Our advice: how to protect yourself from internet scams and pay-per-view fraud?
1 Read the GTC (general conditions of sale). You will find the link to these conditions at the very bottom of the sites you visit (in the footer). If a trial offer should automatically turn into a subscription, this will be indicated in the GTC. You will have access to all the information you would need before entering your credit card details on the site.
2 Bank “e-cards” or cards dedicated to Internet purchases.
The principle of these cards is to give you a unique code per purchase. Thus, you reduce the risk of finding yourself unintentionally subscribed to a service that you do not want to use.
Advice from Ludo, our expert in internet direct debits
Here are my three tips to save you a lot of inconvenience on the Internet:
1. When you surf on a website, know where you are going! Consult the “legal notices” (sort of website identity card) to find out which company manages the website on which you want to enter your bank details. Read the general conditions of sale or general conditions of use (Terms and Conditions or CGU) to know the purchasing conditions: what commitments, what possibilities of withdrawal, what steps to unsubscribe ...
2. Behind a website, there is always a company. The goal of any company is to generate profit. There are several methods to earn money with a website (advertise, sell items or services…). In the case of sites that sell products or services, sometimes things are clear: the advertised price is a single price, payable in one go, without additional costs or subscription. In other cases, the site may seduce you with an inexpensive trial offer ... turning into a paid subscription.
3. Do not block your card if you are the originator of a subscription. You would not do it for a Canal + subscription or civil liability insurance because you know that there is a mandatory commitment period (12 months for example). The same goes for subscriptions on websites: there are conditions to be respected and steps to be taken to terminate direct debits and subscriptions. Do not put yourself at odds with the site.