Today I would like to share with you a bad experience in my social media life. It was involved facebook ads and facebook marketing and the way we should navigate Facebook in relation to our finance.
Let me be clear. This article stipulates my experience, which I affirm that purely in my sole responsibility and that I take the blame.
Facebook has no fault in our shortcomings on how to adjust our settings. It's our responsibility to safeguard our accounts.
I acknowledge that fact and that I recognize that I must educate and well-acquaint myself not only to the pages of social media sites but more so with their settings.
I published this article so that others get to avoid the misstep that I had taken, which cost me money. This post tackles how to avoid unnecessary spending on social media sites.
Likewise, Paypal only facilitated the payment transaction from Facebook as they are mandated to do in virtue of the agreement with Facebook to which I entered.
Whatever amount of money I lost, it's on me. I am very thankful to both Paypal and Facebook as I learned a great deal in this experience that surely changed the way I use social media for the better.
Chronology of events
Paypal review on my contest
I have submitted a dispute claiming that I didn't authorize payment to which Paypal responded:
“We've completed our review of your unauthorized transaction claim. The payment in question was sent as part of a payment agreement you previously set up with the merchant. As a result, we're unable to consider this to be an unauthorized payment. As a courtesy, we've canceled this payment agreement for you. In the future, however, please be aware that you can manage and cancel your payment agreements directly from your PayPal account.”
Paypal's first email
Previously, about 2-days past, Paypal had emailed me. In the email, Paypal had the following to say:
“You sent a payment of $25.02 USD to Facebook”
In the description, it said Facebook ads, unit price and payment supposedly made by me were US$ 25.02. I was taken aback. I emailed them back that I didn't confirm that payment.
Started on Facebook
Days prior, I opened my FB account, which was connected to one of my blogs via a widget.
Upon seeing my page, I notice a notification asking me to add a 'Call to Action' button on my FB page.
I figured it would benefit me, so I added the 'Learn More' button. A 'Promote Page' suddenly appeared.
Out of curiosity, I hit the button. But after scanning the page, I concluded that I would pay if I continued.
So I hit the return button of my browser. I closed FB and continued on my other tasks at hand in Blogger page, knowing all the while that I didn't push through with that promotion invitation.
Until Paypal emailed me.
History made this possible
The day I advertised my posts in FB
About 3-years ago, when I was just starting my first blog, I promoted it on Facebook.
That time the process was longer, and as far as I remember, I was asked multiple times before I could proceed and make payment through my Paypal account.
There were lots of questions needed to be filled out, and there were boxes needed to be populated by data, i.e., my target geolocation, sexes, ages, income bracket, etc.
I still remember that time I was getting impatient nevertheless I took my time until it's time to hit the final button, which would make my ads completed and considered paid.
I would just receive notification from Paypal that my account was debited for the amount of my advertisement on Facebook.
It was smooth, and I knew the transaction was really made by me.
Ambiguous way of entering an agreement
It is my fault as I didn't take it that when I completed placing my ads on Facebook, somewhere in the loop, I have clicked an agree button maybe that authorize Facebook to charge my Paypal account whenever I would hit a 'Promote Page' button.
I just went straight without reading the terms and conditions maybe.
In fairness, I wouldn't have thought that the process of placing ads or promoting my posts on FB would change tremendously.
In my subconscious mind, if ever I place ads again or promote my post again, I will be asked the same demographics. That was my fault.
Recap of my last activity in FB
- I signed on Facebook.
- I clicked the link of my blog page.
- I saw this notification in the header informing me to add a 'Call to Action' button.
- I ponder for a while, and checked choices which include — Contact Us, Book Now and Learn More.
- I got that in Learn More, users would land to my blog site when they click the button so, I selected it.
- On the next page that opened 'Promote Page' button appeared.
- "What's this?" I mulled. Then I clicked it.
- Something told me that I would pay if I continued so, I immediately hit the 'return' button of my browser.
- I closed the FB tab and continued writing drafts of blog articles.
Lessons learned
Succinctness in today's online paid services
- We need to adapt to today's trend in online marketing.
- Facebook marketing is just one of many online activities an online marketeer can use.
- Expect similar succinct commands in pages whenever you avail of a service, whether advertising or purchasing.
- We are being molded by technology itself to be quick thinkers, and as the synapses of our minds travel faster than of computers' programs, it is for our own benefit to use them for our own advantage.
Cancel payment agreement immediately
When we use an e-commerce payment facilitator, like Paypal for the very first time on paying a particular Social Media account not only Facebook but all other e-commerce websites, we bound ourselves to an agreement that authorized them to charge our payment account whenever a service is availed from our end.
And since succinctness rules the online world, there are times confusions would cost us money we have in our account. You can avoid that.
- Login to your Payment Facilitator website.
- Cancel preapproved payment to all that you see, once and for all.
- It's safe to pay manually than be sorry.
How to cancel payment agreement in Paypal?
I am very thankful to Paypal for the generous help that they extended to me.
They are the ones who advice to cancel payment agreement and gave me the courtesy of canceling my payment agreement to Facebook themselves.
As for the instructions on how to cancel payment agreement on your Paypal, here I quote the Paypal Team on the manner:
- 1. Log in to your PayPal account.
- 2. Click the Settings cog beside "Log out."
- 3. Click Preapproved payments under "Payment settings."
- 4. Click the merchant name for the payment agreement you want to cancel.
- 5. Click Cancel.
Conclusion
I will never recover my US$ 25. For a frugal person like me, it's a big amount of money. As the saying goes, I will charge it to experience.
I make sure that the amount will be nothing compare to conversation rate that I will be getting in terms of no more headache, no more wasted time in unnecessary social media expenses, reinforced belief that bloggers can make more money by shunning social media other than installing them to their blogs.
The confusions brought by the succinctness of some social media sites are there for a purpose. And I don't want to become a part of it.
Do you have a bad experience in social media from which you have learned a lesson? Can you share it with us so that we can learn from it? On the other hand, how does social media help you? Let's chat in the comment's area below.
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