So anyone who follows this blog knows how carefully I budget. My budget is important to me, and I do the math to make sure I’m on track several times a week. Recently, I’ve started seeing a therapist once a week juts to work through some stuff and get some life advice. It’s expensive, but my insurance covers a fair portion of it, and I’ve budgeted carefully to manage it.

At my first appointment, I was charged $160 upfront, pending partial refund once we heard from my insurance. Turns out, I only have to pay the $75 copay, so that first payment covered 2 appointments and then some. I‘ve had another 3 appointments since then. The day of my third appointment (prior to the actual appointment), I called in to pay up my account. Since 2 were covered already with $10 left on my account, I owed for 2 appointments, so I paid the $140 and was asked if I wanted to keep the card on file for future payments. I said no, that I would either call to make payments or bring in a check to pay in advance for an entire month at a time as needed.

I reviewed my budget on Friday morning, and after putting gas in my car and paying all my bills, I had about $25 left in my checking account (I have more in savings, obviously, but that’s my savings, not my budgeted money) to last until payday on the 23rd, more than enough for a few lunches.

I checked my bank account last night at about 11PM, just to make sure everything was on track, and not only is my checking account in a negative balance, but there has been an overdraft protection transfer from my savings to my checking. My therapist’s office manager charged me for another appointment without my permission, and it overdrew my checking account.

Thankfully, my bank recently switched to overdraft protection rather than overdraw fees, but this could have ended up costing me not only $75 I wasn’t expecting to pay right now, but an additional $50 in fees. I called and left a message asking them to please not do that again, since we’ve already had this conversation, and also wrote them an email reiterating that I did not authorize them to make any further payments.

This could have been much worse than it was, but thankfully it was all ok... except that my savings is now lower than expected and my budget is now ruined for the rest of the month.

Oh well. I just hope they listen and don’t charge me anymore without my ok. I’m going to bring in a check to pay for the entire month next time.

Please help! https://gofund.me/89897205

New Post has been published on http://princefinance.princefamily33.com/2016/10/25/take-a-look-at-this-credit-card-advice-5/

Take A Look At This Credit Card Advice

TIP! In terms of a retail store’s credit options, you should never get a card with them unless you’re a loyal, regular customer. If a retail store puts out an inquiry to the credit bureaus to check about your qualification status for their card, it will impact your score.

Consumer knowledge is key to the proper use of credit. This article offers some valuable education that can help anyone to make wise credit card selections, and use those cards in a manner that prevents problems. Lots of people use credit cards but not many of them use them correctly. This can financially hurt people.

TIP! If you receive a credit card offer in the mail, make sure you read all the information carefully before accepting. If you receive an offer touting a pre-approved card, or a salesperson offers you help in getting the card, make sure you know all the details involved.

Don’t cancel a card before assessing the full credit impact. Sometimes it is better to leave an unused credit account open than it is to close it. Additionally, try keeping the card accounts open that comprise the main part of your payment and spending history.

Unauthorized Charges

TIP! It is common for card issuers to offer big incentives for opening accounts. Be sure that you fully understand the fine print, though, because many of these cards have very specific terms that you must meet to qualify for the bonus.

If you see any suspicious charges, report them quickly. By doing this, you can help your credit card company catch the thief who is making these unauthorized charges. This will also prevent you from becoming responsible for too many unauthorized charges. Fraudulent charges could be reported through a phone call or through email to your card provider.

TIP! The reason credit card companies have minimum payments is because this is the amount they would like you to pay so they get the most money out of you over a longer period of time. Pay much more than what the minimum payment indicates.

Use your charge cards wisely. Limit spending and only buy things on your credit card that are affordable to you. Prior to choosing a credit card for buying something, be sure to pay off that charge when you get your statement. If you can avoid carrying a balance over from month to month, you will remain in charge of your financial health.

TIP! Make sure you thoroughly understand the terms before signing up for a new credit card. The fees and interest of the card may be different than you originally thought.

If you are in the market for a bank issued credit card, look for one that offers a low interest rate. Also avoid paying annual fees. Choosing a card that has an annual fee attached is a waste of your money when there are numerous bank cards available without one.

TIP! If you are purchasing something at a retail location with a credit card, make sure that you never leave any spaces on the receipt blank. Having a blank space on your receipt is literally leaving space for someone to add an amount where you don’t want it.

Helping You Wade Through The Murky Credit Card Waters

Balance transfer credit cards have already been available. It is easy to run into trouble if you try to manage bank cards without some knowledge or getting good advice. This guide contains lots of advice for anyone who wants to learn more regarding bank cards.

