"So, today I receive an email from Sam’s saying they renewed my membership using a VISA account number that I had not provided to them."

Is this card one that you already have on hand? or did Sam's just issue you a new one without your permission? Either way that's a no-no in my book.

I think your questions should be directed to them. Have you contacted the card issuer?

This is why when I register for something or make a purchase online that I always uncheck the box that says "Save your Credit card information for future use" or use Paypal.

In a similar vein, my recent pet peeve is with ACH transfers from my business checking account. In the past year, I have had two incidents involving vendors with whom I have ACH transfers set up. The first one took the ACH transfer twice in one month. The authorization is for a set amount once per month. The second vendor continued to charge me after the ACH agreement end date. Vendors were unresponsive and the bank was useless as they claim they cannot back charge on an authorized ACH transfer. Note the keyword "authorized". New vendors for those services, new bank and no ACH transfers going forward.

The last time I got a new credit card, the only thing that changed was the expiration date, and that was enough that any automatic charges would be stopped. I use this to make sure that any automatic charges that I do not want renewed cannot be renewed without my approval.

@vgkg Z-7 Va, not a Sam’s card they issued to me. It was the replacement card VISA issued lastMarch.

@Elmer J Fudd, I became aware of this “agreement“ last May, in a conversation with VISA. A hacker used my credit card# in February to open a 90 day free trial Spotify account. (There were 3 other fraudulent charges made; Netflix (2) & a hostel in Ireland.) The Spotify charge did not flag at that time because of the 90 day trial period. Then, after 90 days, my account was charged. I have never had a Spotify account. VISA provided Spotify with my new card number unbeknownst to me.

I asked the VISA rep why they would give my new number out to an account that I’d never opened and was told it was because of this “courtesy arrangement”. I was also told that a recurring charge must appear twice before VISA would cancel. I finally got it worked out but seemed like it was VISA that made things more difficult.

I ended up having to cancel that card and get another.

I was not aware of the automatic sending of the new number but when I receive one of those authorized renewal emails I do go to the actual site and do not use the email to connect to the site to verify if it is time to renew. I just like to proactive with this. I do pay attention to the last four numbers of the CC that normally show in those emails.

The only place that I ignored did reverse the charge when asked. You can also check the box on you card account for disputed charges if the bank/card issuer does not flag that charge when you call. They will wait for Sam's or any other debtor to make a correction so you need to contact Sam's.

@Lars, I’ve been told that before, not updated the card info and had my card charged anyway. Consumer Reports did that to me. I was really disappointed in CR.

Last time I got a new card with just a new expiration date I went online to various company websites to update. Most of them already had the new expiration date.

jrb....I didn't know Visa would automatically send new information to a cancelled card holder that's on file. Thanks for posting about that.

I just recently had an issue with Paypal. I paid for one purchase with my Visa Card on Ebay and next time I tried to check out on Ebay...it wouldn't let me use Paypal. I had to go through my accounts and delete the credit card information the system automatically saved without asking if I wanted it saved. ☺

If a subscription renews automatically and you don't want it, you can call to cancel. Usually for a full refund. They know full well the game they play with auto-renewal and must have loads of people every day who call to cancel.

The cure is when signing up for a subscription, users should be note there needs to be some semblance of customer approval for auto-renewal. Usually by checking or unchecking a box, you avoid it.

My CR subscription was for their on-line membership services. (I’ve been a CR magazine subscriber for 35 plus years.) Their email said update credit card info to continue services. I didn’t update and stopped visiting their website. The next month I noticed a CR membership renewal on my CC statement. I called CR to complain. They cancelled my subscription but prorated the refund for a month of “membership” which I never used. Made me really mad. It seemed like one the scams they warn subscribers about!

Sorry that happened to you, what a shame. They should have refunded the entire charge for either or both of two good reasons - it wasn't requested and was also unused.

After being a CR subscriber for many decades, I jettisoned them a good number of years ago. They've gotten militantly political, not something I want a magazine subscription I pay for to underwrite. It doesn't matter whether I do or don't agree with its positions, I don't like the activity.

Also, they're hypocrites to criticize (sometimes wrongly) the commercial practices of some companies while pursuing their own increasingly sleazy practices themselves. Life goes on just fine without them in my life and I get fewer unwanted garbage emails and mail pieces.

Interesting about the Spotify matter, jrb451.

Was it Visa you were speaking to or the card issuer?

I was speaking with VISA.

I was aware of these agreements. Whenever I get a new Amex, Apple always has the new number before I even get the actual card.

Interesting, jrb. All the years I've had a Visa card, I've never had any contact with Visa. Not for a stolen card, not for a lost card, not for fraudulent usage, not for a disputed charge. My contact has always been with the card issuer - the bank.

I understand the objection, but for me I’m happy that I don’t have to be bothered with manually updating accounts for recurring charges.

I always read the pages very carefully when I sign up for something - for example, Sam's Club, which has in the agreement about the auto-renewal - and make sure to cancel that (or decline if that is an option) precisely because of the risk described above. I would never just ignore any renewal notice, or auto-renew, but will be proactive to be sure it is cancelled. Sometimes I have to put a reminder in my calendar for the renewal period (ie one week before it renews) so that I am not cancelling the current membership when I don't want to.

@raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio, I agree to a point but their email to me said to continue “A” (membership), I must do “B” ( update my info). I didn’t do “B” .

jrb, I guess that because the info was updated by Visa, that counted. And they probably had no mechanism in their renewal process to identify that it wasn't you that did the update. That is exactly why I am proactive about it.

I have only a handful of recurring charges like this. It's a risky financial decision since you can lose track of them. But for the few that I have, they contact me to ask for the update. I use AmEx exclusively.

It can be a convenience, as foas said, but less control over one's financial life isn't good.