Napster’s Sleazy Front Door

By | December 18, 2004

I’m trying out some of the online music sites, and am presently playing around with Napster. What ticks me off about these services is they try to confuse the novice into handing over their credit card details before they can get into the service, even if they have already bought a pre-paid card. The offer is ‘we just need your credit card, but it’s a free trial, honest!’. This happens at least three times, and then another pop-up window with no button to click but the one that takes you to the ‘free trial’. Anyone not absolutely sure what they’re doing is bound to click on the wrong button at some point and, eventually just hand over their credit card details just to get to the dang music store.

Of course the unsuspecting punter finds they forget to cancel and bang! At the end of the month they’re getting charged. Given a lot of the users are youngsters, I think this kind of approach, though not unusual, is appalling. Is there no shame on the part of the folk who run these services, and no legal safeguards against this kind of thing? First bad mark against Napster.

78 thoughts on “Napster’s Sleazy Front Door

  1. Peter

    Oh, do I agree with this … Trying Real Raphsody was even more fun. You cannot cancel the account online after you have opened it, only by Phone. I had to hold just 33 minutes to get someone to cancel the account. Charming.

    Reply
  2. Pingback: kevin rose dot com

  3. Larry

    What is Napster phone number I would like to cancel my account.
    Thanks, Larry

    Reply
  4. Rynna Hobbs

    I have tried for the most part of the day to cancel my napster account, which was created in error. They make it impossible to do so. Please, if you have a phone number for these guys, I would greatly appreciate it.

    Reply
  5. gary

    would like to cansel trial membership.Can’t find napsters phone number or E-mail address please help. thank you gary

    Reply
  6. Sarah

    I had the exact same experience. It’s so shady! Here are their phone numbers:

    Napster Inc
    (888) 660-2265
    (310) 281-5000
    (800) 839-4210
    9044 Melrose Ave
    West Hollywood, CA 90069

    Good luck! I didn’t get more than one month’s subscription back.

    Reply
  7. Glen Mutter

    I agree with the above. If it is a free trial why do they need a credit card. They could at least provide a number to cancel at the time you have to give your credit card.
    Thanks for the phone numbers and address, I have been trying for a long time to locate them.

    Reply
  8. matrix

    yea tried out a couple of music services…wit real rhapsody u gotta give a specific reason why u want to cancel (online), then u get the phone number, then it takes like 30 minutes to get hold wit them

    on the other hand…napster rep was pretty cool and resolved the trial charge, that i didnt realize i was coaxed into at bestbuy when i bought a new MP3 player

    Reply
  9. Nicole

    I just wanted to say thank you!!!! I signed up for the free seven day trial and like an idiot gave my credit card info. Five days into the 7 day free trial my bank account was charged. I have spent a great deal of time looking for a way to cancel and get a refund. I finally stubled across this and proof like magic was a phone number. You have helped more then you realize. Thank you once again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  10. Jacob Harris

    NAPSTER is crap. I got a 3 month free trial through BallSouth DSL so I could get “free music” (quoting the message I reieved), yet when I tried to put it on my I-Pod…IT’S NOT SUPPORTED!! So I put them on a CD, not knowing they’d charge me and now I’m out almost $50. Your number was a great help, but I won’t be working with NAPSTER after today.

    Reply
  11. mbennett

    Is it any surprise that a business originally built on the premise that it’s o.k. to steal money from artists by not paying them would turn around and steal money from users they won’t allow to cancel? Hmmm… What’s the mystery here? Napter’s own help inside thier software says to simply go to your “Account Status” window and click on the “Change Account Status” link. But guess what? No link. How convenient. Hey, just try calling their phone number (if you can find it) and usually you’ll get a message telling you that they are too busy to answer the phone (if you’re cancelling, that is) and then hang up. I’ve been on hold forever and STILL can’t cancel my account. This is a MASSIVE cash cow. And who is going to spend the time and money to go to court to get back your $9.95???

    Reply
  12. AJ

    Yeah, I also feel pretty foolish about giving up my credit card info to try out the service. I couldn’t believe that there was no tab to the link that is referenced in FAQ. After getting Napster’s number on this website, I contacted them and would not be persuaded that it was my lack of tech savvy that caused the credit card charge. When I spoke to Napster’s customer service rep and he explained that level of technical experience the company assumes their customers possess, I was incredulous. I don’t know, I think I’m too old for this downloading music stuff. Either that or Napster really is pulling a pretty high tech but low price scam that is bringing in a lot of money. Anyway, thanks to this website I have my refund. I don’t guys, I think I’m too old for all of this fancy stuff. I’ll just bring in a radio to work and listen to it!!!!

    Reply
  13. denise rob

    thank u for the articles. i was having the worst time trying to track down the number or something for napster. i tried napster lite,and decided to buy a cd. not only charged once but to my surprise twice, and no way to contact them to get a refund. thanx denise

    Reply
  14. mf

    does anyone know where to file a complaint about how hard it is to cancel a napster subscription? like a state regulatory agency or something? since it is impossible to cancel online, i have been on hold for the better part of an hour trying to cancel. this is such a scam.

    Reply
  15. Marie

    Try filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
    Napster address:
    Napster Inc
    (310) 281-5000
    (800) 839-4210
    9044 Melrose Ave
    West Hollywood, CA 90069
    My solution was to close and reissue a new credit card number.

    Reply
  16. Terri

    I’m having the exact same problem with Napster! And since I’m under 18, (ie. a minor) I’m getting my mom to call them, because they are jerks to minors. AND I checked the Terms and Conditions of Napster, and it specifically stated that you had to be over 18 to sign up, AND you had to put your birthdate in to sign up. So they should have never let me register.

    Reply
  17. Chris

    Anyone who doesnt read the terms and conditions is an idiot. Its not a scam, just read the [charming expletive deleted] terms… [charming term indicating disrespect deleted].

    Reply
  18. Neil

    Napster is a total scam. I got lured into it from getting DSL from Bellsouth. Perhaps if we complain to Bellsouth (or whoever promoted this to you) to let them know this is a scam, perhaps they can stop offering a free 30 day membership to “Scamster”. I called AmEx (my credit card company) after receiving my first charge following my “free” subscription and they blocked Napster from charging my account anymore. Most credit cards have this service.

    Reply
  19. Nate

    The terms of service say exactly this: “You can cancel your monthly subscription or downgrade your “Napster To Go” subscription by delivering notice to Napster by clicking here.”

    Once you click on the link, you get the Help Request Form page. Out of all the options in the select box for Type of Help, Cancellation Request is one of two that redirects you to another page. This page tells you to call 800.839.4210 to cancel your account. So by delivering notice, which one would expect to mean something like sending an email, or even delivering snail mail, they mean call an 800 number to cancel.

    I was just on hold tonight for 45 minutes, and finally someone just picked up the phone and hung up. It was actually a relief because I was sick of listening to the hold music. To be honest, I didn’t think I would get through anyway.

    I also sent a notice for them to cancel my account well over a week ago. I had to choose General/Other under the Type of Help so it wouldn’t redirect me to the 800 number page. They replied to my email saying that it was being reviewed. But like I said, that was well over a week ago and since then another charge has been rung up on my card.

    Napster is a scam. They get away with thousands of dollars worth of $9.95 monthly fees that they screw out of their unsuspecting customers. Reading the terms of service does nothing.

    Do yourself a favor and do not ever give them your credit card number.

    Reply
  20. Jeremy Wagstaff

    Thanks, everyone, for your comments. I’d be interested in hearing directly from anyone with a story to tell about their dealings with Napster over this for a possible article. Please email me using the address in the top left of the page. Confidentiality assured.

    Reply
  21. Joel Webb

    I just cancelled my Napster To Go subscription with a five minute phone call. Maybe calling early in the morning (9 AM Pacific) was the trick. Like previous posters I was not pleased to find the account cancellation link in the program lead to a phone number. The phone menus are the same way with numerous menus, submenus, and offers to help you in other ways before the option for a customer service rep is offered. While my experience (1 yr. subscription) with Napster has been positive, the run around for cancellation speaks of a company desparate to grow and count users rather than providing timely service to the customers they already have.

