So I'm sat here doing my accounts from the last 3 months or so (having recently received my bank statement) and have come across 3 debits from Click and Buy - the company that take money for buying ABRSM MP3's.

I bought 3 tracks from the Grade 8 Syllabus - this is shown in one debit.

I wasn't sure what the other 2 debits were for so looked at the confirmation emails that they sent me at the time. It appears that Click and Buy automatically deduct two extra amounts from your account until you verify your credit card. After 60 days it's not possible to refund this.

I feel a bit angry about this. Are they allowed to debit amounts from my account until I verify the card ? Seems particuarly wrong as I get my statements every 90 days...and as far as I was concerned everything had been verifed and confirmed (particualrly as I'd already receieved my goods)

Has anyone else had problems with this company or made a similar mistake ?

You mean they have charged you three times for the same item?

Hi,


Nope they've charged me once for the 3 items and then two following random charges which I need to verify my card with.

I've just noticed these random charges now and it's past the 60 day deadline to verify the card...which means that they won't refund the random amounts.

I fail to understand how they can legally do that...

Yes, this was my thought.

I'm impressed that you can now download MP3's from the syllabus. But surely this isn't the correct way to do and I wonder how much of this ABRSM is aware of.

Would appreciate people's experience of this.

I'm going to send Click and Buy and the ABRSM emails about this.

I would certainly recommend you do that. If ABRSM are in effect endorsing their services, it's going to rub off on them if all is not clear and above board, I'd have thought.

It's a bit like they've charged you for extra tracks that you haven't actually wanted to buy...

I had something like this when I signed up for a paypal account but I'm pretty sure that they credited a small amount (pence) to my card rather than debited.

Definitely a debit.

I've paid £5.40 for a service which should have cost me £2.50.

I realise it's only £3-odd extra - but it's more than double what I should have paid...

Result!


Having had no reply from Click and Buy or indeed the ABRSM today I decided to call up.

Spoke to a lady at Click and buy who has agreed to refund my account in the next 4-5 days.

My advice, be careful what you are paying for online and make sure you read all the emails that the company send you thoroughly.

NOTICE TO ABRSM OFFICIALS

I had just sent out a mass email telling my pupils' parents to buy the tracks online

I have now sent out another telling them not to, as apparantly there are problems with the service and I can't recommend something which might cause hassle and extra debits.

Please sort it out and let us know when it is rectified.

Suggest they listen on you-tube!

you can send them a link to a decent performance rather than take pot-luck.

the two extra debits are used to verify that it's your card--the amounts are randomly generated, and you enter them back on the site, so they know you've seen the card statement. my guess is that it's ClickAndBuy (who are a popular online payment broker, like PayPal) who are doing this, rather than the ABRSM. however, it's rather unusual for them to do this for a single purchase; usually, it would only happen if you'd created a proper account at the broker and wanted to register your card.

it's likely that somewhere in the small print it explained they would do this, but since you clearly didn't know about it, it seems they need to make it a bit more obvious...

Well yeh it is Click and Buy (see title of thread )...The problem with it is that once they've debited two random amount you have to wait a few days to see what those amounts were and then remember to go back into your Click and Buy account to verify it. It's all a bit of a hassle for a few mp3s....


I sent an email to the ABRSM stating that I think the ABRSM have a responsibilty to ensure that any of their products sold through their website be done so in a clear and honest manner. I have had no reply from them.

Fortunately Click and Buy were very friendly on the phone and have agreed to refund the amounts.

Glad it's sorted for you now fatar760
I wonder if ABRSM were aware of this before hand?

Thanks Chevvy. Well done Portsmouth tonight btw........I'm a Sunderland supporter

If I remember rightly, PayPal did something like this when I set up something with them - but the small amounts where credited to my account rather than debited! They totalled less than £1, and of course didn't generate any ill-will in the way that debiting small amounts would.

How foolish of me to think that this was resolved.

Having sent an email to the ABRSM and Click and Buy on Sunday I today (Friday) finally received two replies. This is the first email that I received from the ABRSM:

"Hi Mike

It has been brought to my attention that there has been an issue involving the billing of MP3 downloads from our website. I hope that you found Katrina's explanation satisfactory. Alternatively the ClickandBuy customer service number is 0207 153 9160. If you are happy to contact them directly, then they can ensure that these payments are debited straight back onto your card. I apologise for any inconvenience that this has caused you.

Since you raised the issue, I decided to register myself as an ABRSM customer to familiarise myself with the purchasing process. I also contacted ClickandBuy directly for additional information. It would appear that confirming your credit card is an optional process run by ClickandBuy (offering the benefits of increased security, higher spending limits, more payment choices and lower fees). Some online retailers set this as a mandatory requirement prior to purchase. Our site merely offers it as an option to the customer. I am sorry that it was not clearer at the time of purchase that this was not compulsory - or alternatively that there was some issue at the time of purchase that entered you involuntarily into this verification process. Our intention is that it is optional for the customer, requiring them to tick a box if they would like to participate.

Once again, please accept our apologies for any confusion. "


And this is my reply and details the events that followed tonight....

" Hi,


Unfortunately Katrina's (lady from Click and Buy) response has just added confusion to the matter. Having had no response from either yourselves or Click and Buy by email I decided to track down their number myself and call them. I was told, quite politely, that these amounts would be refunded to my card immediately and sorry for the confusion, I then received an email telling me that the amounts had been refunded back to my card. This was on Monday and thought no more about it.

Now, having just read these emails I have gone to check whether those amounts were actually credited back to my card. It appears they weren't and nobody at Click and Buy had the decency to inform me of this. Having just logged back onto my Click and Buy account it is now telling me that in order to confirm my card I need to agree that there will charge me ANOTHER two amounts. Clearly that was a generic email that they sent me today with 'I'm sorry for the late reply.'tagged on the top.

I have just now tried to call them, after being putting on hold for 10 minutes. I got through to a woman in Germany, whose communication skills left a lot to be desired. She informed me that there's nothing she can do until Monday when her team leader is back. Funny how on Monday this wasn't an issue.

Surely if there were any problems refunding the amounts they should have informed me of this - rather than sending out two emails (one on Monday and one today) informing me that the refund was successful and then me finding out, quite unlikely, in this manner. .

This company is a joke, you dial a London number and get sent to Germany. I can't say I'm hopeful of this being resolved soon. I have highlighted this matter to other ABRSM members via the forums and the general feeling there is one of shock that a company should debit your account to verify cards rather than credit them (as paypal do). .

I am disappointed with the level of service I have received from Click and Buy and am disappointed with the delays in responding to my emails.


Yours Sincerely,



Mike "


I may be one of very few who have had problems, I really don't know. BUT what I do know is that I won't be touching Click and Buy again...and apparently it's not compulsarly to buy the MP3s through them...this, I don't feel, was ever made clear.

Sorry for the long read. I'm clearly not happy about this and feel it correct to share.