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recurring payment.
Thread poster: Peter Motte
Peter Motte
Peter Motte  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 19:26
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Aug 16, 2018

When you want to renew, you get this message:

This will be a recurring payment. After you complete this purchase, your membership will be renewed automatically each year, and you'll be charged automatically on your renewal date, until you cancel.

Does that mean that Proz.com itself takes the money from your accoutn each year instead of asking you to do it, like it has been untill now?

I don't like that change.
I'm serously doubting whether I would re
... See more
When you want to renew, you get this message:

This will be a recurring payment. After you complete this purchase, your membership will be renewed automatically each year, and you'll be charged automatically on your renewal date, until you cancel.

Does that mean that Proz.com itself takes the money from your accoutn each year instead of asking you to do it, like it has been untill now?

I don't like that change.
I'm serously doubting whether I would renew.
Too many of the job offers are for low payment anyway.
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Tom in London
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
THanks. Aug 16, 2018

Peter Motte wrote:

When you want to renew, you get this message:

This will be a recurring payment. After you complete this purchase, your membership will be renewed automatically each year, and you'll be charged automatically on your renewal date, until you cancel.

Does that mean that Proz.com itself takes the money from your accoutn each year instead of asking you to do it, like it has been untill now?

I don't like that change.
I'm serously doubting whether I would renew.
Too many of the job offers are for low payment anyway.


Thanks Peter. I don't like that either and I can see no justifiable reason for it. And how does the cancellation process work? Can I cancel or do I have to ask Proz to cancel?


Peter Motte
Iryna Zavizion
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 19:26
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Peter Aug 16, 2018

Peter Motte wrote:
Does that mean that Proz.com itself takes the money from your account each year instead of asking you to do it, like it has been until now?


Yes.

One month before the renewal, ProZ.com will remind you by e-mail that you have an "ongoing subscription" and that your membership will be automatically renewed (i.e. money taken from your account). A few days before the renewal there is a second e-mail to remind you again. This is unlike some other services, where you only realise that your subscription has been renewed after you notice the money missing from your bank account, along with a long cancellation time.

Also, you can cancel your membership at any time, and you'll get your money back for the months that you still have left on that year's subscription. Cancelling your membership (if you're using a recurring payment method) is very simple: https://www.proz.com/manage-membership

I don't like that change.


Sure, it's annoying to have to watch your bank account and make sure the correct amount of money is present at the exact moment of renewal, instead of having the freedom to just pay the money whenever you have it available and it is convenient to you.


[Edited at 2018-08-16 08:45 GMT]


 
Peter Motte
Peter Motte  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 19:26
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Dangerous payment practices Aug 16, 2018

Samuel Murray wrote:
One month before the renewal, ProZ.com will remind you by e-mail that you have an "ongoing subscription" and that your membership will be automatically renewed (i.e. money taken from your account). A few days before the renewal there is a second e-mail to remind you again. This is unlike some other services, where you only realise that your subscription has been renewed after you notice the money missing from your bank account, along with a long cancellation time.


So, what your saying is that others are even worse.

Nevertheless, this is a very dangerous evolution.
I pay via PayPal.
If Proz.com automatically takes money from my PayPal account, it actually means I give up control about my own money.
I can' have that.

I don't think I will renew.


Iryna Zavizion
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 18:26
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I don’t mind that at all Aug 16, 2018

It’s one less thing to worry about. I have been a member since 2007 and most of my best clients (translation agencies and direct clients) have contacted me through my profile on Proz.com. Kudoz, despite its flaws and limitations, is another useful feature. Of course, there are a few things I’m not too happy about (the ill-famed annual Proz.com translation contest, for instance) but I prefer fighting for them from within than canceling my membership.

Tina Vonhof (X)
Roy Chacón
 
Katalin Horváth McClure
Katalin Horváth McClure  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:26
Member (2002)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Dangerous??? Aug 16, 2018

Peter Motte wrote:


Nevertheless, this is a very dangerous evolution.
I pay via PayPal.
If Proz.com automatically takes money from my PayPal account, it actually means I give up control about my own money.
I can' have that.

Peter, how do you pay your utility bills (electricity, etc.)?
Don't you use ‘domiciliëring’?

