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Forced retention of payment methods: Difference between revisions

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Removed original research. Using "the user" instead of "I" or "me" does not take away the fact that it's original research.
Beanie Bo (talk | contribs)
confirmed, Administrators
907 edits
Removed rest of what looked to be original research and personal gripes.
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===Amazon===
===Amazon===
A class-action lawsuit is currently pending against Amazon for enrolling customers into Audible and charging them the $14.95 monthly subscription fee without notice or consent. Grace Sherk, the plaintiff, claims this act by Amazon was only possible due to the company holding customers' payment and billing information by default<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-23 |title=Amazon Audible faces class action over unauthorized subscriptions |url=https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/amazon-audible-faces-class-action-over-unauthorized-subscriptions/ |website=Top Class Actions}}</ref>. When combined with Audible's failure to enact [[click-to-cancel]], customers' were locked into monthly payments until they could resolve the issue with customer service.
A class-action lawsuit is currently pending against Amazon for enrolling customers into Audible and charging them the $14.95 monthly subscription fee without notice or consent. Grace Sherk, the plaintiff, claims this act by Amazon was only possible due to the company holding customers' payment and billing information by default<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-23 |title=Amazon Audible faces class action over unauthorized subscriptions |url=https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/amazon-audible-faces-class-action-over-unauthorized-subscriptions/ |website=Top Class Actions}}</ref>. When combined with Audible's failure to enact [[click-to-cancel]], customers' were locked into monthly payments until they could resolve the issue with customer service.
==Pattern of friction and discouragement==
Across all three services, the user describes a consistent pattern in which the resolution of unauthorized or unwanted billing was made progressively more difficult over time. The timeline reveals the following escalation:
*'''December 2024''': First support requests made (Captivate, Book Like A Boss), including a request to remove card details. Initial steps were ignored or rendered ineffective.
*'''March 2025''': Internal account audits and review of bank statements, trying to identify the source of charges.
*'''May 2025''': Profile deletion and new contact attempts. In one case, this led to total data loss. In another, the request was unanswered, and the payment method remained.
*'''June 2025''': A final step was taken: issuing a formal card cancellation to prevent further withdrawals.
In all cases, the process demanded '''several months of monitoring, multiple contact attempts, and irreversible actions''' like deleting an account, without ever obtaining a clean or documented resolution from the services involved.
This progression reflects a '''strategy of friction-based discouragement''', whether intentional or not. It increases the user’s emotional and administrative burden, causing delays, hesitation, or abandonment. Some actions (such as using a non-trackable support form, or hiding critical menu items in late-loading interfaces) further amplify this effect by amplifying the user's confusion and reducing trust in the process.


==Legal framework==
==Legal framework==
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This directive requires that any information related to billing, subscriptions or renewals be provided in a clear and accessible way. In all examples cited, such information was absent or concealed.
This directive requires that any information related to billing, subscriptions or renewals be provided in a clear and accessible way. In all examples cited, such information was absent or concealed.


== References ==
[[Category:Common terms]]
[[Category:Common terms]]
<references />
<references />
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