    Reply
  22. Brian

    If you read during registration, on page 1, it says that if you do not cancel within the trial period, then you will be charged the applicable monthly fee until you cancel. Then, on page 2, you select which membership type you want where it tells you what the monthly fee is and that you can cancel any time during your trial. On top of that, if you cancel on page 2, or click the link at the bottom, you can even go straight to Napster Light. I know if I were giving my kid my credit card, I’d certainly read the details associated with the service. Napster’s phone number is easily accessible thru the software and on the website. If people would use that thing called a brain, they could find it in about 3 clicks if they are a paid member, or on a trial. Everyone expects everything to be spoon fed. Sorry, programmers are pretty smart guys, but they’re not psychics with crystal balls. I will admit that the hold times could use some improvement. The phone menu system can also be confusing and like a maze with dead ends. Why does Napster need a credit card for a free trial? To limit people from getting endless free trials. If you look at other services on the net, not just music services, you will find that asking for a credit card in return for a free trial is standard practice. If you see a charge before the end of your trial, it’s a preauthorization and it’s covered in the quick help which can be found from the FAQ. The FAQ clearly states that the iPod is not supported. It also states that you must pay to burn tracks. Not to mention that Napster presents a confirmation window telling you that it’s going to charge you and you must either click Ok or Cancel. Napster doesn’t ask for your birthdate, it asks for the credit card number and the security code which means you have to physically have the card. If a kid gets a hold of their parent’s CC, then the parent needs to find a better hiding place, or have a talk with them. In short, people need to take responsibility for their actions. Napster is not a kids toy. It’s a service that does what it was designed to do and does command a certain degree of know how which is why the docs and phone support are there. RTFM!

    Reply
  23. Christine

    Beware also if you purchased from Best Buy. I canceled a Napster To Go subscr. on 2/14 and was charged on 2/18 again. Called Napster THANKS TO THE PHONE NUMBER ON THIS WEBSITE!!!!!! (Once you cancel there is no phone # on the the Napster website)–Anyway come to find out Best Buy had set up an account for me without my knowledge when they asked me for my email address when I purchased the MP3 player and a song card from Napster. (I gave them a dummy email–cuz I don’t give out my email)–which they used as an account id. I had no idea they had signed me up for a Napster subscription.
    The Napster person I got on the phone today (only on hold for 2mins maybe) was extremely helpful. He cancelled the Best Buy account and is refunding the two charges made by Best Buy. Also, had him blacklist the debit account card number that Best Buy used as well as the one I used in my trial subscription. That way neither card can ever be used for Napster.
    So a thousand thank yous to this web blog for Napsters phone number which allowed me to remedy my problem quickly!!!!

    Reply
  24. sam

    yup, Napster did this to me as well. I am currently on hold for what will likely be 30 minutes in order to cancel my Napster account, and so I figured I would use this time productively to post a comment about how sleazy this is of Napster. I have been an honest subscriber of Napster’s $10 per month service since it was first offered several years ago. However I recently purchased an Ipod and have decided to start using ITunes as Napster doesn’t exactly work with ipods. So I go to cancel and find much to my disgust that I must

    1. call a 800 number for a transaction that clearly should be handled over the web

    2. wait to hear several minutes of useless faqs on the phone

    3. am then told that the wait time to simply cancel my account will be over 30 minutes.

    Well I agree with the poster who argued that Napster is simply trying to hold back the floodgates of subscribers leaving for greener pastures, and while I understand their motivations I still think that this is a shameless business practice that will likely end up costing Naspter millions in reputation and hopefully they get stuck paying to defend and settle a large class action lawsuit on this matter!!!

    Reply
  25. Marty

    Yep – we blasted right by the free trial, and the “instructions” to cancel were to call the phone number and they’d take care of it “right away” – right the hold time, as announced, was over 30 minutes. I hope this is the end.

    Reply
  26. rob

    30 minutes on hold would have been nice. I have been on hold for 108 minutes and counting. Yep, that’s 1 hour and 48 minutes.

    Reply
  27. Trish

    Do not get napster!! On the cancellation date of my free trial, my computer crashed, I swear that by downloading music they put a virus into my computer, the cpu won’t do anything, has this happened to anyone else? Now I have to take my computer in to get fixed, what a drag!

    Reply
  28. ANDREW

    … NAPSTER IS A SCAM!

    thanks so much yo, my mom almost killed me, im just 13 and some assholes tried to scam me, all i wanted was music not a hole in my moms pocket…

    THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE NUMBER

    NAPSTER SUX!

    Reply
  29. John Doe

    To cancel Napster online, send a e-mail to support@napster.com informing them since you signed up online, you are canceling your service online (NOTE: you are INFORMING what you are doing… *NOT* asking if this method of canceling is accepted).

