At Labonas, a specialist in gaming accessories and office equipment, a subscription is offered in addition to standard purchases. It is only once the order has been placed that the associated direct debit becomes relevant: you still need to know when it starts and how to monitor it correctly.
Anticipating the start of the direct debit
Before even thinking about what the subscription offers, it's useful to check one simple piece of information: the date on which the first direct debit will be made once the trial period ends. This information should appear clearly in the general terms and conditions displayed at the time of order, and be included in the email sent after the purchase. Keeping a record of these elements avoids many misunderstandings a month later.
Recognizing the direct debit once it appears
The description that appears on a bank statement for this type of direct debit rarely matches the name of the store visited: it's often the name of the company that manages the site behind the scenes, or a short, uninformative reference. This is precisely what makes some direct debits difficult to identify, even when they are legitimate and correspond to a subscription accepted at the time of purchase. Regularly checking your account, in the days following an order rather than at the end of the month, helps to make this connection without stress.
If you have any doubts about a debited amount, it's best to start by contacting Labonas customer service directly, specifying the date and amount concerned, rather than immediately initiating a bank opposition, which is a longer process and blocks the card used in the meantime.
Regaining control before the next direct debit
To avoid unnecessary direct debits, the most effective approach is to anticipate: cancel the subscription before its renewal date as soon as it is no longer of interest, with just a few clicks from your customer area. This action has no effect on amounts already debited, but it prevents subsequent ones and takes effect at the end of the current period. Keeping proof of this action, such as a screenshot or email, serves as recourse in case of an unexpected new direct debit.
Many banking applications now allow you to set up an alert beyond a certain amount, or to quickly view a list of active recurring payments. This is a quick setting that usefully complements manual monitoring and limits the risk of a direct debit going unnoticed for several months in a row.
