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ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Taken from the ECA thread for people that dont click on it:
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 9866341)
So, guess what? Everyone who signed up for this service, free or not, is now officially fucked.
Courtesy of CAG: I am well aware that this is not a deal and many will flame me and say this is the wrong forum or that this is a re-post. However, at one point it seems like the majority of CAGs gave these people their credit card information in order to sign up for a "free" membership. Many if not all who signed up immediately canceled the auto renew billing feature using the website. It appears that it is now ECA's stance that anyone who did this, did not actually cancel their membership because it was never a working feature of their website. The original thread where I got this info from is found here, full credit should be given to Cager arcane93 for pointing all this out. http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...240887&page=20 I believe as many CAG's as possible need to see this so that they are made aware they may be charged again by the ECA and of how this organization conducts its business. I fear the other thread is not visible enough for many CAGS to see it. Call this the anti deal if you will, but I am just trying to look out for fellow CAGs and save them some money. Despite this not being a deal, I really feel this thread belongs where it is and should not be moved, so that as many people as possible are made aware of the situation. My main issue with this is not that it is difficult to cancel- that is a common business practice by this type of organization....my problem is that they removed a function from their website and are claiming it never worked and have done nothing proactive to notify anyone. The ONLY way you can cancel your membership is by a letter through some form of TRACEABLE mail. send your cancellation here: Attn: Accounting, ECA, 64 Danbury Road, Suite 700, Wilton, CT 06897-4406. Here are some tidbits from the ECA themselves, taken from their forum: http://forums.theeca.com/showpost.ph...6&postcount=59 Was there a button for auto-renewing? Yes, for some browsers, but it wasn’t intended to be there, wasn’t a working option and was removed as soon as we became aware Why can’t we terminate via email? Because the org has grown too large to handle the volume and requiring a mailed piece separates those who are serious from those who are lazy or finicky – joining and leaving repeatedly – and it gives us written documentation, a paper trail to reconcile against 5.Right to update Credit Card Account Information. If the credit card provided by Member to ECA has expired during an attempt to bill fees per section 4, ECA will revise the expiration date and proceed with billing using the same credit card account. 12. Receipt of Mail. ECA cannot guarantee that it receives any mail that Member claims to have sent. Member should, at Member’s own expense, send any notices to ECA in a form to ensure to Member that their communication arrived at ECA, which form may include but not be limited to FedEx, UPS, USPS Return Receipt Requested and USPS Certified Mail. Consumerista has an article about this now: http://consumerist.com/2009/12/eca-t...canceling.html ECA contact info: http://theeca.com/feed_back phone: +1 (203) 761-6180 fax: +1 (203) 761-6184 |
Re: ECA ; An Important warning to those who signed up for free!
Subject header should be "an important warning to ALL MEMBERS", since it affects you whether you got the free sign-up or not.
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Re: ECA ; An Important warning to those who signed up for free!
Originally Posted by Groucho
(Post 9866501)
Subject header should be "an important warning to ALL MEMBERS", since it affects you whether you got the free sign-up or not.
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Re: ECA ; An Important warning to those who signed up for free!
Thanks for the heads up. I have awhile before my year is up. Hopefully they will change this policy.
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Re: ECA ; An Important warning to those who signed up for free!
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Re: ECA ; An Important warning to those who signed up for free!
Originally Posted by darkside
(Post 9866560)
Thanks for the heads up. I have awhile before my year is up. Hopefully they will change this policy.
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Re: ECA ; An Important warning to those who signed up for free!
Originally Posted by mhg83
(Post 9866525)
Good point. L & O can you change the thread title?
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Now up on Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5417143/entertainm...llation-policy
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
I'm kinda happy to see a company trying to scam the scammers, to be honest.
(it sucks for anybody that used it as it was intended, obviously). |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Everyone who is a member should just cancel right now to let the ECA know that we all think they are assholes. I'll have to write my letter when I get a chance.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
What/who is ECA?
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
LMGTFY - Video gamers' Community & Gaming Consumer Advocate: Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA)
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
(Post 9866757)
I'm kinda happy to see a company trying to scam the scammers, to be honest.
(it sucks for anybody that used it as it was intended, obviously). It's hard for me to imagine anyone actually taking the ECA's side on this issue. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
(Post 9866757)
I'm kinda happy to see a company trying to scam the scammers, to be honest.
(it sucks for anybody that used it as it was intended, obviously). |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by fujishig
(Post 9866784)
This seems to be a common response, but it still makes no sense to me.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by UncleGramps
(Post 9866780)
It's hard for me to imagine anyone actually taking the ECA's side on this issue.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 9866821)
It seems like Kotaku sort of is.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
As a paying subscriber, please accept my FU. :lol: that they think they can handle written letters better than emails.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 9866821)
It seems like Kotaku sort of is.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Joystiq is now on board with the story: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/ec...ation-hassles/
The ECA forum is hilarious right now. It's a steady steam of locked and disappearing thread. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by Groucho
(Post 9866894)
Joystiq is now on board with the story: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/02/ec...ation-hassles/
The ECA forum is hilarious right now. It's a steady steam of locked and disappearing thread. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
So even if we send a letter USPS Return Receipt Requested or USPS Certified Mail, there is no guarantee that the account will be canceled. I don't see them sending a letter back saying they canceled the account. And sending it that route is only going to show that the letter got there, not what was in the letter. I'm guessing canceling your CC # and warning them about this company is your best bet.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by Groucho
(Post 9866820)
Agreed. The people who were stacking codes (and I'd hesitate to label them as "scammers") are a small subset of the affected.