You can save time and money by setting up automatic payments through…

Tips And Tricks On How You Could Maximize Your Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Let’s face it, in this day and age, people can use all the education possible on how to manage balance transfer credit cards responsibly. Balance transfer credit cards can either be an excellent tool for building your financial life or a great service when used properly. This article will demonstrate how to use balance transfer credit cards.

TIP!Create a spending budget for your credit cards.…

New Post has been published on http://www.brianbrown.net/2014/10/08/att-to-pay-105-million-for-unauthorized-charges/

AT&T to pay $105 million for unauthorized charges

ATT Inc. has agreed to pay $105 million to settle claims that the company billed wireless customers for unauthorized services including horoscopes, ring tones and love tips.

ATT unlawfully billed customers for charges originated by other companies for subscriptions to the services, a practice known as mobile cramming, the Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday.

The FTC said $80 million of the settlement will be used for customer refunds to those billed for the unauthorized charges, while the remainder will pay state and federal fees and fines. Customers can apply to the agency for refunds.

“This settlement will put tens of millions of dollars back in the pockets of consumers harmed by ATT’s cramming of its mobile customers,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “ATT had strong reason to suspect that the charges were unauthorized, yet continued to place these charges on its customers’ bills.”

ATT is settling with the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission, all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The settlement was filed along with a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The case is the seventh mobile cramming case brought by the FTC since 2013. The agency sued T-Mobile in July over similar claims. The company denies the accusation and is fighting the case.

In third-party billing, a phone company places charges on a consumer’s bill for services offered by another company, often receiving a percentage of the amount charged.

ATT “had rigorous protections in place to guard consumers against unauthorized billing” and last year stopped allowing third-party billing for certain services, Michael Balmoris, a spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Customers of other wireless companies also receive unauthorized third-party charges, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said at a news conference in Washington.

“There are a lot of other carriers involved,” Wheeler said. “It’s 20 million (customers) across all of the wireless providers in America, not just ATT.”

The charges were an “unfortunate scam on millions and millions of Americans,” Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said at the news conference.

According to the FTC, ATT billed its customers for hundreds of millions of dollars in charges originated by other companies, usually in amounts of $9.99 per month, for subscriptions for ring tones and text messages containing the love tips, horoscopes and “fun facts.”

The structure of monthly bills made it hard for customers to know of third-party charges, which were listed as “ATT Monthly Subscriptions,” the FTC said. ATT kept at least 35 percent of the charges it imposed on its customers, the agency said.

ATT received “very high volumes of consumer complaints,” the FTC said. For some third-party content providers, complaints reached as high as 40 percent of subscriptions, the agency said. In 2011, ATT received more than 1.3 million calls to its customer service department about the charges, according to the FTC.

ATT needs to obtain consent before placing third-party charges, the FTC said, clearly indicate such charges, and let customers block them.

David McLaughlin and Todd Shields are Bloomberg writers. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

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New Post has been published on http://www.brianbrown.net/2014/10/08/att-to-pay-105-million-to-settle-bogus-mobile-bill-claims/

AT&T to pay $105 million to settle bogus mobile bill claims

WASHINGTON — ATT Inc. agreed to pay $105 million to settle claims that the company billed wireless customers for unauthorized charges for services including horoscopes, ring tones and love tips.

ATT unlawfully billed customers for charges originated by other companies for subscriptions to the services, a practice known as mobile cramming, the Federal Trade Commission said in a statement Wednesday.

The FTC said $80 million of the settlement will be used for customer refunds to those billed for the unauthorized charges, while the remainder will pay state and federal fees and fines. Consumers can apply to the agency for refunds.

“This settlement will put tens of millions of dollars back in the pockets of consumers harmed by ATT’s cramming of its mobile customers,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “ATT had strong reason to suspect that the charges were unauthorized, yet continued to place these charges on its customers’ bills.”

ATT, the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier, is settling with the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission, all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The settlement was filed Wednesday along with a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The case is the seventh mobile cramming case brought by the FTC since 2013. The agency sued fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile US in July over similar claims. The company denies the accusation and is fighting the case.

In third-party billing, a phone company places charges on a consumer’s bill for services offered by another company, often receiving a percentage of the amount charged.

ATT “had rigorous protections in place to guard consumers against unauthorized billing” and last year stopped allowing third-party billing for certain services, Michael Balmoris, a spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Customers of other wireless companies also receive unauthorized third-party charges, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said Wednesday at a news conference in Washington.

“There are a lot of other carriers involved,” Wheeler said. “It’s 20 million across all of the wireless providers in America, not just ATT, and stay tuned about the other wireless providers.”

