How can you successfully get out of Automatic Payment hell?

[direct]

I have a very good friend that is an authorized user on a few of my cards. 

 

She somehow signed up for an offer that put her card into an automatic subscription which she didn't want, wasn't aware of, etc.   

Company must be a scam as I called to find out what the charge was for and they couldn't or wouldn't even tell me.   The had to check and call me back which they never did.

 

Merchant name is "Chozy Fitness LLC - Yo"  they also have other merchant names that are similar but on different merchant accounts.

 

I disputed with the card issuer (Barclays).  They gave a provisional credit while they investigate and I asked them to block the merchant from charging again.

 

Next month, charge shows up again.  I call Barclays again, dispute again, gave provisional credit,  I asked them to block the merchant, etc, etc.

 

Third month, charge shows up again.  This time, I'm pissed.  I call Barclays, explain the situation and ask them to close the card and send a replacement due to fraudulent use.

During the same conversation, rep said automatic charges may transfer over to the replacement card.  I asked them what was the point of replacing the card if that can happen?

Rep didn't have an answer.  End result was The morons ending up replacing my card and not my authorized user's card.  

 

At this point I'm boiling.  I call today...automated message at Barclays that their system is down and to call back again later.  I logged into my online Barclays account and just removed my authorized user off the account and explained to her that it wasn't worth my aggravation any longer and I'm done spending time on this.

 

I told her to use a different card and NEVER to sign up for automatic payments with any merchant other than a reputable company that she has done business with in the past.

 

My question is...has anyone else had an issue like this and successfully got out of an automatic subscription without needing to close an account?  Fortunately, I didn't have to close MY CARD but I'm curious as how to handle this situation if it ever happens again and if anyone else had subscriptions automatically carry over to a replacement card if the card was replaced due to fraudulent use.  Ordinarily, I would think this would be very convenient but not in the case of a scam subscription.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by direct

[cv91915]

Mom mother had a similar problem with a US Bank card and (I think the merchant was Spotify).

 

She no longer has the card so I can't access the transaction history or the statements to verify the specifics, but IIRC after three separate fraud claims and at least two card replacements the subscription charges finally stopped. 

 

My assumption is that US Bank got tired of absorbing the dispute and overnight costs and only then took measures to fix the root of the problem.

 

Through all of the manual credits US Bank somehow refunded some nominal amount of interest as well (less than 10 cents) -- which she never paid in the first place, since the card was PIF every month... the way credit cards are supposed to be used.

[nemo]

I had a very similar incident happen many years ago with an Amex card.  I had canceled a subscription but kept getting billed and calling Amex month after month.  I asked Amex to block the merchant and the CSR said "I cannot block the merchant because the account has not been closed in a derogatory way."  I said "I'll close it in a derogatory way.  I won't pay the bill."  She said "I'll take care of it for you, sir."  I never had a problem with it again, and never had to carry out my threat.