    Date/Timestamp the e-mail and inform Napster this is an official notice, and further credit card transactions from Napster will be considered fraudulent since the business relationship between you and Napster has been formally canceled (keep a copy, preferably paper, of this e-mail for your records).

    Then call your credit card company (just to be safe) and ask them to flag/block any future payments to Napster (they should be able to do this).

    Napster may say to call them to cancel, however they have no legal barring over requiring a phone call as the only method to cancel. You signed up for Napster online; thus you will cancel the same way.

    If they ignore your request then they can deal with the charge-back fees that will be charged to them through their merchant account (usually ~$30).

    Be sure to keep a copy of the e-mail you send for your records (incase Napster ends up charging your credit card and you have to sign an avadavat for the credit card company and provide any proof).

    Below a sample e-mail:
    —- cut here —
    To: support@napster.com, cancel@napster.com, service@napster.com, helpdesk@napster.com
    From: John Doe john@doe.com
    Support: Cancel Napster Monthly Service

    Napster, Inc.
    9044 Melrose Ave.
    Los Angeles, CA 90069
    US

    To Whom It May Concern,
    This letter dated 3-30-06 is a formal notification of my cancellation of the Napster Subscription for $9.95 a month.

    Future charges from Napster after 3-30-06 will be considered fraudulent unauthorized charges and will be reported to the issuing credit card company.

    Thank you for the service you have provided thus far and please consider making online cancellation an easier process in the future.

    Sincerely,

    John R. Doe
    Member ID: 10938992
    Member Name: jdoe
    Last 4 card digits: 3029

    Reply
  30. Brian

    Napster does not load viruses on your PC. Your PC crashed because you probably use P2P programs like LimeWire and BearShare or because you download crap like Bonzi Buddy. Napster is not a scam. You’re just mad because you wanted to burn a bunch of CDs and thought it was free despite the fact it prompted you to pay and you had to agree to it. It must have been real hard to use if you can’t even spell sucks correctly. If ignorance is bliss, then you must be in heaven.

    Reply
  31. James Hickman

    Why does my Napster get screwing up and not playing my music?

    Reply
  32. Bree

    I signed on for the 7-day trail on Sunday. Today I called because there was two charges on my account. One for $1.00 and one for $14.95. I cancelled over the phone and I was informed the money would not be returned until the 30th because that is when the trail is over. I never heard of that. I’ll wait until the 30th to see if the money is put back on my card.

    Reply
  33. paul

    first time i tried calling napster to cancel i was told i would be on hold 45 minutes. no way!! second try I got a hold of a person in less than five- called much earlier in the day. canceling therefore ended up being relatively painless- eventually.

    Reply
  34. Lynne

    Well I use Napster and I love it maybe it’s just because you have to be smarter than the average bear to know to read the whole page before you give out credit card info and personnal I did my research before I signed up which meant I read the website to get my infomation and as far as the promo card if you look when you are signing up if you actually look at the page you’ll find “Got a promo code or Napster card” enter you code here and boom no credit card needed if you have a track pack card……….As far as you guys not having a good experience maybe if your not smart enough to read everything one a page thats asking for a credit card then should pack your PC (computer) up and send it back…. Now for the kids thing if you actually read the Terms & Condition they actually don’t let anyone under the age of 13 use the site but then I guess if parents stop throwing the crdeit cards at their kids they wouldn’t have these problems…………..

    Reply
  35. Lynne

    You people are so stupid I mean you are just mad because nothing very goes your way and instead of actually taking the time to understand something you’d rather say I thinks it’s a scam or it’s sleazy I think you people are the ones that give LEGAL prgrams a bad name

    Reply
  36. Some Guy

    “Why does my Napster get screwing up and not playing my music?”

    Because Napster works with DRM, and if you install any other third party software that might screw with your DRM, then the licenses for your songs won’t play.
    An easy fix for this, instead of having to call in, or email the Napster email team to get it fixed, is do this:
    Delete the DRM folder, which is located in C:Documents and SettingsAll Users (make sure your hidden files and system files are showing, Tools, Folder Options, View Tab), and delete it.
    Once you deleted it, go to the Napster folder (C:Program FilesNapster), and open the WMP_Upgrade file with Windows Media Player, which will upgrade your security components.
    Once that’s done, your music will play.

