# Signing up for MobileMe, Unintentionally Yours, and Getting Charges Reversed



## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

So I checked my latest credit card statement and found a surprise charge: Apple signed me up for Mobile Me, apparently, in February:

APL*MOBILEME MobileMe ON $114.45

I've had a few trial subscriptions (iChat account!), but never had a reason to use the .Mac or ME paid service. I don't recall any sort of sales email around that time, nor being given any kind of online choice. Perhaps a trial subscription rolled into a paid one?

The call to Apple to get the charges reversed took 40 minutes! During this time, I provided enough verification information--some of which was not previously possessed by Apple--to identify me beyond any doubt as the person on the other end of the phone who had been incorrectly charged for a paid service I've never used nor wanted nor agreed to. This went beyond home and work addresses and phone numbers, email address and DOB and mother's maiden name. And they didn't ask all at once: the customer relations person, speaking to the Mobile Me person on my behalf (why not just put me through? two employees mean even more security, sharing my information between them?), would ask a verification question about every 3 or 4 minutes.

We live in interesting times.


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## imobile (Oct 6, 2007)

*Check your e mail!*



HowEver said:


> So I checked my latest credit card statement and found a surprise charge: Apple signed me up for Mobile Me, apparently, in February:
> 
> APL*MOBILEME MobileMe ON $114.45
> 
> ...


Are you sure you received no 'head's up'?

I received a MONTH's warning in my .mac e mail!

From: [email protected]
Subject: Your MobileMe subscription will renew in 30 days.
Date: February 5, 2009 1:03:59 AM PST (CA)
A year sure goes by fast.


Your annual subscription is set to renew on March 07, 2009 EST. Please take a minute to review your account settings. If you want to change any of the details below, log in to MobileMe and select Account.


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## DempsyMac (May 24, 2007)

how did they get your credit card # if you never signed up for anything?


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## Sniper4u (Jun 25, 2008)

This article, MobileMe 60 day trial - part 1 Bassheadtech.com, has some info about how signing up for trial .mac or mobileme services automatically turn it into a full subscription.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Trevor Robertson said:


> how did they get your credit card # if you never signed up for anything?


I guess I've bought a couple of things from Apple in the past...

_Previously_ trial .Mac subscriptions did not automatically renew as paid subscriptions. If they did, I'd have been charged a few times before. Now they do apparently.

There was no reminder email, no query whether I wanted to pony up or not at the end of the trial period. And no notice nor receipt when they charged my credit card.

Apple - MobileMe - Terms of Service



> *Free Trial Period*
> Apple may offer you a one-time free trial period during which you can try out the Service for free (“Free Trial Period”). If you are participating in a Free Trial Period, you must cancel the Service by the end of the trial period to avoid incurring any charges. If you do not cancel the Service before the Free Trial Period expires, and we have informed you that the Service will automatically be converted into a paid subscription at the end of the Free Trial Period, then you authorize us to charge your credit card the applicable fees as indicated at the time you signed up for the Service. During the Free Trial Period, you agree that Apple will have the right (subject to applicable local law) to send you communications, notices and news about the Service to your MobileMe email address and to any alternate email address you may have provided. Local law may allow you to revoke your consent to receiving these communications at any time during the Free Trial Period. Upgrades to a Member Account (e.g. Family Pack or storage upgrade) are only available upon purchase of an annual subscription and are therefore not available to subscribers during the Free Trial Period. Apple reserves the right to modify, cancel and/or limit this Free Trial Period offer at any time.You may cancel your account at any time during the Free Trial Period by going to the Account Options section at https://secure.me.com/account. Upon cancelling your account, you will lose all access to the Service and any data or information stored within your account. (See "Effects of Termination” below for additional details.)
> 
> *Automatic Renewal of Annual Subscription*
> When you sign up online for the Service, your annual subscription will be set to automatically renew upon its expiration. This means that unless you cancel your account or change its renewal settings prior to its expiration, your account will automatically renew for another year. At the time of renewal, we will charge your credit card the then-current fees to renew the Service. About thirty (30) days prior to your expiration date we will notify you by email to your MobileMe email address that your account is about to renew and remind you that your credit card will be billed the indicated Service fees on the renewal date. You may change your renewal settings at any time by going to https://secure.me.com/account.


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## RunTheWorldOnMac (Apr 23, 2006)

I just bought a Mobil Me account...I know you need a credit card to sign up and I'm trying to recall it saying I would be charged after the 60 day period... I think it may have... don't recall. Did you just complete a trial?


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## Sniper4u (Jun 25, 2008)

Their wording is very tricky. Although they tell you that you get a reminder before your subscription is renewed, they don't tell you that going from a trial to a the paid subscription is not a renewal. I guess they consider that portion, part of the signing up for the service. I have always been weary of trials that make you give payment information in order to use it. They usually have it automated so you have to cancel the service so not to be charged.


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## crawford (Oct 8, 2005)

This is all part of the deal that Apple signed with Rogers. In exchange for allowing Rogers to sell the iPhone, Apple gets to implement some of Rogers' totally awesome business practices and customer service strategies.


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## Elric (Jul 30, 2005)

No, this was very clear when I signed up for the trial, you supply your credit card for the mobileme trial, and if you don't cancel, its automatic.

It's VERY clear when you sign up for the trial, just by the fact you put in your CC info, or you don't get the trial.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Turning off "One Click" on the Apple site works for me,
They can't charge me if they haven't got my permission.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Not that this is an excuse for the practice of automatic renewal, BUT there is in fact a checkbox on your MobileMe account for automatic renewal. Unchecking it causes many "reminder" letters but no charges when the time comes unless you do it manually.

If anyone reading this is in doubt, go to the mobileme web page (me.com), look up your account and note the status of your auto-renewal checkbox and adjust accordingly.


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