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Netcup Billing Issue
I started using netcup service since March and paid for 6 months. But then I stopped using their service because I don’t need it anymore. I assumed that after my billing cycle billing of 6 months ends, they will terminate my service and delete it after few days, same as all other VPS providers I have ever used in the past. But they did not. They keep my server running and keep charging me. And now they are using a so-call debt collection agency (mediaFinanz GmbH) to charge me 58€ because I didn’t terminate my server by myself. Sending me emails almost every day.
Is there any one here encountered this kind of situation?
Comments
This is typical of German companies. With netcup and others there, it is very important to cancel in time. I believe it is stated in their terms as well. I knew for a while that you even had to do this by fax or telephone because email was not enough
A tale old as time itself: LowEndCustomer vs German Hosting Contracts
I used Hertner service as well, and never faced this. The email account is not monitored and I only realized this when I purposely check my email once in a million year.
Should have bought from netcup.EU with monthly billing rather than netcup.DE with year log contract.
Also there is no issue, you just clicked blindy yes yes yes without reading what you bought and you "assumed" they will stop billing you.
sorry to say that : you will need to pay the bill
you did not terminate the server properly
consider this a lesson to cancel on time.
https://netcup.eu/bestellen/agb.php
Good old questionable billing practices. That's why I avoid these "you will do as all Germans" companies. I don't give a fck how german contracts work, if I don't pay - service auto terminates, that's it.
Agreed.
Contact there support, you can probably find a solution with netcup
Just don't pay the debt collector or are you scared for a piece of paper ?
It is normal and typical for services to continue with service providers, and billing to be renewed, until the customer advises to cancel.
It's either your house or the 58€ but they will get one of the 2
There is a checkbox saying "i have read the cancellation process" when you order and you checked it.
Web hosting companies don't, either, cancel your service and delete your website after your current billing period ends. They bill you for the next term and leave your website online.
That Germany baby, They have used same practice everywhere. Bill to negative and send to agency after that.
Why is it a netcup billing issue?
No one enters into a credit agreement with a provider. They have been working for 6 months under the contract and be kind enough to discontinue the service. They extend the service on their own and write off the money from the client's card into the negative. And then they send the amount to a collection agency. That is, they have driven themselves into debt and themselves through the court demand to return this debt in a compulsory manner.
This thread kinda answers other recent thread "How is Netcup so cheap?". While forum members universally agree, that these billing practices are evil, people keep buying services from German providers, because no one else can match the prices for similarly performing VPSes. Be it netcup, IONOS or Hetzner.
Hetzner doesn't bill that way, except for dedicated servers - you have to cancel them in advance. Also they send me invoices after a month for already used services, not in advance, so that is very nice of them.
netcup has contract and billing periods. And billing periods may be longer (e.g. 6 months) than contract periods (e.g. 1 month), if you cancel after a month, they will return the remainder, if I understand correctly. But you have to cancel at least 31 days before contract ends, so if month has 30 days, you'll have to pay for two months before you may cancel a service (again if I interpret their terms correctly). That's how I stuck with their 14 CPU VPS for two months which I took for 20 mins just to benchmark. It's not worth it, very weak CPU performance. But root servers are good and they have "satisfaction guarantee" which allows to cancel them instantly and receive full refund.
Clearly, you didn't pay sufficient attention to what you agreed to when you ordered that VPS
If you ever want to use netcup again, you should try to make peace with them
In any case, there are many past threads here on LET about users (like you) who didn't pay sufficient attention to what they agreed to when they ordered a VPS from netcup
You need to cancel in person in their office otherwise it will be invalid cancellation 😂👍
This is why I submit remote hands request at Hetzner to send a DC staff member to physically travel to netcup offices to manage my account when I need to make a change.
the contract is open, hence continuous, while billing cycle is bi-annual. ain't that the case psr OP. If so, what's the issue?
In law, it's called loan fraud. That's probably how they do it.
It is illegal all over the world to sell goods and services against the owner's will by arbitrarily debiting his bank card. In collusion with a collection agency that profits from such cases.
Can you specifically cite, how OP's situation fits to your mentioned statute (site references). I'm really interested to know in what form and instance where/when coercion took place. This would be a good learning and aware - at least for me.
I have similar situation. I live in South East Asia. This Debt Collector has sent me the physical mail to my address twice, it took 2 months to deliver I think. During that time, I stopped my server several days after the billing cycle, the billing amount in the ccp panel is different than what this collector stated on their mail. I contacted the customer support to resolve the issue, tells them that I have no IBAN account (since netcup system still charge you based on your subsciription, then you can get refund from your IBAN account), and they solve the billing amount. What I suggest you is juct contact the customer support and ignore the Debt Collector.