ECA Discussion Thread - WARNING: Some CAGs Who Cancelled Are Being Auto-Renewed

Wow.

Now I'm glad that I waited a few more months until the online cancellation feature was put back in.

This isn't intended as a schadenfreude post. I wanted to chime in and relate that I hope the renewed charges are isolated events. For those of you who have been or do get charged, I hope you get it sorted out.
 
fucking shit!!!!!!! I completely forgot about this website; I only got to use one freaking Amazon code when they were out and now I just got billed another $19.99 for my renewal.. Ugh!
 
[quote name='stupidxaznxboi']fucking shit!!!!!!! I completely forgot about this website; I only got to use one freaking Amazon code when they were out and now I just got billed another $19.99 for my renewal.. Ugh![/QUOTE]

I might be in the same boat. I used the on-line auto cancel a few months ago, but I keep getting the ECA newsletter and I forgot that my subscription ended in August and not September. I'm waiting for my CC statement to come.
 
Anyone who has this happen, just initiate a chargeback with your credit card right away. Tell them this is a shady company that is known for trying to take 'donations' without permission and that you canceled long ago. This will punish ECA the most and should involve the least amount of effort on your part.

The worst part is all the people who may not notice the charge. These guys really need be be charged with fraud.
 
I just got an email from theeca even though I canceled via their online bullshit site.

This is your notice that your membership is about to expire. You will have 45 days to respond to this notice. Click here to update your billing address.Once you are finished please log into your profile to edit your membership status.

  • Login to your account Click Here
  • In the left menu select the "Manage My Profile"
  • In the user tabs select "Edit Account"
  • On the second tier user links select "Membership Status"
  • Proceed from this point on to edit your selection of choice
Click to expand...

I was reading some of the previous posts. Should I be worried? Honestly I am getting pretty damn upset by this whole thing.

Thank you for being a member of the Entertainment Consumers Association. Your membership has been canceled.

We are sorry to see you go and thank you for your business.

This email notification is confirmation that your request has been processed and your membership has been canceled, effective today, March 13, 2010

We wish that you will choose to rejoin The ECA soon. If you wish to re-join the association going forward new/updated payment information will need to be manually re-entered.

To re-join the ECA, please visit http://www.theeca.com.
Thank you.
Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA).
Click to expand...
 
I still got a month until my account is up for renewal, but I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing I haven't heard even one thing from them at all yet.

I guess we'll have to see.
 
I just got that same email today and my cancellation email looks the same which i did online in April and I signed up for it in sept last year. Obviously I cannot log in to do what they say since my account is blocked which I had hoped meant I was done with this shit.

I'll just file a chargeback for this if they really do charge me after all this time.
 
[quote name='Morandor']I just got that same email today and my cancellation email looks the same which i did online in April and I signed up for it in sept last year. Obviously I cannot log in to do what they say since my account is blocked which I had hoped meant I was done with this shit.

I'll just file a chargeback for this if they really do charge me after all this time.[/QUOTE]

Pretty much this.

fuck these guys.
 
[quote name='Morandor']I just got that same email today and my cancellation email looks the same which i did online in April and I signed up for it in sept last year. Obviously I cannot log in to do what they say since my account is blocked which I had hoped meant I was done with this shit.

I'll just file a chargeback for this if they really do charge me after all this time.[/QUOTE]

I have the same problem too =(
 
Anyone besides me going to PAX?

Friday, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Pegasus Theatre
Hal Halpin and Adam Sessler Talking Games

ECA President Hal Halpin and G4's host of X-Play and Editor-in-Chief of games content, Adam Sessler discuss the hot topics that are affecting the video game industry today and look at trends that could impact gamers in the future. Topics of discussion will include net neutrality, digital rights, and the upcoming violence in video games U.S. Supreme Court case. The panelists will take questions from the audience if time permits.


Panelists include: Adam Sessler [Host of X-Play and Editor-in-Chief of games content, G4], Hal Halpin [President, The ECA]
 
I will be going to PAX, and if my email does not get replied and dealt with by then; that I may attend this session.
 
[quote name='chakan']Anyone besides me going to PAX?

Friday, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Pegasus Theatre
Hal Halpin and Adam Sessler Talking Games

ECA President Hal Halpin and G4's host of X-Play and Editor-in-Chief of games content, Adam Sessler discuss the hot topics that are affecting the video game industry today and look at trends that could impact gamers in the future. Topics of discussion will include net neutrality, digital rights, and the upcoming violence in video games U.S. Supreme Court case. The panelists will take questions from the audience if time permits.


