eDCU Blog

If you're interested in a product or service, trying before you buy might seem like a great idea. Whether it's for the latest diet product, tech toy or beauty product, all free trials eventually come to an end. What starts as a free trial might end up costing you real money.

Unfortunately, some companies are misleading and make it hard for you to cancel free trial offers by putting conditions on trial cancellations and/or returns. Carefully read all the terms/conditions and uncheck any precheck boxes which may give the company permission to charge you beyond the free trial period. Other details to watch for are unreal shipping and handling fees, limited time offers, and continued shipment of the product. What you believe to be a few dollars could add up to substantial charges.

Research the company before signing up for a free trial. Does the company have negative complaints/comments?

Watch your account using Online Banking or our Mobile App. This will help you catch anything unusual before it gets out of hand.

Contact us immediately if you see charges that do not coincide with the agreement of the free trial offer. If it is outside of our regular business hours, you can enable/disable your card to prevent further fraudulent payments via OnLine Banking, using our Mobile App or calling the phone number on the back of your card.

Sounds too good to be true? It might be! If you feel you have been wrongly charged for a free trial offer, report it to the FTC. You also can contact your local consumer protection agency, and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Reference: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov