Question by Haley: Cancelled debit card question regarding acai berry scam?
I had to cancel my debit card last Wednesday because I fell for one of those acai berry weight loss pill scams where you sign up for a free trial and just pay shipping and handling, but then they charge you monthly for pills you do not want. A charge showed up on my online banking for 5.95 (shipping and handling) that was a current business day transaction expiring on the 13th. I called the company to cancel my order, but I kept getting redirected and could not get in touch with anyone. This is when I called my bank to cancel my card. They did, and they are sending me a new card with another number next week. I waited until the charge for the shipping and handling expired, and it didn’t go through and did not appear on my bank statement. However, when I looked again today, there was another charge for the same amount expiring on the 16th. Why can the company do this if my debit card is cancelled? Shouldn’t it not be tied with my account anymore? I know it’s not that much, but if they start charging the monthly fee, it could make a big difference in my account.
Best answer:
Answer by Ryan E
It still goes through. Once the transaction is authorized, it is tied to the account the card was issued through, only future recurring fees are stopped when you cancel a card. If you close the account, they can go to collections. Your only options are to deal with the acai berry company’s customer service, they’ve dealt with this before, I promise you; canceling a card just makes you have to pay five bucks for a new card. But hey, look on the bright side, if you get six distributors of the pill, and each of them get six distributors, you’ll totally be able to pay for the S&H.
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