Panelists include: Adam Sessler [Host of X-Play and Editor-in-Chief of games content, G4], Hal Halpin [President, The ECA][/QUOTE]

If any CAG go, bring a camcorder and record every question about how crappy ECA is.
 
I canceled my membership back in April, and got an email confirming it. I tried logging in right now and it says my "username is not activated or is blocked", so I cant log in anymore. Why are they sending me this notice if I already canceled? Anyone else get this?

This is your notice that your membership is about to expire. You will have 45 days to respond to this notice. Click here to update your billing address.Once you are finished please log into your profile to edit your membership status.

* Login to your account Click Here
* In the left menu select the "Manage My Profile"
* In the user tabs select "Edit Account"
* On the second tier user links select "Membership Status"
* Proceed from this point on to edit your selection of choice
 
Yea, I got an email today too. Annoying as hell, but I fired off an email reporting the issue.

UPDATE:
Hi *REDACTED*,

We apologize for the email that was sent out regarding your membership. You are blocked out of the system and will not renew. We appreciate your patience.

Best,
ECA
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='arziel']I just got an email from theeca even though I canceled via their online bullshit site.



I was reading some of the previous posts. Should I be worried? Honestly I am getting pretty damn upset by this whole thing.[/QUOTE]

I received the same e-mail this morning. We'll see what happens in a couple weeks...

And you know damn well that the panel at PAX will not allow enough time for questions afterwards. Hal's gonna be bolting for the door.
 
Yea, I got an email today too. Annoying as hell, but I fired off an email reporting the issue.

UPDATE:
Hi *REDACTED*,

We apologize for the email that was sent out regarding your membership. You are blocked out of the system and will not renew. We appreciate your patience.

Best,
ECA
Click to expand...
 
Got the same email. My verification address and security code are incorrectly recorded on their site. But even though I disabled auto-renew, I still have access to my account. So, I'm hoping that even if they did try to charge me that my incorrect info would buck the charge and they wouldn't be able to take ma monies.
 
[quote name='EventHorizon']Yea, I got an email today too. Annoying as hell, but I fired off an email reporting the issue.

UPDATE:
Hi *REDACTED*,

We apologize for the email that was sent out regarding your membership. You are blocked out of the system and will not renew. We appreciate your patience.

Best,
ECA[/QUOTE]


I got the 45 day renew inquiry email as well, who did you contact to verify that you were blocked?

Thanks!
 
I got the email too, even though I canceled. I keep receiving the newsletters too. ECA can suck one.
 
There is a separate opt-out section for the newsletter and emails as well.
I was stil getting emails after canceling myself, until I found how to stop those.

Last week I got an Email from them for the first time since June titled" November 2 Is The Day." I clicked on the unsubscribe link on there and, again, told them "no more emails!"

Imagine my surprise when I get this same 45-Day Notice email this morning.
 
Well I just got the 45 day warning email. I haven't canceled yet, but I have turned auto renew off. Should I wait it out or just cancel it right now?
 
[quote name='ddrisgood137']Well I just got the 45 day warning email. I haven't canceled yet, but I have turned auto renew off. Should I wait it out or just cancel it right now?[/QUOTE]

What possible good could come from waiting?
 
bunch of jackasses, i sent in the letter to cancel the beginning of this year, i have the email in February stating that my account was canceled, and i just got the 45 day email as well. lo and behold i was able to sign in, and they had me set to auto renew. glad i terminated it now. and i checked and can no longer sign in. what a terrible organization, i certainly do not want them to represent me as a gamer.
 
[quote name='Squarehard']If any CAG go, bring a camcorder and record every question about how crappy ECA is.[/QUOTE]

Bring a printed paper that shows what they're doing and get it on tape. You could even hand it out to everyone in the audience.
 
" Membership Status
*No Additional Term, Thanks "

=

Canceled? I didn't go to the extreme and delete my account so it's still working and I canceled auto-renewal some time after the system was put in place.
 
[quote name='chakan']Anyone besides me going to PAX?

Friday, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Pegasus Theatre
Hal Halpin and Adam Sessler Talking Games

ECA President Hal Halpin and G4's host of X-Play and Editor-in-Chief of games content, Adam Sessler discuss the hot topics that are affecting the video game industry today and look at trends that could impact gamers in the future. Topics of discussion will include net neutrality, digital rights, and the upcoming violence in video games U.S. Supreme Court case. The panelists will take questions from the audience if time permits.


Panelists include: Adam Sessler [Host of X-Play and Editor-in-Chief of games content, G4], Hal Halpin [President, The ECA][/QUOTE]

Please tell me you went and trolled Hal.

