Courier-Journal/Kentucky USA/Americans lose $14.3B to ‘gray’ - TopicsExpress

Courier-Journal/Kentucky USA/Americans lose $14.3B to ‘gray’ charges Free trials usually come with a catch By Hadley Malcolm USA Today Three weeks ago, Mallorie Sullivan, 21, saw her bank account had been overdrawn by about $70 and couldn’t figure out why — until she remembered a free Amazon Prime trial for students she’d signed up for six months earlier. The trial had ended,and Amazon automatically converted the Ohio University senior into a paid subscriber. Others describe similar experiences with everything from magazine subscriptions to so-called “free” credit reports to video and music streaming services. And it’s taking a sizable sum out of their wallets. A new study out Thursday shows consumers are individually paying hundreds of dollars in extra charges each year for services they never wanted or intended to request. Collectively, consumers paid $14.3 billion in unwanted charges last year, according to the survey commissioned by BillGuard, an online service and app that tracks and alerts consumers to these kinds of charges and helps users dispute them. It found 1 in 3 American card holders is hit with these “gray charges” at an average of $215 per person per year. The survey analyzed an anonymous sampling of a year’s worth of credit and debit card transactions from nearly 5,000 BillGuard users. Services that offer a free trial and then convert you into a paid subscriber are the most prevalent of unwanted charges, collecting $6.1 billion from consumers last year, the report shows. They make up nearly half of all gray charge transactions. “These gray charges are not illegal; they’re just kind of unethical and a little bit questionable,” said Ron Shevlin, senior analyst at Aite Group, which conducted the survey for BillGuard. “And many times it’s the consumer’s behavior that triggers these gray charges.” In many cases, people forget they signed up for something, which merchants are counting on, said Mary Anne Keegan, chief marketing officer for Bill-Guard. And consumers often don’t dispute the charges, she said. “Usually, gray charges aren’t these huge, huge dollar values,” she said. “When you look at the small dollar amount, most people are so busy today that it’s a hassle trying to get your money back.”

The Parksville Residences in Imus and Kawit Cavite via

*** TOUR ANNOUNCMENT *** Roll up, roll up - Were heading out on

To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says.

If the sun doesnt wake me up I become, The same stuff that I

As we inch toward the March 31 enrollment “deadline,” I think

Anybody looking for an implant course for 2015, starting February

child weight loss camps

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog Economist John Williams says to

CBS News outrageously reported that the BLM “released the cattle

I woke today feeling Refreshed and Grateful......God is Good hes