OneStream added an Opt-Out NordVPN subscription onto my broadband internet

VPN
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| Account Ref: [redacted]|

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|Your 30-day free trial has started|

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|Dear [redacted], As a valued Onestream customer, we are excited to let you know we have partnered with NordVPN. To celebrate this great news we are pleased to announce that we are giving you a 30-day free trial of NordVPN. Your free trial* starts today. Getting setup is easy, simply click the button below and follow the instructions. The most advanced VPN. And much more. NordVPN shields your online activity by encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your virtual location. Encrypted data is virtually impregnable, making it much more difficult for others to spy on you Help and Support Don’t forget The last day of your free trial is 20/09/2024. *At the end of your trial, you will be charged £4.95 per month, this will show on your bill each month and can be cancelled at any time. NordVPN is not tied to your broadband services with Onestream, should you ever leave Onestream for your broadband service, we will continue to provide you with your NordVPN service until such time as you instruct us to cancel it. Want to end your free trial? To make your cancellation as quick and convenient as possible, we have provided a cancellation link specifically designed for this purpose. We would like to remind you that cancelling your NordVPN trial will revoke any active protection and other benefits associated with the trial subscription. If you decide to continue using NordVPN’s services in the future, we would be delighted to assist you with our comprehensive range of products and subscriptions. Simply click the button below to initiate the cancellation process. If you wish to cancel your free trial, there are instructions at the bottom of this email. Secure browsing with Threat Protection Pro Protects you from malware, trackers, and ads. Even if you’re not connected to a VPN. Wander around freely Choose from over 6400+ NordVPN servers in 111 countries — more servers means less load and faster connections. Embrace next-gen encryption With their revolutionary NordLynx protocol and advanced encryption, you can stay safe on public and other Wi-Fi networks without slowing down. Browse without a trace It’s nobody’s business what you do or where you go online. That’s why they don’t track, collect, or share your private data. If someone asks for it, the best they can do is shrug their shoulders. If you need any help with your subscription or anything related to NordVPN you can visit our NordVPN support page. Get Started Cancel NordVPN Free Trial|

I have read through their Terms and Conditions https://onestream.co.uk/documents/broadband-and-home-phone-terms-and-conditions.pdf but I could not find anything about being auto-enrolled into additional services. I have contacted Citizens Advice about this to report to Trading Standards. I rang Ofcom but it has not been 8 weeks since I made a complaint which means they cannot help yet.

I am not so concerned for myself but all the people who don’t realize this is an optional addon to cancel. I therefore wanted to cancel my subscription as a boycott of their services but I was told there is an early leaving fee. However I feel adding me onto additional services is a Breach of contract as they are trying to alter and manipulate during that term of agreement.

It’s my first time encountering any company enrolling me into opt-out free trials so I would love to hear everyones opinion on this.

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NAL.

It would be better if you could provide the screenshot of the email rather than bulk-text paste it into this thread as it’s hard to read (and also doesn’t emphasis just how hidden the ‘small print’ bit actually is in the comms customers have received. I have received the same email and am also curious as to where I stand with my contract, as this is just another in the long list of really shady stuff this company has done.

I’m not sure they have permission from those signed up with them to charge for extra services, or even provide their customers data to third parties like this (a completely unsolicited and unnecessary ‘service’).

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I’m a OneStream customer. I’ve been very happy with the service…. Until today when I got signed up for a free trial to a VPN I didn’t request, informing me I’d be charged after the free trial ends.

I’m lucky I noticed this email in my inbox. I’ve cancelled the VPN. I’ll be leaving them when my broadband contract ends.

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Did anyone get a new email today saying that they ‘miscommunicated’ and you are not actually signed up for it unless you activate?

The email then says ‘If you haven’t activated the free trial or cancelled, no charges will be applied to your account now or in the future.’

So should I expect to be charged because I cancelled, after their initial email said in big bold letters ‘Your 30-day free trial has started’…?

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To add to this group I thought I’d reach out to Nord vpn and got this from them

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They’ve had to back peddle on this, they were clear when I spoke to them a couple of days ago that I had to cancel the trial, otherwise it would be charged after 30 days. I’d assume it’s due to them sharing customer details to sign them up for something which the customer was not aware of, it’s against GDPR rules, as well as being an absolutely shady anti-customer tactic. Can’t wait til my contract is over with these jokers.

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Hello, #####. thank you for contacting us. We are in contact with Onestream and collecting additional details to understand the issue better. All of our resell partners must rely on lawful and ethical means to sell Nord products. If that is not the case here, we will make sure to get it right.

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And then Hello ####. Apologies for the long wait. As noted by Onestream, none of the automatically enrolled users were or will be charged. Regardless of their official response, we’ve arranged a call with their representatives later this week regarding the future of our partnership. We’ll keep you up to date with the situation!

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And I know ofcom are investigating this too we shall see