Please.
 
[quote name='Hostile']" Membership Status
*No Additional Term, Thanks "

=

Canceled? I didn't go to the extreme and delete my account so it's still working and I canceled auto-renewal some time after the system was put in place.[/QUOTE]

No it just means they're not supposed to auto-renew you, which they may do anyway.

Your best bet is to cancel it outright.
 
I forgot about this just until recently. I went to the site and turned off the auto-renewel and cancelled my account. I got the cancellation e-mail but was still able to log in. So I went through the process again and got ANOTHER cancellation e-mail. I've got a bad feeling that it's not really going through...
 
[quote name='Ratchet & CAG']Well I got a new credit card, so the one they have on their file is now invalid.

That should work right?[/QUOTE]

Unless your bank will pass the new information along to them when they try to charge the old one.
 
It ended up in my spam, so I didn't know about my cancel notice until I got the thanks for reviewing. I DID snail mail a letter when I found out about this from Kotaku a while back. Didn't get acknowledgment back though.

They only gave me 12 days notice too (again, in my spam).

Slimy as hell.
 
Ugh, I never got my 45 day e-mail (more than likely since I canceled via snail mail then told them not to e-mail me again on their site.) Now I just got an e-mail saying that I was billed for a renewing membership. Raging pretty hard.

"Member for 1 year 34 min"34 minutes ago nonetheless. I logged in and it showed me as auto-renewal even though I am 100% sure it said not to renew a while ago.

Is it even worth disputing the charges with my bank? I'm not sure I'll get my 20 bucks back :\
 
[quote name='elessar123']Yes, dispute it.[/QUOTE]

Done and done. Thanks.

SEP 20, 2010 PURCHASE ADJUSTMENT Other ($19.99)

Take that you bastards!
 
When I created my ECA account, I entered bogus info in the CC# area and I have since also moved which means I changed my CC billing confirmation physical address.

I have since jumped through every hoop in my ECA account that should have prevented me from getting auto-billed. BUT... Today I get this email...

"Sorry, we were unable to renew your membership in the association. It may be that the credit or debit card you have on file needs to be updated. Please login to your account to provide new payment details. You will have a thirty (30) day grace period prior to your active membership being terminated. Renew now https://www.theeca.com/renewal
so you can continue to enjoy the services and privileges exclusive to ECA."


So, as you can guess, I will not be renewing and therefore I will not be enjoying any further "services and privileges exclusive to ECA". :(


Damn, a sad day indeed.
 
I'm still completely happy with the discounts I got from the free ECA membership and thanks to some of you guys bitching and getting that "do not auto-renew" thing done I've finished my year with the ECA without any problems (a little less than 2 weeks ago). All is good.
 
My year ends soon and I think i've done everything I need to prevent a charge (Set my account to do not renew, deleted account) but I still get the daily e-mails and the 45-day renew notice, so I'll let you know here soon...
 
I signed up with the ECA in July 2009 and disabled auto-renew. After a full year goes by, with absolutely no notice, I get another charge on my credit card. After contacting the ECA they indicate they have no record of me disabling the auto-renew during the time when their auto-renew button was non-functional, and they also state that it is against their policy to offer any refunds.

I disputed with my credit card, and they reversed the charges. The ECA sends some document that says they have no record of me disabling auto-renew. My credit card company accepts this and puts the charge back on.

I filed a BBB complaint and followed through. But it still looks like I'm going to eat the charge. It's only $20, and I don't want to waste any more of my time on these bastards. But if anyone is starting a class action lawsuit, please add me to the list of victims. Thanks.

-Alex
 
Who cares if they have a record of you disabling auto-renew or not? That's their problem.

Make sure your Credit Card company knows this is a DONATION to a supposedly non-profit organization.
It is not payment for any type of service. You can't be auto-charged against your will for a donation, it's your choice.
 
Wow just saw this on Consumerist. It's amazing this garbage is still going on with them. I keep getting their petition/advertisement emails but haven't got their normal newsletter for some reason. I turned off auto renew and got immediately banned in their forums so I kind of forgot about them. I just checked my account and don't see any new charges but I am also a week past my expiration date so we shall see.
 
I like how the Consumerist gives them the benefit of a doubt by passing it off as a mistake. Fact is, the ECA have gone above and beyond to make it as difficult as possible to cancel. They've even gone so far as to re-enroll you in auto-renew, which was my case but I keep on top of these things and canceled again. They didn't even notify me of the change whenever they did it, so they're frauds and should be jailed. If they had proceeded to still charge me after that, you can cold bet your ass their summons would be in the mail the next day.
 
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