Originally Posted by mhg83
(Post 9866922)
"We're too big and busy to deal with a cancel button on our site.... Dammit that's the fiftieth thread we have to lock and delete today! "
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Does anyone know if you have to give credit card info to create an ECA account? I remember when the signup deal was live with the Amazon discount, but as soon as I saw credit card info necessary I was concerned. I didn't think I signed up, but I do have an account through the ECA with an email login and password.
The my account area doesn't have any orders listed or credit card information, so is there any way to know for sure if I'm signed up for a paid account or not? |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
I saw this within a post by the president of ECA, Hal Halpin:
But if you can't behave civilly and continue to send our staff abusive and threatening messages, we will terminate your membership and we will not allow you to renew. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Since they cannot "require" you to visit their website to know that the "feature" to cancel automatically was not working functional, nor can you know for sure that their T&C were not messed with, and I can't imagine the revising of credit card expiration dates to be legal, and I doubt they will email everyone, I imagine if nobody mails the letter, most will just dispute the charge.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by BravesMG
(Post 9866992)
Does anyone know if you have to give credit card info to create an ECA account? I remember when the signup deal was live with the Amazon discount, but as soon as I saw credit card info necessary I was concerned. I didn't think I signed up, but I do have an account through the ECA with an email login and password.
The my account area doesn't have any orders listed or credit card information, so is there any way to know for sure if I'm signed up for a paid account or not? |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by pilot
(Post 9867009)
Yes you had to provide your CC info, even if you signed up for the free account. You then put the coupon code which made it free, but then most went to the page to make it so they wouldn't charge you again, which "shouldn't have been there"
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
They really pulled off quite the little scheme.
First they get Amazon to agree to provide discounts to members. They probably explained how they're a struggling non-profit and whatnot and don't really expect that many people to take advantage, since you have to pay $20 to join. That goes live and they toss in a $15 student membership. Quite a few people join, enough that the Amazon codes run out fairly regularly. Next, once they've collected as much as they can from people willing to pay and new enrollment has leveled off to a pre-promotion rate, they throw out a code to join for free. They know it'll probably kill the Amazon deal, but it will quickly rack up a shitload of new members and each of them has to enter their credit card for auto-renewal. A non-functioning 'opt out' button is put up to give people the illusion of being able to avoid that option. Even with all the negative press the new opt out policy is getting, there are probably quite a few people who signed up and won't hear a thing about it. A lot of people will end up getting charged the $20 (or an increased fee) next year. Some will notice and some won't. Of those that do, some will successfully cancel and others will get upset and then forget until they're charged again the following year. I don't doubt all of this was planned from the get-go and that the only thing surprising them is the amount of game industry press picking up the story. Hopefully someone will hit them up with a class action. Hell, hopefully they violated whatever agreement they had with Amazon and get sued there too. Just shady as hell. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by Liver&Onions
(Post 9866772)
LMGTFY - Video gamers' Community & Gaming Consumer Advocate: Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA)
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by SunMonkey
(Post 9866994)
I saw this within a post by the president of ECA, Hal Halpin:
So there you go, another option for canceling. ;) |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Does anyone know for sure if they (or any company) is allowed to charge you if your information has expired?
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by pilot
(Post 9867081)
Does anyone know for sure if they (or any company) is allowed to charge you if your information has expired?
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by pilot
(Post 9867081)
Does anyone know for sure if they (or any company) is allowed to charge you if your information has expired?
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
So, even if we did pay for a membership, we'll still be unable to cancel without writing them? Time to dispute charges with my CC company when the renewal comes up.
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
I read this whole thread, and I still don't understand what this is all about or what an "ECA" is or what it does or how members got screwed over or what.... am I in the right forum?
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
My member info says my account is set to expire in July. Doesn't mention anything about auto-renewing. Hmm...
Edit: I just sent them an email asking them to clarify the auto-renewal situation. I will post their response here. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by Groucho
(Post 9867084)
Thinking about implementing a similar scheme here? ;)
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Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
At some point, they changed the terms for how you can cancel. Web Archive (http://www.archive.org) unfortunately doesn't have anything newer than late 2008, but as of then you could cancel over the phone. In fact, mailing in a cancellation wasn't even an option.
http://web.archive.org/web/200808221...eeca.com/terms Right to Cancel; Refund of ECA Service Fee. Members have the right to terminate this Agreement and membership in the ECA Service at any time. A Member may cancel this Agreement and membership in the ECA Service by calling 1-203-761-6180. If a Member cancels before the end of a Membership Term for which Member has paid the Service Fee, the Member cannot receive a refund of such Service Fee, prorated for the remaining unused portion of the Membership Term. Due to the nature of the services provided by ECA (many of which are accessible immediately upon acceptance) it is understood that refunds cannot be issued. Member will remain liable for any other fees or charges to be paid pursuant to this Agreement or the ECA Service. |
Re: ECA - BASTARDS CHANGED POLICY An Important warning to ALL MEMBERS!
Originally Posted by fujishig
(Post 9867098)
I believe with subscription services they are allowed to keep charging you if your CC has expired...
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