Have You Ever Successfully Gotten a Membership Refunded?

I was able, years ago, to get a gym membership reimbursed, a few years' worth of monthly payments. I had joined with a friend some years before. There was the free period and then that automatic paid membership following the free period. Then, the gym ownership changed, and that changed the price. My friend and I fell out.... It was a mess. I even had a hard time just cancelling it! I was young and needed some money, and I was grieving a string of family tragedies, so I used all of that to plead my case. They sent me up the chain, and I was consistent and kept up with each call and was in tears or on the verge each time. They finally sent me a check. I wrote a big thank-you note to the last woman I talked to.

I did once. It was some online movie thing or something. But I caught it quickly, They only just started charging me. I disputed it and they came back that I completed their forms and my card charged me again. I demanded proof. They sent some very incomlplete online form. It looked like someone started filling it out and could not provide all the info. Even according to the form it had to be all complete to have the membership. My card credited me. A friend of mine had something similar. They credited her 6 months. The card refused to credit additional.

You had to have given them your card or account number at some point to sign up for the free month, so honestly if you failed to cancel it is more then likely on you. I have had fees refunded, but it was only one month and the charge had been authorized by someone who is not on my card, so they had no choice. How could you be getting monthly charges for so long and not notice, I always go over my statements with a fine tooth comb.

Your best bet is to work with the bank on getting your $ back. The company will not do it unless forced although I would still follow up with the company. Make sure you say, "I used my card for a purchase, entrusting one of your employees with that private information. They took that information and used it to commit fraud (by saying you authorized something you did not). That is a crime." You should ask if they have your signature where you signed up for the membership. They can't sign you up without you signing something or it's fraud! Make them prove it! File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and write a letter to the State Corporation Commission. When a company receives a letter from the SCC, the President of the company has to reply. Granted, it will be someone in the President's office, not necessarily them but still... It is a good way to get your issue elevated. FYI, American Express is the single best card issuer when it comes to matters like this. You might want to consider getting one. I hope you are able to get at least some of your $ back!

Mitigation of damages. At best you can only hope for three months back.

What they are going to say is that you had the information at hand, statements, to discover the billing earlier. You didn't so they are not going to refund the whole thing.

You are correct that people should check their statements for any charges that you don't recognize. That you didn't is probably going to cost you here.
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The thing is that you didn't sign up for it is irrelevant so far as getting your money back. You didn't notice for a year or more. They don't have to refund it all. I have had texts put stuff on my cell bill. If I notice it right away they refund it but if it has been months they will only refund a couple months.

I know it stings but at least to me it stings because I didn't notice.

I bought a Barnes and Noble membership card last year and told the lady we'd try it for a year. (You get discounts on the books you buy if you have the card.) We just got our credit card bill and there was a charge from them on it, and we haven't been in the store for months. It turns out that they re-upped our membership without asking us. We called them and told them to cancel it. I told the customer service rep that the lady didn't tell us that they would do that. She acted so surprised. (I'm rolling my eyes...) She did say that she would see about crediting it back. I'm not holding my breath on that...

Truly, the BEST thing they can do is graciously make it right because I don't have to walk into a Barnes & Noble for anything. I can order from Amazon. I know nothing about FYE, but you can always tell them that if they don't treat you fairly, it will cost them so much money in the long run from you not doing any business with them (and your telling everyone you know not to do business with them.)

I'm telling ya, goodwill gets a company places. Companies that don't understand this end up eventually going out of business.

Dawn