AFAIK it is very common in Europe (and it is getting more popular in the US, too) to provide your bank account or credit card info to your utility service companies who then automatically debit your bill amount from your bank account. This way you can never forget paying your bill and risk services being switched off.

http://www.vremco.com/pay_bil_eng.htm

ProZ is just like that, except that payment is due once a year, not every month.
Many subscription based services use automatic renewal - as Samual said, ProZ is actually good about reminding you and allowing you ample time to decide and not to renew. IMHO, your decision whether to renew should not be based on this, but rather on a cost/benefit analysis of membership.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Baran Keki
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 18:26
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
You do have control, Peter Aug 16, 2018

Peter Motte wrote:
Samuel Murray wrote:
One month before the renewal, ProZ.com will remind you by e-mail that you have an "ongoing subscription" and that your membership will be automatically renewed (i.e. money taken from your account). A few days before the renewal there is a second e-mail to remind you again. This is unlike some other services, where you only realise that your subscription has been renewed after you notice the money missing from your bank account, along with a long cancellation time.

I pay via PayPal.
If Proz.com automatically takes money from my PayPal account, it actually means I give up control about my own money.

You retain total control:
1. You have the entire month after the first notification in which to cancel the renewal
2. You have a second chance to do so after the second notification.

If you choose to ignore both notifications, can you say you're really controlling your money?


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Tina Vonhof (X)
Deborah do Carmo
 
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 12:26
Dutch to English
+ ...
Fine with me Aug 16, 2018

I think proZ is doing an excellent job of sending you reminders. As Sheila says, I still feel in control as long as I get a reminder, so I have the option to cancel, and as long as the amount stays the same. For example, I pay my insurance by automatic bank withdrawal (I wouldn't want to suddenly find myself without it!), and I contribute monthly to several charities. I feel I can do this because the amount is always the same, so I know what to expect. I do stop at letting my utility companies d... See more
I think proZ is doing an excellent job of sending you reminders. As Sheila says, I still feel in control as long as I get a reminder, so I have the option to cancel, and as long as the amount stays the same. For example, I pay my insurance by automatic bank withdrawal (I wouldn't want to suddenly find myself without it!), and I contribute monthly to several charities. I feel I can do this because the amount is always the same, so I know what to expect. I do stop at letting my utility companies do automatic withdrawals because the amounts vary each month and that is something I can't control. They send me a bill by email, which is a reminder in itself. Sometimes you can give up a little bit of control for the sake of convenience, it depends on what you feel comfortable with.Collapse


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 18:26
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Automatic direct debit Aug 16, 2018

Katalin Horváth McClure wrote:

Peter, how do you pay your utility bills (electricity, etc.)?
Don't you use ‘domiciliëring’?

AFAIK it is very common in Europe (and it is getting more popular in the US, too) to provide your bank account or credit card info to your utility service companies who then automatically debit your bill amount from your bank account. This way you can never forget paying your bill and risk services being switched off.

http://www.vremco.com/pay_bil_eng.htm

ProZ is just like that, except that payment is due once a year, not every month.
Many subscription based services use automatic renewal - as Samual said, ProZ is actually good about reminding you and allowing you ample time to decide and not to renew. IMHO, your decision whether to renew should not be based on this, but rather on a cost/benefit analysis of membership.


I pay all my utility bills (electricity, gas, telephone, water and internet) as well as some other monthly expenses (my mother’s home care, for instance) by automatic direct debit.


 
Christel Zipfel
Christel Zipfel  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:26
Member (2004)
Italian to German
+ ...
Cancel the automatic renewal Aug 17, 2018

Once you have paid your membership you go back to the same page (or is it your profile? Don't remember exactly) and cancel the automatic renewal. It's as simple as that!

Daniela Zambrini
Morano El-Kholy
 
Elisabeth Purkis
Elisabeth Purkis  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 13:26
German to English
+ ...
Manual option Aug 17, 2018

I came across this when I joined. There is a manual option as in to renew manually closer to the time of renewal so you don't have to give up your info indefinitely. I took this option for that reason.
Nowadays, at least in America often when you buy stuff online they give you the option to make it a recurring purchase..
I generally don't like this fairly recent sales strategy...how many magazines do we subscribe to any more...it's been replaced by subscriptions that create access
... See more
I came across this when I joined. There is a manual option as in to renew manually closer to the time of renewal so you don't have to give up your info indefinitely. I took this option for that reason.
Nowadays, at least in America often when you buy stuff online they give you the option to make it a recurring purchase..
I generally don't like this fairly recent sales strategy...how many magazines do we subscribe to any more...it's been replaced by subscriptions that create access to content. If you add up all your costs like phone internet plus streaming and subscriptions it can get rather expensive...
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Ibrahim Sabry
 


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recurring payment.






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