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I bought a small piece of carpet from an online retailer, which I paid for in full. I later noticed regular payments coming out of my Santander account for a magazine subscription service.
I don't remember signing up to this magazine, so I reported it to Santander. It helped me cancel the direct debit and claim money back.
Santander warned me that the direct debit could be reinstated in the future. Is there anything I should do?
M Patterson, Buckinghamshire
Which? expert Rubal Channa says...
You were right to ask Santander to cancel the direct debit, and other readers should know that they can always cancel a payment with their bank, without permission from the retailer.
However, you should also contact the magazine to ask it to cancel the subscription to prevent it reinstating the direct debit, in case it thinks it was done in error.
Firms aren't permitted to use pre-ticked boxes to sign customers up for ongoing services or additional costs
When buying online, readers should look out for check boxes signing them up for subscriptions or services.
Generally, firms aren't permitted to use pre-ticked boxes to sign customers up for ongoing services or additional costs; an active choice must be made by the consumer. But it's always worth checking.
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Which? Money members can get impartial guidance from our experts, based on 350 years’ combined financial services experience.
Find out more