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Adding to the above, when recurring bill payments, subscriptions, and services are set up for credit card payment, the bank/card company continues to honor and pay those even when the merchant is submitting an expired or changed card number. So for consumers, it's necessary to notify the merchant, in writing, to stop billing the card as of a specific date - and to keep a copy in case they don't. It's the only thing that will guarantee that the bank/card company removes the charge.

For small merchants (like many in this community), that's one of the potential problems with some e-store "packages" (where it's a third party, not the merchant, that accepts, retains, and submits the customer's credit card number) -- they make it easy for the customer to sign up for recurring payments and subscriptions, but they don't provide an equally convenient way for the customer to change billing information or cancel. So if that third party continues to submit an expired or changed card number, the bank/card company will assume that the customer wants whatever it is and continue to pay it -- but the merchant may eventually get hit with months and months of chargebacks, funds may be frozen while problems are investigated, etc. So merchants who sell products or services with recurring payments or subscription billing have to be proactive about this, too.

Thanks to everyone who responded. The vendor came clean. Evidently they have an 'agreement' as they called it to work with credit card companies to keep card numbers current. Sounds like a racket to me. Citibank is in danger now of losing my business. I am extremely angry about this.

Note: I closed the account on the phone with a bank representative. I usually have to close one account a year due to fraud and this is the first time this has happened to me.

If anyone would like the name of the vendor feel free to email or give a shout.

Thanks everyone for all the good answers....now I am a better edcuated consumer as well!!!

Domain, glad to hear its all worked out. But I note from your comments that you have made a mistake
which might well lead to renewed headaches for you. You stated you closed the account 'on the phone'. As I noted previously, never never never never never never never close accounts on the phone. Do so in writing, sent certified return receipt collected and keep a copy for yourself. This is due to privacy and security concerns--how does the person on the other end know it's you and not somebody else with quesetionable intentions manipulating your account? Also, should future issues asive, having a copy of your correspondence along with delivery confirmation constitutes a very important paper trail--"I talked to Joe on the phone 2 or 3 months ago" won't get you far as a defense.

AMSPCS