This is interesting....

[Anonymous]

I just got a new Barclays reward card a couple weeks ago. I started using it right away for everyday expenses, and put about $480 on it over about a weeks time. I also did the $1, seven day trial with Experian for their FICO Score and monitoring service. I called and cancelled it on April 9th, the last day of the trial period. Barclays unexpectedly closed the first statement period on the 6th (I was expecting the first statement period to go a whole month), and on the 9th reported a balance of 48% of the credit line. Experian sent a score change alert yesterday, and when I looked at it, I saw the UTI at 48% and figured my score would take a signifigant dive, but to my surprise, Experian said my score only dropped 3 points.... Hmmmm. I was definitely anticipating a bigger score drop than that. Am I already getting some scoring juice from this card? It already dropped me for 5 points when it reported as a new account.

I'm wondering whats going to happen when I PIF next week, and a zero balance is reported on may 9th. I can hardly wait....

[Anonymous]

Dammit! I just checked my Barclays card account and Experian charged me $21.95 on the 9th for their monitoring service! Those bastages, I called them and cancelled!

[Anonymous]

Oh, not cool!

If you cancelled on the 7th day, how can they legitmately even charge you?  Are you going to ask them to remove the charge?

[TheGardner]

They are refunding the charge yea?

[RobertEG]

It's a credit card, so you have a valuable asset.

I would file a dispute with the creditor under the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) over their billing for the trial servide that you terminated within the period contracted.

That will remove the charges until resolved, and carries disclosure requirments not provided under the FCRA dispute process.

[Anonymous]

---

@RobertEG wrote:

It's a credit card, so you have a valuable asset.

I would file a dispute with the creditor under the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) over their billing for the trial servide that you terminated within the period contracted.

That will remove the charges until resolved, and carries disclosure requirments not provided under the FCRA dispute process.

---

I handle chargeback responses as part of my job duties so I know a bit about the process. I recommend you call up the Experian CS line and just tell them you are going to dispute the charge with your CC, you'll get your refund.

Costs the merchant an extra $25 to $50 in fees for every single chargeback (disputed transaction), whether they win or lose the dispute, and merchants win only ~30% of disputes. Issuing banks take a particularly dim view of the Merchant's side in disputed recurring transactions (also called negative option, or continuity billing), esp after the ROSCA Act of 2010.

Don't make a habit of disputing charges too regularly. Cardholders that frequently dispute can be flagged on internal Payment Processing fraud lists and get declined for ecommerce or other card-absent transactions bec they set off fraud alerts. Use chargeback disputes as a last resort, for if the merchant is not responsive, or if you have actually been a victim of fraud, or for when you have already attempted and failed to get a refund (many dispute codes require you to have already attempted resolution with the merchant anyway).

[elim]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@RobertEG wrote:

It's a credit card, so you have a valuable asset.

I would file a dispute with the creditor under the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) over their billing for the trial servide that you terminated within the period contracted.

That will remove the charges until resolved, and carries disclosure requirments not provided under the FCRA dispute process.

---

I handle chargeback responses as part of my job duties so I know a bit about the process. I recommend you call up the Experian CS line and just tell them you are going to dispute the charge with your CC, you'll get your refund.

Costs the merchant an extra $25 to $50 in fees for every single chargeback (disputed transaction), whether they win or lose the dispute, and merchants win only ~30% of disputes. Issuing banks take a particularly dim view of the Merchant's side in disputed recurring transactions (also called negative option, or continuity billing), esp after the ROSCA Act of 2010.

Don't make a habit of disputing charges too regularly. Cardholders that frequently dispute can be flagged on internal Payment Processing fraud lists and get declined for ecommerce or other card-absent transactions bec they set off fraud alerts. Use chargeback disputes as a last resort, for if the merchant is not responsive, or if you have actually been a victim of fraud, or for when you have already attempted and failed to get a refund (many dispute codes require you to have already attempted resolution with the merchant anyway).

---

  good post, thanks for the info

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Dammit! I just checked my Barclays card account and Experian charged me $21.95 on the 9th for their monitoring service! Those bastages, I called them and cancelled!

---

Yep, that's par for the course for Experian and other services that offer trials. They often bill early. For their 7 day trial, if one doesn't call to cancel by the 5th day, expect a renewal charge. Personally, I gave their $4.95 30 day trial credit tracker with score a try, and called in about 4 days prior to renewal on a weekday. Darn good thing too, because they hit my card early - worked ok fine, because I'd already switched over to a half-price promo offer for 6 months. But still, a sketchy thing for them to do. Their billing page clearly said the 12th it would renew, and yet they rebilled on the 11th.