As I was reviewing my credit card bill this morning, I noticed a charge that I had not authorized. Veterans Advantage, an organization offering discounts for veterans of the U.S. military, had renewed my membership automatically. I had not authorized this behavior and I received no notification from Veterans Advantage that the transaction had taken place. Although automatic renewals are common today, they are never acceptable without notification and an easy way to cancel.
But there's more. Veterans Advantage had used the credit card it had on file even though the card had expired six months previously. This is unacceptable. It is an abomination from an organization serving veterans.
I called this morning to complain (the number is 203-422-2526). Thankfully, I was quickly in touch with a real person (many thanks) who immediately reversed the charge on my account.
Despite this good service, I then cancelled the membership. No matter how good its services, no organization that uses expired credit cards can be trusted financially.
I remain concerned about this but, in fairness, Veterans Advantage is a member of the Better Business Bureau and has a good record of resolving all complaints.
January 9, 2007; updated January 25, 2007