usenext.com will take your money and refuse to return it

Mikha'El

Jedi
Ok, so I've always prided myself on my ability to detect scams and I've always stayed away from free trials.

However I recently found out about Usenet and the interesting and rare things that you can find there.

Usenet is an old form of peer to peer file sharing, similar to torrents.

In order to download files from usenet you need to belong to a usenet server group. There are numerous services available and almost all of them offer a free trial.

Usenext is unique in that their free trial lasts only fourteen days and if you do not cancel the subscription within that fourteen days, they will charge your account for a full year's worth of the service, which equates to about $120 US.

I don't have an issue with that policy, buyer beware, right? The problem is that they make it very difficult to cancel the trial. You complete an online form which instructs you to call their customer service line to complete the cancellation. Unfortunately, being in the US the time difference creates a real problem and nine times out of ten when you call it's outside of business hours.

However, if you attempt to reason with this Germany based company and get that money returned, they will basically spit in your face and tell you to take a hike.

According to my research this is technically illegal according to EU trade laws and yet this company gets away with it and they have been doing this for over a decade.

What's worse is that I have no use for the usenet bandwidth that I have now been forced to accept. I will never use it.

So now I am out over $100 and am sitting on 30GBs of data transfer bandwidth that is just going to go to waste.

Now, if I had used either Paypal or a prepaid credit card, I would have been able to cancel the transaction altogether and saved that money, but I used my debit card. My bank will do nothing to dispute this quasi-illegal transaction.

So, word to the wise, never purchase anything on the internet using a debit card or your checking account, you actually have way less power using those methods than you would using a credit card or a Paypal account.
 
Mikha'el said:
Now, if I had used either Paypal or a prepaid credit card, I would have been able to cancel the transaction altogether and saved that money, but I used my debit card. My bank will do nothing to dispute this quasi-illegal transaction.

Can't you just tell your bank you have no idea who made that purchase and that you didn't authorize it? When I've had unauthorized purchases on my card, that's what I did and I got my money back. You'll have to fill out a fraud form and get a new card issued, but the money gets returned to your account.
 
Yeah, I was unable to lie about it. I wish I had been because this caused me all sorts of financial issues.

I really couldn't afford to lose that money.
 
Hello Mikha'el,

If any company makes cancellation policy that makes impossible for anyone to make cancel then they are evil thief.
Then you have to move clever and right ways to make cancel your own way. Is too late for you right now,
but next time,
Just call your Bank and tell them that you feel your ATM card is not safe to use, then request to have new ATM card with new numbers, they will do it for you right away. I did it sometimes ago. It's so easy.

And then stop using that company after 14 days.
That way you have clear consciousness, and you done right thing by not lie to anyone.
 
Mikha'el said:
Yeah, I was unable to lie about it. I wish I had been because this caused me all sorts of financial issues.

I really couldn't afford to lose that money.

Considering they made it about impossible to cancel your subscription, I don't think it's a lie to say there were unauthorized purchases on your debit card. They are knowingly acting in a fraudulent manner. If it were me and I couldn't afford to lose that money, I would do what needed to be done to get it back from them.
 
I totally understand what you are saying and I appreciate the support, by isn't that kind of behaving like the ends justify the means?

I'm not tryin to be difficult here but just trying to make some sense of the direction that this whole situation has gone in.
 
Mikha'el said:
I totally understand what you are saying and I appreciate the support, by isn't that kind of behaving like the ends justify the means?

I'm not tryin to be difficult here but just trying to make some sense of the direction that this whole situation has gone in.

Basically you are allowing pathological thinking like "lying is evil" to control you. Remember what Gurdjieff said: sincerity with everyone is a weakness. If you practice seeing the UNseen, you know when it's right to be sincere and when it's harmful. In this case, your program of always being sincere harmed you. That's how pathological types and organizations like the one you dealt with get people. You want to argue for your limitations, you get to keep them.
 
Well, ok.

I dint think that was what I was doing.

I understand in some circumstances where not being completely honest is the best course, but to me that doesn't mean actually fabricating truth.

The fact of the matter is that I believe in taking responsibility for my mistakes. If it was a mistake caused by my actions. Which in this situation, I believe that to be the case.

I did sign up, I did not cancel according to their rules. I'm not debating that.

I should have spent more time in understanding their policy.

I live by a fairly strict moral code and I strongly feel that fabricating truth to weasel out of a situation that I initiated is not healthy and that is not what this post was initially about.

I know the lessons that I have learned from this and they are good lessons. I just want to help others to learn from my mistakes and avoid this drama in their own lives.

I refuse to compromise what I feel is the proper course of action just because it will save me some money that I foolishly allowed to be taken from me in the first place. The fact that this situation caused me all sorts of trouble is just the final hammer strike to drive home the nail of understanding.

I thank you all for your replies.
 
Hello Mikha'el,

Good that you take your responsibility and cause of your action seriously!
So, let us cheer for chance of learning things from another mistake.
Yeah, I have been there and I am still learning.
 
Mikha'el,

I am wondering, is using Usenet's service fee have to pay every years? I hope not, but I am not clearly understanding about that.

Quote from your post,
" they will change your account for a full year's worth of the service, which equates to about $120US."

If that is the case, then up to you to keep more than years but, what happen if you decided to get out from there next year, but same things happen.
I am just trying to help you to understand, but then you might figure out by then.
 
Well, with the legal action that I took, they are no longer authorized to withdraw funds from my account.

So, I will not get hit by this again. But if I hadn't taken that action I more than likely would have been charged again in one year.

At this point, if they do try to take money from my account I will have grounds to sue.
 
Good Job Mikha'el!
Your testimonial post will gives information about "Usenext.com will take your money and refuse to return it".

I am sure your service to others action will be helpful to many people.
Thank you.
 
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