The charges were an “unfortunate scam on millions and millions of Americans,” Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said at the news conference.

According to the trade commission, Dallas-based ATT billed its customers for hundreds of millions of dollars in charges originated by other companies, usually in amounts of $9.99 per month, for subscriptions for ring tones and text messages containing the love tips, horoscopes, and “fun facts.”

The structure of monthly bills made it hard for customers to know of third-party charges, which were listed as “ATT Monthly Subscriptions,” the FTC said. ATT kept at least 35 percent of the charges it imposed on its customers, the agency said.

ATT received “very high volumes of consumer complaints,” the trade commission said. For some third-party content providers, complaints reached as high as 40 percent of subscriptions, the agency said. In 2011, ATT received more than 1.3 million calls to its customer service department about the charges, according to the FTC.

ATT needs to obtain consumers’ consent before placing third-party charges, the FTC said. The company must clearly indicate such charges, and let customers block them, the agency said.

T-Mobile has pushed back against the trade commission. Chief Executive Officer John Legere in a statement called the agency’s July lawsuit “unfounded and without merit.”

Legere said the third-party providers “should be held accountable” and that the FTC’s lawsuit was “misdirected.”

T-Mobile, based in Bellevue, Washington, received 35 percent to 40 percent of the total amount charged to consumers and earned hundreds of millions of dollars from the charges, according to the FTC.

The lawsuit against T-Mobile, filed in federal court in Seattle, seeks to recover consumer refunds for unauthorized charges. The amount could be “many millions,” said Jessica Rich, the director of the FTC’s consumer protection bureau.

Copyright © 2014, Chicago Tribune

Link to this story: 

New Post has been published on http://www.brianbrown.net/2014/10/08/att-to-pay-105-million-to-settle-mobile-cramming-case/

AT&T to Pay $105 Million to Settle Mobile Cramming Case

ATT Inc. (T:US) agreed to pay $105 million to settle claims that the wireless carrier placed unauthorized charges for services including horoscopes, ring tones and love tips on customer bills.

ATT unlawfully billed customers for charges originated by other companies for subscriptions to the services, a practice known as mobile cramming, the Federal Trade Commission said in a statement today.

The FTC said $80 million of the settlement will be used for customer refunds to those billed for the unauthorized charges, while the remainder will pay state and federal fees and fines. Consumers can apply to the agency for refunds.

“This settlement will put tens of millions of dollars back in the pockets of consumers harmed by ATT’s cramming of its mobile customers,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez.

ATT, the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier, is settling with the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission, all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The settlement was filed today along with a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The case is the seventh mobile cramming case brought by the FTC since 2013. The agency sued fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS:US) in July over similar claims. The company denies the accusation and is fighting the case.

In third-party billing, a phone company places charges on a consumer’s bill for services offered by another company, often receiving a percentage of the amount charged.

Monthly $9.99

ATT had “had rigorous protections in place to guard consumers against unauthorized billing” and last year stopped allowing third-party billing for certain services, Michael Balmoris, a spokesman, said in an e-mail.

According to the trade commission, Dallas-based ATT billed its customers for hundreds of millions of dollars in charges originated by other companies, usually in amounts of $9.99 per month, for subscriptions for ring tones and text messages containing the love tips, horoscopes, and “fun facts.”

The structure of monthly bills made it hard for customers to know of third-party charges, which were listed as “ATT Monthly Subscriptions,” the FTC said. ATT kept at least 35 percent of the charges it imposed on its customers, the agency said.

ATT received “very high volumes of consumer complaints,” the trade commission said. For some third-party content providers, complaints reached as high as 40 percent of subscriptions, the agency said. In 2011, ATT received more than 1.3 million calls to its customer service department about the charges, according to the FTC.

T-Mobile Fight

T-Mobile has pushed back against the trade commission. Chief Executive Officer John Legere in a statement called the agency’s complaint “unfounded and without merit.”

Legere said the third-party providers “should be held accountable” and that the FTC’s lawsuit was “misdirected.”

T-Mobile, based in Bellevue, Washington, received 35 percent to 40 percent of the total amount charged to consumers and earned hundreds of millions of dollars from the charges, according to the FTC.

The lawsuit against T-Mobile, filed in federal court in Seattle, seeks to recover refunds for consumers for unauthorized charges. The amount could be “many millions,” said Jessica Rich, the director of the FTC’s consumer protection bureau.

To contact the reporters on this story: David McLaughlin in Washington at [email protected]; Todd Shields in Washington at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at [email protected]; Sara Forden at [email protected] Elizabeth Wasserman

Link to this story: