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BIG ISSUE: Auto renewal and the Terms of Service (TOS)
Karteli
Member CommonPosts: 2,646
This information stems from examinations of ZOS / Bethesda's EULA, came into realization because of the multiple premature credit card charges for a full $14.99, even during the initial free month.
It stems directly from the Zenimax EULA, here:
Terms of Service
http://www.zenimax.com/legal_terms
Section 5 (about 1/3 of the way through the doc):
You may choose automatic renewal of Your subscription. If You choose this option, You have agreed to permit Bethesda to automatically charge Your credit card, bank card, debit card or other Payment Method associated with Your Account for an automatic renewal of Your current subscription preferences to the applicable Service. You may cancel at any time by revising Your selection in Your Accounts page, or contacting Customer Services at support.bethsoft.com. In order to sign up for automatic renewal, You must keep a valid credit card number or other Payment Method number or information associated with Your Account. Your subscription will automatically renew on the expiration date of the then-current subscription term that You previously subscribed to, at a fee no greater than Bethesda’s then-current price at the time of renewal, excluding any promotional and discount pricing, unless You cancel Your subscription. If You have subscribed for an automatic subscription renewal, You agree that Bethesda may continue charging You on an automatic recurring basis for Your current subscription preferences unless You cancel Your subscription at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the subscription. If You have subscribed for an automatic subscription renewal but do not have a valid credit card and/or other valid Payment Method information on file and Your subscription expires, You will not be able to resume Game play or any paid Services usage without updating Your Payment Method information. Bethesda reserves the right to utilize third party credit card updating services to obtain current expiration dates on credit cards provided by You to Bethesda. Customers who use a third party Payment Method may incur additional payment processing fees charged by such third party to its customers, and may not be able to automatically renew subscriptions.
That means that you need to cancel your subscription with 31+ days notice, or within 31-60+ days of cessation of service. You can not cancel in the current month, and thus you agree by the EULA to pay for the next month too.
It's all there in plain writing. Sources are there. I could only hope that Zenimax just had a 2nd rate lawyer do this. Pretty crappy EULA otherwise.
I guess if Zenimax didn't reveal their billing "errors" then the EULA would have never got looked at. Thanks to the folks on the TESO forums for identifying this.
[mod edit - edited thread title, misleading]
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Comments
So you speak for Bethesda?
What does that even mean? Are you talking in riddles?
Well, you seem to be an authority on what the EULA and TOS says...so you must work for Bethesda. It clearly states that you must give them 30 days notice or you will be charged.
You should reassess your meaning of the word "clearly" as evidently your version does not jibe with a dictionary version.
What is posted is that they may charge, not will.
I don't see will used there at all.
Clearly you are mistaken.
(Just a little contextual help for you.)
Cheers
I'm not the one creating these threads, and no I didn't buy it. That doesn't mean I can't post an opinion.
Well Zenimax / Bethesda is actually charging people extra already. Holding funds is the same as me not having them, in my book. Will those funds be returned? Only when I complained to their customer service. Not before.
The returns are likely just a friendly PR move, but they are not legally bound to return anything, which may affect future play months down the road when PR isn't so important.
They are doing it legally too, because you agree to the EULA. You agree to pay your subscription rent 1 month in advance basically.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Remove your payment information before the next payment date. No info, no purchase. You should be doing that anyway when you cancel any subscription.
I am paranoid. I remove the payment info as soon as I am done with the transaction.
Seems that would prevent me from having an ESO account.
Whatever, no skin off my nose.
Does not appear to be true as I have just cancelled my subscription and it says I have 27 days of game play left so this information is incorrect or they have fixed it.
Asbo
You get zapped with May's charges as soon as you sign up in April. Fans say it's just a holding of funds to test the credit card, but .. lol .. how long do you really need to hold funds before you say ok card works, money returned!
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
OP, don't pay attention to this guy. He is just a guy trolling around trying to get any thread that is not entirely 100% supporting ESO locked or deleted.
I went through paypal. It states the payment was cancelled and funds were returned to my account. nothing has has been taken out since.
"The seller canceled this payment, and the money has been returned to your account."
I don't see any issue here @_@
[mod edit]
The guy is right, if you cancel now, they won't charge you for the next month. It would seem a lot of people these days are new to how credit cards work. Pending transactions are not posted transactions, you don't pay for them, nothing is charged until it's posted. I can cancel my subscription right now and I won't get charged for the next month. It is that simple. People should really stop getting so freaked out over auth transactions.
Try subscribing to Netflix with a brand new account, I can guarantee you even though you get the first 30 days free, you'll see Netflix doing an auth charge under your pending transaction. It's the same thing.
I don't care how much people want to dramatize this, but bottom line is, until a charge is posted, it's NOT a charge. Please understand how credit card transactions work.
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
Over simplification. This is what I am saying. Bethesda should not hold $15 dollars. But they should hold $1 dollar like every other subscription MMO has done.
They will not charge you if you cancel your account, that is just nonsense. It won't happen, companies are not stupid enough to do something that idiotic. If you cancel the day before you won't be charged, at least that is how the account page works right now.
A select few are over reacting due to their own personal agendas. The big bad guy is not out to get you, don't worry about it.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Agreed.....XD
I like how you post stuff with out knowledge from your own personal experience .... I subbed on the sunday the day the grace period was over, and as of right now ( I did check by bank account balance by the way) I haven't been charged a single dime.
Now granted some people are having issues , but not most!!
Please stop with the misinformation.
I was never freaked out over "auth tranasactions" til now. They have always been for a dollar and dropped off a few days later but mine has turned into a charge. I understand how cc transactions work and so far this is a 1st for me. I mean come on has no one at Zenimax ever played an MMO and therefore not able to replicate the fairly simple process it has been in other games?
Billing "mistakes" were clearly an error and while not occurring for everyone, it did happen for enough people to raise a HUGE STINK.
MANY PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS. If you live in Mayberry, gosh darn I'd like to be in your shoes! Paw, can me and orionblack go fishing?
There is no misinformation.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
First of all, there's no way in hell they're going to charge people an extra month if they cancel before their sub time expires -- they would be inviting way too much bad publicity to do otherwise, and I doubt seriously they're that stupid. I don't care what the EULA states. No online gaming company ever (that I'm aware of) has ever did something like that, and I don't see Zenimax being the first. Secondly, if this is something that truly worries any of you, there's a simple solution -- remove your payment information from your account after you purchase a month.
"If You have subscribed for an automatic subscription renewal but do not have a valid credit card and/or other valid Payment Method information on file and Your subscription expires, You will not be able to resume Game play or any paid Services usage without updating Your Payment Method information"
Seems simple enough.
Edit: typo
There is misinformation and there is blowing things out of proportion. This is blowing things out of proportion. By the way has this billing issue effected you?
The exact link is in the OP. There is no misinformation. You are making yourself look foolish by trying to argue objective data is somehow not true.
It is what it is.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.