Sometimes it amazes me that I am able to tie my shoelaces without help. The fact that San calls me a street urchin because my shoelaces are often undone, and trailing through puddles, might go some way to explain this morning's activities.
The Internet is a wonderful thing; it enables you to waste hours of your time without ever actually being awake or paying full attention. I was sat around watching pointless videos on youtube, while outside thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance and it continues to rain so hard that I'm thinking of building an ark. This all seems like a very fitting background.
You know how on these sites there are always the “meet people near you!” ads? The ones we all ignore? Put it down to not really being awake properly, or being distracted, but today I didn't ignore them. My attempts at Internet dating so far haven't been exactly full of promise, but the desire to meet new people is still there and short of going to bars and hanging around my own the Internet seems as good a way as any.
Last week I wasted hours of my life filling out an epic personality test on eHarmony -- only to find at the end of it you had to pay to use the service. It could have told me this to begin with, before I did compatibility tests and personality tests and took a quiz that seemed scarily familiar -- until I realised it's the same test mental health professionals have been giving me for years.
Today I went to this other site, and dutifully filled out who I am, who I am looking to meet, browsed the site a little, all the rest. Then I took a look at the account page. Cut to rumbles of thunder.
I have a "Gold" membership. For $180 a year. At no point when filling out my card details do I remember changing the "no thanks" to "yes please, feel free to charge me extortionate sums of money for a service I will get bored of in a couple of days".
I did what any sensible thinking individual would do in this same circumstance, sent them an email explaining I'm a retard and that they should close my account because I would be cancelling my cards. I tried calling them -- an international phone call on my mobile phone isn't going to be cheap, either -- but my service provider is one step ahead of me and has barred international calls.
True to my word, I called my bank and reported my card as "lost". Card now cancelled, new card reissued. Then I called my card protection service and passed on the same details to them. I don't think it will do me any good, however -- because I expect the transaction has already gone through, and in order to claim this money back it would have to be genuinely fraudulent. This requiring police reports and the rest, and I'm in no hurry to get myself investigated for fraud.
The new mobile phone from LG will have a built-in breathalyser, this means that the phone can automatically block you from calling predefined numbers if your blood/alcohol level is above a certain level -- and stop you drunk-dialling your ex. I need an equivalent for the Internet, something that detects how awake I am or how much attention I am paying before it lets me give out my card details.
ha, I lurve you. (I go away for a week and suddenly you're full of updates)...I do crap like that a lot, which is why I hide my cards/checking account number so I have to actually conciously buy something. But it's not uncommon for me to be looking at something that seems to interest me for a minute, and then finding myself handing over my card to make this thing my very own, and then wondering what the hell I just did.
ReplyDeleteLong time no see!
ReplyDeleteI tried internet dating - for me, it's just a way of meeting people you otherwise wouldn't come across.
You should read 'Yes Man' by Danny Wallace - that's the sort of thing I can picture him doing (he says yes to everything). You can get your money back without ending up on Interpol - call your bank and ask them for an indemnity. This should get your money back.
Could you not claim it was a mistake and that you do not live in the US. Therefore the subscription would be of no use to you.
ReplyDeleteJamie: I'm glad I amused you :p -- also glad I'm not the only one who does this kind of thing. Maybe not on this scale, but still.
ReplyDeleteCB: explain to me what an indemnity is and how I go about it, without admitting maybe I hadn't lost my card when I cancelled it, and I'm up for it.
Suze: I've tried contacting them, telling them I'm stupid and didn't mean to sign up, and would be cancelling my card, but got nothing back. You can meet people from all over on the site though, it might actually turn out to be interesting...
An indemnity is basically a way of reclaiming your money, using the reason that Suze gave. Even then, you should only explain the reason if asked. Otherwise, tell them you want the money back from transaction XYZ and the money should be swiped from them and given back to you.
ReplyDeleteWell, look on the bright side. There's a lot of interesting people out there :-)
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea. We need a net guardian, like an old lady who lives in your puter and yells at you when you pay for something you don't need, or "accidentally" click on pr0n while you're at work.
ReplyDeleteCB: Unfortunately my bank say I can't have one -- basically it's something to do with it being a card payment and not a direct debit.
ReplyDeleteWDKY: You're right, there is always a bright side to these things and maybe I should just run with it.
Steph: I'm glad you're with me on this! We should push for net guardians in every home (and office)