    Now, for all you people that think Napster is a scam, then my opinion is that you are very illiterate and don’t have the capability to read. There is nothing that Napster will trick you on, you are advised before hand. And about “Napster took my money off my [credit card] (which actually is DEBIT CARD) when I started my trial”, is because EVERY ONLINE SERVICE, even offline services, will ask you for a preauthorization from your card. Even if you go check-in to a HOTEL, and you use a debit card, you will be held, usually about 100 bucks, for a preauthorization hold, or what they like to call, “Security Deposit”, which is the SAME THING Napster does. Why doesn’t Napster do it with Credit Cards? Because if you do not have funds on your credit card, it will just get declined, and it won’t allow you to start a trial.
    So in conclusion, before you start talking crap about Napster, LEARN YOUR CRAP.

    Reply
  37. Some Guy

    Also, about cancelling Napster, how fricking hard is it to go to their website and click on the “FAQ” tab at the top? Then it has the option that, if you’re already a member, you have more answers. If you’re too lazy to look, here it is:
    http://www.napster.com/quickhelp.html
    You have the phone number in there, and it tells you how to cancel. Not so impossible, is it? And about the wait time, the reason why it takes so long to get thru is because there are so many people that DO NOT READ and want to cancel the account, or just need help with stuff. Napster is a big company, and they stay busy most of the time. But nowadays it won’t take too long to get ahold of them, even if you have technical issues. I’ve experienced it myself last week, and the guys really helped me solve my issues.

    Reply
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  39. james

    i have nothing against napster, but i’m through using it and want to cancel but can’t find an 800 number… some one please post it if you know it. i’m paying for something i’m done using..

    Reply
  40. Todd

    How do you change a device partnership? We have 2 devices registered or whatever and we need to change one to a different divice, how do we do this?

    Reply
  41. Lucy

    I stumbled upon this page while (like many others) trying to find out how in the world I will get a hold of a person at Napster. They took two payments out of my account after I wrote them several times that I am canceling my free-trial. I did this two days after starting the free trial, thinking that it would be taken care of. I left on vacation, coming back to overdrawn fees at the bank because of Napster. I called the number I found in my account withdrawal history but it was just not possible to talk to a representative. I have spent a lot of time trying to find a way of contacting a costumer service rep. and I can’t believe that I found the number on here and not on their website where it really should be. Thank you to those that took the time to write the number on here.

    Reply
  42. Stefanie

    Wow i hate napster. I have been listening to this guy tell me there is access to over two million tracks and they are happy to resolve any issue i am having..yah right. I canceled my subscription and now i want to remove napster from my computer but it wont let me so im waiting on the phone for someone to help me, looks like this is going to take the better part of the afternoon! I hate napster!

    Reply
  43. mary phillips

    report napster to the Federal Trade Commission, as I just did. It is very easy to do at their website Maybe if enough complaints are registered, Napster will be forced to put all terms of agreement in easy to understand language, for those with or without any tech savvy.

    Reply
  44. andars05

    Guys, I had the same issue with canceling. On the FAQ they are not referring to the webpage. They are referring to the Napster program. Inside the program you goto My Account -> Account Status. The cancel link can be found from there =)

    Reply
  45. Virex

    I paid the first month with paypal. ALL i DID TO CANCEL WAS TO GO TO PAYPAL AND CANCEL THE SUBSCRITION WITH NAPSTER THRU PAYPAL. nOW EVERTIME NAPSTER WANTS TO CHARGE ME i rEFUSE THE REQUEST FOR PAYMENT

    Reply
  46. HA

    Wow, half of the [[word removed]] posting here need to learn to read the terms and conditions printed in FRONT of you when registering. It says on the registration you need to cancel before the trial ends so you wont get charged. And you can cancel the trial online.

    Reply
  47. Steve

    This is quite simple. Napster has done a great job making sure they make their money is a shady way. They do not provide contact information on their home page and if you are not a subscriber you can not get their phone number in the “My Account” section. They are quite crafty, and I am sure they are making a lot of money by not making it easy to cancel a subscription. Here are the phone numbers again, as they are what is the most important content in this message. Be ready to sit on the phone for a minimum or 10 minutes! Oh and by the way, the people who entered negative messages can only be Napster investors…

    Napster Inc
    (888) 660-2265
    (310) 281-5000
    (800) 839-4210
    9044 Melrose Ave
    West Hollywood, CA 90069

    Good luck.

