Two card changes in quick succession led to my car insurance being cancelled when they couldn't take a payment. The first I knew of it was when the blue lights came on behind me. That is firmly into ruined life territory.
No, in the UK being caught like this means a big fine, an long-term endorsement on your license and unpleasant side effects which include raised insurance premiums and not being able to get a hire car for several years afterwards. It IS actually a big deal. And it all has its roots in a bank card number changing unexpectedly.
And the point is, yes, consequences can be rather more damaging than having your Amazon Prime membership lapse.
Not having insurance is a strict liability offence
It's the same in my country.
But if you're late on payments then a normal dunning process begins. Before your insurance turns invalid you have to ignore at least 3 letters over the course of 3 months.
In the UK they just flip the switch when a single payment fails, without prior warning?
This leads to a ruined life? Talk about a first world problem