be saving credit card information. At the very least, the option not to save the credit card information should be available and obvious. Sadly, if they do any kind of auditing on their database, even after removing your payment information, the data will still be in there somewhere, just harder to get to.

 

[vagabundo]

I'm confused, when you pay for the years sub you pay ~$55 up front on your credit card, works out around €5 per month. Why is there continuous billing?

 

[Mengu]

I'm confused, when you pay for the years sub you pay ~$55 up front on your credit card, works out around €5 per month. Why is there continuous billing?

So that without warning, they can keep renewing your subscription every year, while making it a hassle to unsubscribe. Pretty old and unfortunately common ploy.

 

[Nikosandros]

I'm confused, when you pay for the years sub you pay ~$55 up front on your credit card, works out around €5 per month. Why is there continuous billing?

With continuous billing, your subscription is automatically renewed at the end of the year. I'm very annoyed that I couldn't change this when I subscribed. Of course, I have now deleted my credit card info and submitted the form to stop the auto-renewal, but I feel that I shouldn't have to do all those things...

Also, in Europe it's more than $55, because we're also charged VAT.

 

[vagabundo]

So that without warning, they can keep renewing your subscription every year, while making it a hassle to unsubscribe. Pretty old and unfortunately common ploy.

Ahh, makes sense. Not too big a deal for me.

 

[mearlus]

My solution is to us a virtual credit card # from my credit card company. It expires in 2 weeks and no other vendor can charge to that # after the first vendor does.

Best way to buy stuff online IMO.

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

I'm more concerned by the fact that the page in which you are expected to input your credit card details does not appear to be fully secured (it's a https site, but Opera tells me it failed to establish a secure connection, and Firefox indicates the page is only partially encrypted).

The images hosted on the site are not on a secure page. It's a pretty common slip-up with many ecommerce services; ideally, Wizards should be hosting all images on the same server in which they've applied the SSL.

 

[Graf]

Why is there continuous billing?

Because it says so....
(I can't get back to the page but on the charge page, in the middle of a big block of text it specifically says that you must agree to be continuously billed at whatever rate they decide to charge you in the future.)

I'm gonna say that again: They reserve the right to charge your credit card eternally into the future at whatever rate they like.

If they decide that, next year, it should be 100 bucks instead of 50. Or 150? Or 200?
They just get to charge you again.
No checking, no requirement to inform you, they just pull it off your card.

It's a common, but scummy and disingenuous practice.

Honestly, for a company like wizards it's also fairly idiotic. DnD players will pay whatever they want if they feel they're being respected. Trying to sneak in something like this is just going to blow up in their faces later.

(Or they won't use it, but then there's no point in doing it).

My solution is to us a virtual credit card # from my credit card company. It expires in 2 weeks and no other vendor can charge to that # after the first vendor does.

Best way to buy stuff online IMO.

This is great, if you can get it. I haven't found anybody in Singapore that offers it yet...