How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#1

Post by robtaylor » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 11:41 AM UTC

The support is terrible for their MarketStack API product - and several emails have had no joy.

I was about to leave a bad review on https://www.trustpilot.com/review/apilayer.com but seems many people are having similar issues.

Does anyone have any contacts there?

I just want to close the account and stop them billing me.

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#2

Post by Nextgrid » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 11:58 AM UTC

You dispute the transactions and let the card network handle it. Too many such incidents and they'll lose their ability to process card payments altogether, so they'll be on top of it.

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#3

Post by vizzah » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 12:02 PM UTC

thankfully, my credit card just expired when I no longer needed the service.

Try who was then chasing me to resume paying.

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#4

Post by millzlane » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 12:09 PM UTC

vizzah wrote: post #3

thankfully, my credit card just expired when I no longer needed the service. Try who was then chasing me to resume paying.

Send a copy to the to whatever government agency handles fraud or consumer abuse, and copy your banks fraud dept. I guarantee someone emails you back within a few hours.

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#5

Post by stavros » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 12:18 PM UTC

In general, I use privacy.com everywhere I can. I don't even bother unsubscribing, I just pause the card.

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#6

Post by taf2 » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 12:50 PM UTC

Nextgrid wrote: post #2

You dispute the transactions and let the card network handle it. Too many such incidents and they'll lose their ability to process card payments altogether, so they'll be on top of it.

I did this to sprint in 2002 because they refused to let me cancel my contract as I was switching to AT&T. I spent 2 hours on a call being passed from one agent to the next. I decided to just call my bank and stop payments. In 2020 or 2019 right before the t-mobile merger I decided for work I wanted a back up mifi device so I walked into a sprint store. The manager eventually came out and told me they can’t do business with me because of a bad credit issue. So at least 15 years later and I was like damn oh yeah I remember I couldn’t cancel my service … so I got myself a t mobile mifi instead as backup. Still amazing to me - I even remember a big lawsuit over their cancellation policy…

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#7

Post by exabrial » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 12:52 PM UTC

Chargeback for certain, and always keep a paper trail!

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#8

Post by Nextgrid » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 1:01 PM UTC

taf2 wrote: post #6

Nextgrid wrote: post #2

You dispute the transactions and let the card network handle it. Too many such incidents and they'll lose their ability to process card payments altogether, so they'll be on top of it.

I did this to sprint in 2002 because they refused to let me cancel my contract as I was switching to AT&T. I spent 2 hours on a call being passed from one agent to the next. I decided to just call my bank and stop payments. In 2020 or 2019 right before the t-mobile merger I decided for work I wanted a back up mifi device so I walked into a sprint store. The manager eventually came out and told me they can’t do busine…

The only reason they can do that is that most people aren't aware of the rights the card networks give them, so most never bother and just submit to being scammed by the big company. Even on HN, it's disappointing to see how little is known. It's a literal "one weird trick companies don't want you to know" and it works wonders when a company doesn't want to hold up their side of a deal.

If everyone used chargebacks like they should, companies wouldn't be able to get away with this as they'd quickly run out of customers (and if they did, a competitor would quickly appear to take up all those banned customers).

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#9

Post by CodesInChaos » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 1:02 PM UTC

stavros wrote: post #5

In general, I use privacy.com everywhere I can. I don't even bother unsubscribing, I just pause the card.

Does that work in the US? In Germany stopping to pay does not cancel your subscription, and the provider can apply the usual debt collection measures.

Re: How do you get APILayer to stop billing you?

#10

Post by stavros » Fri, Nov 03, 2023, 1:09 PM UTC

CodesInChaos wrote: post #9

stavros wrote: post #5

In general, I use privacy.com everywhere I can. I don't even bother unsubscribing, I just pause the card.

Does that work in the US? In Germany stopping to pay does not cancel your subscription, and the provider can apply the usual debt collection measures.

I wouldn't know, but they're welcome to send their debt collectors to Greece.