    Reply
  48. Damian

    Wow, wish I’d read all this before calling Napster to cancel. I think I liked the old Napster better, when everything was free and we we stealing from the recording industry rather than the other way around. Just spent 30 minutes on the phone cancelling. I love how after they beg you not to cancel, offer you free service, etc they tell you they need to get a confirmation number and put you *back* on hold. Arrggh! I’m going to take some of the advice above and follow up my phone call with a letter. Anyone know if Rhapsody is equally evil?

    Reply
  49. Julie

    THANK YOU DAMIAN!!! For posting those numbers to napster. I signed up for the free trial napster a year ago – cancelled shortly after, or so I thought – until I started getting charged to my credit card every month. I tried cancelling again and again online and finally tried calling, only to never get through to anyone. I even called my credit card company to block them but they said they couldn’t without proof that I had infact cancelled. Thankfully I stumbled onto this blog and the 1-800 number posted above and I think this whole mess is finally over!!!!

    Reply
  50. Michael Morton

    After realising that Napster had charged me for two months after cancelling my subscription, I finally found a contact number for UK residents on this site and found out that they are able to refund the last charge because it was recent but they cannot refund the first one because it was too long ago. So if you cancel your account online, make sure that you are not charged and if you are, then contact them straight away. Here’s the UK number again because it doesn’t appear on this page of this site: 02073651079

    Reply
  51. Megan

    I have been trying to cancel for over a week now, I did the seven day trail thing and when i looked up how to cancel it said click my account and that button wasn’t even there! I will never go through them again, and i DO NOT RECOMMEND NAPSTER!.
    Thank you

    Reply
  52. scott

    Napster SUCKS!
    I got a full refund by declining thier initial offer to refund a month and proclaiming that thier service was a scam and threatening to charge back all charges through my credit card company…they then said that since i turned down their initial offer they could refund total amount… HOW DOES THIS CRAPPY SITE STAY IN BUSINESS?????

    Reply
  53. Austin

    I like how two of the people on here have said they had a 7 day free TRAIL….shows why they are upset…THEY ARE IDIOTS. Napster is not a scam, and if you are waiting more than 30 minutes you are calling on a monday night when EVERYONE else is calling.

    Reply
  54. Chadlynn

    Omg it I was searching forever to find a way to cancel napster we were unaware that AOL NOW transfred to napster and we never even used either once we were not refunded our money but thank god that horrible bill is no longer but it took forever to cancelthe account until i found this website thank god for yall it only took like ten minutes i suggest the:
    (800)839 4210

    number it was the most successful but you need the number off of your bank statement and thats it!!

    THANK YOU TRULY!!<3

    Reply
  55. Mickeyann

    I just tried canceling my Napster account. The first time I was disconnected, but the second time I waited about 3 minutes and had gotten a very nice young lady. She took my account # and info, made me an offer to stay w/ the program, but I nicely turned the offer down and requested to cancel again. She gave me a case # and was gracious about the whole thing. The number I called was: 1-800-839-4210
    I called at 10:30A.M. (CST)
    No problem.

    Reply
  56. Anonymous

    As far as I am concerned, any company that allows you to sign up on-line but requires you to speak to a telemarketer to cancel is already sleazy; doing it when they know it takes 30 minutes to get your call answered is doubly so. That being said, it is possible to cancel; call (800) 839-4210, choose 4, then 2. Have your name, billing address, and Napster ID (listed on your CC statement, or you can find it by logging into your account and going to the “My Account” options).

    I spent 30 minutes on hold today, then was able to cancel; only had to answer two telemarketing questions (Q: “what did you not like about the service”, A: “I just had to spend 30 minutes on hold trying to cancel it”; Q: “would you try it again if we gave you a free month?” A: “No, I’d like to cancel, please”) an apologetic rep put me on hold for about ten seconds, gave me a case number and claim that I will not be billed again.

    Don’t take out your anger on the minimum-wage schmucks answering the phones. To file a complaint on-line with the Federal Trade Commission, go to http://www.ftc.gov and choose “Consumer Protection”, then “File a Complaint.” Might not be a bad class action suit, either; if it works against Napster, you can go after Vonage next.

    Reply
  57. Schmuck

    A telemarketer is someone who calls and tries to sell you stuff, not someone who answers the phone. And I assure you working in a call center and flipping hamburgers have quite different scales, so don’t say “minimum-wage schmucks” when you really don’t know what people on the phone make.

