News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by h4kunamata on Friday April 10, 2026 @02:42AM (#47714410)
Easy fix, wait for the next billing, contact the bank explaining what happened, and block that and future debits.

At least in Australia, this shouldn't be a problem.

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by JumpCrisscross on Friday April 10, 2026 @04:12AM (#47715079)
> Easy fix, wait for the next billing, contact the bank explaining what happened, and block that and future debits

You'd also want to mail a letter to Google documenting that you're cancelling your subscription. Cancelling a payment method alone doesn't void a contract. I doubt Google would do this. But there are plenty of trashy litigation-finance shops that buy up these abandoned contracts for pennies on the dollar and then try to collect. Even if you never give them any money, it would trash your credit for a while.

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by rich_sasha on Friday April 10, 2026 @02:52AM (#47714474)
I'd imagine if you have a card payment reverted to Google and they ban you in return, you're in a world of pain (that you are in the right probably doesn't matter).
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by grebc on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:30AM (#47714778)
The OP is already banned? Whats the issue in cancelling a charge you cannot use?
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by cube00 on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:48AM (#47714902)
Google has a degree of seperation value stored on every account. Once the algorithm determines its been wronged it increases the radius so expect your household members and work colleagues accounts to be at risk when you try this.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by Squeeeez on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:57AM (#47714954)
For three generations, unless you watch re-education videos.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by reedf1 on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:53AM (#47714929)
bullshit - canceling the authorization will have no affect on your account at all, the subscription will just end.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by cube00 on Friday April 10, 2026 @04:04AM (#47715008)
In Google's eyes cancelling the authorisation is robbing them because they charge in advance and they might even cop a rejected payment fee.

I agree there may be no other option, I'm just warning to be ready and prepare for the possible loss of "connected" (in Google eyes) accounts.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45157001

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by close04 on Friday April 10, 2026 @04:21AM (#47715143)
Definitely not bullshit. I have a friend who was banned simply for returning a Pixel phone after accidentally ordering 2. Some automated mechanism flagged it as potential fraud and nothing worked to reverse the ban. Going to the bank to block payments, remove authorization, or God forbid, do a chargeback for the money they already took after banning you is playing Russian roulette with your Google account.

It's also the only way to stop Google from stealing your money short of going to a lawyer.

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by grebc on Friday April 10, 2026 @06:47AM (#47716112)
The account is already banned.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by close04 on Friday April 10, 2026 @08:42AM (#47717255)
The Youtube account is banned. Google can escalate things and widen the net to ban anything and everything you have in the Google ecosystem, like a Gmail account. You can see here [0] that OP still has access to the Gmail account.

[0] https://pocketables.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-4-1...

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by grebc on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:19PM (#47722457)
It’s not clear that that is the Gmail account to be fair.

Still, you’re not going to let Google continue charging you for nothing and still keep your email with them.

Anyone who has anything like this happen to them is moving off Google products.

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by grebc on Friday April 10, 2026 @06:46AM (#47716098)
Do you work for Google? I’m not sure what the problem is you’re describing.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by altairprime on Friday April 10, 2026 @02:45AM (#47714422)
By comparison, Goldman, the bank operating Apple Card in the U.S., has previously refused to perform that block future debits process for me; they simply didn’t have the capability. I ended up closing my account with them to stop the charges, which worked perfectly. I envy Australia’s apparent regulation to compel merchants to do so.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by Spare_account on Friday April 10, 2026 @04:13AM (#47715085)
As an additional data point, in the UK I can just login to my banking app and remove the authorisation for a particular vendor (or, for people who don't use online banking, I could phone up to do the same thing).
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by grebc on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:26AM (#47714758)
I think it’s the bank that blocks the merchant here in Aus.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by Havoc on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:41AM (#47714850)
Same for uk. Can cancel direct debits from the bank website.

Things like this would probably not be via direct debit though

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by mnw21cam on Friday April 10, 2026 @04:12AM (#47715076)
Yeah. Recurring card purchases are hard to stop. They can keep going even after the card has been cancelled or expired. The direct debit guarantee is so nice in comparison.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by xfactorial on Friday April 10, 2026 @02:54AM (#47714493)
I some countries, however, this may penalize you, credit score wise or whatever.

This option, in my opinion, should truly be the last resource, after exhausting (and documenting) every other route.

Very important: public routes, like Twitter Support, even better (make sure every step is traceable if the only option left is, indeed, blocking debts on your credit card).

Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by reedf1 on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:57AM (#47714956)
You haven't signed any agreement or opened any lines of credit - I would be amazed if there was any jurisdiction in the entire world where this would affect your credit.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by psd1 on Friday April 10, 2026 @04:18AM (#47715120)
Heuristically, that sounds naive. Actuaries do not typically think "oh, that's enough data". If Experian could track whether you iron your shirts, it too would show up in your credit score.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by reedf1 on Friday April 10, 2026 @06:39AM (#47716059)
I mean possibly. I interact in the space and there is almost no information in a cancelled subscription. There is more information in how much you spent on takeaway.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by chris_wot on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:37AM (#47714818)
I contacted TM Bank and they would't let me do this.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by reedf1 on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:58AM (#47714965)
Subscriptions are not a contract of payment. Your bank pre-authorizes these payments, simply ask them to remove pre-authorization. If they can't do that, then the bank is spending your money without your consent.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by TheChaplain on Friday April 10, 2026 @03:54AM (#47714937)
Might be an idea to switch to a bank or credit union that have better customer service?
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by debazel on Friday April 10, 2026 @06:03AM (#47715820)
This is not an easy fix. Charge backs will lead to life-time permanent bans. Which means you're now forced to buy an iPhone in order to pass store attestation for essential applications like banking apps, government ID, age verification, etc.
Re:YouTube locked my accounts and I can't cancel my subscrip... by jasomill on Saturday April 11, 2026 @04:23AM (#47728642)
Assuming the chargeback is made in good faith, why do the laws allowing for chargebacks in the first place permit this?