ADVFN www.advfn.com

I bought a year's subscription to ADVFN's Bronze service back in May 2024. At the end of 2024 they stopped doing LSE (London Stock Exchange) closing price data downloads without warning - not even stating on their website that they'd done so. Only when I contacted them at the start of 2025 to find out why I wasn't seeing LSE downloads was I told that they'd stopped providing this.

When I asked for a portion of my year's subscription back (that was the only Bronze level function I was using), I was told that this was not possible (several times) by the Account Manager. When I took out the subscription (by phone) I wasn't referred to any Terms and Conditions. They can be found on their website, but you have to look hard for it; whether the current terms applied at the time I took out the subscription I can't tell.

I'd made the purchase via a Visa credit card, but upon enquiring with my bank was told that they could only look to address issues where the transaction was less than 120 days old, and mine wasn't.

I strongly recommend anyone considering their service to look elsewhere.

Be cautious as a buyer, as there is a 30-day cancellation policy in place. Despite only using the services for a few days, I am now being charged for two months of service

So many posters with multiple accounts being foul and abusive to genuine shareholders. Admin do not answer any emails on this subject, I have sent six so far. A rubbish company who don’t give two hoots about their customers, don’t just take my word, Jerald’s the other reviews.

I just wish I had read the earlier comments before subscribing to the silver account from this truely aweful company.

The biggest surprise is they have been operating this way for years and getting away with it.

This warning is not about the quality of their products which as far as I am aware are OK but the way their payments system works and the ruthless way they enforce their terms and conditions.

Last year I decided to take up a special offer and bought the silver account which gave me access to real time share prices and various other stuff. I used it for 6 or 7 months before deciding that share dealing was not for me so I sold most of my remaining shares and more or less forgot about ADVFN expecting my access to their services to stop in this year.

That was a major mistake!

While checking my bank account I noticed a payment to ADVFN for over £220. I thought there must have been a mistake so I contacted them by private messaging. After a day or two I go no reply so phoned them to be told by a very aggressive agent that to stop auto renewal of my account I should have contacted them not less than 30 days before the renewal date. He said this was all clearly stated in their terms and conditions and there was nothing I could do about it. They have no policy for refunding payments once made regardless of the circumstances.

I've written to them several times since and only received one equally aggressive reply stating the same as the agent said on the phone. Now they are ignoring my messages.

I even spoke to my bank about it but apparently this is all totally legal so I had to ask my bank to block any further payments.

If you decide to ignore this warning and purchase one of their services you have been warned, don't be surprised if you see money continue to be taken without your permission.

Using ADVFN for a while now I can tell it does the job pretty well.

Everything from live streaming prices to data download is reliable and up to date.

I don't really see these other reviewers, there might be a technical issue (as much as all other providers) which is then sorted out fast.

They do cover all major Markets and this was a big boost for me when about to decide which site I should sign up with.

Highly recommended.

I have used ADVFN for 16 years and in the last 2 years its progressively got worse, i am on the paid service but streamed prices now constantly stop streaming and refresh, and is logging me out for no reason a few times a day, no help from ADVFN support. The website and their technology seems outdated, website is exactly the same as it was 16 years ago. Also if you are on the paid service then then renew with no advance warning.

For a PLC im amazed the site and customer service is so poor.

They make claims but site is awful only works sometimes then they kick you off when you do not give them bunch of money Do not ever give them your money.

I actually think that the basic service, which is free,is pretty good for what it is... but you don't get long before the live streaming stops, even with the basic Bronze level subscription. I'd agree that there is a huge amoun of advertising diarrhoea on the site peripheral to the live prices, even when subscribing to the service. The live streaming can time out even before these adverts are rendered on the web page.

I use the site to download end-of-day data for the LSE and you need a Bronze subscription for that because the LSE don't supply the data for free (I think the US Exchanges are free though? Why we have to pay in the UK for the data but our US bretheren don't, I don't know..). Anyway, this is the area that frustrates me the most.. it used to be really good and reliable, but for the last year or so the download service times out 9 out of 10 times, so you end up spending 15 minutes re-submitting requests. It usually gets there in the end, but what a faff! Also, if you ask for historical prices and try and limit it to one day it just does it's own thing and gives you 2 days worth - emphatically NOT the way I personally want it. Advfn are aware of this but have done precisely nothing to rectify the situation.

I'm embarrassed to admit that i haven't checked my bank account as often as i should. I subscribed to advfn on 23 july 2010 and truly believed i was paying for one year and one year only. The cost was £117. 20. Since then advfn has taken money from my account every year. I'm always abroad in july and don't easily get wifi so i haven't checked - i've been stupid. Advfn is now charging £208. 43 annual subscription! Over the entire period they have taken £1604. 45. No they won't refund it. They say that on joining they sent me an email stating their terms and that they renew using what they call 'continuous authority' - and i certainly didn't sign up for that! I've discussed it with my bank and they have said that the only way i can stop them taking more money is to cancel my bank account and open another one. This, apparently is nothing to do with my debit card although the annual charge is marked as 'deb' on my statement. They never send a notice to tell you what the renewal charge is going to be so there is nothing to remind you that there is a big fat leech sucking away at your lifeblood. They rely on inertia to make their money. The company is owned by mr clem chambers - google him, it's interesting.

They operate an automatic renewal policy and they don't warn you when renewal is new. In my case I only noticed when I saw the charge on my credit card. They won't accept termination of the balance of the contract so I'm stuck with a 12 month charge for a frankly pretty crappy service. Quite appalling that this sort of thing happens in this day and age.