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Internations unethical billing -- has anyone else experienced this?
I signed up for an Albatross membership last year, which I used exactly zero times. I then noticed on my Amex bill, a few days ago, a charge for just under €60 for another year's membership. I wrote a cordial email to Internations explaining that I did not wish to renew, and requesting a refund. They wrote back that they would not issue this refund, since, one year ago, I was notified that the auto-renewal would occur. Zing! Unethical, and businesses are being censored worldwide for this type of devious practice. I've taken it up with my credit card company, but would also like to warn fellow expats / immigrants about this group's dishonesty. There are lots of other groups to join that don't do this -- I highly recommend choosing one of those instead!
I have no idea of the legal position, but it is perfectly clear that automatic renewal is anti competitive and designed to catch people out. Automatic renewals of insurance policies in Belgium being a classic example.
Like Mike, I have no idea of the legal position, but it is absolutely standard here in Belgium.
If you have lived here for more than a year, you cannot be unaware that, for example, you have to give 3 months notice to cancel any contract - your accommodation, for example.
I also don't see how it is anti-competitive. In the UK if I want to change my insurer I can do so at short notice; in Belgium I have to plan 3 months in advance. In the UK if I forget to renew my insurance I am uninsured: in Belgium if I forget to renew my insurance I remain insured and I know which is preferable.
As @Mikek1300gt says as well as Kasseistamper, this is normal practice in Belgium and one has to read carefully his/her contracts and note in agendas one year in advance the deadlines by which he/she should give notice...
Typical case: insurances. If you missed 1 day, you are obliged to stay one more year with the same insurance company. Just discovered that....Painful!
This indeed does not promote competition between suppliers of services...
Fair? When was business fair.
Also common practice in the U.K. and many other places.
Caveat emptor and read the agreement to which you agreed.
"""Fair? When was business fair.
Also common practice in the U.K. and many other places.
Caveat emptor and read the agreement to which you agreed.""
Business was "fair" in the UK when people got the right to challenge any contract they signed on the basis that it was unfair. I believe the right to challenge such contracts came in to being 1977. Anybody saying anything you signed in the UK is fair and cannot be challenged because you signed it, and it's no different in the UK, should probably just shush.
Rolled on contracts, with inflation added with no REASONABLE attempt to warn the customer that they are just about to be hit with another years worth of (increased) premiums with no opportunity to shop around have one aim only, to make people pay more and avoid giving them the chance to shop around.
To defend it on the basis of "it happens elsewhere" is pretty shoddy, to me at least. Bit like my Belgian friends defending Belgian road standards with "it's worse in Greece"...
"" In the UK if I forget to renew my insurance I am uninsured: in Belgium if I forget to renew my insurance I remain insured and I know which is preferable.""
I find this odd. Given the mail storm and phones calls that will arrive due to them not wishing you to leave, you will forget your insurance? The chances are you will not.
The chances are in Belgium that you will also not forget, unless you include forgetting to shop around that is. TOO LATE! Just been renewed and oh, sorry we forgot to send a reminder to let you know you could have shopped around 3 Months back. :-)
MIKEK1300GT.
Businesses tend to give themselves advantages.
Whether or not those are fair is for debate and the courts.
My point is that one should try to be aware of that to which one commits.
I did not mean to imply acceptance ‘because it happens elsewhere’.
By the way, great touring bike.
My writing was ineloquent and I will now ’shush’.
It's only a touring bike if ridden like one, hence it still hanging around four years after it found me. See, you got more stuff wrong. ;-)