    Reply
  58. Anonymous

    Yes, Napster is very very bad news.

    Had it one month to download songs to use in my TEFL English lessons, but had to discontinue with so many hassles actually successfully burning to CD. Not to mention the additional costs if you want to then use these songs for IPOD (not supported) or MP3.

    HUUuGE problems to then cancel the subscription (I was a UK based customer). Impossible to cancel online, UK customers are forced to dial up a normal (not freephone) London number. My experience at 4.30pm was to first wait 19 minutes (American recorded voice had advised 5 minute wait) before hanging up and redialling. Second attempt (4.50pm), cut off after 7 minutes (didn’t even get to speak to anyone). Third attempt it was answered after 6 minutes, and finally cancelled..

    Every stage of my dealing with this online music provider has just screamed out con. In the event of experiencing problems such as I have, I would recommend sending the following email, saving it as proof, then contacting your bank directly to flag Napster as a online fraud. You are within your rights to also lodge a complaint with the http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/.

    It is only reporting unscrupulous market traders like Napster that will force the regulators such as the Office of Trading Standards to intervene and make the napsters’ alter their ways.

    Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 17:05:07 +0000 (GMT)
    From: Send an Instant Message
    Subject: Cancel Napster Monthly Service

    To: support@napster.com, cancel@napster.com, service@napster.com, helpdesk@napster.com, support@napster.co.uk, cancel@napster.co.uk, service@napster.co.uk, helpdesk@napster.co.uk, shopnapster@napster.co.uk

    Napster, Inc.

    9044 Melrose Ave.
    Los Angeles, CA 90069
    US
    To Whom It May Concern,

    This letter dated 3-January-08 is a formal notification of my cancellation of the Napster Subscription for £9.95 a month.

    Future charges from Napster after 30 January 08 will be considered fraudulent unauthorized charges and will be reported to the issuing credit card company.

    Thank you for the service you have provided thus far and please consider making online cancellation an easier process in the future.

    Sincerely,

    Peter

    MemberID: 189071836
    Member Name:
    Last 4 card digits: 5679

    Reply
  59. Andy

    I subscribed for a free months trial of the usual £9.95 service but when I found out I couldn’t actually use any of the music unless I continued to subscribe, I cancelled online. Or at least I thought I had. It then offered me a seven day trial of the Nabster to Go service. Again, I tried it, didn’t like it, thought I’d cancelled. It now appears that while no money has actually been taken out out of my bank account, there are FOUR payments pending from Nabster (£9.95 for the first trial, £14.95 for the second, and two of £1 only). This means that the money is not available to me. I’ve tried calling, I’ve tried emailing. Nothing…

    Reply
  60. The Law

    Napster is a pile of ****.

    Don’t get screwed over by them… they cleverly conceal their contact details for cancellation and they sometimes trick you into getting 30days for free and then have to cancel again. Stick to your guns, keep your feet on the ground and open your eyes to the cunning work of Napster.

    For the rest of us Brits, the number is 020 7365 1079.

    Reply
  61. OMGZ Really?

    Really? “cleverly concealed their contact details”? From Napster.com click “Quick help” and you’ve got the information you need. Doesn’t seem very hidden to me.

    Reply
  62. Kevin Elliott

    I sent Napster a cancelation email, via the problem section at the bottom of the Quick Help form and was able to cancel straight away. On request they even gave me a link to the uninstal program.

    Reply
  63. Ollie

    I had major problem trying to cancel Napster. called their number 4 times and just got left on hold for up to 20 minutes after the annoying electronic voice told me it’d be less that 5 mins. I e-mailed them informing that I was cancelling the account and acutally put that I was e-mailing because I could not get through on the phone number. Predictably they E-mailed me back telling me to phone them to cancel the account. Would strongly recommend that Napster are to be avoided.

    Reply
  64. Ollie

    I had major problem trying to cancel Napster. called their number 4 times and just got left on hold for up to 20 minutes after the annoying electronic voice told me it’d be less that 5 mins. I e-mailed them informing that I was cancelling the account and acutally put that I was e-mailing because I could not get through on the phone number. Predictably they E-mailed me back telling me to phone them to cancel the account. Would strongly recommend that Napster are to be avoided.

