# Why was I charged $7.48? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 22, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749 "2004-03-22T19:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/21 "2004-03-24T08:44:12Z")
I too got charged $7.48, and my membership is valid till March 2006. I know I’ve got a good deal out of this, but it does rankle having had to have paid more than I was told I would have to. Oddly enough, in the confirmation page you get after paying, the “Term” field rightly stated “1 year”, but the “Expiration” field shows “3 / 2006”. Weird, no? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/22 "2004-03-24T12:29:26Z")
Has somebody mailed Zotti or Tuba about this as they may not be reading this thread? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/23 "2004-03-24T12:40:54Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > Has somebody mailed Zotti or Tuba about this as they may not be reading this thread? Yes, this has been brought to the attention of Ed Zotti and team. We await an official response. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/24 "2004-03-24T12:41:55Z")
If I decide to subscribe using a UK credit card is the conversion from £ to $ done automatically? Or do I have to get my calculator out and do the maths myself? V ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/25 "2004-03-24T18:37:22Z")
Whatever. I got two subscription notices when I only subscribed once. I want my $7.48 back. I don’t mind paying for a year, but I’d like to hold off on paying for Year 2 until I see how the board progresses until then, which I think is fair. ---
**Author:** ![htns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@htns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/htns)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/26 "2004-03-24T18:45:46Z")
> [@kniz](#): > > Hey, there’s an idea they didn’t think about: > **LIFE TIME MEMBER** for $49.95. :eek: Amen. Admins, you listening? I’d do it. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/27 "2004-03-24T19:01:23Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Whatever. I got two subscription notices when I only subscribed once. I want my $7.48 back. I don’t mind paying for a year, but I’d like to hold off on paying for Year 2 until I see how the board progresses until then, which I think is fair. Please e-mail me the following info: (1) Do I correctly understand that you paid a total of $7.48 for two years? (2) Please send me a copy of the credit card receipt we sent you. (3) Did anything unusual happen during the transaction, e.g., was the system slow, did you hit the “submit” button multiple times, get error messages, re-enter data, etc.? For those wondering, $7.48 is the charter member rate for additional years of subscribing (50% of $14.95). If you wish to give us more money, click on “Subscribe” on the menu bar AFTER you have paid your initial $4.95. You will (or should) be offered the choice of subscribing for additional years for $7.48. Re-up for as many years as you want. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/28 "2004-03-24T21:44:55Z")
> [@](#): > > by RickJay > When I subscribed, the \*\*confirmation screen \*\* said I had just been charged “US $7.48”. > [@](#): > > by Ed Zotti > Please send me a copy of the \*\*credit card receipt \*\* we sent you. I never got either of these. I just got a blank screen with the Straight Dope logo at the top. The board is letting me post, and my name has “Charter Member” under it, so I presume the transaction cleared, but I have no idea how much I was actually charged. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/29 "2004-03-24T22:08:03Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > I never got either of these. I just got a blank screen with the Straight Dope logo at the top. > > The board is letting me post, and my name has “Charter Member” under it, so I presume the transaction cleared, but I have no idea how much I was actually charged. I just checked and you’re signed up for a year. I don’t have access to the transaction log at my location so can’t check what you paid but in every instance we’ve checked so far where people paid extra by mistake they got two years, not one. So I think you’re OK. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/30 "2004-03-24T23:06:46Z")
Thanks, Mr. Z. I’ll call my bank tomorrow just to double-check. (I’m an auditor. I get paid to be anal retentive 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/31 "2004-03-24T23:29:47Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > If I decide to subscribe using a UK credit card is the conversion from £ to $ done automatically? Or do I have to get my calculator out and do the maths myself? It’ll be done automatically. When I buy stuff from non-USA sites (e.g., BBC), I’m charged in that currency. When the charges show up on my credit card statement, it’s in dollars. At some point the exchange rate is applied. I don’t know any of the details, but I don’t see why the applicable rate wouldn’t be that on the date of the transaction. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/32 "2004-03-24T23:38:22Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > If I decide to subscribe using a UK credit card is the conversion from £ to $ done automatically? Or do I have to get my calculator out and do the maths myself? What **rowrbazzle** said. If you want to know what the exchange rate is ahead of time, you use [XE.com](http://www.xe.com). ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/33 "2004-03-25T02:27:36Z")
Do I have to buy additional years _now_ to get the 50% discount rate? I’ve paid for my first year and thought at the end of the first year, I would be able to renew at 50%, not purchasing additional years now…😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/34 "2004-03-25T03:55:22Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Do I have to buy additional years _now_ to get the 50% discount rate? I’ve paid for my first year and thought at the end of the first year, I would be able to renew at 50%, not purchasing additional years now…😕 No. All you have to do to be able to renew at 50% for the rest of your mortal existence is to keep your subscription paid up. As soon as it lapses, though … Let’s not think about it. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/35 "2004-03-25T13:36:23Z")
I still have not been billed. But my subscription says I’m paid up for a year. I stll do not show that I am a charter member. Have I done something incorrectly? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2004, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/36 "2004-03-25T13:38:09Z")
All fixed yeah…clapclapclap ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749/37 "2004-03-26T03:03:58Z")
> [@Ed Zotti](#): > > No. All you have to do to be able to renew at 50% for the rest of your mortal existence is to keep your subscription paid up. As soon as it lapses, though … > > Let’s not think about it. Thanks, Ed. Consider my mortal existence yours and Cecil’s. **I** know resistance is futile. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-i-charged-7-48/235749.md?page=1)