    Reply
  65. lisa mcmillan

    I have had the same bad experience with napster. What started out as a free trial turned into a nightmare. to make a long story short after being charged 14.95 3 times on my credit card for the “free trial”, I finally got it cancelled and they refused to give me any kind of refund. I was just glad that it was over-or so i thought. Two days after the cancellation, my son’s music that I paid for 3 times is no longer on his mp3 player.when he tries to play it it says cannot play-license is expired on his mp3 screen. I thought that we paid for all of his music with the money they took off of my cc. Are they allowed to do this? Was I renting the music? Could someone please explain this to me? Thank You

    Reply
  66. Really?

    Jon Dork….are you freakin serious? You thought with a free trial wouldn’t roll in to a subscription when it tells you on their website that it will…and then after you’re charged and cancel want to know why the music won’t play? CAUSE YOU CANCELLED THE SERVICE. Of course its music rental. Anyone who thinks it’s all you can download and keep for 14.95 is an idiot.

    Reply
  67. Jeremy Wagstaff

    Really? is actually correct, tho s/he should be directing their comments to lisa, not jon, and they could probably be a bit more civilized about it. I’m guessing that lisa found her cc charged at the end of the trial period.

    I should point out that it is quite possible to buy music you can keep for $15 a month: emusic would give you 30 songs or so for that, although the choice is more limited.

    Reply
  68. wis kid

    napster is tryin 2 charge me after they told me i get a free trial they want credit card numbers this is crazy they need to b procecuted ive wasted all my time downloading all this software only 2 find out they want cc numbers (frauds) if they were honest i would get my 30 days b 4 they ask 4 cc numbers

    Reply
  69. wis kid

    im glad ive seen all the comments above the confirm my suspision napster is joke im very pissed of that they would even contiue 2 rob people the way they do this is 4 sure they r undisputed theives thanks guys the info was extremely helpful keep exposing thoes rippoffs

    Reply
  70. Bobby

    They still doing the same scams, still clearly earn most of their money from free trials that go over time. And not all companies charge you instantly for going over regardless of usage, have rude staff and generally speak over you. Loving some of the replies though, as clear as it is that most of those complaining are ripped off customers, those that arent look very much like Napster employees. Hopefully not for long as the rip off that Napster is becomes ever more apparent. Great scam, shit company.

    Reply
  71. Ticked

    Scam confirmed. I did the trial, kept the subscription for another month and then canceled (after half the songs I downloaded wouldn’t work or would crash my mp3 player). When I canceled, the music stopped working as expected, but the charges kept coming (since canceling in December)….now it’s May and I’ve been arguing with them the whole time — so far I only got back April and May with ANOTHER assurance it was “really canceled this time” What a pain!!

    Reply
  72. Winsor

    I work there. It’s not a scam. There is a record anytime someone accesses your account. If you called in December and cancelled there would be a record someone accessed your account. If there wasn’t, then you didn’t call, didn’t speak to someone OR called in about the wrong account. Most of the people that are boo-hooing about getting charged just don’t want to take responsibility for forgetting they had an account and expect a refund.

    Reply
  73. Sophie

    Hm.. I just found out about this scam and decided to try and cancel my account right away. Tbh I didn’t want my mum having a cow at me because some scammers robbed us. It seemed to work fine, the ‘cancel free trial’ button was there and there were no numbers to call – However, now it’s allowing me to keep the free trial until it ends. Something suspicious is going on because My mum got mad at me because £9 had been taken out of her account, along with £3 more on the same day when we had not bought anything that day. WTF?! This really is fraud, since they state on their website that they do not charge if you cancel your free trial within in the trial period Well, if all the stories here are true, then they have not only lied and lost our trust for their service, but they have stolen money from peoples bank accounts! That is JUST like being at a cash mashine and physically robbing someone of their money. I am really angry with this company but I’m just a teenager and I can’t do anything, I really suggest someone older and more mature than me go and tell the banks or report them or something, because it is not right or fair. 😐

    Reply
  74. Winsor

    Sophie, call in. Most likely it was just a preauthorization on the account and not an actual charge. Anytime an account is cancelled, trial or not, it continues to remain active until the end of whatever billing period it’s currently in. As long as you got a confirmation email that it cancelled, you will not have to worry about getting charged at the end of the trial for that account.

    Reply
  75. Jeremy Wagstaff

    Winsor, thanks for your comments. Before I allow more from you, could you please contact me directly to confirm your identity? Thanks.

    Jeremy (jeremy@loose-wire.com)

    Reply

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